Back Market vs eBay for Selling Refurbished Tech: Fees, Rules and Which Pays More
Who can sell on each, what they charge, warranty and returns, payouts, and how to run both from one stock list.
7 days for £1, then from £9/month.
This page is for people selling refurbished or used phones, laptops, consoles and tablets who are deciding where to list. The two marketplaces differ on one point first: Back Market admits only professional refurbishers and verified businesses, and it sets the quality standard each device must meet. eBay is open to private sellers and to businesses, and its Refurbished grades are reserved for approved sellers. If you sell as a private person, Back Market is not open to you. If you run a refurbishing business, the choice comes down to fees, warranty duties and which buyers you want.
- Choose Back Market if you are an approved professional refurbisher with a warranty process for every device you sell.
- Choose eBay if you are a private seller, or a business that is not approved by Back Market, or you want the largest pool of buyers.
- Fees: Back Market’s commission comes in your seller agreement, so ask for it in writing. On eBay UK, a business seller pays 6.9% on a £300 phone, which leaves you £277.85 before your own costs.
- Warranty and returns: Back Market expects a 1-year warranty and 30-day returns. eBay’s Refurbished grades carry a 12-month guarantee and 30-day returns, and only approved sellers can use them.
- Audience: eBay reported 136 million active buyers in the 12 months to Q2 2026.
- Best strategy: If you are approved for both, run them from one stock list with FLUF Connect, so a device that sells on one is removed from the other.
Back Market vs eBay at a glance
| Back Market | eBay | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can sell | Approved professional refurbishers and verified businesses | Private sellers and businesses. Refurbished grades are for approved sellers only |
| Quality rule | Sellers vetted before joining; 1-year warranty and 30-day returns on every device | Four Refurbished grades with set definitions |
| Warranty | 1-year limited warranty from delivery | At least 12 months from the seller on Refurbished grades |
| Returns | 30 days for undamaged items | At least 30 days. Free on Certified Refurbished |
| Commission | Set in your seller agreement | UK business sellers: 6.9% on phones and laptops up to £1,000 an item |
| Payouts | Confirm the schedule before you commit stock | Fees come off each sale, and the rest goes to your bank account |
| Countries you can connect in FLUF Connect | France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, the UK, the Netherlands, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Slovakia, Sweden, the US, Japan and Australia | Country sites worldwide |
Who can sell on Back Market
Back Market is a curated marketplace. It does not refurbish anything itself; the devices come from refurbishers who sell through it. Back Market says it works with over 1,500 closely vetted sellers, and only 1 in 3 sellers who apply are accepted. After joining, sellers are checked through mystery shopping, site visits and customer reviews. Private sellers are not part of this model.
Approval is the gate. Once you are in, you have to keep meeting the standard on every device you list.
Who can sell on eBay
On eBay UK, private sellers pay no final value fee on most items, and there is no regulatory operating fee on them either, except for motors. Private sellers can list used phones and laptops with the standard condition options. They cannot use the Refurbished grades. Private sellers who live outside the UK pay a final value fee of 12.8% plus 30p per order, so check your own country’s rules before you assume the UK figures apply.
The eBay Refurbished programme is for approved sellers only. Applicants have to be current eBay sellers with a Business account who believe they meet the requirements, and they must list from the eligible categories on eBay’s UK spreadsheet. The bar is set high: Top Rated Seller status, buyer feedback above 98%, an Item Not As Described rate below 4% and an Item Not Received rate below 1%.
Fees: what eBay charges a UK business seller
eBay publishes its fee tables for each country. Back Market’s commission is not in the figures on this page, because it is set in the seller agreement and differs by category. Ask Back Market for the per-category commission and any monthly fee in writing before you put the two side by side.
For eBay, the worked example below uses the UK business rates for a single £300 phone with free postage and no VAT. Postage and VAT would change the figure, so add them before you price a listing.
- Final value fee: 6.9% of £300 = £20.70
- Per-order fee (orders over £10): £0.40
- Regulatory operating fee: 0.35% of £300 = £1.05
- You keep £277.85 before refurbishment, warranty and shipping costs
The worked example uses the Mobile & Smart Phones subcategory rate. Laptops and tablets use the same rate up to £1,000 an item, and video game consoles use 6.9% up to £400. Above those thresholds the rate drops to 3% for phones, laptops and tablets, and to 2% for consoles.
The eBay figure is paid on every sale. The Back Market figure is still to be confirmed in writing, so compare the two once you have it.
Warranty and returns: what you owe the buyer
On Back Market, the 1-year limited warranty applies to every device bought through the marketplace, and the seller provides it. Buyers can return an undamaged item within 30 days of delivery for a refund. Devices with significant damage, such as a broken screen or liquid damage, or devices opened by a third party, are not covered by the warranty.
On eBay, the four Refurbished grades are set out in the programme rules. Certified Refurbished means the device was inspected and refurbished to original specification by the manufacturer or an approved vendor, and it looks pristine. Excellent, Very Good and Good are graded by a qualified seller, and each one allows more visible wear. All four need full function, a guarantee of at least 12 months from the seller, free tracked UK shipping and at least 30 days of returns. Certified items need seller-paid returns.
The practical difference is that eBay publishes the four grade definitions for you to match, while Back Market vets the seller and applies the same warranty and returns terms to every device.
Payouts: when the money arrives
eBay takes its fees out of each sale and pays the rest to your bank account.
Back Market sets its payout schedule in the seller agreement. Ask for the schedule before you commit stock, and check whether any deposit or holdback applies to a new account.
Who buys on each, and where
eBay reported 136 million active buyers in the 12 months to the second quarter of 2026. A refurbished phone on eBay sits alongside new and used stock from many other sellers, so it has to stand out on price and condition.
Back Market is built around refurbished buying. Every listing carries a grade, and every device carries a warranty and a 30-day return window. A well-graded device with a clear warranty fits here. A parts-only lot or an older model with cosmetic wear is a better fit for eBay.
Back Market accounts can be connected through FLUF Connect for France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, the UK, the Netherlands, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Slovakia, Sweden, the US, Japan and Australia. Each country is a separate Back Market account.
Which one to pick
- Are an approved professional refurbisher, or a verified business with a refurbishing operation
- Can warranty and inspect every device to the Back Market standard
- Sell devices with a grade and warranty that buyers expect to see
- Want buyers who are shopping for refurbished on purpose
- Sell as a private person, or as a business that Back Market has not approved
- Sell parts, older models or mixed condition stock that a curated marketplace would turn away
- Want the largest pool of buyers, including people who would not look at a refurbished-only site
- Want to use the Refurbished grades, once you are approved for them
An approved refurbisher can run both: the devices that meet the Back Market standard go there, and the rest goes to eBay. That only works if the stock stays right on both sides, which is the job of the next section.
A casual seller clearing a few devices a month is best served by eBay, because a private account carries no listing-level obligations like a Refurbished grade does. A business that refurbishes stock in batches and wants a second, curated buyer base should look at Back Market first, then add eBay for anything that falls outside its range. A larger reseller can run both with one stock list and use the Pro plan features to keep older listings alive on eBay.
Why not both: one stock list for Back Market and eBay
The risk of selling on two marketplaces is selling the same device twice. FLUF Connect works from one stock list. Items are listed to the marketplaces you connect, and when an item sells on one of them it is marked sold on the others, so the stock count stays accurate.
| FLUF Connect feature | eBay | Back Market |
|---|---|---|
| Crosslisting from your FLUF stock | Yes | Yes, for items that match a barcode (EAN or UPC) on an existing Back Market product page |
| Inventory sync | Yes | Yes |
| Order sync | Yes | Yes |
| Mark as sold when the item sells elsewhere | Yes | Yes, stock is removed on Back Market |
| Relisting | Yes, from the Pro plan | No |
| Offer management | Yes, from the Pro plan | No |
| How you connect | Sign in with your eBay account in FLUF Connect | Connect your approved Back Market seller account in FLUF Connect |
Two limits matter for Back Market. FLUF can only list an item that already matches a Back Market product page by barcode, because you cannot create product pages from FLUF. FLUF also does not edit Back Market titles, photos or descriptions, and Back Market does not offer relisting or offer management through FLUF. Plan your stock around those limits before you set up the channel.
Crosslisting and inventory sync are on every plan. Relisting and offer management start on the Pro plan, not on Starter. You can start with 7 days for £1, then from £9/month, then plans from £9/month:
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | You save | Crosslisted products |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | £9/month | £59/year | 45% | Unlimited |
| Pro | £29/month | £199/year | 42% | Unlimited |
| Super Seller | Custom pricing — tell us what you need | Unlimited | ||
Automatic relisting, offer management, smart pricing and listing boosts are included from Pro upwards. Starter covers unlimited crosslisting, inventory sync, order sync and Instagram posting without them. Accounting integrations are included from Pro upwards. Yearly billing is charged once a year. New accounts get 7 days for £1, then move onto a plan.
Connect each account from the Channels screen. The card below is where the Back Market account is connected.
Start with the connections, then set your stock and warranty details on each one. Try FLUF Connect to set up both marketplaces from one stock list.
Related guides
Sources
- eBay UK: Fees for business sellers
- eBay UK: Selling fees for private sellers
- eBay UK: Refurbished programme
- eBay Inc.: Second quarter 2026 results
- Back Market Help: How do I return an item I bought on Back Market?
- Back Market Help: Does Back Market refurbish devices?
- Back Market Help: Is Back Market legit?
- Back Market Help: The 1-year limited warranty
Checked October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Back Market only accepts professional refurbishers and verified businesses. Private sellers can list on eBay.
Back Market keeps its commission private until you are approved, so get the per-category rate in writing first. eBay UK charges a business seller a 6.9% fee on a phone up to £1,000, with a small per-order charge on top.
The seller provides a 1-year limited warranty from delivery. It applies to every device bought through Back Market, and buyers can return an undamaged item within 30 days.
No. The Refurbished grades are for approved sellers only. Everyone else lists with the standard condition options.
No. An item can only be listed if it matches an existing Back Market product page by barcode (EAN or UPC). FLUF does not edit titles, photos or descriptions on Back Market.
Yes, if you are approved for both. FLUF Connect marks an item sold on the other marketplace when it sells on one, so you do not sell the same device twice.
Back Market's payout timing sits in the seller agreement, so confirm it before you stock up. eBay pays out what remains after fees once a sale completes.