Sell an Item - Getting Started

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Sell an Item - Getting Started

In this article
	Create a seller's account Set up your Q&A Research your item and the rules of selling Create your listing Manage your listing Wrap up with your buyer

Whether you're starting a business or just want to make some extra cash, selling on eBay is a fun way to do it. Here's how.

1.	Create a seller's account To become a seller, you: Provide us with a valid credit card, debit card, or bank account information or become ID Verified. Let us know how you would like to pay your seller fees. Select the payment methods you'll accept. Make sure your Feedback Profile is public. Here's how to create a seller's account.
2.	Set up your Q&A Buyers often have questions before, during, and after a sale. When they do, they click the Ask a question link in your listing. As a seller, it's important for you to respond quickly and thoroughly. This keeps the buyer interested in your listing, saves you time, and you'll be more likely to get positive Feedback when the transaction is complete. Your Q&A can be made up of answers generated automatically from your listing, answers you create yourself, and stock answers about eBay policies. Up until the end of the listing, you also have the option of whether buyers can contact you directly. Learn more about answering buyers' questions .
3.	Research your item and know the rules for safe selling Do some research, especially about setting a starting price, listing format, and category. This will help you create a good listing and get the best price for your item. Compare your item with active and completed listings on eBay based on category, format, and selling price. Selecting a category explains how to search for and select a category. Selecting a selling format tells you more about format choices. Buyers feel more compelled to bid and buy when they know the shipping costs beforehand. Package, weigh, and measure your item so you can use calculated shipping. If this is your first time selling an item, you may be required to specify shipping. Calculating shipping costs tells you how to do this. Visit the eBay Shipping Center to learn more about shipping your items. Educate yourself about eBay policies on prohibited and restricted items, as well as what's okay and what's not okay when listing and completing the sale at Knowing the rules for sellers.
4.	Create your listing Depending on your item category and which listing form you use, you'll have a variety of listing options. If you're selling an item associated with a product that's in our catalog, you can add product details from our catalogs to your listing. You can create an auction-style or a fixed price listing. Listing upgrades such as highlighting, font, and picture enhancements make your item stand out. You can even donate a portion of your sale to a non-profit organization that you choose. Use multi-quantity listings for items with variations.If you sell multiple versions of a product – like a T-shirt in various colors and sizes – you can list all the variations in one multi-quantity, fixed price listing by listing with variations. To learn more about the listing process and options, see Creating a listing. Or, just start selling. To get there from the top of most eBay pages, click the Sell tab. Insertion and Final Value Fees apply to most listings.
5.	Manage your listing Once you've got your listing up and running, you can check it to see how bidding is going. You do this from the Sell section of My eBay, which comes up when you sign into your eBay account. You can also: Set notification preferences to let eBay know how and when you want to receive alerts or notifications. Set seller preferences about picture hosting, receiving payments, shipping, and more. Set member-to-member communication preferences to say how buyers can connect with you. Set general preferences for searches, My eBay preferences, and more. If you want to change anything in your listing, see Changing your listing. Be sure to answer any questions you receive about your listing. Communicating with potential buyers will help you sell your item by establishing good rapport and trust. When buyers give you positive Feedback, you become a stronger seller on eBay. And when your listing ends . . .
6.	Wrap up with your buyer Here too, how you handle these last steps will go a long way toward your personal satisfaction and getting great Feedback from your buyer. Communicate with your buyer – When your buyer completes checkout, you’ll be notified by email. If you don't specify shipping and payment details in your listing, the buyer can request this information during checkout. If you have disabled checkout, you can contact the buyer directly by email or phone. Important: Contact your buyer directly if you haven't heard from your buyer within three days of your listing's end. Receive payment – Be sure you receive payment before you ship your item. Make sure that the credit card or electronic payment has been accepted and credited to your account before sending the item. If you listed in one of the categories that allows you to accept checks, make sure the check has cleared the bank before delivering the item. Ship the item to the buyer safely and on time Package your item as securely as possible. Read our tips for packaging your item. Make sure your shipment information is correct and be sure to include your return address. Save time by creating your shipping label and packing slip right from eBay when you print one label at a time and ship through the United States Postal Service (USPS). When you include shipping information in your listing, the information is prefilled into the shipping label. You can even insure your package as you create your shipping label. You can go through PayPal for UPS or to to print multiple labels in bulk for USPS shipping. If you use free carrier pickup (available with orders that include Priority Mail or for a small on-demand fee), you can save a trip to the post office. Otherwise, because your shipping label is already printed, you can just drop off your package at the post office counter rather than stand in line. Leave the buyer Feedback – Our Feedback system helps create a trustworthy community for everyone. Your Feedback about your buyer is important information for other sellers.

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