eBay Counter Offer: How It Works for Buyers and Sellers

You made an eBay counter offer. The seller didn’t accept it — but didn’t decline it either. Instead, a new number came back — and now you need to decide whether to accept it, decline it, or continue negotiating.
That’s an eBay counteroffer: a response to an offer with a different price. Buyers and sellers can use counteroffers to continue negotiating instead of immediately accepting or declining an offer. This guide covers how counter offers work on both sides: the rules, the timing, what happens if you ignore one, and how to make yours more likely to be accepted.

What is a Counter Offer on eBay?

A counteroffer is a response to an offer with a different price. You can accept, reject, or continue negotiating when eBay gives you that option. The response period varies by offer flow, so check the deadline shown by eBay.
If a buyer accepts a counteroffer, they commit to buy and need to complete payment. Offer and counteroffer limits can vary by marketplace, category and offer flow.

Best Offer vs Counter Offer: What’s the Difference?

These get confused constantly, so it’s worth separating them.
Best Offer is the feature. A seller switches it on for a listing, which lets buyers propose a price instead of paying the fixed one. Best Offer is one of eBay’s main negotiation features on eligible listings.
Counter offer is a move within that negotiation. When an offer comes in and neither party wants to accept or walk away, they send back a different number.
Put simply:
Best Offer = the door being open
Counter offer = the conversation that happens once you’re through it
If you’re setting up Best Offer on your listings — including Auto Accept and Auto Decline thresholds — that’s covered in full in our eBay Best Offer Guide. This page focuses on what happens once offers start moving back and forth.

How a Counter Offer Actually Works

How Long Does an eBay Counteroffer Last?

There isn’t one universal counteroffer deadline across every eBay offer flow and marketplace. The time available can depend on how the offer was initiated and which eBay marketplace you’re using. Check the expiry shown in the offer message itself before deciding.
For example, current eBay documentation shows 24-hour and 96-hour response windows in different offer and counteroffer flows. The listing may also end before an offer’s normal expiry time.

Does eBay Have a 48-Hour Counteroffer Rule?

There is no single 48-hour rule that applies to every eBay counteroffer. Offer deadlines can differ depending on the marketplace, the type of offer, and how the negotiation was initiated.

If you receive a counteroffer, check the expiration time displayed in your eBay offer details rather than assuming you have exactly 48 hours to respond.

The number of counteroffers allowed is also separate from the response deadline. If you have reached the applicable offer limit, eBay may prevent you from submitting another counteroffer even if the previous offer was received recently.

How many rounds you get

Offer limits aren’t identical across every eBay marketplace, category and offer flow. For example, eBay’s current US Counteroffers page says buyers can make a total of five offers on most items and ten in most vehicle categories, while eBay UK’s Counter-offers page states three offers on most items and ten in most Motors categories. Check the limit shown for the listing you’re negotiating on.

So a realistic negotiation looks like:
Buyer offers
Seller counters
Buyer counters
Seller counters
Buyer accepts or walks

Is a counter offer binding?

If a buyer accepts a counteroffer, eBay says they are committing to buy the item and need to complete payment. However, depending on the offer flow, the item may remain available to other buyers until payment is successfully completed.
For that reason, buyers should only accept a price they’re prepared to pay, and sellers should follow the transaction status shown by eBay rather than assuming an unpaid acceptance has fully secured the sale.

Counter Offers for Buyers

When you receive one

When a seller sends you a counteroffer, eBay will show the new price and the time remaining to respond. You can review your active offers through your eBay account and the relevant listing or offer notification.
Three options:
Accept — agree to the counteroffer and proceed with the purchase/payment process.
Decline — the negotiation ends
Counter — send a new number back

How to Counter Offer on eBay as a Buyer

If eBay gives you the option to counter again, you can respond with another price. There is no official percentage that guarantees acceptance. Before choosing a number, consider the item’s recent sold prices, condition, your maximum budget, and the difference between your offer and the seller’s counteroffer.

What happens to your original offer

Your original offer is gone the moment the seller counters. Countering back doesn’t revive it.
That matters because it means you can’t counter, get declined, and then go back to your first price. Once you’ve moved, you’ve moved.

Counter Offers for Sellers

Can eBay Sellers Send Counteroffers?

Yes, eBay sellers can send counteroffers when the option is available for an eligible offer. To send a counteroffer, open your eBay selling account, find the buyer’s offer, and select the counteroffer option. Enter the price you want to propose, review the details, and send your counteroffer to the buyer. The buyer can then accept, decline, or submit another counteroffer if eBay allows further negotiation. eBay will show the applicable response deadline for the offer. You can add a short message with your counter, and it’s worth doing. If the option is available, you can include a short message explaining your counteroffer, such as the item’s condition or what’s included in the price. It costs nothing and gives the buyer a reason to say yes.

Countering multiple buyers at once

If several offers land on the same listing, you can counter all of them.
If you receive offers from multiple buyers, eBay allows sellers to send counteroffers to more than one interested buyer. On a single-item listing, monitor the offer and payment status shown by eBay because an item can remain available while an offer is still pending. Once the item is sold, other outstanding offers are no longer actionable.

When to counter and when to decline

Not every offer deserves a counter.
Consider countering when: The offer is below your asking price but still leaves room for a profitable sale The item has been listed for a while and you’re willing to negotiate Recent sold prices support a price somewhere between the buyer’s offer and your asking price You know your minimum acceptable price.

Consider declining when:
The offer is below your break-even price Before accepting or sending a counteroffer, calculate your minimum profitable selling price using our eBay Fee Calculator. This helps you estimate selling fees and avoid accepting an offer that leaves you with little or no profit. The buyer and seller are too far apart to reach a price that works for both sides You’re not willing to reduce the price further. The offer doesn’t make financial sense after fees, shipping and product costs.

A Real Negotiation, Step by Step

Here’s how a typical exchange plays out on a £130 listing.
Round 1 — Buyer offers £100
About 77% of the asking price. The seller decides to counter rather than accept or decline.

Round 2 — Seller counters £115
Not the full £130, but a real move. Signals willingness to negotiate without giving everything away.
Round 3 — Buyer counters £110
Splitting the remaining gap. The buyer makes another offer between the original offer and the seller’s counteroffer.
Round 4 — Seller accepts
£110 on a £130 listing. The seller loses £20 off asking but makes the sale — and had already worked out that £110 still cleared their costs.

This is only an example, not an eBay rule. There is no required percentage or negotiation pattern for counteroffers. Each side can decide what price makes sense within the options and offer limits eBay provides.

Tips to Get Your Counter Offer Accepted

For buyers

Check what it actually sold for. Filter completed listings by Sold, and look at what the item genuinely goes for rather than what other sellers are asking. An offer anchored to real sold prices is far harder to refuse.
Don’t open too low. Make a reasonable offer based on the item’s condition, asking price and recent sold prices. eBay does not prescribe a specific percentage you should offer below the asking price.
Look at how long it’s been listed. An item that’s been sitting for weeks has a more motivated seller than one listed yesterday.
Say something. Add a short, polite message if the option is available. eBay itself suggests adding a friendly, personal message when making an offer.

For sellers

Respond promptly. Buyer offers have a limited response window, so review the offer and decide whether to accept, decline or counter before it expires.
If you decide to counter, choose a price that still protects your margin while giving the buyer a meaningful alternative to the asking price. Add a reason. “This includes tracked postage” or “Only one left in this size” gives the buyer something to weigh beyond the number.
Know your floor first. Work out the price at which fees, postage and product cost leave you break-even. Negotiate down to that number, never below it.

Why You Might Not See the Counter Offer Option

Several reasons the button might be missing:
The particular offer you received may not allow counteroffers. Sellers can turn counteroffers off for some offers sent to interested buyers. You may have reached the offer limit that applies to that listing or category.
The offer or counteroffer may already have expired.
The item sold to someone else while you were deciding
Auto Decline is set above your offer, so it was rejected automatically before the seller saw it
The listing ended or was revised by the seller
If a seller has set automatic offer responses, eBay can automatically accept offers at or above the seller’s upper limit and decline offers below the lower limit. Buyers aren’t shown those limits.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does an eBay counter offer last?

There isn’t one universal expiry period for every eBay counteroffer. The response window can vary depending on the offer flow and marketplace, so check the expiry time shown in the offer itself.

Can you counter offer twice on eBay?

It depends on the offer limit that applies to the listing, category and offer flow. eBay limits the number of offers a buyer can make and will indicate when you’re reaching your limit.

Is an eBay counter offer binding?

If a buyer accepts a counteroffer, they’re committing to buy the item and should complete payment. Depending on the offer flow, the item may remain available to other buyers until payment is completed.

What happens if I ignore a counter offer on eBay?

If you don’t respond before the deadline shown by eBay, the counteroffer can expire. Check the offer itself for the applicable response time.

Does a counter offer cancel my original offer?

Yes. Once either side counters, the previous offer is void and can’t be revived.

Can a seller send a counter offer to multiple buyers?

Yes. A seller can have negotiations with multiple interested buyers. For a single-item listing, follow the offer, sale and payment status shown by eBay because availability can change while offers are pending.

What percentage should I counter offer on eBay?

eBay doesn’t set a recommended percentage. Consider the item’s condition, recent sold prices, your budget or profit margin, and the difference between the asking price and the existing offer.

Why can’t I counter offer on eBay?

The offer may not allow counteroffers, you may have reached the applicable offer limit, the offer may have expired, the item may have sold, or the listing may no longer be available.

Can I cancel a counter offer after sending it?

In some circumstances, yes. eBay allows a Best Offer or counteroffer to be retracted when certain conditions are met. For example, current eBay US guidance allows retraction when there are at least 12 hours left in the listing and the most recent offer was placed less than an hour ago. Check eBay’s current retraction rules before attempting to cancel an offer.

Do counter offers affect my eBay fees?

An accepted counteroffer changes the item’s sale price, which can affect the final value fee. The exact fee depends on factors such as the category, seller setup and total amount of the sale, and additional selling costs may also apply.

Counteroffers give buyers and sellers another chance to agree on a price instead of immediately ending the negotiation. The applicable response time and offer limits can vary, so check the details eBay shows for the specific offer you’re handling. Before accepting or countering, buyers should know their maximum budget and sellers should know the minimum price that still makes financial sense.
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