Welcome to selling on eBay! Whether your goal is making extra money cleaning out your garage or building your own small business, eBay provides the opportunity to sell your items to a world-wide audience. Before listing your first item, it is helpful to know some basic information about selling on eBay.

• Selling − basic steps

• Key concepts about selling on eBay

• Where you can learn more

Selling – basic steps

The basic steps for selling an item are:

• Step 1: Become an eBay seller.

• Step 2: Prepare to sell your item.

• Step 3: List your item for sale.

• Step 4: Manage your listing.

• Step 5: Complete the sale.

Step 1: Become an eBay seller.

To begin selling on eBay, you need to register and create a seller’s account. To register as a seller, click the “Sell” link at the top of any eBay page, and then click the Sell Your Item button or learn about registration and creating a seller's account.

PayPal is the preferred payment method for most eBay buyers and sellers. Consider signing up for PayPal, eBay’s global online payment system before listing your first item. When buyers use PayPal to pay for your item, you receive payments immediately and don’t need to handle checks or money orders.

Note: You will not be able to sell items on eBay if you have a private Feedback Profile. If you’ve chosen to make your Feedback Profile private, you’ll need to make it public before you can list an item.

Step 2: Prepare to sell your item.

Preparation helps you sell your item. Before you start to list your item, doing some research, especially about setting a starting price, will help you list accurately and efficiently. Find similar items on eBay and note the selling price and how they were listed.

If this is your first time selling an item, you may be required to specify shipping. Package, weigh and measure your item so you can use calculated shipping. Buyers feel much more comfortable purchasing items if they know the shipping charges before bidding or buying. As a seller, you do not need to guess the amount it will cost to ship the item across the country or internationally to over 185 other countries.

Your research will help you make better decisions about selecting selling formats, pricing, shipping, and payment methods. To help prepare for listing your item, see the Seller’s Checklist.

There are certain items that may not be sold on eBay. To avoid breaking eBay rules and the law, check eBay’s prohibited items policies to be sure your item is permitted.

Step 3: List your item for sale.

To list your item on eBay, you need to provide information about your item. Information in a typical listing includes a title, description, price, payment method, shipping cost, and a photo. eBay’s Sell Your Item form guides you through the steps to a successful item listing.

If this is your first time selling an item, you will be required to specify shipping. Package, weigh, and measure your item so you can use calculated shipping. Buyers feel much more comfortable purchasing items if they know the shipping charges before bidding or buying. When you use calculated shipping, you won't need to guess the amount it will cost to ship the item in the U.S. or internationally to other countries. Learn more about calculated shipping costs.

Step 4: Manage your listing

You can track your eBay activities from My eBay. This page is especially useful if you have more than one item for sale or if you are selling and bidding on several items. My eBay's All Selling page lets you see the status of items you're selling from start to finish and manage your sales from a central location.

Step 5: Complete the sale

At the end of a successful listing, you'll receive an email from eBay that includes your buyer's shipping address and payment method. Once you receive online payment confirmation from PayPal or a check or money order from your buyer, you can ship your item. Leaving Feedback for your buyer after you complete the sale is optional, but it is an important part of participating in the eBay Community and will help you establish your reputation as a seller.

Key points about selling effectively on eBay

Understanding the following concepts will help you prepare for eBay’s unique selling experience.

• Your item will be among thousands of other items. For buyers to consider your item, they need to find it, so think like a buyer. Make sure you have good photos and a complete item description. An informative title, well-written description, and clear photos can make the difference between selling and not selling your item.

• An important part of selling on eBay includes communicating with bidders and buyers. Good communication helps to promote you as a responsive seller and will help avoid potential transaction problems. The majority of communication between sellers and buyers is through email, so it is important that you keep your contact information up-to-date.

• Your item listing will be viewed by a global audience. You probably won’t know your buyers personally, but you can know about your buyers by reviewing their member profiles. Setting your listing preferences in My eBay lets you have more control over who may bid on your listings. This feature helps to reduce possible transaction problems and potential unpaid items.

• Your Feedback Score is important. The eBay Community takes Feedback very seriously. It not only represents your reputation to buyers, but your Feedback Score is also used to qualify you for some seller privileges.

• eBay has rules and guidelines called “policies” that create a safe, fair and enjoyable trading environment. These policies affect how you sell on eBay. By accepting the terms outlined in the User Agreement, you have agreed to conform to these policies. If eBay determines that a listing violates a policy, eBay may remove the listing from the site and may take disciplinary action. Be sure to review selling policies before you list an item (see Knowing eBay’s Rules for Sellers).

• Both eBay and the eBay Community provide resources to support your success as a seller. You can participate in eBay's community discussion boards and chats where you can connect with other members to get tips, ask for help, or just have fun. eBay Customer Support representatives also offer assistance on many boards and chats.

• eBay provides a wide range of resources for sellers. Listing items takes some time, especially when you are new to selling on eBay. However, eBay offers selling tools and resources that help you to manage and automate your selling activities (see Resources for Sellers).

Where to learn more about selling

• Visit Seller Central to learn about resources for sellers including merchant solutions for businesses.

• Take the Audio Tour: How to Sell on eBay.

• Connect with other sellers from the eBay Community.