Should You Sell on Onbuy?
OnBuy is a UK-based online marketplace known for its wide range of products across categories like electronics, home and garden, fashion, and beauty. It connects buyers with third-party sellers, providing competitive prices and robust buyer protection policies to ensure a safe and convenient shopping experience. OnBuy offers various payment options, including PayPal and credit cards, along with fast and reliable delivery services.
Designed with user-friendliness in mind, OnBuy features an intuitive interface that simplifies product searches and purchases. Customer reviews and seller ratings further enhance the shopping experience by helping customers make informed decisions. Often considered an alternative to eBay in the UK, OnBuy caters to over six million UK consumers and hosts world-leading brands, making it an ideal platform for both SMEs and enterprise businesses.
Ranked Europe’s fastest-growing eCommerce business in the 2023 FT 1000, OnBuy stands out as a comprehensive, reliable, and affordable online marketplace for customers in the UK and beyond.
Benefits of selling on OnBuy:
Selling on OnBuy comes with a host of benefits catering to businesses of all sizes and industries. Here are some of the key advantages:
Versatile Platform
OnBuy welcomes businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises to large corporations, and spans a wide range of industries. Whether you’re selling electronics, fashion, beauty products, or home and garden items, OnBuy offers a diverse and dynamic marketplace for your products.
Secure Transactions
OnBuy welcomes businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises to large corporations, and spans a wide range of industries. Whether you’re selling electronics, fashion, beauty products, or home and garden items, OnBuy offers a diverse and dynamic marketplace for your products.
Opportunities for Preloved Businesses
OnBuy’s ‘New and Used’ section is a boon for businesses dealing in pre-owned or used items. This feature ensures that all items sold meet quality standards, providing a secure and convenient solution for both sellers and buyers of used products. By supporting the sale of pre-loved items, OnBuy contributes to the circular economy, making shopping more affordable and sustainable.
Transparent Fees
OnBuy doesn’t charge for transactions. Instead, sales fees and delivery charges are deducted from the total price of the product, with sellers receiving the remaining amount. This transparent fee structure allows sellers to understand their earnings clearly and ensures there are no hidden costs
All in all, selling on OnBuy not only opens new market opportunities but also provides a secure, transparent, and versatile platform to grow your business.
What do you need to start selling on OnBuy?
Source: DataFeed
To start selling on OnBuy.com, there are several key requirements and steps that prospective sellers must follow. Here’s a breakdown:
- Account Creation: Begin by creating an account on OnBuy.com. You’ll need to provide essential business information, including your VAT number and bank details. OnBuy emphasises integrity and high standards, so adherence to their Seller Standards is crucial for maintaining a consistent and high-quality shopping experience for customers.
- Sales Record: Sellers are expected to have an established online presence. This includes matching your company name to the one on OnBuy, and having at least 50 positive reviews (with an average rating of 4.5/5 stars or higher) over the past year on public platforms.
- GTINs: All products listed on OnBuy must have GTINs (EAN/UPC/ISBN), unless they fall under specific exemptions like jewellery, car parts, or private label goods with the seller’s UK registered trademark.
- Payment Options: Sellers must have a UK bank account or accounts with Payoneer or WorldFirst to manage transactions efficiently.
- Business Registration: Your business needs to be registered, and you must provide the necessary documentation. For UK Sole Traders, this can include proof of registration with HMRC for Self-Assessment.
- UK VAT Registration: If your business operates within or outside the UK, providing a UK VAT registration number is mandatory.
- Return Address: You must provide a UK returns address or cover the cost of overseas returns. OnBuy requires a standard 30-day full refund policy, extending up to 180 days for faulty goods.
- Product Compliance: Ensure all listed products comply with OnBuy’s Prohibited Products Policy and do not infringe on intellectual property rights.
By meeting these requirements, you can become a trusted seller on OnBuy.com, tapping into a vast market while ensuring a high standard of service for your customers.
What kinds of products can I sell on Onbuy?
OnBuy welcomes businesses across a wide range of sectors, but typically popular categories are:
- Home, Garden & Pets
- Electronics & Technology
- Health & Beauty
- Tools & DIY
- Toys & Games
OnBuy also upholds strict guidelines when it comes to products that might compromise the safety and legality of transactions on its platform, such as illegal drugs, weapons, adult content, and items that infringe intellectual property rights. We recommend having a look at their Prohibited Products Policy for more guidance on what you can and cannot sell on the platform.
Do you need to pay to sell on OnBuy?
OnBuy offers clear and straightforward pricing, with two account packages to sell on their platform:
- Standard, which is £19.00 plus VAT per month,
- Partner, which is £39.00 plus VAT per month.
Source: OnBuy
Sales fees are then charged on the total price of a product, such delivery charges. Unlike other marketplaces, OnBuy doesn’t charge a separate transaction cost. Its sales fees vary depending on the categories your products belong to.
You can find out more about OnBuy’s fees here.
Connecting your OnBuy store to Despatch Cloud
To connect your OnBuy store to Despatch Cloud, you will need to obtain your API credentials. We offer a quick and easy guide on how to do this here.
Source: OnBuy
Once that is done, you will want to access your Sales Channels Directory, find the OnBuy logo and click on it.
A settings window will pop up for you to add your OnBuy account credentials. You will also be able to customise your integration settings, and add templates for commercial invoices, despatch emails and feedback emails associated to that account.
You can find a more detailed guide on how to do this here.
Top tips and best practises to sell on OnBuy
1. Set Competitive Prices
Competitive pricing is crucial to stand out in any marketplace. Ensure your prices are not only competitive within OnBuy but also align with what you offer on other platforms. This consistency helps build trust and attract more buyers.
2. Ensure Fast and Reliable Delivery
Customers prioritise fast delivery. Choose the quickest and most reliable delivery options available and always strive to meet or exceed delivery expectations. Timely deliveries enhance customer satisfaction and encourage repeat business.
3. Maintain a High-Quality Seller Account
OnBuy monitors seller performance to ensure high service standards. Consistently providing excellent service can elevate you to an OnBuy Elite Seller. This status unlocks benefits like lead listing advantages and a seller badge, which boosts customer trust and preference for your listings.
4. Leverage Marketplace-Specific Tools and Features for a Competitive Advantage
To maximise your success on OnBuy, consider leveraging platform-specific tools such as OnBuy Boost and OnBuy Engage. OnBuy’s partnership with YouLend offers eligible sellers up to £1,000,000 in financing, which can be used for various business purposes and repaid as you earn, facilitating business growth and new opportunities.
Enhance your product visibility with OnBuy Boost, to allow for performance-driven marketing across five levels, only paying when a sale is made.
Additionally, OnBuy Engage places your products directly in front of millions of potential buyers through targeted email campaigns, capitalising on high engagement rates and significant year-over-year growth.
By integrating these tools into your selling strategy, you can attract more customers, increase sales, and achieve substantial growth on OnBuy.
5. Utilise Customer Reviews and Ratings
Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews and ratings. High ratings and positive feedback enhance your credibility and can influence new customers to choose your products over competitors. Monitor and respond to reviews to show you value customer feedback and are committed to excellent service.
Conclusion
Selling on OnBuy offers varied benefits, from its versatile platform catering to businesses of all sizes to its secure transactions and transparent fee structure. By listing your products on OnBuy, you gain access to a vast marketplace of over six million UK consumers and the opportunity to be part of Europe’s fastest-growing eCommerce business.
To get started, ensure you meet the necessary requirements such as having a strong sales record, complying with GTIN standards, and providing necessary business documentation. Once set up, you can leverage OnBuy’s tools like Boost and Engage to enhance your product visibility and reach a wider audience. The Boost program ensures you only pay for successful sales, while Engage allows your products to reach millions of potential buyers through targeted email campaigns.
Maximize your success by setting competitive prices, ensuring fast and reliable delivery, maintaining a high-quality seller account, and utilising customer reviews and ratings. By following these best practices, you can build a strong presence on OnBuy, attract more customers, and drive substantial growth for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
With an impressive score of 4.3 out of 5 and over 74,000 reviews on Trustpilot, customers commonly praise OnBuy for its smooth shopping experience, competitive pricing, and excellent customer service, reinforcing the safety and trustworthiness of OnBuy.com.
OnBuy.com also uphold strict policies and selling requirements, with all transactions protected under PayPal’s protection policy. This ensures that users can confidently shop, knowing their purchases are secure.
So, based on available data and reviews, it is safe to say that OnBuy.com is a trustworthy and safe online marketplace.
OnBuy offers two account packages for selling on their platform:
- Standard, which is £19.00 plus VAT per month,
- Partner, which is £39.00 plus VAT per month.
Sales fees are then charged on the total price of a product, such as delivery charges. Unlike other marketplaces, OnBuy doesn’t charge a separate transaction cost. Its sales fees vary depending on the categories your products belong to.
You can find out more about OnBuy’s fees here.