eBay Seller FAQ

eBay is a global marketplace with more than 789 million monthly visitors. eBay sellers have two ways to sell their products: through auction-style listings and Buy It Now listings.

What do I need to set up an eBay seller account?

Before you sign up, you need to choose between a personal and business account. A personal account is for casual sellers, such as someone clearing out their garage for spring cleaning. A business account allows you to sell large quantities of products. 

To register a business account, you must provide your business name, business email, address, and tax identification number.

What are the selling fees on eBay?

eBay charges two main types of fees to sell on its platform: an insertion fee that you pay to create a listing, and the final value fee that is charged when your item sells. The fees vary based on your product’s category, the type of listing, any optional listing upgrades you choose to include, and your account’s conduct and performance. 

Insertion Fees

Each seller receives an allocation of 250 zero insertion fee listings per month. Once you’ve used up your allotment of free listings, insertion fees vary by product category, but are generally 35 cents. These fees are non-refundable if your product does not sell. 

Final Value Fees

Once an item is sold, eBay charges a final value fee based on the total amount of the sale, plus 30 cents per order. The final value fee percentage varies based on the category you’ve listed your product in. 

Store Subscription Fees

eBay offers store subscriptions for sellers who list and sell a lot of products. There are five tiers available with additional features that may benefit your business. For more details on the different store subscription plans, check out eBay’s Seller Center.

What are the photo requirements on eBay?

eBay accepts the following file formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, WEBP, HEIC, or AVIF. File size should be no larger than 7MB each. If you’re copying from a web address, the photo can be 12MB.

In addition, eBay requires these specifications:

  1. Your listing must have at least one photo.
  2. Images need to be at least 500 pixels on the longest side, but the higher the resolution, the better! 
  3. Don’t use borders. eBay does not allow item photos to include borders around your images. The only exception is if it is a natural border created by photographing a square item against a neutral background.
  4. Don’t add text or artwork (like your seller logo) to your item photo.
  5. Stock photos can only be used for brand-new items.

What are category selling limits on eBay?

If you’re new to selling in a particular category, eBay may limit how much you can sell. This helps you manage your inventory more efficiently and allows you time to understand any rules that may apply in that category. 

When you’re comfortable fulfilling your orders and have a good track record with customers and with following eBay’s policies, most specific category limits are raised automatically. If you are nearing your selling limit, you can also request a limit increase. You can find more details on category selling limits in the eBay Seller Center.

Are UPCs or GTINs required to sell on eBay?

It depends on the category, but having external product identifiers like GTINs or UPCs is highly recommended. eBay uses an item’s brand, manufacturer part number (MPN), and product identifier to help buyers quickly find the items they’re looking for.

Check the Structured Data – Product Identifiers list on eBay’s Seller Center to see which categories require GTINs.

How can I promote my listings on eBay.com?

eBay offers three different ways to promote your listings on the platform: Standard, Express, and Advanced Promoted Listings campaigns. For our full overview of each type of campaign, check out our comprehensive blog on eBay’s Promoted Listings.

To create a promoted listing, go to the advertising dashboard within the eBay Seller Hub. From there, select “Create new campaign.” Follow the guided steps to select which listings you want to promote and the type of campaign you want to start. For a step-by-step guide on how to get started with Promoted Listings, check out eBay’s how-to guide.

Ready to get started selling on eBay?

If you’re interested in selling on eBay or other marketplaces, Feedonomics streamlines product listing, catalog optimization, and inventory and order management for 300-plus global channels. We offer full-service support and the most powerful feed optimization platform available.

 Schedule a demo with one of our feed specialists today.