OnBuy is one of the most promising UK-based marketplaces. It is rapidly expanding its audience thanks to simple subscription plans, transparent pricing, access to several European markets, and no competition from the marketplace itself. A single account allows you to sell products to millions of customers across the UK and more than 20 EU markets.
So, maybe it’s time to sign up and start selling on OnBuy? In this article, we’ll cover all the important details, challenges, sales process, and benefits that OnBuy has to offer.
What is OnBuy?
OnBuy was launched in 2016 as a UK-based online marketplace focused on creating a fair and transparent environment for both retailers and buyers. Since then, the platform has expanded beyond the UK. By 2025, OnBuy has launched in 12 European markets (Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Greece, Finland, Portugal, Ireland, and Slovakia).
This platform has secured its status as the fastest-growing e-commerce platform in Europe. They have generated £5.5 million in sales and offered their customers 36 million products. OnBuy has increased the number of retailers by 80% and achieved 224% annual revenue growth.
While still developing its presence in the competitive EU market, OnBuy continues to position itself as a growing marketplace focused on fair pricing, transparent fees, and a seller-first model.
Before You Apply: OnBuy Seller Basics
OnBuy is built to support retailers at every stage, making the platform straightforward both for newcomers and for businesses already experienced with online marketplaces. With guidance from a dedicated UK-based support team, the platform helps sellers grow sales from day one.
OnBuy is designed for registered businesses. To join the platform, a seller must meet several baseline requirements:
- Hold proper inventory and comply with UK/EU product standards
- Have a legally registered business (UK or international)
- Provide valid VAT information
- Have a proven performance history: at least 50 genuine positive reviews on platforms like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Shopify, or Trustpilot
- Maintain a clear returns policy
Requirements to Sell on OnBuy: VAT, Reviews, and Documents
Getting started on OnBuy is relatively quick (the sign-up form takes about 15 minutes), but you do need to meet a few requirements before you can start selling. Here’s what you’ll need to prepare to register as an OnBuy seller:
- A link to your current selling profile or storefront (for example, your Amazon, eBay, or online store). OnBuy uses this to verify your selling history.
- At least 50 buyer reviews from the past 12 months on your existing platform, with a minimum of 90% of those reviews rated 4 or 5 stars. This ensures you have a proven track record of good service.
- GTINs or barcodes for the products you plan to list. OnBuy’s catalog system uses standard product codes for listing items. Tools like M2E Cloud can map your existing product data to OnBuy’s format, but you still need valid GTINs in your source catalog.
- A returns solution for each country you will sell to. This can be a local return address in that country or an alternative arrangement (like a prepaid return label or third-party returns service) to handle customer returns.
- Your business registration details (company name, registration number, etc.) and VAT information, if applicable. (If you’re VAT-registered in a country, you’ll need to provide that VAT number. OnBuy’s FAQ notes that non-UK businesses can sell on OnBuy UK without a UK VAT number, but you must register for UK VAT if your business is outside the listed eligible countries.)
Once you have these in place, you can fill out OnBuy’s online application. Approval is usually straightforward if you meet the criteria, and then you’ll be on your way to listing your products on the platform.
What Categories Can You Sell on OnBuy?
OnBuy collaborates with a wide range of businesses, from global brands to small independent retailers. Buyers get a trusted, convenient marketplace with competitive pricing and flexible delivery options across many product sectors. Core categories include:
- Electronics & Tech
- Home, Garden & DIY
- Toys & Games
- Beauty & Health
- Fashion & Accessories
- Sports & Outdoors
- FMCG, groceries, pet supplies
- Automotive parts
- Office & Industrial items
- Books, media, hobby goods
The marketplace enforces strict listing standards to keep all transactions safe and compliant. OnBuy maintains a secure environment for both buyers and sellers, and retailers should review the full Prohibited Goods Policy on the OnBuy website to ensure compliance. Under OnBuy’s Prohibited Goods Policy, sellers may not list:
- Hazardous items
- Counterfeit products
- Weapons
- Items without valid safety compliance
Most standard retail products are allowed as long as they have accurate GTINs (EAN/UPC/ISBN) and meet safety and documentation requirements.
OnBuy Seller Plans and Pricing Explained
OnBuy offers three plans to choose from. All plans are monthly subscriptions with pay-as-you-go pricing. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your subscription at any time.
Each plan allows you to list products on all OnBuy marketplaces (UK and EU) under one account and includes basic selling features with no additional listing fees. Plans differ mainly in terms of additional benefits and support levels:
- Professional Plan – £249 per month (plus VAT). Already designed for established brands with high sales volumes, the Professional plan unlocks the full OnBuy feature set. In addition to partner benefits, you get brand visibility across the site (your logo is displayed on the site), a Professional Seller badge for trust, fully customizable store pages, custom product carousels for your products, and basic account management support from the OnBuy team. This higher tier is aimed at maximizing your brand presence and receiving strategic account recommendations to increase sales.
- Standard Plan – £25 per month (plus VAT). This entry-level package provides all the basics to get started. It includes unlimited product listings, access to OnBuy’s API and integrations, standard seller support, on-platform marketing tools, and coverage by PayPal’s seller protection. The Standard plan is ideal for new sellers.
- Partner Plan – £69/month (plus VAT). The Partner tier is aimed at growing businesses. In addition to what’s already included in Standard, it provides priority support and advanced marketplace features. Features include a dedicated store page, the ability to create your own product collections, a store search function, and improved search rankings for your listings. Partner sellers also get the right to place leads. This means you can become the main seller displayed on the product page. This plan helps your brand stand out more on OnBuy as you grow.
Note: All prices are valid as of February 2025 according to OnBuy’s official seller plans listed on their website.
OnBuy Selling Fees: Commission Rates and Payment Costs
In addition to the monthly plan, OnBuy makes money by charging a sales commission for each order. This commission is a percentage of the final price (product price plus shipping) and varies by product category. OnBuy’s commission structure is competitive and simple:
OnBuy makes it easy to know your commissions. The specific commission rate for your product category is clearly displayed in your seller dashboard for each listing, so you can always see what percentage will be charged. This transparency helps you price your items with confidence, without surprises after the sale.
- You can list an unlimited number of products without any upfront costs for each product. You only pay when you sell.
- Most categories have a commission of between 5% and 15%. The rate varies because different categories carry different operational costs and competitive dynamics. Check your specific category rate before listing. For example:
- Fashion typically 15% with higher return rates
- Consumer Electronics often 7% due to high competition and thin margins
- Books & Media often 15% because of standardized pricing
- OnBuy doesn’t charge a separate payment processing fee on top of the selling fee. The fee already includes any payment processing costs. For example, if you sell an item for £100 with a 9% category fee, OnBuy will deduct £9, and you will receive the rest. There are no PayPal fees on your end – OnBuy’s integration with PayPal happens behind the scenes.
- OnBuy makes it easy to know your commissions. The specific commission rate for your product category is clearly displayed in your seller dashboard for each listing, so you can always see what percentage will be charged. This transparency helps you price your items with confidence, without surprises after the sale.
You can read more detailed information about OnBuy’s taxes and pricing in the M2E Pro documentation.
How to Start Your Business on OnBuy in a Few Simple Steps
Getting your store live on OnBuy is a quick process. The platform keeps onboarding simple, and you can start selling as soon as your catalog is ready. Here’s the flow:
Step 1. Set Up Your Seller Account
Submit your business details, VAT information, and sales history. Once approved, the OnBuy team will walk you through the initial setup and marketplace settings.
Step 2. Build Your Product Catalog
Add your items manually, through bulk templates, or with an integration that syncs data from your store. Using tools like M2E Cloud makes it easier to push listings, update stock, and manage pricing in one place.
Step 3. Go Live With Your Offers
Enable your listings, set competitive pricing, and define delivery options. OnBuy prioritizes accurate product data and clean GTINs, so make sure your catalog is complete before launch.
Step 4. Fulfill Orders and Maintain Performance
Once sales start coming in, ship orders within your handling time and upload tracking right away. Fast dispatch unlocks faster payouts and improves your seller score.
Step 5. Access Your Earnings
Payouts are released through PayPal as soon as you mark an order as dispatched, giving you quicker access to cash flow compared to other marketplaces.
Step 6. Start Optimizing
Use Boost selectively, monitor pricing in your category, and expand to EU markets from the same account. Consistent performance drives visibility across OnBuy’s growing marketplace.
Why Sellers Choose OnBuy
So why do sellers around the world choose OnBuy? Here are a few key reasons many sellers are adding OnBuy to their sales channels:
1. Fairness and Transparency of the Marketplace
OnBuy is a platform for third-party sellers. This ensures a level playing field for retailers of all sizes. You won’t encounter hidden costs due to the Transparent Fee Guarantee and the same tools for all sellers. OnBuy shows you exactly what you’ll pay. No algorithm changes that suddenly tank your visibility unless you pay for ads. No hidden fees that appear on your invoice three months later. You pick a plan, you see the commission structure, and that’s what you pay.
OnBuy CEO and founder Cass Paton says: “OnBuy is different – we don’t compete with our sellers, we support them. Our model creates higher margins for retailers, more choice for customers, and a level playing field that the industry has been lacking.”
2. One Account – Multiple Markets
OnBuy gives you direct access to millions of UK buyers (over 6-8 million according to the latest estimates). At the same time, OnBuy allows its sellers to list products on all available international marketplaces from a single account. There are no additional fees for international listings, and you can easily manage your prices and inventory for each region. This means you can sell in France, Germany, or Italy from day one without any difficulties.
3. Seller Support and Buyer Trust
OnBuy prides itself on its dedicated seller support in the UK. The onboarding team helps new sellers get started, and the seller success team is available to assist and advise as you grow. Thanks to this policy, OnBuy is gaining the trust of new sellers, and buyers increasingly recognize it as a safe and customer-friendly marketplace.
4. Built-in Growth Tools
OnBuy offers its own growth tools to help sellers increase visibility and sales. These tools are built into the marketplace and require minimal setup:
- OnBuy integrates with many popular e-commerce platforms and multichannel management systems. To run OnBuy efficiently as part of a wider e-commerce stack, most professional sellers pair these native tools with automation. This is where M2E Cloud fits in. The platform connects your store to OnBuy and synchronizes listings, stock levels, and orders across every channel you sell on. Especially if you’re already on Amazon or eBay, or another marketplace. This is where multichannel tools like M2E Cloud become necessary, not optional. They prevent overselling by syncing stock in real-time across all your channels.
- OnBuy Boost is a performance-based advertising program that promotes your listings on and off the marketplace. You only pay when a sale happens. This makes Boost low-risk and suitable for both new and competitive products.
- OnBuy Engage is a targeted email marketing tool that places your products in curated emails sent to active shoppers. It helps you reach new buyers without running ads outside the platform.
Using M2E Cloud to Power OnBuy and Multichannel Selling
M2E Cloud supports all available OnBuy marketplaces, including the UK and every EU country where OnBuy is currently active. This allows sellers to manage their entire OnBuy presence from a single integration and keep product data aligned across regions.
For sellers operating across several marketplaces, M2E Cloud adds a layer of automation that OnBuy doesn’t provide natively. It connects your store with OnBuy and syncs inventory, listings, and orders in real time across all channels.
- When stock changes on Amazon, eBay, or your website, M2E Cloud updates OnBuy instantly. This prevents overselling and keeps availability accurate.
- OnBuy orders flow directly into your store or system, allowing you to manage shipping and tracking from one place instead of juggling multiple dashboards.
- M2E Cloud publishes and updates product data on OnBuy automatically. You can apply marketplace-specific pricing rules to stay competitive without manual edits.
- Once connected, you can expand your OnBuy catalog, launch in EU markets and maintain unified operations across all marketplaces with minimal overhead.
M2E Cloud complements OnBuy’s built-in tools by automating the repetitive work, letting you focus on pricing, assortment, and strategy instead of manual sync tasks.
OnBuy vs Amazon vs eBay: Seller Comparison Table
Before choosing a new marketplace, it’s helpful to compare OnBuy with the major players that dominate the UK e-commerce landscape. Amazon and eBay consistently hold the top positions in traffic and market share. The table below highlights how OnBuy differs from these established platforms in terms of fees, support, operations, and seller requirements.
| Category | OnBuy | Amazon | eBay |
| Commission & Fees | 5-15% category-based commission. No listing fees. Clear, flat fee structure. Payment processing fees apply (PayPal). | ~15% average commission. £25/month Pro account. Many extra fees (FBA, storage, high-volume, returns). Complex structure. | ~10–12% final value fee. No mandatory subscription. Insertion fees after free allowance. Fees vary by category. |
| Competition With Platform | Does not sell its own products. Sellers never compete with OnBuy. | Yes. Amazon Retail competes directly with third-party sellers. | Does not sell its own products. Pure marketplace. |
| Payout Speed | Fast payouts through PayPal. Funds are released when the order is dispatched. | Slowest. 14-day payout cycle, reserves possible. | Medium. Daily or weekly payouts under Managed Payments (1–3 days to bank). |
| Seller Support | UK-based, fast, human support. Priority support for Partner/Pro plans. | Large, automated, often scripted. Hard to escalate. | Standard support. Better than Amazon, less personal than OnBuy. |
| Advertising & Growth Tools | OnBuy Boost: pay-per-sale ads (no PPC). OnBuy Engage email campaigns. Simpler tools. | Huge PPC ecosystem: Sponsored Products, Brands, Deals. High cost, competitive. | Promoted Listings (pay-per-sale). Some PPC options. Simpler than Amazon. |
| International Access | One account for UK + 20+ EU markets. Toggle countries in the dashboard. No extra accounts. | Massive global network but siloed marketplaces. Requires multiple accounts, VAT setups. | Global Shipping or separate sites. No unified account. Manual expansion. |
| Buyer Base Size | Smaller: ~6-8M UK customers. Fast growth but less traffic than Amazon/eBay. | Largest: tens of millions of buyers in the UK alone. Maximum traffic. | Large: over 134M global buyers. Strong traffic but lower than Amazon. |
| Fulfillment Options | No in-house fulfillment. Seller must ship or use 3PL. | FBA dominates, boosts conversion. High fees. | No in-house fulfillment. Can use third-party logistics. |
| Ease of Starting | Strict. Must be a registered business + 50+ positive reviews. VAT-compliant. | Moderate. A business or an individual can start. High compliance load. | Easiest. Individuals and businesses can start quickly. |
Conclusion
Entering a new marketplace is always a strategic decision. OnBuy offers a rapidly growing customer base, a transparent and seller-friendly model, and access to multiple countries through one hub. For Amazon and eBay sellers in the UK/EU, OnBuy is an opportunity to diversify your sales channels without high extra cost or complexity. Its fee structure is simple and fair, its tools (Boost, Engage, etc.) can help drive growth, and its policy of not competing with sellers is a breath of fresh air in the e-commerce world.
