FOR EBAY RESELLERS

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See whether Authenticity Guarantee still pays after the hub label.

Authenticity Guarantee is not the same decision as a return rate or a partial refund. You pay a typed authenticity fee and often an extra label to the hub. You usually sell more of the listing and see fewer “not authentic” returns. The table keeps the original sale, then subtracts the fee and the hub label and multiplies by sell-through.

Order, fees and Authenticity Guarantee

Authenticity vs skip-AG

$—
extra kept by Authenticity versus skip-AG

Skip-AG expected listing profit
Authenticity expected listing profit
Authenticity fee on this sale
If it sells with AG
Hub shipping that still ties skip-AG
Monthly gap vs skip-AG

Same SKU, two listing paths

Path Sell-through Return rate Extra on a sale If it sells Expected after sell-through vs skip-AG

The authenticity fee is treated like a percentage marketplace fee and comes back on a return. The extra hub label does not. Transparent arithmetic from your inputs — not eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee policy.

What this checks

Resellers search “is eBay Authenticity Guarantee worth it” because the badge looks free and the hub label is easy to forget. A 3% fee plus $8.00 to the authenticator can wipe the conversion lift on a $40 sneaker even when sell-through jumps from 55% to 80%.

On the defaults — $40 item, $6 shipping charged, 13.6% final value fee, $0.40 fixed, $12 cost, $5 outbound, $1 pack, $5 return label, 10% returns without AG, 3% authenticity fee, $8 extra hub shipping, 55% vs 80% sell-through, 4% AG return rate — skip-AG expects $9.96 and Authenticity expects $8.72. Authenticity keeps $1.24 less (−$1.24) on this listing and −$9.93 across eight listings. Extra hub shipping has to fall to about $6.45 before Authenticity matches. Set extra hub shipping to $0.00 (a prepaid label) and Authenticity expects $15.12 — $5.16 more. Raise the without-AG return rate to 25% and Authenticity wins even with the $8 label.

It does not tell you to enroll or skip, and it is not tax or financial advice. A return-rate mix on completed orders, a one-case concession, and listing format are different questions. Compare what a return rate still leaves, a partial refund versus taking the return, local pickup versus the label, a lot versus individual listings, or auction vs Buy It Now on the main eBay fee calculator.

Common questions

Is eBay Authenticity Guarantee worth it?

Authenticity Guarantee adds a typed fee and often an extra label to the hub. It usually raises sell-through and lowers authenticity-claim returns. On the calculator defaults ($40 item, $6 shipping, 13.6% final value fee, $12 cost, $5 outbound, 10% returns without AG, 3% authenticity fee, $8 extra hub shipping, 55% vs 80% sell-through, 4% AG return rate) skip-AG expects $9.96 and Authenticity expects $8.72. Extra hub shipping has to fall to about $6.45 before Authenticity matches. That is arithmetic on your inputs, not advice to enroll or skip.

When does eBay Authenticity Guarantee beat skip-AG?

When the extra hub label is prepaid or cheap, or when skip-AG authenticity claims are high. On the same defaults a $0 hub label flips Authenticity ahead by $5.16 per listing ($15.12 vs $9.96). A 25% without-AG return rate also flips Authenticity ahead even with the $8 label.

Does the Authenticity Guarantee fee come back on a return?

This page treats the authenticity fee like a percentage marketplace fee that comes back on a return. The extra hub label does not. Enter the rates from your last payout; this is not eBay’s live Authenticity Guarantee schedule.