Shipping software for eBay with no base fee: Options and limitations

Free options for eBay shipping

Sellers with low parcel volumes have various free ways to create labels.

eBay’s integrated label printing has no base fee. You only pay the postage for DHL, Hermes or DPD directly from your eBay payouts.

The Post & DHL Business Customer Portal (GKP) and DHL Online Franking can also be used without a software fee. You buy postage labels as needed but pay the regular postage price for each parcel.

You can top up your Deutsche Post Portokasse and use it to purchase Internetmarke postage without fixed monthly costs.

• eBay label printing: Integrated into eBay free of charge, billed to your eBay balance
• DHL Business Customer Portal: No software fee, billing under your contract
• DHL Online Franking: Buy postage online for small parcels and parcels (e.g. a 2 kg parcel from 6.19 euros)
• Deutsche Post Portokasse: Pay for Internetmarke postage and letter postage without a payment fee

What pay-per-label tools offer and what they cost

Some shipping tools advertise a monthly base fee of 0 euros but charge a fee for each label printed instead (often 0.05 to 0.20 euros per label).

For occasional sales with fewer than 20 parcels a month, this is manageable. However, as your shipment volume increases, these transaction costs quickly add up to amounts exceeding a fixed monthly subscription.

Limitations of solutions without a base fee

If you work without dedicated shipping software, you will quickly encounter practical limitations in day-to-day use.

• Time-consuming: Each label must be opened, checked and printed individually
• No automatic shipment tracking: Tracking numbers often have to be entered into eBay manually
• Multiple eBay accounts: Time-consuming logging out and back in to switch between different seller accounts
• No packing lists: No sorted lists for picking goods in the warehouse

Decision guide by shipment volume

When is it worth switching from a free solution to shipping software with a fixed subscription? The following guide will help you decide.

• Up to 20 shipments per month: Free eBay label printing is usually more than sufficient
• 20 to 100 shipments per month: Pay-per-label options or affordable entry-level plans starting at 9 euros save a noticeable amount of working time
• 100 or more shipments per month: A fixed plan with unlimited labels or fair allowances is almost always cheaper than paying per label

How Shipnovo makes getting started easy

Shipnovo offers an affordable starting point for eBay sellers who do not need expensive wholesale solutions. With plans starting at 9 euros per month for up to 250 shipments, you can connect as many eBay accounts as you like and use your own postage contracts.

You can try Shipnovo for 14 days without providing payment details, with no long-term commitment, as all plans can be cancelled monthly.

• Starter plan from 9 euros per month for up to 250 shipments
• Unlimited eBay accounts included in every plan
• Directly connect your own DHL contracts and Deutsche Post Portokasse
• Try it free for 14 days with no setup fee

Verified sources and supporting references

The information on postage prices and help articles was checked against official primary sources on 13 October 2026.

• DHL domestic prices: https://www.dhl.de/de/privatkunden/pakete-versenden/deutschlandweit-versenden/preise-national.html
• eBay help on shipping labels: https://www.ebay.de/help/selling/shipping-items/labels-packaging-tips/buying-printing-shipping-labels?id=4157
• Shipnovo plans and features: https://shipnovo.app/pricing