What is eBay Fast N Free?
“eBay Fast N Free” is a boost eBay gives to listings based on their stated handling time, a free shipping offer, and the past performance of the seller for delivering products on time. eBay promotes the listing with an icon in search results that lets buyers know that their item will ship for free and will likely arrive within 4 or fewer business days. Combined with Top Rated Seller status, it signals to the buyer that the listing is as premium as it gets on eBay.
I’m sure your next questions are “Why should I offer Fast N Free shipping?” and “Do I need the extra hassle?” To answer those and more, we’ll look at the advantages of the program and the benefits to your customers, feedback, and seller ratings. The good news is eBay is hitting the mark aligning customer service with for-seller programs that help you move more inventory. Qualifying for eBay’s Fast ‘n Free icon, aside from its titular description, is now just about serving your customers well. Let’s dig in.
What Do Buyers See On eBay Fast N Free Listings?
First and foremost, your buyers are going to find an eBay Fast N Free listing higher on the page. eBay gives qualifying items a nice lift in search. Also, notice the truck logo and descriptor in the search results. According to eBay, between better placement and the program logo, there is an average 11% increase in sales.
Inside the listing the item will display the same information next to the buy it now button, further driving sales conversions.
How Do I Participate In The FNF Program?
Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as an account setting. eBay offers the program by the listing qualifying and by monitoring your past shipping performance on the account. Here are some follow along steps that will get your listings qualified in no time.
Step 1 – Offer 1 day eBay Handling Time.
Handling time is the number of business days from when the buyer’s payment is received and when the shipping carrier scans the dropped off package. eBay sets the time on calendar days, not a 24-hour cycle. So, An item that sells today at 9am won’t need to be scanned until the closing time at USPS tomorrow. Needless to say, the faster a buyer gets an item, the faster they can fall in love with it. Beyond just the program benefits, quick handling is the number one driver of customer satisfaction. Plain and simple, it reduces returns and nearly always nets you 100% positive feedback. Make sure you specify in your listing same day or 1-day handling to participate in eBay Fast N Free.
Step 2 – Free Shipping on the eBay Listing
While filling out eBay’s “Sell your item” form, select either “Expedited” or “USPS Priority”. Next, select the“Free Shipping” checkbox. If you are using a listing tool, you may have to specify your shipping cost as “0” because as some tools don’t have a “Free Shipping” box to check.
“But I Can’t Afford Free Shipping!”
Yes, to the buyer pays it appears they pay nothing for shipping, but that doesn’t mean that you have to. Build the price of the shipping into your sale price. You can debate whether a lower price tag or a higher search placement will drive sales more, but one of those comes with the additional benefits of customer satisfaction and higher seller ratings. The psychology of price is too big of a topic to cover here. Just know that your price exists mostly in your mind. Price is not the principal driver from the buyers perspective when making a purchase. Free shipping often is.
Step 3 – Be Consistent With Your Deliveries
eBay measures delivery times by days that aren’t weekends or holidays. Remember, the handling time clock begins once you receive payment, so you’ll want to get it to the carrier asap. After the carrier has scanned the item, eBay then verifies delivery confirmation by tracking that the item has arrived within 4 business days. USPS Priority Mail consistently takes 2-3 business days or less, so it’s not a difficult mark to hit. Along with using the cheapest delivery service (USPS), your feedback will be full of raving comments from your happy buyers. Keep it up long enough, and the eBay Fast N Free logo is yours to command!
Step 4 – Missing The Free Shipping Logo?
If you are not able to see the Fast N Free logo on your listings, here are a few troubleshooting tips:
- You have to sign out to see the Fast N Free logo on your listing
- Make sure the first (primary) shipping service is a free shipping service on the listing.
- eBay Motors only qualify for Fast and Free in the category:“Parts and Accessories”
- Try not offering local pickup or freight
5 Reasons To Model Your eBay Business Around Fast N Free
1. Boost eBay Sales With Free Shipping – Search Placement
eBay says Converting to Fast N Free can increase your sales by up to 11%. Whether because the free shipping draws in more customers or just because eBay is placing you higher on searches, more sales are still more sales. More important is that 82% of online buyers state free shipping is their number one deciding factor in online purchases. There is a reason Amazon built the Prime program around it. It significantly reduced cart abandonment by eliminating a secondary price block for the buyer.
2. Receive Automatic 5 Star Reviews On Shipping Time and Handling
eBay’s relies heavily on the DSR system when deciding where to put you in search results. Leaving a little less up to chance couldn’t hurt. The Fast ‘N ‘Free status assures a 5-star rating in the shipping segment of the review. Any DSR given that places lower will be automatically converted to a 5 star.
3. Buyers will be happy to not worry about shipping costs
Why would a buyer pay for shipping if they don’t have to? Even if the same item is the same cost after shipping, the one that has free shipping will sell faster. Fast sales and happier customers.
4. Your competitors are already doing it!
There are lots of sellers already profiting from offering Fast N Free. Search any popular item and see how far down the first listing is without a sponsorship, free shipping or a Fast N Free logo. Hint: it may not even be on the first page!
5. Change is coming with eBay Guaranteed Delivery
To better compete with Amazon prime, eBay recently announced a new mission to move sellers to faster shipping times. eBay Guaranteed Delivery will be a strong new market force. This will inevitably be the new dynamic and sellers who adapt soon will be well placed for new programs and offerings from eBay.
Summary: The Fast N Free Program Is Worth Your Time
(And will help you build a stronger business.)
eBay’s Fast N Free helps you get a competitive edge though short handling times and fast delivery. It has the added benefit of pleasing your customers, thereby reducing returns and minimizing your service emails. In a highly competitive marketplace, it’s a great tool that eBay has aligned with your business priorities to help you serve your buyers faster and better. If you found our guide useful share it with your friends and until next time…
JB
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