FAQs

The new eBay Top Rated seller status gives greater exposure and rewards to those sellers who consistently provide the best experiences to their customers.

Exclusive benefits for eBay Top Rated sellers include:

• Fee discount. All eBay Top Rated sellers can qualify for a 20% discount on the item portion of their final value fees for any of their listings that include both 1-day handling and 14 day or greater money-back returns.
• Increased search visibility. Top Rated sellers will receive the greatest average boost in Best Match search results.
• Prominent badge on their item pages. The eBay Top Rated seller badge is displayed on search results pages, sellers' item pages and other member profile pages.

The requirements for and benefits of Top Rated seller status changed June 1, 2012. Read more. To qualify as an eBay Top Rated seller, you need to:

• Meet the minimum sales volume requirements for Top Rated seller status: 100 transactions and $1,000 over the past 12 months
• Have no more than the maximum allowed instances of 1s and 2s on all DSRs from US buyers:
• Sellers with 400 or more transactions over the previous 3 calendar months: No more than 0.50% of transactions with 1s or 2s on each one of the four DSRs over the past 3 months.
• Sellers with 400 or more annual transactions, but less than 400 over the most recent 3 completed calendar months: No more than 0.50% of transactions with 1s or 2s on each one of the four DSRs over the past 12 months.
• Sellers with less than 400 annual transactions: No more than two instances of 1s or 2s on each one of the four DSRs over the past 12 most recent completed calendar months. This will ensure that lower volume sellers are not disqualified based on a single transaction.
• Compliance with Selling Practices policy.

Buyers will see "Top Rated seller" with the Top Rated seller icon in the upper right corner of the item page for items listed by Top Rated sellers.


Buyers see the Top Rated seller badge on Top Rated sellers' item pages and search results pages.

Sellers who no longer meet all the eBay Top Rated seller requirements will no longer have Top Rated seller status or benefits. Top Rated seller and PowerSeller status are evaluated monthly and sellers will be able to see how they are trending to meet those requirements on their Seller Dashboard.

US PowerSellers are able to qualify for eBay Top Rated seller status in other countries based on transactions with buyers from those countries. Refer to these pages for more detailed information on Austria, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, and the UK's requirements.

Listings from Top Rated sellers that offer both 1-day handling and a 14-day or longer return policy with a money-back option are eligible for a final value fee discount of 20% on the item price.

Check the discount section of the Seller Dashboard to see how many of your listings qualify for the discount.

No action is needed on your part.

As of June 1, 2012, Top Rated sellers will receive a final value fee discount of 20% on the item price on listings that offer both 1-day handling and a 14-day or longer return policy with a money-back option.

Check the discount section of the Seller Dashboard to see your rate of discount.

If you are a US Top Rated seller, your final value fees for listings listed on eBay.com and eBay.ca qualify for the discount.

Only Canadian Top Rated sellers are eligible to get a discount on qualifying listings listed on eBay.ca. Canadian Top Rated sellers will continue to receive discounts on qualifying listings on eBay.com and eBay.ca. Sellers can qualify for eBay Top Rated seller status on eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie based on sales with buyers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Jersey and Guernsey. Also, on eBay.de, eBay.at, and eBay.ch, sellers can qualify for eBay Top Rated status based on sales with buyers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

To be eligible for Top Rated status on eBay.de (Germany) and eBay.co.uk (United Kingdom), Top Rated sellers must be registered as a "Business Seller" and meet the following DSR criteria for all four DSRs:

• eBay.co.uk: No more than 0.5% of transactions with low DSRs (1s and 2s); and no more than 0.50% of transactions with opened eBay or PayPal Buyer Protection cases and 0.30% with closed cases without seller resolution
• eBay.de: No more than 0.6% of transactions with low DSRs (1s and 2s)
• To ensure that lower-volume sellers (fewer than 400 annual transactions) can be included as Top Rated sellers, two instances of 1s or 2s on each of the four DSRs will be allowed before the percentage requirement is applied.

Sellers can check their status as an eBay Top Rated seller in these countries through their Seller Dashboard.

Each country has requirements based on performance with buyers from that country. See requirements for eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie and requirements for eBay.de, eBay.ch and eBay.at on the following pages:

• http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/Top Rated.html (US)
• http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/Top Rated.html (UK)
• http://pages.ebay.ie/help/sell/Top Rated.html (Ireland)
• http://pages.ebay.de/help/sell/Top Rated.html (Germany)
• http://pages.ebay.at/help/sell/Top Rated.html (Austria)
• http://pages.ebay.ch/help/sell/Top Rated.html (Switzerland)

Yes. Sellers must also be business registered on eBay to be eligible for eBay Top Rated status in these markets. To update your account from a private to a business account, go to My eBay, Account tab, Personal Information, and set Account type to "Business." Please note that there are no tax or other implications for US sellers in changing this status. Business registration is a requirement for European Union PowerSeller and eBay Top Rated seller status.

Your US seller performance status is based on transactions with US buyers only. Other countries' programs may differ.

You will find your discount percentage and total discount amount below your invoice summary. You can also find your discount information on your Seller Dashboard.

Each account will be evaluated separately for PowerSeller status and Top Rated status. The discount will be applied to qualifying listings in each account accordingly.

If you qualify for a discount and need to change the billing currency, you should change the currency on the first day of the billing month to receive the discount in the new currency. If you change the currency later in the month, you will only receive a discount in the new currency for the remaining days. For example, if you change your billing currency on the fifth of the billing month, you will not receive the discount in the old currency for five days, but receive the discount only in the new currency for the remaining days.

Eligible PowerSellers and Top Rated sellers need to retain their respective status from the listing start date through the date when the Unpaid Item dispute closes. They also must have an account in good financial standing (no overdue balances) and be a registered user (not suspended) when the fees are credited back.

No, sign up is not required. You simply need to meet the requirements above to qualify.

Eligible listing formats:

• Auction-style listings
• Auction-style with Buy It Now
• Single-item Fixed Price

Multiple-Item Fixed Price listings are not eligible for Unpaid Item Protection credit.

They are not included because in multiple-item listings, you still get the increased exposure from the features for the remaining items in the listing.

• File an Unpaid Item dispute. eBay will send the buyer an email reminder with instructions on how to pay.
• If you do not receive payment immediately, you can communicate with the buyer to attempt to complete the transaction.
• If you and the buyer can't work it out, you can close the dispute.

We encourage sellers to continue to do their best to communicate with their buyers and try to resolve any Unpaid Item disputes that may arise.

Learn more about Unpaid Items or report an Unpaid Item through the Resolutions Center.

The Feature Fee credits will appear on your invoice monthly. By the 15th of every month, you will be reimbursed for the closed Unpaid Item disputes from the prior month. Please keep in mind that credits will be based on the date when the Unpaid Item dispute closes. For example, if you close an Unpaid Item dispute on March 2 (even though it may relate to a transaction from January) you will see the credit by April 15.

Your credit will be reflected on your invoice by the 15th of every month. eBay will process and apply your individual credit amount to your eBay account.

All feature fees, except for Reserve, are covered by this program, including:

• Buy It Now
• Value Pack
• Gallery Plus
• Listing Designer
• Subtitle
• Bold
• Scheduled Listings
• 10-Day Duration
• Pro Pack for Motors
• Reserve

If you lose your PowerSeller or Top Rated status between the listing start date and the date when you close the Unpaid Item dispute, you will no longer qualify for the credit. You will also need to have an account in good financial standing (no overdue balances) and be a registered user (not suspended) when the fees are credited back.

There is no cost to join the PowerSeller program. Membership is FREE for eligible sellers.

Every month, eBay evaluates multiple criteria to identify sellers who are eligible to be invited to the PowerSeller program. The criteria include:

• Time on site of 90 days or more
• Account is in good standing (not past due)
• Feedback and detailed seller ratings (DSRs) requirements
• Sales volumes requirements
• eBay Policy compliance

For more details on each of the criteria, see Requirements and your Seller Dashboard.

Every month, eBay evaluates multiple criteria to review PowerSellers for continued eligibility to remain in the PowerSeller program. The criteria include:

• Time on site of 90 days or more
• Account is in good standing (not past due)
• Feedback and detailed seller ratings (DSRs) requirements
• Sales volumes requirements
• eBay Policy compliance

For more details on each of the criteria, see Requirements and your Seller Dashboard. Failure to meet these requirements may result in the removal of a member's PowerSeller status.

PowerSellers benefits include:

• Top Rated seller eligibility
• Customer Support
• Unpaid Item Protection
• UPS rate discounts
• Health insurance solutions
• PowerUp print and email newsletters
• PowerSeller Discussion Boards

For details and more information, please see Benefits.

The positive Feedback rating for PowerSeller program eligibility is calculated the same way as the site Feedback rating visible on the Seller Information and Member Profile pages. The Feedback percentage is calculated:

• Based on the last 12 months
• Including repeat Feedback from members that have left Feedback for transactions that ended in different weeks
• By taking the total number of positive Feedbacks and dividing them by the total number of positive and negative Feedbacks.

Because detailed seller ratings (DSRs) enable buyers to rate specific aspects of their transactions -- item as described, communication, shipping time, and shipping and handling charges -- these ratings provide the best measure of customer satisfaction and the best way for eBay to identify good sellers.

PowerSellers that have one or more DSRs below 4.60 based on the DSRs for the previous 3 months for high-volume sellers (400 transactions or more over the last 3 months) or 12 months for all other sellers will not be eligible to be part of the PowerSeller program.

In addition, rates of 1s and 2s on DSRs with US buyers are not to exceed the following rates and counts:

• Items as described: 1% and a count of 3
• Communication: 2% and a count of 3
• Ship time: 2% and a count of 3
• Shipping & handling charges: 2% and a count of 3

A seller can check DSRs averages and rates of 1s and 2s on DSRs through their Seller Dashboard.

It is important to maintain excellent customer satisfaction on eBay, and DSRs give you a complete picture of how customers rate your performance and what you can do to improve. Track your DSRs through the Seller Dashboard and create reports to understand what DSRs need improving. Review best practices for improving DSRs.

To move up to the next PowerSeller level, you should:

• Continue to comply with all of the PowerSeller program criteria
• Reach and maintain the next tier's annual total sales or transactions across eBay's marketplaces: eBay.com, Half.com, and eBay Motors.

Make sure you are opted in to receive advanced selling communications for PowerSellers by mail, email, and telephone, by visiting the Notification Preferences area of your My eBay page.
eBay will automatically notify and congratulate you via email when you reach the next tier.

Every month eBay looks at your following past data:

• Sales volume for the prior 12 months
• Transactions for the prior 12 months

Your PowerSeller tier is determined by the highest tier a seller achieves across all metrics:

Example 1: Seller A

Time Duration	Total Sales	= PS Tier	Total Transactions	= PS Tier
12 months	$140,500	Gold	3,623	Silver

Seller A meets the Gold tier.

Example 2: Seller B

Time Duration	Total Sales	= PS Tier	Total Transactions	= PS Tier
12 months	$123,500	Gold	14,010	Gold

Seller B meets the Gold tier.

If your account falls below the program criteria, you will automatically receive an alert email. Except for PowerSeller status removal due to policy violations, you will have 30 days to bring your account back into compliance. During this time, please feel free to Contact Us - we can provide insight and education to help you maintain your PowerSeller status. If, after the 30-day grace period, your account still falls below the requirements, you may lose your PowerSeller status. However, this will not prevent you from achieving PowerSeller status in the near future.

If you violate the Shill Bidding, Feedback Manipulation, or Counterfeits policies, which are considered severe policy violations, you may lose your PowerSeller status for a minimum of 180 days. Additionally, repeated violations of any other eBay policies may result in the loss of PowerSeller status. The maximum number of policy violations varies by PowerSeller tier and are outlined in the PowerSeller Requirements.

Visit the Seller Information Center to view a list of essential eBay tools to help you learn more about selling on eBay.

To comply, you must not violate the Shill Bidding, Feedback Manipulation, or Counterfeits policies— these policies are considered severe and may result in loss of status for a minimum of 180 days. In addition, repeated violations of any other eBay policies may result in the loss of PowerSeller status. The maximum number of policy violations varies by PowerSeller tier and are as follows:

	Bronze	4 violations in a 90-day period
	Silver/Gold	5 violations in a 90-day period
	Platinum	6 violations in a 90-day period
	Titanium	7 violations in a 90-day period

Examples of Policies:
Shill Bidding Excessive Shipping and Handling Accepted Payments Misrepresentation of Identity Transaction Interference Site Interference User Agreement violations that are     not List Practices	Links Policy Misleading Titles Payment Surcharges Spam No Item Listings Search & Browse Manipulation

There are several PowerSeller programs that a seller may qualify for based on their country of residence:

• US
• Canada
• UK (Guernsey, United Kingdom, Jersey, Ireland)
• Australia
• China (Taiwan, Macau, China, Hong Kong)
• France
• Germany (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
• India
• Italy (Italy, Vatican City State, San Marino)
• Spain
• Rest of World (all other countries)

Check your local eBay site for details on becoming a PowerSeller for the appropriate PowerSeller program listed above.

If you no longer wish to enjoy the benefits of the PowerSeller program including eligibility for Top Rated seller status, you can contact us and we'll remove you from the program.

Visit the PowerSeller pages and the PowerSeller Discussion Board frequently to read the latest news and take advantage of the most current PowerSeller-only promotions.