What Is an eBay Partial Refund?
An eBay partial refund is a feature that allows sellers to offer a refund without requiring the buyer to return the item. Unlike a full refund, where the buyer returns the product and receives the entire purchase amount, a partial refund lets the buyer keep the item while receiving a portion of the original sale price.
Let’s say a customer purchases a decorative vase for $50, but it arrives with a small chip. Instead of having the buyer return the item and refund the full $50, the seller may offer a partial refund of $15. The buyer keeps the vase and accepts the compensation for the imperfection.
eBay’s partial refund policy provides various perks, such as:
- Cost savings: Avoids return shipping costs and potential restocking fees.
- Time efficiency: Simplifies the dispute resolution process.
- Customer satisfaction: Maintains positive buyer relationships and encourages positive feedback.
- Flexibility: Offers a compromise that benefits both sellers and buyers.
To clarify the differences between eBay’s partial and full refunds, we’ve prepared the following comparison table:
Aspect | Partial refund | Full refund |
Buyer keeps the item? | Yes | No, the item must be returned. |
Cost for seller | Lower: No return shipping fees. | Higher: Must cover return shipping and issue a full refund. |
Best for | Minor issues, such as small defects or missing accessories. | Major issues like wrong items sent or significantly damaged goods. |
Impact on buyer satisfaction | Often positive, as it resolves the issue while letting them keep the product. | Can be neutral to positive, but requires more effort from both parties. |
Time to resolve | Quicker, as there's no return process. | Longer, since it requires the item to be shipped back. |
When to Issue a Partial Refund on eBay?
When a customer reports an issue with the item they purchased, yet it’s not significant enough to warrant a return, the eBay partial refund option will come in handy. In that case, you may offer a partial refund without getting eBay customer service involved. Refunds can be processed through Seller Hub or My eBay, and can be initiated up to 90 days after the original transaction. Some common scenarios are:
- Minor issues with the item, such as scratches or cosmetic defects.
- The buyer receives an incorrect item but wishes to keep it.
- Discrepancies between the item received and its description.
- Shipping issues, like delays or unexpected costs.
- The buyer received unsealed products despite the seller’s advertisement and description stating they were sealed, like that:
The amount of eBay partial refund is situational, based on the agreement between the seller and the buyer.
Don’t forget that you also have the right to return only a portion of the item’s value if a buyer sends it back for a full refund but the item arrives in used or poor condition. When this happens, one of the following can be applied:
- Vendors offering a free return may deduct up to half the original purchase price to recover the lost value.
- Vendors who don’t offer a free return may deduct up to 20% of the original cost.
Understanding sellers’ frustration when they receive a returned item that is no longer sellable, the platform has implemented a special eBay partial refund policy for these circumstances. When you issue a partial refund for a used or damaged item, eBay also:
- Removes any negative/neutral eBay product review in your service metrics regarding that claim.
- Immediately closes any open cases regarding that claim.
- Protects you from any chargebacks that might occur following the refund.
Handy tip: If you’re dealing with particularly difficult buyers who repeatedly cause problems, you can protect yourself by blocking a buyer on eBay. This guide on “Block a Buyer on eBay in 5 Steps and Stay Hassle-free in 2025″ explains how to easily prevent certain buyers from purchasing from you again.
How to Issue a Partial Refund on eBay?
Now that we have gone over the basics, let’s get to the main part: How to send a partial refund on eBay?
Depending on the payment method used for the original transaction, the steps involved in issuing a refund on eBay may vary. Typically, when selling on eBay, you can complete the procedure via PayPal or eBay-managed payment.
#1. eBay partial refund via Paypal
The simplest way to handle partial refunds on eBay is through PayPal since the payment platform makes the process convenient and streamlined. For up to six months (180 days) from the original transaction date, you may refund the customer a portion of their purchase.
Once you’ve logged in to your PayPal account, just follow the steps below.
- Click the Activity tab at the top of the homepage,
- A list of transactions will drop down. Select the particular transaction for which you want to issue a partial refund.
- Click the Refund This Payment option.
- The full sum will be displayed by default. you can edit the refund amount based on the agreement between you and your customer.
- Make sure that all the transaction details are correct, then complete the transaction and issue the eBay partial refund to the customer.
#2. eBay partial refund via the eBay-managed payment
Those who used eBay-managed payments for their online vendors may issue the refund via their seller hub.
- Choose the specific order that you wish to issue a refund.
- From the options that drop down > click Send Refund.
- Then, fill in the reason for the refund.
- Edit the refund amount.
- Double-check to make sure that the transaction details are correct, then select the Send Refund button.
When you provide a refund using eBay-managed payment, you can choose to issue by item or order. Since you know the exact value of each item, issuing a refund per item is more straightforward. For an order-level refund, the process can be more complicated as the refund amount is divided by the total number of products in the purchase.
Unlike PayPal, which gives you six months to execute your refund decision, eBay-managed payments only give you two months from the original transaction. This is something customers should keep in mind if they want to request a full or partial refund.
Things You Should Remember Before Issuing a Partial Refund
Of course, not all circumstances call for an eBay partial refund. In some situations, it is not even possible, and this depends significantly on your customer’s behaviors during the process.
For instance, you should always leave a paper trail. Make sure you and the buyer have discussed the situation and reached an agreement via eBay message. That will give a reason for any refund being issued. Otherwise, an eBay partial refund might result in a defect on your account’s credit report.
As mentioned, you can’t partially refund an item that isn’t delivered. If a customer makes an “item not received” request, you have no other option but to provide a complete refund upon the request itself.
On the other hand, if the customer requests a “return,” you may negotiate with him or her and politely steer him/her toward an eBay partial refund.
Pro Tips:
♦ Struggling with an eBay account suspension? Here’s how to recover your account in 3 simple steps.
♦ If you’re ready to leave eBay, check out this guide on how to delete your eBay account in just 5 minutes.
eBay Partial Refund: FAQs
Yes, you can give a partial refund on eBay. eBay sellers have the option to offer a partial refund to buyers if they’re not entirely satisfied with their purchase. This can help resolve issues quickly and amicably, avoiding potential negative feedback or escalation to eBay’s customer support. Partial refunds can be for any amount up to the full purchase price and are typically issued through the same payment method used for the original transaction. Yes, you can refuse a partial in case you believe the item was accurately described and delivered as promised. However, keep in mind that refusing a refund could lead to negative feedback or an escalation to eBay’s customer support, which might impact your seller rating. Yes, eBay will still charge you a final value fee even if you issue a refund to the buyer. However, they will credit you back the final value fee if the refund is due to an issue like the item not arriving or not being as described. If the refund is for a different reason, like buyer’s remorse, you won’t get the final value fee back. The initial insertion fee is non-refundable in all cases. Before you click Accept, the partial refund request is stalled. If you accept the request, eBay will issue a partial refund while you get to keep the item, and the case is closed. In most cases, eBay refund time is up to 72 hours after the refund request is accepted. However, it also depends on the payment method your buyer chose to finalize the transaction: Seller can offer partial shipping refund in cases: How to offer partial shipping refunds on eBay: The method varies depending on whether the seller is using Managed Payments or PayPal: Managed Payments: PayPal:
Final Thoughts
While eBay strives to protect its customers, the platform also provides various tools for sellers to maintain open transactions and avoid negative feedback. eBay partial refund is one of those tools. By taking advantage of it, you can retain customers in even the stickiest situations and become an eBay top-rated seller.
Your customers’ satisfaction is what keeps your eCommerce enterprise going. Issuing a refund might impact your profit margin, but it will be beneficial in the future. Think long-term and always put the customer first!
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