10 min article

Global Shipping Program

The Global Shipping Program makes your items available to more than 60 million buyers worldwide. You're protected from negative / neutral feedback, and have control over which items you want to ship through the program.

eBay International Shipping has replaced the Global Shipping Program (in the US) and will replace eBay international standard delivery on July 1, 2023. For more information, see our Seller Center page.

 

Send your eligible item to our domestic shipping center, and once it reaches us, your job is done: We'll manage the international shipping and customs process for you.

Getting started with the Global Shipping Program

To sell through the Global Shipping Program, you need to have a seller rating of Above Standard or higher, and meet the following criteria:

  • Your item must be physically located in the US
  • Your item must be listed for sale on eBay.com
  • The item must not be ineligible, illegal, hazardous, subject to export restrictions, prohibited by eBay, or prohibited by the Global Shipping Program. See the eBay User Agreement and the International trading policies and FAQs for complete details
  • In most countries, the delivery address of your buyer must be a residence or street address, not a P.O. Box, FPO or APO address. You can send items to P.O. Box addresses in the following countries:
    • Bahrain
    • Brazil
    • Canada
    • China
    • Kuwait
    • New Zealand
    • Qatar
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Switzerland
    • Thailand
    • United Arab Emirates
  • Your package must not exceed the maximum weight or dimensions outlined in the table below:
Country Maximum Weight (lbs) Maximum Length (inches) Maximum Dimensions Sum

Bahrain, Belgium, Cyprus, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom

66 66 118

China

66 108 130

Switzerland

66 72 132

Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia

88 66 165

Malaysia, Thailand

150 66 224

Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan

150 108 130

Canada

150 108 165

Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guadeloupe (French), Guatemala, Guernsey, French Guiana, Honduras, Iceland, Jamaica, Jersey, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Maldives, Martinique (French), Mexico, Monaco, Montserrat,  Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Reunion (French), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Vietnam

150 118 173
  • Your item's sale price, including shipping and handling, must not exceed the maximums outlined in the table below:
When shipping to: Maximum sale price

Dominican Republic, El Salvador

$200

Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands

$500

Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago

$1000

Taiwan

$1539

Colombia, Kuwait

$2000

All other countries

$2500

 

 

Seller and buyer fees

There is no fee to join the Global Shipping Program, but some listing charges still apply to you and your buyer. 

Seller charges

As a seller, there are some fees and selling costs that may apply to you, including an international fee. To learn more, see our article on selling fees.

Buyer charges

In your listing, the buyer will see estimated shipping and import charges; the full and final charges will be available for them to view at checkout. They can also view what they've been charged on the Order details page.

  • The shipping charges the buyer sees include any US shipping charges that you specify, as well as international shipping, handling, and other fees
  • The import charges include any customs duties, taxes, brokerage, and other fees
  • You receive the item price and the domestic shipping and handling amount that you specified directly from your buyer
 

Benefits of the Global Shipping Program

Besides making your items available worldwide, there are a number of benefits to using the Global Shipping Program:

  • If an item is lost or broken during international shipping, eBay Money Back Guarantee cases will be resolved in your favour, and your seller performance standards won't be affected
  • When you provide free domestic shipping to the shipping center, you'll automatically receive 5 stars for shipping costs in your detailed seller rating
    • If you charge for domestic shipping to the shipping center but receive a rating below 5 stars for shipping costs, it won't count against your seller performance standards
  • You'll automatically receive 5 stars for shipping time in your detailed seller rating when you ship with same business day or 1 business day handling, upload tracking information within 1 business day of receiving payment, and deliver the item to the US shipping center within 4 business days
  • Any negative or neutral feedback that can be attributed to the Global Shipping Program from item handling during international transit will be removed
 

Shipping and tracking items

When shipping your item to our shipping center, always add tracking details and include the reference number on the label to ensure it arrives safely. When you create a shipping label on eBay, this is done automatically for you.

Once a tracking number is uploaded, it is converted to a Global Tracking number which you and your buyer can use to track the item until delivery.

If you don't use our shipping labels, add the tracking number yourself when you receive it from your preferred carrier, and include the reference number on the label. Once your item is received by our shipping center, we'll add international tracking allowing you and your buyer to track its progress.

Important things to keep in mind

  • If you have your own system that sends tracking information to buyers, send only the global tracking number to avoid confusion
  • If you create your own shipping label, include a reference number. You can find the reference number on the Order details page along with the buyer's name and the address of the US shipping center
  • ShipCover insurance isn't available for items sent to the shipping center. If you purchase USPS insurance, it only protects you against any loss or damage to the package until it reaches the US shipping center. However, the Global Shipping Program covers international shipment of the item
  • If you add signature confirmation when you ship your item, you'll receive a signature confirmation when it is received at the US shipping center, not when it is received by the buyer
  • Undeliverable items may not be returned to you. For more information on lost, damaged, and undeliverable items, read our Global Shipping Program FAQs in our Seller Center

Shipping exclusions

If you've created exclusions to states, territories, countries or regions that you don't ship to, they'll still apply to eligible listings under the Global Shipping Program.

If you'd like the Global Shipping Program to override your shipping exclusions, follow these instructions:

  1. Go to Manage Shipping Preferences - opens in new window or tab.
  2. Select Edit beside Global Shipping Program.
  3. Check the box beside Use the Global Shipping Program for new eligible listings.

For more information on shipping exclusions, see our article on International Shipping.

 

Tailoring the Global Shipping Program to you

You can choose which countries you'd like to use the Global Shipping Program for. You can then use the shipping services of your choice for sales to other markets.

For example, you can set your preferences to ship to Canada through a standard carrier that provides international service, but still use the Global Shipping Program to ship to other eligible countries.

Here's how to customize your Global Shipping Program preferences by country:

  1. Go to Manage Shipping Preferences - opens in new window or tab.
  2. Select Edit beside Global Shipping Program.
  3. Check the box beside Customize international shipping for some locations.

For items that aren't eligible for the Global Shipping Program, or items that are offered to buyers in countries not supported by the Global Shipping Program, you can set up additional international shipping services. Here's how:

  1. Go to the International shipping section of the listing form.
  2. Update your selection in the No additional international shipping dropdown menu.
  3. You can add up to 5 international shipping options.
 

Best practices when using the Global Shipping Program

Follow these best practices when using our Global Shipping Program to attract more international buyers, and to provide a great experience.

  • Offer free domestic shipping to get an automatic 5-star detailed seller rating for shipping cost
  • Specify either same business day or 1 business day handling time, and upload tracking information within 1 business day of receiving cleared payment. If the tracking shows that your item was accepted at the US shipping center within 4 days of the buyer's payment, you'll get an automatic 5-star detailed seller rating for shipping time
  • Add your international return policy to your listing if it's different from your return policy for domestic buyers
  • Create a shipping label on eBay to have your tracking information uploaded automatically. If you don't use eBay labels, be sure to upload tracking information
  • Specify the package's weight and dimensions in your listing, as well as the item's country of manufacture (if known) for quicker customs processing
  • If possible, ship all items in a single order in one package
  • Don't ship the item until the buyer has paid
 

Restricted categories and prohibited items

Restricted categories

Because of export limitations and restrictions, items listed in the following categories can't be shipped through the Global Shipping Program:

  • Business & Industrial > Heavy Equipment
  • Business & Industrial > Heavy Equipment Attachments
  • Business & Industrial > Websites & Business for Sale
  • Cell Phones & Accessories > Smart Watches
  • Coins & Paper Money > Virtual Currency
  • eBay Motors (Note: Parts & Accessories are supported by the Global Shipping Program)
  • Gift Cards & Coupons
  • Health & Beauty > Fragrances
  • Home & Garden > Fresh Cut Flowers & Supplies
  • Movies & TV > Video Media Accessories
  • Pet Supplies > Backyard Poultry Supplies
  • Pet Supplies > Other
  • Real Estate
  • Specialty Services, with the exception of:
    • Specialty Services > Custom Clothing & Jewelry > Hats, Handbags & Accessories
    • Specialty Services > Custom Clothing & Jewelry > Jewelry
    • Specialty Services > Custom Clothing & Jewelry > Other
  • Sporting Goods > Other
  • Stamps > Other
  • Tickets & Experiences
  • Travel, with the exception of:
    • Travel > Luggage
    • Travel > Luggage Accessories
    • Travel > Maps
    • Travel > Travel Accessories
  • Video Games & Consoles > Prepaid Gaming Cards
  • Wholesale & Bulk Lots


Note: This is not a full list of unsupported categories. You can list any item with the Global Shipping Program and if the category you’re listing in isn’t supported, we’ll make sure it’s not offered to the buyer (and if you list with any additional international shipping services, we’ll show these instead).

Prohibited items  

Items prohibited on eBay, or that don't follow our International trading policy, can't be sold through the Global Shipping Program.

 

Eligible countries

You can use the Global Shipping Program to sell internationally to the following countries:

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Aruba
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bahamas
  • Bahrain
  • Barbados
  • Bangladesh
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Bulgaria
  • Cambodia
  • Canada
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • French Guiana
  • Germany
  • Gibraltar
  • Greece
  • Grenada
  • Guadeloupe (French)
  • Guatemala
  • Guernsey
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Indonesia
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Jersey
  • Jordan
  • Kuwait
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macau
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Malta
  • Martinique (French)
  • Mexico
  • Monaco
  • Montserrat
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Reunion (French)
  • Romania
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Africa
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • Uruguay
  • Vietnam 
 

Opting out of the Global Shipping Program

You can opt out of the Global Shipping program at any time. Here's how:

  1. Go to Manage Shipping Preferences - opens in new window or tab.
  2. Select Edit beside Global Shipping Program.
  3. Select Opt Out. Please note it may take up to 72 hours to process your request.

You can also remove a single active listing from the Global Shipping Program. Here's how:

  1. Select Active under the Listing tab in Seller Hub - opens in new window or tab.
  2. Select the listing you'd like to change.
  3. In the Edit dropdown menu, choose Edit selected.
  4. In the Add shipping details section, select Edit selected policy.
  5. In the International shipping section of the Edit shipping policy dialogue box, clear the tick box beside Send it to the US shipping center, and the rest will be taken care of for you.
  6. Save and confirm your changes.

To remove all active listings from the Global Shipping Program:

  1. Select Active under the Listing tab in Seller Hub - opens in new window or tab.
  2. In the Edit dropdown menu, select Edit all listings.
  3. Select all of your listings by checking the box at the top of the left column.
  4. In the Edit dropdown menu, select Shipping policy.
  5. In the Edit business policies dialogue box, select Change to from the Shipping policy dropdown menu, and then select Edit next to the shipping policy name.
  6. In the International shipping area of the Edit shipping policy dialogue box, clear the tick box beside Send it to the US shipping center, and the rest will be taken care of for you.
  7. Save, confirm, and submit your changes.
 

Tip
You'll find any listings eligible for the Global Shipping Program in My eBay or in the Active Selling section under the Activity tab in Seller Hub.

Please note
If you use GSP and ship items to German end users, you also need to register with the authorities (LUCID register). For more information visit our help page about The German Packaging Act for business sellers.

With the Global Shipping Program, when you sell to an international buyer, simply ship your item to our global shipping center, and we’ll take care of the rest.

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