# eBay names 10 recipients of $10,000 live selling grants; fees unchanged

> eBay's 2026 Live x Up & Running grants are investment money, not a fee rebate, and no published source links them to Live fees. The Live rate card still sets the fee base for every seller, though the sources differ on the scope of the $0.10 processing reduction.

- Publication: Oddly Profitable
- URL: https://oddlyprofitable.eu/articles/ebay-names-10-recipients-of-10-000-live-selling-grants-fees-unchanged
- Format: News
- Section: Business Models
- Published: 2026-11-03
- Sources last checked: 2026-11-01

## Key points

- eBay named the 10 recipients of its 2026 eBay Live x Up & Running Grants on 30 October 2026, each receiving $10,000 for inventory, equipment, marketing or hiring [1].
- No source reviewed describes the grant as a fee rebate or ties it to eBay Live fees or sales targets [1][2].
- eBay's published Live rates are 6% commission on most categories, capped at $100 per item, plus 2.9% and $0.30 per order for processing [5].
- The Seller Center states that the 2026 program has ended, so sellers should not plan to apply to this round [4].

On 30 October 2026, eBay Inc. named the 10 recipients of its 2026 eBay Live x Up & Running Grants, each receiving $10,000 to invest in inventory, equipment, marketing or hiring [1]. The sources describe the money as investment capital, not a fee rebate, and none of the sources reviewed links it to eBay Live fees [1][2]. Nothing in the published Live rate card refers to grant recipients [5]. The sources therefore show no fee change tied to the grant. This article sets out what the grant includes, the published Live fee rules that apply to every seller, and what sellers can do now.

## eBay names 10 recipients of the 2026 eBay Live x Up & Running grants

eBay Inc. announced the recipients in its Newsroom on 30 October 2026 [1]. Each recipient receives a $10,000 grant, plus expert eBay Live mentorship and a full kit of pro-level live selling equipment [1]. The program totals $100,000 [2].

eBay announced the program on 28 May 2026 [2]. Applications ran until 25 June 2026 and were open to sellers in the U.S., including current eBay Live sellers and sellers joining the platform for the first time [2].

Hello Alice, which presented the program in partnership with eBay, set the eligibility rules. The applicant had to be the business's leading executive, and the business had to have been an active eBay seller on or before 1 December 2025, with a seller rating of "Above Standard" or "Top Rated" [3].

eBay's Seller Center page, checked on 1 November 2026, states that the 2026 program has ended [4]. Sellers should not plan to apply to this round.

## Does the grant change live selling fees?

No source reviewed describes the grant as a fee rebate or says it offsets eBay Live fees [1][2][3]. The grant is described as a $10,000 payment for investment, and the sources do not tie it to Live sales targets or fee credits [1].

The published Live rate card names no grant-specific rate [5]. Do not assume a sales requirement or reward structure attached to the grant, because none is published.

## What live sellers pay under eBay's published Live fee structure

eBay's Live pricing page sets the baseline for any comparison [5].

The published rules are:

- **Commission:** 6% of the total sale for most categories, capped at $100 per item [5].
- **Coins, bullion and select sneakers:** 4% commission, with the same $100 cap per item [5].
- **Payment processing:** 2.9% of the total sale, plus $0.30 per order [5].
- **Total sale:** includes the item price, handling charges, shipping collected from the buyer, sales tax and other applicable fees [5].
- **Listing fee:** none for eBay Live listings [5].

The pricing page lists a $0.10 per-order fee, instead of $0.30, on items priced $10 or less, through 31 December 2026 [5]. A July 2026 Value Added Resource report describes the reduction as applying to all Live orders of $10 or less [7]. The two descriptions differ on scope, so check the pricing page before relying on it.

For comparison, eBay's standard final value fee for most US sellers without a Store subscription is 13.6% of the total sale up to $7,500, plus a fixed order fee [7]. The same report puts the combined Live rate for most categories at 8.9%, plus $0.30 per order [7]. For more on how eBay's fee rules shape seller margin, see [eBay's fee rules, not its Q3 take rate, set what sellers keep](/articles/ebay-s-fee-rules-not-its-q3-take-rate-set-what-sellers-keep).

Value Added Resource also reported an invitation-only promotion that waived commission on selected US Live accounts from 19 October to 29 October 2026. Sellers in that promotion still paid processing fees [6]. That promotion has ended, and no source links it to the grant.

## A worked example at published rates

The arithmetic below is illustrative. It is not an eBay figure or a profit estimate. It applies the rates in [5] to made-up order sizes, and it leaves out cost of goods and advertising.

- **100 orders totalling $10,000 at the same rate:** about $920 in fees [1].
- A secondary report gives the same result [7].

eBay's own worked example uses a $118 total sale, made up of a $100 item, $10 shipping and $8 tax, which gives total fees of $10.80 [5]. The table below repeats these outcomes using the same rates.

| Scenario | Sale amount | Commission | Processing (2.9% plus $0.30) | Total fee | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6% category, eBay example total | $118 | $7.08 | $3.72 | $10.80 | 9.2% [5] |

## What is not published

These gaps limit what a seller can calculate today:

- The dollar value of the equipment kit is not stated [1][2].
- The length and schedule of mentorship are not described. Hello Alice lists "1-on-1 onboarding, management, and marketing support" [3].
- The 2025 round included a $500 stipend for eBay Refurbished technology [3]. No 2026 source confirms whether that stipend applies.
- The tax treatment of the grant is not stated in any source reviewed.
- The full Terms and Conditions text was not available in the sources reviewed, although Hello Alice refers to them [3].
- Applicant numbers are not published.
- Hello Alice's timeline said recipients would be notified in early October 2026 and funds distributed in mid- to late October 2026 [3]. eBay announced the recipients on 30 October 2026 [1]. No source confirms when payments were made.
- The two sources give different business names for two recipients. eBay's announcement lists Brittney Flank as "indemandforless" and Michael Haskell as "Mike's Unique Treasures" [1]. eBay's Seller Center page lists "Frosting Company, LLC" and "Mish Unique Finds" [4].

## What sellers should do now

Start a live selling plan from the fee rules, not from the grant. Before you schedule streams, run the method above with your own average order size and category. eBay's fee base includes shipping and tax [5], so include them in your calculations.

Do not plan to apply to the 2026 round, since eBay's Seller Center says it has ended [4]. For any future round, check eBay's Newsroom and Up & Running page and read the terms there rather than relying on summaries from third parties.

Check which promotions apply to your account. The 0% commission test was invitation-only and has ended [6], while the $0.10 processing reduction runs to 31 December 2026 [5]. Do not count grant money as income until eBay publishes terms showing whether it is linked to Live fees or sales.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does the eBay Live grant lower live selling fees?

No source reviewed describes the grant as a fee rebate or says it offsets eBay Live fees [1][2][3]. The published Live rate card names no grant-specific rate [5].

### What are eBay's published Live selling fees?

Most categories pay 6% commission capped at $100 per item, plus payment processing of 2.9% of the total sale and $0.30 per order [5]. eBay Live listings have no listing fee [5].

### Can sellers still apply for the 2026 grant?

No. eBay's Seller Center page, checked on 1 November 2026, states that the 2026 program has ended [4].

### Is the $0.10 processing fee reduction for all Live orders under $10?

The sources differ. The pricing page lists a $0.10 fee on items priced $10 or less through 31 December 2026 [5], while a July 2026 report describes it as applying to all Live orders of $10 or less [7].

## Sources

1. Meet the 2026 eBay Live x Up & Running Grant recipients — eBay Inc. Newsroom, published 2026-10-30. https://www.ebayinc.com/stories/news/meet-the-2026-ebay-live-up-and-running-grant-recipients-sellers/
2. eBay invests in the future of live commerce with 2026 Up & Running grants — eBay Inc. Newsroom, published 2026-05-28. https://www.ebayinc.com/stories/news/ebay-invests-in-the-future-of-live-commerce-with-2026-up-and-running-grants/
3. eBay Live x Up & Running Grant Program — Hello Alice (program host, presented with eBay). https://helloalice.com/grants/ebay/
4. Up & Running Grants | Seller Center — eBay Seller Center. https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/ebay-for-business/up-and-running-grants
5. eBay Live Pricing — eBay Inc.. https://www.ebay.com/ebaylive/seller-pricing
6. eBay Offers 0% Live Commissions To Get More Sellers Streaming — Value Added Resource, published 2026-10-21. https://www.valueaddedresource.net/ebay-live-0-commission-promo/
7. New eBay Live Fee Rates Undercut Regular Selling Costs, Rival Whatnot — Value Added Resource, published 2026-07-18. https://www.valueaddedresource.net/new-ebay-live-fee-rates/