Authored by 2 community members

Have you ever wondered why so many starting bids are set at 99 cents, $24.99 or $49.99  instead of at an even $1.00, $25.00 or $50.00?  It’s because the seller knows that by starting their auctions at one cent less, than the even amounts just mentioned, it saves 20 cents, 60 cents or $1.00 per listing,

And... just a reminder . . . if the seller places a reserve amount on an auction, the reserve amount (not the starting bid) is used to determine the insertion fee.

The following examples show each of the insertion fee  “price breaks”  and how much a seller saves by selecting a starting bid (or reserve price) that is one cent less than the next level. 

• The insertion fee for a starting bid or reserve price of $ 1.00 = 35¢
  The insertion fee for a starting bid or reserve price of $0.99 = 15¢
  Decreasing the starting bid or reserve price by one cent, saves 20 cents per listing

• The insertion fee for a starting bid (or reserve price) of $10.00 = 55¢
  The insertion fee for a starting bid (or reserve price) of $9.99 = 35¢
  Decreasing the starting bid or reserve price by one cent, saves 20 cents per listing.

• The insertion fee for a starting bid (or reserve price) of $25.00 = $1.00
  The insertion fee for a starting bid (or reserve price) of $24.99 = 55¢
  Decreasing the starting bid or reserve price by one cent, saves 45 cents per listing.

• The insertion fee for a starting bid (or reserve price) of $50.00 = $2.00
  The insertion fee for a starting bid (or reserve price) of $49.99 = $1.00
  Decreasing the starting bid or reserve price by one cent, saves $1.00 per listing.

• The insertion fee for a starting bid (or reserve price) of $200.00 = $3.00
  The insertion fee for a starting bid (or reserve price) of $199.99 = $2.00
  Decreasing the starting bid or reserve price by one cent, saves $1.00 per listing.

• The insertion fee for a starting bid (or reserve price) of $500.00 = $4.00
  The insertion fee for a starting bid (or reserve price) of $499.99 = $3.00 cents
  Decreasing the starting bid or reserve price by one cent, saves $1.00 per listing.

Click here to see eBay's complete fee schedule. :  If the link doesn't work, you can find the complete fee schedule by clicking on the HELP link at the top of any eBay page and then searching the Help section for "fees".