Disclaimer: Prices shown are estimates based on publicly available rates as of March 2026. Royal Mail prices reflect post-April 2026 increases where confirmed. Always confirm the final price at the carrier's checkout. Prices exclude surcharges for Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Highlands & Islands, and other remote locations. eBay Simple Delivery is available to private sellers only and pricing is set by eBay — check listing flow for current rates. Evri cover upgrade costs are approximations. DashVue is not affiliated with Royal Mail, Evri, DHL, or eBay Inc.

2025/26 · Private Sellers · UK Mainland

UK Postage Cost Calculator — Compare Courier Prices Before You List

Find the cheapest courier for UK eBay sellers. Enter your parcel details and compare Simple Delivery against Royal Mail, Evri and DPD — including what protection you're actually getting. This UK postage cost calculator covers domestic courier shipping only; for international orders via couriers like DPD, eBay's Global Shipping Programme handles cross-border fulfilment.

See the real impact on your eBay shipping costs per order

Price the parcel here. DashVue subtracts real postage from every order automatically.

Postage is the one cost most sellers estimate. DashVue pulls actual label costs in against each eBay sale, so your net margin — after Royal Mail, not retail retail — is right on the dashboard.

Parcel Dimensions

Measure the longest side as length

Item Details

Sale value and insurance preference

Your Setup

Seller type and delivery options

Enter your parcel details

Add dimensions, weight, and item value to see shipping costs across Royal Mail, Evri, and eBay Simple Delivery.

Next step

Booked the right label? Make sure the real cost hits your P&L.

Most sellers charge flat postage and eat the variance. DashVue reconciles actual label cost against each order — so the listing with a heavy parcel and a cheap buy-in shows up as the loss it is, not buried in averages.

7-day free trial · We'll redirect you to app.dashvue.co.uk to finish creating your account.

See also the UK eBay selling fees guide for 2026, check fees with the free eBay fee calculator, or compare eBay Shop subscription break-even.

Frequently Asked Questions

For parcels under 5 kg, Evri ParcelShop drop-off (from £2.62) is often the least expensive option — but offers limited compensation and excludes certain item categories. eBay Simple Delivery is typically comparable and includes full item value protection, making it better value for most eBay sales. Royal Mail Tracked 48 is a solid mid-ground. Use the calculator above to compare exact costs for your parcel size.

It depends on how the listing is set up. Private sellers using Simple Delivery pay the shipping cost (deducted from their payout). Business sellers can choose to charge the buyer for postage or offer free shipping and absorb the cost themselves. In most cases, the seller arranges and pays for the shipping label, then either recoups it from the buyer or factors it into the item price.

Standard shipping on eBay refers to a seller-chosen carrier service rather than Simple Delivery. For business sellers, this typically means Royal Mail Tracked 48 or Evri — the seller selects and pays for their own label. For private sellers, Simple Delivery has replaced standard shipping as the default since April 2025.

Simple Delivery is eBay's managed shipping for private sellers. eBay selects the carrier (Royal Mail, Evri, or DHL), provides a prepaid label or QR code, handles tracking, and includes full loss/damage protection. Since April 2025, it's mandatory for most private seller listings.

Evri ParcelShop drop-off is typically cheapest at £2.62 for parcels up to 5 kg. However, eBay Simple Delivery is often comparable and includes full item value protection — making it better value for eBay sales specifically.

Tracked 48 is cheaper and includes £75 cover (2–3 days). Tracked 24 costs slightly more but includes £100 cover and aims for next-day delivery. If your item is worth over £75, Tracked 24 may be worth the small extra cost for better cover.

Royal Mail Special Delivery is recommended for items over £100 in value. It guarantees next-day delivery by 1pm and includes up to £750 compensation as standard, upgradable to £2,500. It's the only standard Royal Mail service with guaranteed delivery.

No standard UK carrier covers items over £2,500. You'll need third-party parcel insurance from providers like Parcel Insurance, Secursus, or SendCloud, in addition to your carrier service.

No. Evri's compensation excludes laptops, tablets, phones, glass, ceramics, photographs, food, and perishables — regardless of whether you upgrade cover. For these items, use Royal Mail Special Delivery or arrange separate insurance.

A Large Letter must be no bigger than 35.3 × 25 × 2.5 cm and under 750g — think CDs, books, and flat items. Anything thicker or heavier up to 45 × 35 × 16 cm and 2 kg is a Small Parcel.

As of April 2025, Simple Delivery is mandatory for most private seller listings of eligible items. You can't opt out entirely, but you can set carrier preferences in your eBay account settings to exclude Evri or Royal Mail. Note: excluding Evri significantly increases the price eBay charges for the 0–1kg tier (up to £5.15 vs £2.94 with Evri enabled).

Yes. This calculator covers England, Scotland, and Wales only. Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, and Highlands & Islands often have surcharges — check carrier websites for those areas.

UK carrier pricing is driven by parcel size bands, weight tiers, and compensation levels rather than distance. Small price jumps between size tiers can add £1–2 instantly. eBay Simple Delivery often provides competitive rates by negotiating bulk carrier pricing on sellers' behalf — which is why it can be cheaper than booking the same carrier directly at retail rates.

The most effective ways to reduce shipping costs: use Evri ParcelShop for low-value, non-fragile items under 5kg; pack items to avoid crossing size tier boundaries; enable all carriers in Simple Delivery settings so eBay can assign the cheapest option; and track your actual shipping spend per order — DashVue records shipping costs automatically against each sale so you always know your real profit margin.

No — this tool covers UK domestic shipping only. For international eBay sales, eBay's Global Shipping Programme handles cross-border fulfilment from your UK address. You only need to get the parcel to eBay's UK hub; eBay manages customs, international postage, and buyer communications from there.

Calculator Assumptions

Data Sources & Rates

UK carrier rates · Data verified March 2026

Effective DateFigureValueSource
April 2026RM Tracked 48 Small Parcel£3.65Royal Mail
April 2026RM Tracked 24 Small Parcel£4.65Royal Mail
Oct 2025RM Special Delivery (100g)From £9.25Royal Mail
Oct 2025Evri Standard Drop-off (0–5kg)£2.62Evri
Oct 2025Evri Max Weight15 kgEvri
Feb 2025eBay Simple Delivery Large LetterFrom £2.70eBay Help
May 2025eBay Simple Delivery Small Parcel~£3.30eBay Help
OngoingEvri Cover Upgrade~5% of value above £20Evri

Important notes:

  • • UK Mainland only — excludes NI, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Highlands & Islands
  • • Royal Mail prices reflect confirmed post-April 2026 increases where available
  • • eBay Simple Delivery prices may vary — always check the listing flow
  • • Evri cover upgrade costs are approximations based on available data
  • • Special Delivery maximum compensation is £2,500

UK Shipping Guide for eBay Sellers

Shipping Costs for eBay Sellers — Choosing the Right Service

As a UK eBay seller, shipping costs directly affect your profit margins. The right carrier choice depends on three factors: parcel size, item value, and whether you need full insurance cover. Understanding how parcel size tiers work — and which services include meaningful compensation — can save you money on every sale. DashVue's eBay seller dashboard tracks your actual shipping spend per order automatically, so you always know what each sale really cost you to fulfil.

Royal Mail for eBay UK: Prices & Limits

Royal Mail offers Tracked 24 (next-day aim, £100 cover) and Tracked 48 (2–3 days, £75 cover) as the go-to services for eBay sellers. Both include photo proof of delivery and full tracking. For items over £100, Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm is the gold standard — it includes up to £750 compensation and can be upgraded to £2,500. Current Royal Mail prices and full service details are listed directly on the Royal Mail website.

After April 2026, Royal Mail repositioned its pricing so that Tracked 24 and 48 cost less than equivalent 1st/2nd Class parcels — making tracked services the clear default choice for eBay sellers.

Evri for eBay UK: When It's Worth Using

Evri's ParcelShop drop-off pricing is hard to beat at £2.62 for parcels up to 5 kg. However, default compensation is only £20, and certain categories (laptops, phones, glass, ceramics) are excluded from compensation entirely. Evri is best suited for low-value, non-fragile items where the risk of loss is acceptable.

Cover can be upgraded to £999 at checkout, but the cost (approximately 5% of item value above £20) can add up quickly for higher-value items — at which point Royal Mail Special Delivery often becomes better value.

eBay Simple Delivery: Best for Private Sellers

Since April 2025, eBay Simple Delivery is mandatory for most private seller listings. eBay assigns the carrier (Royal Mail, Evri, or DHL), provides prepaid labels or QR codes, and includes full item value protection against loss and damage. For private eBay sellers, it's often the simplest and most cost-effective option.

Simple Delivery pricing is competitive — a 0–1 kg medium parcel costs just £2.94 (under £100 value). It also protects your seller performance metrics: late deliveries don't count against you if you dispatched on time. The main limitation is that you can't choose the carrier (though you can exclude carriers in your account settings).

Understanding Insurance and Cover

The most common seller mistake is shipping valuable items with inadequate cover. Royal Mail 1st/2nd Class only includes £20 basic compensation. Even Tracked 48 only covers £75. For anything worth more than £100, you need either Royal Mail Special Delivery or an upgraded Evri cover policy.

For items over £2,500, no standard UK carrier provides sufficient cover. You'll need third-party parcel insurance from providers like Parcel Insurance, Secursus, or SendCloud to protect against loss.