Free shipping improves your ranking, but factor the costs into your price.
Advantages of free shipping
- Better ranking: eBay favors listings with free shipping
- Higher conversion: Buyers hate hidden shipping costs
- Better star ratings: No bad ratings for "shipping costs too high"
- Easier comparison: Buyers see the final price immediately
Disadvantages
- You bear the return shipping risk (buyer expects full refund including "shipping")
- For heavy/large items the price looks unattractively high
- International shipping costs are hard to factor in
Recommendation
- Items over $15: Free shipping (factored into price)
- Items under $15: Show shipping costs separately
- Heavy items over 10kg: Show shipping costs separately
ShopManage calculates your real margin including shipping costs. See plans.