See whether a 15% coupon still beats staying listed.
A seller coupon is not the same decision as an offer to
watchers, a quantity discount, or Promoted Offsite. An
offer is a private sent price. A quantity discount cuts N
units into one box. Offsite is a campaign billed even if
they bounce. Here the listing stays at Buy It Now; only
the redeem share pays less.
The listing and the coupon
Coupon vs listed
$—
extra kept by the coupon versus listed
Listed after sell-through
Coupon after badge lift
Dropped list after sell-through
If they buy at list
If the redeem mix closes
If everyone pays the drop
Coupon sell-through that still ties listed
Drop sell-through that still ties the coupon
Packed leftover gap
Monthly gap vs listed
Same SKU, three ways to close one unit
Path
Paid price
Redeem share
Close rate
If they keep it
Expected after sell-through
vs listed
The coupon, the redeem share, and all three close rates are inputs — not eBay’s coupon policy.
What this checks
Clothing, card, and small-goods sellers search “should I
offer an eBay coupon” because Seller Hub surfaces a public
code next to Send offer. A coupon looks like free
conversion. It also writes a cheaper ticket on every
redeemed sale, and dropping the Buy It Now so search shows
the cheaper price can leave less than staying listed.
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, 15% coupon, 40% redeem, 40%
listed sell-through, 55% coupon sell-through, 50%
dropped-list sell-through, forty listings — staying listed
expects $7.24, the coupon expects $8.93, and dropping the
list expects $6.72. The coupon keeps $1.69 more on this
decision and +$67.60 across forty listings. The coupon has
to convert about 44.6% of the time, or the dropped list
about 66.5%, before those paths match. If they would have
bought anyway, leftover shrinks $1.87 ($18.11 vs $16.24).
Dropping the list shrinks leftover $4.67 ($13.44).
Matching conversion already loses. Keep the same listing
and hold coupon sell-through at 40%. Listed still expects
$7.24; the 15% coupon expects $6.50 — $0.75 less. A 25%
code that everyone redeems expects $5.68 even at a 55%
badge lift. An 80% dropped-list sell-through flips the
cheaper BIN ahead ($10.76 vs $8.93). The conversion you
thought you bought did not cover the leftover you gave
away.
A seller coupon is a public code on a listing that still shows Buy It Now. Only the redeem share pays the cut; everyone else still pays the listed price. Dropping the list writes the cheaper price into search and sold comps. On the calculator defaults ($40 item, $6 shipping charged, 13.6% final value fee, $12 cost, $5 outbound, $1 pack, 10% returns, 15% coupon, 40% redeem, 40% listed sell-through, 55% coupon sell-through, 50% dropped-list sell-through) staying listed expects $7.24, the coupon expects $8.93, and dropping the list expects $6.72. The coupon keeps $1.69 more after sell-through. On leftover — if they would have bought anyway — listed leaves $18.11 and the coupon mix leaves $16.24, $1.87 less. The coupon has to convert about 44.6% of the time, or the dropped list about 66.5%, before those paths match. That is arithmetic on your inputs, not advice to publish a coupon.
When does staying listed beat an eBay coupon?
When the redeem mix eats more leftover than the badge lift returns. On the same $40 listing, matching the 40% listed sell-through already loses on a 15% coupon ($6.50 vs $7.24). A 25% code that everyone redeems expects $5.68 against $7.24 listed even at a 55% badge lift.
Is an eBay coupon the same as an offer to watchers or a quantity discount?
No. A seller-initiated offer is a private sent price to watchers, one accept rate. A quantity discount cuts N units into one box. Promoted Offsite is a campaign billed even if they bounce. A coupon keeps the listing at Buy It Now and only the redeem share pays less.