More than half of Australian eBay sellers cite postage as a major barrier to growth, according to a new report, while 68% would like to see more competitive shipping rates. The Online Business Index Shipping Report, launched this week by eBay, Australia Post and PayPal, is based on a survey of 1,015 eBay sellers.

According to the report, the main driver for eBay sellers – when choosing a shipping partner – is reliability of delivery service. This was listed by 34% of respondents as the top priority, followed by shipping rates (31%).

Barriers to growth cited by respondents included postage (55%), followed by the cost of supplies (42%), and staff wages and super costs (28%).

Sellers want reliability of delivery, customer service and tracked shipping, all critical ecommerce enablers. According to the report, FedEx, United Parcel Service and Deutsche Post offer the fastest parcel delivery service at the most competitive rates for domestic services. Survey respondents want eBay to continue negotiating on their behalf for volume-based discounts, tracking for all eBay shipments, and to push for a wider range of flat-rate products.