Jim 'Griff' Griffith

Automate Your Invoicing

by Jim 'Griff' Griffith
eBay Staff Member

Q: Hi Griff,

I've bought and sold on eBay for a while now, but I have to say I'm always confused at the end of an auction. Do I notify the buyer right after the auction ends or do I wait for an email from eBay telling me what to do next? I always like to thank the buyer immediately after the auction ends. How long do I wait to send an invoice and what should I do as soon as the auction ends? 

Thanks for any suggestions.
Marge

A: Hello Marge,

It's never too early to send an eBay invoice (after a listing ends, of course). In fact, there's an easy way to set up your PayPal account to send your buyer an invoice automatically, shortly after the listing ends.

To do this, you need to provide your buyers with either flat rate shipping or calculated shipping costs (through the Shipping Calculator in the Sell Your Item form). Additionally, you should offer PayPal as your preferred payment method. The invoice (otherwise known as an End of Auction email) will contain the total cost and a yellow “Pay Now” button, similar to the “Pay Now” button on the closed listing page.

Follow these easy steps to set up your PayPal account for automatic invoicing:

1. Log in to www.paypal.com
2. Click on the tab for “Auction Tools”
3. Under “Receiving and Managing Payments,” click the link for “End of Auction Email.”
4. Follow the instructions from there for creating a customized PayPal invoice that will automatically be sent to your buyers after your listing ends.

Selling Manager Pro, eBay's online sales management tool for medium to high volume sellers, also has an email automation feature that will send End of Auction emails to your buyers, as well as automatic payment reminders and payment received confirmation emails.

You can learn more about Selling Manager Pro by clicking the Site Map link at the top of any eBay page and then clicking the link for Selling Manager Pro under “Seller Tools.”

Regards,
Griff