Buying an item Checkout Postage Tracking Resolving problems Eligible countries Restricted categories Prohibited items

Buying an item

When shopping for items on eBay.com, you may notice that some items can be posted internationally through the Global Postage Programme.

The Global Postage Programme makes it easier for buyers in some countries outside the US to purchase items from US sellers. The seller sends the item to a global postage provider located in the US and the global postage provider sends the item to you. Using a global postage provider enables sellers to offer international postage at competitive rates and may allow items to be dispatched more quickly. In addition, your purchase is eligible for coverage through eBay Buyer Protection and PayPal Buyer Protection.

When you purchase an item through the Global Postage Programme, you receive international tracking at no additional charge and pay any applicable import charges upfront. There are no additional charges at delivery. You'll see an estimate of the international postage charges and any import charges in the item listing. The final charges appear at checkout.

Import charges include certain fees, such as export classification, importation risk premium, and variance fees, which are assessed by the global postage provider as part of the services provided by the Global Postage Programme. These fees are in addition to the customs duties and taxes imposed by country tax and customs officials. For additional information about applicable fees, see the eBay Global Postage Programme Buyer Terms & Conditions.

Note: The charges that you are quoted in the item listing are not final until paid and may change  - for example, if you change your delivery address during checkout or if the applicable import rules change before you complete your payment.

Checkout

During checkout, you'll see the final charges which include the item cost, the postage costs (both domestic and international), and any import charges. The postage costs include any US domestic postage fees charged by the seller, as well as programme fees, international postage charges, fuel surcharges, and processing and handling fees.

Note: International postage cost is calculated based on a number of factors including your delivery address, package weight, and package dimensions. A network of postage carriers is used to provide fast and reliable international postage at competitive rates.

When you pay for the item through PayPal, you are authorising 2 payment transactions. The first payment goes to the seller and consists of the item cost and the domestic postage costs. The second payment goes to the global postage provider and consists of the international postage costs and any import charges.

After you've completed checkout, you can review these charges on the Order details page. The Order details page shows the total charges and the payment amounts to the seller and global postage provider.

Note: The Request total from the seller link is not available for Global Postage Programme purchases. You'll see the total, including postage, after you've purchased the item.

Postage

After receiving your payment, the seller sends your item to a US postage centre. The postage provider processes the package, completes customs forms, pays applicable import charges, and sends the package to the address that you specified at the time of purchase. Items that are dispatched through the Global Postage Programme generally arrive within 1 week after leaving the US postage centre.

Tracking

Once the seller has posted your item, you'll receive an email letting you know that the item has been dispatched. The email includes a global tracking number which enables you to track your item as it travels from the US postage centre to you. The global tracking number can also be found in My eBay and on the Order details page.

Resolving problems

The item hasn't arrived yet

If your item hasn't arrived yet, check the estimated delivery date on the Order details page to determine when your item should arrive. Then track your package from the Order details page or My eBay.

If the item should have arrived and you're unable to work out a solution with the seller, you can open a case in the Resolution Centre.

You didn't receive an item or the item was not as described in the listing

If you didn't receive an item or the item was not as described in the listing, contact the seller. Many issues can be solved with a simple conversation. If the seller isn't able or willing to resolve the problem, you can open a buyer protection case in the Resolution Centre. Learn more about what do to if you don't receive an item or it doesn't match the seller's description.

You want to return an item

If you want to return an item, check to see if the seller accepts international returns by reviewing the returns policy in the listing. If the seller does accept international returns, contact the seller.