How to Send an Offer to a Buyer on eBay

eBay homepage on Laptop
Jen Graudenz

Hi, I'm Jen! I'm a personal finance expert and money coach aiming to help you take control of your money. I went from being broke to a six-figure net worth and am now on track to be financially independent at age 40. Discover Jen's story

This post shows you how to send an offer to buyers on eBay. Buyers have been able to send offers on eBay for a long time. Yet few people know that sellers can also send offers.

Using this feature, my sales increased by 15%. I recommend sending offers to potential buyers if you want to sell more.

Sending an offer to a buyer on eBay is simple. You can select the option from the Seller Hub, provided your listing is eligible. Sending an offer may help you sell items faster.

What Is the Offer to Buyer Feature?

With the Offer to Buyer feature, sellers on eBay can send offers to buyers interested in the items on sale. If a buyer has your item on their watchlist or has/had it in their shopping basket, you can message them.

You can offer them a lower price than the listing price. This may entice the buyer to purchase your item, and you can close the sale. The offer the buyer receives looks as follows:

Screenshot of receiving a private offer from seller

Which Listings Are Eligible for the Offer to Buyer Feature?

The Offer to Buyer option is not available for all eBay listings. You can send offers if you:

  • Have a fixed listing
  • Enable “Best Offer” for your listing
  • Have people watching your item or having it in their shopping basket in the past five days

If you cannot see the Offer to Buyer feature, check your listing has “Best Offer” enabled and buyers are watching the item.

How Can You Send Offers to Buyers?

Sending offers to buyers on eBay is easy:

  • Head to “My eBay” and then “Selling”. You’ll see an overview of your listings.
  • You will see the option “Send offers – eligible” if you have eligible listings.
  • Click it to see the listings for which the Offer to Buyer feature is available.
  • Under “Actions”, choose “Send offer”.
  • Input the details of your offer, including the price. The buyer has 48 hours to respond to your offer.

Buyers are also notified that other buyers can still purchase the item. Note that you can only send an offer once. Find more detailed instructions here.

For Which Listings Should You Use the Offer to Buyer Feature?

You can use the Offer to Buyer feature for all eligible listings. Yet, it might not be beneficial for all listings. Popular items will probably sell for the listing price on their own. Sending an offer means you might earn less.

Ideally, you would use the Offer to Buyer for listings with a few, but not too many, watchers. Of course, the final choice is up to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Resend Offers on eBay?

You cannot resend offers on eBay. Each buyer can receive an offer only once. However, if new people put your item on the watch list, you can send them the offer again.

Can You Correct Errors in Offers on eBay?

You cannot correct errors in offers on eBay. Once an offer is sent, it is final. You should check your offer carefully before sending it.

Can You Send Offers to Watchers on eBay?

You can send offers to watchers on eBay. Watchers are eligible to receive a seller-to-buyer offer. Simply follow the instructions above.

How Much Should You Reduce the Price for an Offer on eBay?

How much you reduce the price is up to you. I tend to take 2% off the sale price, which seems to be the most common offer.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Sending Offers to Buyers?

Pros

  • Can close a sale faster
  • Optional feature; you do not have to use it

Cons

  • Buyers may feel having their privacy intruded
  • If buyers want an item, they will send an offer
  • May be a waste of time if the buyer is not interested
  • Sending offers to buyers may seem desperate

How to Send an Offer to a Buyer on eBay Summary

With eBay’s Offer to Buyer feature, sellers can send offers to interested buyers. This can help increase sales and sell items faster. Yet, the feature is not available for all offers, and buyers may not like getting messages.

Whether you send offers to buyers is up to you. eBay doesn’t force you to do it; you can just sell items normally. Personally, I think it is worth using for some listings.

You may also like my tips to sell clothes on eBay.

If you like this post, please help My Money Yard grow by sharing it with your friends.

Jen's signature
Scroll to Top