eBay vs Mercado Libre: fees, buyers and where each one sells
eBay reaches buyers worldwide; Mercado Libre owns Latin America with 89 million active buyers. Fees, listing types, buyer protection and how to run both from one inventory.
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- eBay is a worldwide marketplace run as separate country sites. Mercado Libre is the dominant marketplace in Latin America, also run country by country. For most sellers the question is not which is better but which buyers you can actually ship to.
- eBay.com takes 13.6% of the sale on most categories, plus a small fee on every order. Mercado Libre Mexico charges 8% to 20.5%, set by the category and by whether you pick a Clásica or Premium listing.
- Mercado Libre reported 89 million unique active buyers in the second quarter of 2026, up from 71 million a year earlier.
- Both protect buyers: eBay with its Money Back Guarantee, Mercado Libre with free returns on many categories.
- FLUF Connect lists to both from one inventory. eBay gets the full set of tools; on Mercado Libre FLUF lists your items and ends them when they sell elsewhere.
This page is for two kinds of seller. One is based in Mexico, Brazil or elsewhere in Latin America, already selling on Mercado Libre, and wondering whether eBay is worth adding for buyers abroad. The other sells on eBay and keeps hearing about Mercado Libre’s growth. The two look alike from a distance, but they serve different buyers, charge in different ways and send parcels through different networks. The figures below come from each company’s own help pages and filings, checked in October 2026.
Where each one sells
eBay runs national sites such as eBay.com, eBay.co.uk and eBay.de, and listings can be shown to buyers in other countries. Mercado Libre runs a separate site in each Latin American country it serves, called Mercado Livre in Brazil, and a seller account belongs to one of those sites with that country’s tax and payout details.
That makes the decision mostly geographic. A Mexican seller of phone accessories reaches a national audience on Mercado Libre that eBay simply does not have in Mexico. A seller of collectable cards or vintage watches may find that the buyers willing to pay most are on eBay in the United States, the United Kingdom or Germany.
Shipping abroad is where eBay’s offer depends on where you are. eBay International Shipping, where you send the parcel to a domestic hub and eBay handles the international leg, is currently available for eligible sellers in the US and Canada only. A seller in Latin America who lists on eBay arranges international shipping themselves.
What each one charges
eBay
eBay’s selling fees page for the United States sets the final value fee for most categories at 13.6% of the total sale amount up to $7,500 per item, and 2.35% on any part above that. A per-order fee is added: $0.30 on orders of $10 or less and $0.40 on larger ones. Sellers get 250 listings a month without an insertion fee, then pay $0.35 a listing, with more free listings for shop subscribers. Other eBay country sites set their own rates.
Mercado Libre
Mercado Libre Mexico’s charges for selling page says sellers pay between 8% and 20.5% depending on the category. You choose between two listing types. Clásica carries a lower charge, from 8% to 17% in the page’s table. Premium, which lets buyers pay in interest-free instalments, runs from 11% to 21.5%. Products must be priced at $35 or more. A fixed charge per unit applies to cheaper items, and Mercado Libre’s help page on fixed costs confirms you do not pay it once the sale total is above $299. Other countries set their own rates, and the full table by country is in our Mercado Libre guide.
The difference that changes pricing is the instalment cost. On Mercado Libre, a Premium listing buys you the instalment offer that many Latin American shoppers filter by, and it is paid for inside the commission. eBay has no equivalent choice. Run your own numbers with the eBay fee calculator and the Mercado Libre fee calculator.
Side by side
| eBay | Mercado Libre | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sells | Country sites worldwide; listings can reach buyers abroad | One site per Latin American country |
| Main selling fee | 13.6% final value fee on most US categories, plus $0.30 or $0.40 per order | 8% to 20.5% in Mexico, by category and listing type |
| Listing types | Fixed price or auction | Clásica or Premium (Premium adds interest-free instalments) |
| Listing fees | 250 free a month in the US, then $0.35 | No charge to list; fixed per-unit charge only on cheaper items |
| Buyer protection | Money Back Guarantee | Free returns on many categories |
| Scale | Global | 89 million unique active buyers in Q2 2026 |
Buyers and protection
Mercado Libre’s growth is the headline. Its results for the second quarter of 2026 report 89 million unique active buyers in the quarter, against 71 million a year before, and gross merchandise volume of about $21.9 billion. In much of Latin America it is the default place to shop online, in the way eBay once was in Britain.
Both marketplaces stand behind the buyer, so your listing has to be accurate on either one. eBay’s Money Back Guarantee covers most transactions and gives buyers their money back if an item does not arrive, is faulty or damaged, or does not match the listing. Mercado Libre offers free returns on many categories, with conditions set per category, such as items that must be unopened or that must have arrived with a problem. On both, a vague description turns into a return you pay for.
Which one to choose
Choose Mercado Libre if your stock and your customers are in a Latin American country, you sell everyday new products where buyers compare price and delivery speed, and you can offer instalments on higher-priced items.
Choose eBay if you sell collectables, used goods, parts or anything whose best buyers are spread across the US and Europe, or if you are in the United States or Canada and want eBay to handle international shipping for you.
Run both when you have stock that sells at home and abroad: everyday lines on Mercado Libre, rarer pieces on eBay. Most of the work is keeping stock right on both.
Running both with FLUF Connect
FLUF Connect lists the same inventory on both marketplaces and keeps them from selling the same item twice. Connect each one from the Channels screen.
| Task | eBay | Mercado Libre |
|---|---|---|
| List items from your FLUF inventory | Yes | Yes |
| End the listing when the item sells on another channel | Yes | Yes |
| Bring orders into FLUF | Yes | No. Mark the item sold in FLUF when it sells on Mercado Libre. |
| Relisting and offer management | Yes, on the higher plans | No |
| Markets | eBay country sites | 18 Latin American countries |
Crosslisting and inventory sync are on every plan. Relisting, offer management and smart pricing are on the higher plans, not Starter. You can start with 7 days for £1, then from £9/month.
Related guides
- Sell on eBay
- Sell on Mercado Libre
- Sell on eBay USA
- Marketplaces you can sell on from Mexico
- Amazon vs eBay
- Back Market vs eBay
- Walmart Marketplace vs eBay
- Mercado Libre vs Facebook Marketplace
Sources
- eBay: Selling fees (United States)
- eBay: eBay International Shipping
- eBay: Money Back Guarantee policy
- Mercado Libre México: Cargos por vender productos
- Mercado Libre México: Costo fijo por unidad vendida
- Mercado Libre México: Devoluciones gratis por categoría
- MercadoLibre, Inc.: Second quarter 2026 results (SEC filing)
Checked October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the category and listing type. On most eBay.com categories you pay a 13.6% final value fee and a per-order fee. Mercado Libre Mexico charges between 8% and 20.5%, with Premium listings at the top of the range because they include interest-free instalments for the buyer.
eBay does not run a local marketplace there in the way Mercado Libre does. Sellers in Latin America can list on eBay country sites such as eBay.com and ship abroad, but eBay International Shipping is only available to eligible sellers in the US and Canada.
MercadoLibre reported 89 million unique active buyers in the second quarter of 2026, up from 71 million a year earlier.
Both are listing types. In Mexico, Clásica charges 8% to 17% by category; Premium charges 11% to 21.5% and lets buyers pay in interest-free instalments.
Both protect buyers. eBay's Money Back Guarantee covers items that do not arrive, are faulty or damaged, or do not match the listing. On Mercado Libre, many categories come with free returns for the buyer, on conditions that vary by category.
Yes. FLUF Connect lists one inventory to both and ends the listing on one marketplace when the item sells on the other, so you do not sell the same item twice.
No. When an item sells on Mercado Libre, mark it sold in FLUF and its listings on your other channels end. eBay orders do come into FLUF.