eBay and Amazon are the two largest online marketplaces in the UK. Selling on both diversifies your income, reaches different customer bases, and gives you more options for every product you source.
Why Sell on Both?
Not every product is ideal for Amazon. Items in used or acceptable condition, products with thin FBA margins due to size or weight, products in restricted Amazon categories, and one-off finds that are not worth FBA shipping all may sell better on eBay. Having both platforms gives you a home for every product.
The customer bases overlap but are not identical. Some shoppers prefer eBay's auction format or expect lower prices. Others look specifically for used items, vintage products, or sellers willing to negotiate.
Key Differences
Amazon is product-focused (multiple sellers on one listing). eBay is seller-focused (each seller creates their own listing). This means eBay listings require more work to create but give you more control over presentation and pricing.
Amazon FBA handles fulfilment. On eBay, you typically ship items yourself (unless you use Amazon's Multi-Channel Fulfilment). This means eBay requires ongoing shipping work, but avoids FBA fees.
eBay's fees are generally lower than Amazon's — the total fee percentage is often 10–13% compared to Amazon's 15% referral fee plus FBA fulfilment. For products where FBA fees eat margins, eBay can be more profitable.
Managing Both Platforms
Multi-channel listing tools like InkFrog or Sellbrite help manage inventory and listings across both platforms. If you sell the same product on both, you need to sync inventory to avoid selling an item on one platform that has already sold on the other.
Many sellers specialise their platforms: fast-moving new products on Amazon FBA, and used items, one-offs, and margin-challenged products on eBay. This keeps each platform focused on what it does best.
Starting on eBay
If you are already an Amazon seller, starting on eBay is straightforward. Create a seller account, list a few products to learn the platform, and build from there. eBay's listing process is more flexible than Amazon's, but photography and descriptions are more important since you are creating each listing from scratch.
Running both platforms takes more time than running one, but the diversification and additional revenue make it worthwhile for most sellers.