Combining orders on eBay primarily involves a seller creating a single invoice for multiple items purchased by the same buyer, which often results in reduced shipping costs. This process benefits both buyers by saving money and sellers by streamlining their operations and enhancing customer satisfaction.
Why Combine Orders on eBay?
Combining multiple purchases into one shipment is a win-win situation for all parties involved:
- For Buyers: They save money on shipping fees, receive fewer packages, and enjoy a more convenient shopping experience. This can encourage them to buy more items from you.
- For Sellers: It allows you to offer competitive shipping discounts, potentially leading to increased sales and repeat business. It also simplifies your packing and shipping process, as you're handling one package instead of several.
Step-by-Step: How Sellers Combine Orders and Send an Invoice
As an eBay seller, you can combine multiple purchases from the same buyer into a single invoice, especially when they haven't paid yet. This is typically done to offer a shipping discount.
Prerequisites for Combining Orders
Before you can send a combined invoice, ensure the following conditions are met:
- The items must be unpaid.
- All items must have been purchased by the same buyer.
- Your listing settings should allow for combined shipping discounts.
The Process to Send a Combined Invoice:
Follow these steps to combine orders and send a new invoice with adjusted shipping costs:
- Navigate to the Orders Section: From your eBay account, go to the Orders section. This is accessible via "My eBay" or "Seller Hub" and will typically open in a new window or tab.
- Select the Items: In the Orders section, locate the items purchased by the same buyer that you wish to combine. Select the items you want to combine into a single invoice by checking the boxes next to each eligible item.
- Initiate Invoice Creation: Look for an option such as "Send invoice," "Combine orders," or "Send combined payment request." The exact wording might vary slightly depending on your eBay interface.
- Adjust Shipping Charges: On the invoice page, add the new shipping charge. This is where you manually calculate and enter the total shipping cost for the combined package, offering a discount compared to separate shipments. You can consider the weight and dimensions of the new, single package.
- Example: If a buyer purchased a book ($5 shipping) and a bookmark ($2 shipping), you might charge $5.50 for combined shipping instead of $7.00.
- Review and Send: Review the entire invoice, including the item costs, new shipping charge, and any other applicable fees. Once confirmed, send the combined invoice to your buyer.
Best Practices for Combined Shipping
To make the process smooth and efficient, consider these best practices:
Communicate with Your Buyer
- Before Payment: Encourage buyers to request a total before making individual payments. This prevents them from overpaying for shipping and saves you the hassle of issuing refunds.
- After Request: Promptly respond to combined shipping requests and send the updated invoice. Clear communication sets a positive tone.
Set Up Combined Shipping Rules (Recommended)
You can pre-configure combined shipping rules to automate some of the discounts:
- Go to Seller Hub > Shipping preferences (or My eBay > Account > Site Preferences > Shipping Preferences).
- Here, you can set up flat rate discounts (e.g., $1 off each additional item) or calculated shipping rules (e.g., combine weight for all items).
- These rules will automatically apply when you send a combined invoice, making the "add the new shipping charge" step easier.
Handling Already Paid Orders
- If a buyer pays for multiple items separately before you can send a combined invoice, it's generally not possible to "combine" them into a single new invoice on eBay.
- You can still ship the items together in one package and then issue a partial refund to the buyer for the excess shipping costs they paid. While this requires a manual refund, it still provides the benefit to the buyer and maintains goodwill.
How Buyers Request Combined Shipping
As a buyer, if you've purchased multiple items from the same seller, you can request a combined invoice before paying:
- Add Items to Cart: Place all desired items from the same seller into your eBay shopping cart.
- Request Total: Go to your cart and look for a button or link that says "Request total from seller." This option is usually located near the total cost.
- Wait for Invoice: The seller will receive your request and then send you a new invoice with adjusted shipping charges.
- Pay: Once you receive the combined invoice, you can proceed with the single payment.
Benefits of Combining Orders
| Benefit | For Buyers | For Sellers |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Savings | Significantly reduced shipping fees on multiple items | Attract more buyers, potentially leading to higher sales |
| Convenience | Fewer packages to track, receive, and manage | Streamlined packing, label creation, and tracking |
| Customer Service | Positive buying experience, encourages repeat business | Build loyalty, enhance reputation, and receive positive feedback |
| Efficiency | Simplified transaction process | Reduced material usage (boxes, tape), faster processing |
