General
Subscription Levels
Store Inventory
Listing Management
Store Design
Good 'Til Cancelled
Promoting My Store
Cross-Promotions
Listing Frame
Store Categories
Email Marketing
Markdown Manager
Creating a Free Shipping sale with Markdown Manager
Using Markdown Manager with Email Marketing
Accounting Assistant
Other
General
Q. What's an eBay Store?
A. An eBay Store is a comprehensive e-commerce
solution that helps you get more out of eBay's access to millions of
shoppers worldwide. By showcasing all of your merchandise in one central
location, an eBay Store creates a central shopping destination where
buyers can learn more about you, your products, and your policies.
A red "stores" tag
next to a seller's User ID indicates that
the seller has an eBay Store. Learn more about eBay Stores.
Q. Why Open an eBay Store?
A. 75% of eBay Stores sellers surveyed said that
opening an eBay Store increased their sales.* eBay Stores makes sellers
successful by providing powerful tools to help sellers build, manage,
promote, and track their eBay presence. Plus, eBay Stores sellers get
access to the Store Inventory listing format which allows you to create a
listing for just $0.03 for each 30-day period, regardless of quantity. Learn more about eBay Stores features
and benefits.
Q. Who can open an eBay Store?
A. To open a Store, you must be a registered eBay
user with a seller's account. You'll also need to meet one of
the following requirements:
Q. Is an eBay Store
right for me?
A. In addition to meeting
the above eBay Stores subscriber requirements, you will want to consider
your overall experience with eBay, listing volume, and selling goals
before opening a Store. We have found that higher volume and more
experienced sellers who are committed to growing their sales and expect to
have a part-time or full-time business on eBay tend to get the best
results from their eBay Store.
Subscription
Levels
Q. What
level Store should I open?
A. The Store
level you open will depend on your needs and short-term goals:
- Basic
Store: an ideal solution for sellers who are just starting out
and want an affordable and easy-to-use platform to sell online.
- Premium
Store: a more comprehensive solution for small-to-medium sized
sellers who want to aggressively grow their online business.
- Anchor Store:
an advanced solution for higher-volume sellers who want maximum exposure
on eBay.
Learn more
about eBay Stores subscription levels and fees.
Q. Where will my Store appear in the eBay Store
Directory?
A. The eBay Store
Directory is a one-stop Directory that lists all eBay Stores. Your
Store will automatically appear in every Category Directory where you have
items listed. Stores will be sorted based on item count within each
category, allowing buyers to find stores of interest easily.
Q. How can I feature my Store within the eBay Store
Directory?
A. You can easily upgrade
from your Premium level subscription to an Anchor level
subscription through the Store Builder. Your Store will rotate through a
special featured section on the eBay Stores Hub page and all the top level
Category pages where you have items listed. Your monthly subscription fee
will increase to $299.95 when you sign up as an Anchor. To apply for an
Anchor Level Subscription with your logo in the eBay Stores Directory,
please see details here.
Store
Inventory
Q.
What is Store Inventory?
A. In addition
to Auction-style and Fixed Price, eBay Stores subscribers get access to
this listing format which has a longer duration and lower Insertion Fees
but provides limited visibility. Additional details:
| |
Items are listed at a set price (no
bidding) |
| |
Listings have a different fee
structure than Online Auction and Fixed Price listings:
| |
|
Lower up-front listing fees -- create
listings starting at just 3ยข for every 30 days, regardless of
quantity. Store Inventory fees are tiered based on an item's
Buy It Now price. |
| |
|
Higher Final Value Fees if a sale occurs.
Learn
more about Store Inventory Final Value
fees. | |
| |
Listings can have an unlimited duration. Select
30-days or list indefinitely with Good 'Til Cancelled (renews
automatically every 30 days until the item sells or you end the
listing) |
| |
For more information on Store Inventory
visibility in the main eBay search and browse results, please see
next FAQ. |
A best practice is for sellers to use the Store
Inventory format to complement and extend their Auction-style and Fixed
Price listings. Unlike the other listing formats, Store Inventory's
insertion fee, which starts at $0.03 for every 30 days, allows sellers to
maintain a large amount of live items for sale at a lower cost.
Additionally, it is extremely important for Store
sellers to promote
and drive traffic to their eBay Store through their Auction-style and
Fixed Price listings and cross-promotions
which display Store Inventory listings on all of your View Item, Bid
Confirm and Purchase Confirm pages.
Q. Will Store Inventory listings show up in eBay
search and browse results?
A. Store
Inventory listings appear in the main search results when 30 or fewer
Auction-style and Fixed Price results surface in the following areas:
eBay search and browse results
Product Details (Catalog) pages (when seller uses
Pre-filled Item Information)
Store Inventory listings always appear in the main
search results at the end of Auction-style and Fixed Price results
when:
The Store Inventory check box in the
Search Options box is selected on the search and browse pages.
The buyer clicks the Buy It Now tab at the top of
every search results page.
Store Inventory listings will continue to be
included in specialized Stores searches in the following areas:
"Search for Items in Stores" box at stores.ebay.com
All searches within a single Store
Seller's Other Items page
Searches for Store Inventory listing only
Q. Can my Store Inventory listings be found on other
search engines and shopping sites?
A.
eBay will make a file available for download so that you can provide other
search engines or shopping sites your Store Inventory listings
information. To learn more, click
here.
Q. How can buyers filter the main search results to
show only Store Inventory listings?
A.
Buyers can choose to view and search only Store Inventory listings by
selecting the "Store Inventory Items" checkbox in the Search Options
customization area of the search results page. Buyers can activate the
"Store Inventory items" checkbox by clicking on the "Customize options
displayed above" link on a search results page.
Q. How does the sort order work for Store Inventory
items?
A. The sort order for Store
Inventory items matches the sort order that is applied in the main
Auction-style and Fixed Price results, which is ending soonest. The break
between Store Inventory results and Auction-style and Fixed Price results
is maintained even when the user changes the sort order, and any sort
starts again at the Store Inventory items section.
Q. Is there a way to jump to the break between Store
Inventory results and Auction-style and Fixed Price results?
A. No. There is no way to jump to the break between
these sections. Users who wish to only see Store Inventory items in their
results set may apply the "Store Inventory items" filter which can be
added into the Search Options section through customization of the Search
Options.
Listing
Management
Q. How do
I list in my eBay Store?
A. All items
listed on the eBay automatically show up in your eBay Store within 24
hours. To list an item, click the Sell button at the top of any eBay page.
eBay's Sell
Your Item form takes you through the process of listing your item
step-by-step, including helping you find appropriate categories for your
item. If you would like to list in bulk with advanced seller tools, you
can use TurboLister2, Selling Manager Pro, or your favorite listing tool.
Q. Which items appear in my eBay Store?
A. All listing formats (Auction-style, Fixed Price,
and Store Inventory) automatically appear in your eBay Store. Even if you
had live listings before opening your Store, those listings will appear in
your Store within 24 hours. Any new listings that you create will appear
in your Store automatically.
Store Design
Q. Can I use HTML to
design my storefront?
A. Yes! Store
sellers can create a custom header with HTML that lies just below the
standard eBay Store header. In addition, Store sellers can also build a
completely customized storefront page using HTML. To take advantage of
these customization opportunities, go to the Manage My Store page and
click on "Store Design" in the left hand column. Sellers can also easily
create links to their Store by using HTML Builder, also located in the
left hand column in Manage My Store.
Q. How can I make changes to my Store?
A. You can make changes to your eBay Store at any
time by going to your Manage My Store page, located in the left hand
navigation column of My eBay.For example, you can change your logo, store
name or categories.
Good 'Til
Cancelled
Q. What is
a Good 'Til Cancelled (GTC) listing duration?
A. Good 'Til Cancelled (GTC) is Stores fixed price
listing duration that allows you to list an item and have that listing
automatically renew every 30 days as long as there is quantity available.
This listing will recur each 30-day period until you choose to end this
listing and will maintain the same listing number for the entire life of
the listing. eBay will not end this listing for you.
Q. Can I add GTC to an existing listing?
A. No, GTC can only be selected for a new listing. If
you wish to use GTC for an existing listing you must end that listing and
relist it with the GTC duration.
Q. What fees are associated with GTC
listings?
A. There are no additional
fees for using the GTC duration option but you will be charged your Store
Inventory listing fee and all associated optional listing fees every 30
days until you choose to end this listing.
Q. How do I end my GTC listing?
A. You can end your GTC listing by going to My eBay,
clicking on the Selling link in the left hand column, selecting the GTC
listing you want to end and then selecting "End Item" from the drop down
action menu.
Promoting My
Store
Q.
How does eBay help me promote my Store to its millions of users?
A. Your eBay Store is promoted to eBay's millions
of users in several ways:
| |
All of your listings contain an eBay Store icon
that links buyers back to your eBay Store |
| |
The eBay Store icon that links buyers back to
your Store also appears next to your User ID for extra
visibility |
| |
The eBay Store Directory drives buyers back to
your Store |
| |
eBay Stores rotate through the "Shop eBay
Stores" section of the left navigation of all search and browse
pages. |
| |
Your eBay Store comes with your own
personalized website address so you can drive buyers directly to
your Store |
Q. What's the best way to get people to my Store?
A. Users have a variety of methods to
drive traffic to their Store, including links to specific Store Inventory
listings, links to their customized Store, links to a customized Store
category landing page. To learn strategies on how to drive traffic back to
your Store, click here
Q. What is a Store Referral Credit?
A. Promoting your eBay Store in emails, printed
materials, and other Web sites can really boost your sales. eBay will give
you a 75% credit on your Final Value Fees when your marketing efforts
generate sales of your Store Inventory format listings. Here's how it
works:
| |
You promote your eBay Store or your Store
Inventory items from locations outside of eBay, such as other Web
sites, emails to buyers, print advertisements, etc. |
| |
A user sees your promotion and goes directly to
your eBay Store or one of your Store Inventory items. |
| |
The user purchases one of your Store Inventory
items. |
| |
On your monthly invoice, you are charged the
regular Final Value Fee, but you also receive a Store Referral
Credit. Like the Final Value Fee, the Store Referral Credit is based
on the final value of the item. The Store Referral Credit is roughly
equal to 75% of the standard Final Value Fee.
|
Learn more about how to qualify for the Store
Referral Credit or click here for Store Referral Credit FAQs.
Q. What is Export Seller Listings?
A. Store sellers can opt to have eBay make an XML
file of their listings available for pickup by other search engines or
shopping comparison sites. Learn more about Export Seller Listings.
Cross-Promotions
Q. What does the
Cross-Promotions tool do?
A. eBay
Stores' Cross Promotion tool gives all sellers complete control over which
products are cross-promoted to their buyers, thereby allowing Store
sellers to show the right product at the right time to the right buyer.
Cross-promotions help sellers sell more because they prominently display
the other items they're offering, thereby encouraging buyers to purchase
additional items or higher-value items. To see how it works, visit the Cross-Promotions tutorial.
Q. Who can use the Cross-Promotions tool?
A. The Cross-Promotions tool is available ONLY
for eBay Store sellers. Only eBay Store sellers can choose which items to
up-sell on all of their View Item pages and which items to cross-sell on
all of their Bid Confirm and Purchase Confirm pages.
Q. How can I change
my Cross-Promotions?
A. You can change
your Cross-Promotions easily using the new tool. You can:
| |
Click on the "Change cross-promotions" link on
your listing pages (you must be signed in as the
seller). |
| |
Sold without any bidding -- the price it is
listed at will be the final price when the item is sold |
| |
Access the Cross-Promotions tool from your My
eBay selling tab, the Manage My Store page, and of course all of
your View Item pages. For more information on how to set up, edit
and manage your cross-promotions, please visit the Cross-Promotions
tutorial. |
Listing
Frame
Q. What is
the Listing Frame?
A. The Listing Frame
allows sellers to pull elements (such as their Store category list, Store
Search box, etc) into all of their item descriptions pages with only a few
clicks.
There are three key elements (see image below):
B. Listing Header
C. Left
Navigation Bar
Q. Why would I want to use the Listing
Frame?
A. One of the most successful
marketing strategies for Store sellers is to market their Stores within
their listing descriptions. This feature makes it quick and easy for you
to employ this powerful strategy in a professional and effective way. The
Listing Frame also helps you to merchandise the breadth of items you carry
and reinforces your Store's branding.
Q. Does this feature replace the Listing
Header?
A. The Listing Header had been
so successful that we are now expanding the concept to include the Left
Navigation Bar. We've combined this new functionality with the Listing
Header that previously added only a special version of the eBay Store
header at the top of item descriptions. The combined options for
displaying your Store header and category navigation in item descriptions
will now be called the Listing Frame.
Q. I already have a list of my Store categories and
links to my Store in my item description, why should I use Listing
Frame?
A. 1) Words that are picked up as
part of your left navigation bar do not count towards eBay's Keyword Spamming Policy, which states that the
text sellers place in listings must be directly relevant to the item being
sold. This helps in cases when other keywords are used to convey what you
carry in your Store. 2) The left navigation bar in the Listing Frame will
automatically adjust to category changes you have made within your Store,
picking up the first 30 categories (regardless of subcategory level)
automatically. Just set it and forget it!
Q. How do I turn on and customize the parts of the
Listing Frame I want to display on all of my item descriptions?
A. From Manage My Store, click on "Listing
Frame." This will lead to a simple administration page from which you can
make changes easily.
Q. Can I turn the Listing Frame for only some of my
listings?
A. No, the Listing Frame
setting automatically applies to all or none of your listings.
Q. Will the Listing Frame have any impact on my
existing listing description template?
A. If you choose to add the category navigation
section of the Listing Frame, then your item description will be
compressed slightly into the remaining screen width when displayed. We
encourage sellers to take this into account when designing their item
description template. The exact size of the category navigation section of
the Listing Frame is 170 pixels.
Q. What elements can I customize on the Listing
Header section of the Listing Frame?
-
Store Logo Display
- Items On Sale
- Search Box
- Categories
- Other Store Page Links
-
Newsletter Sign-up
- Add to Favorite Stores
Store
Categories
In addition to the below Frequently Asked
Questions, reference our Store Categories tutorial.
Q. How many
categories can I create?
A. You can
create up to 300 Store categories. Your Store category total includes the
sum of all level 1, level 2, and level 3 categories. For example, you
could have 300 level 1 categories or 30 level 1 categories with 10
subcategories each. You will want to note that eBay automatically creates
a default level 1 category named "Other Items" that cannot be edited and
does count towards the 300 category limit.
Q. How many Store categories should I use?
A. Just because you have 300 categories
available, doesn't mean that you should use them all. We provide 300 for
the most extreme cases, but we expect that most sellers will only need
20-40 categories. Go to the Store Categories page in Manage My Store for more
suggestions on how to think about setting up your Store category
structure.
Q. Can I list in any Store category?
A. No. Just like when choosing a category on eBay,
you may only list an item in a category at the bottom of your category
structure. For example, if you had a category structure of Mens->
Pants, you could list an item in the "Pants" category but not in the
"Mens" category. If you change your category structure so that a category
with listings in it is no longer at the bottom of your structure, you will
be prompted to move the listings into new lower level category.
Q. Can I list in more than one Store
category?
A. Yes. For each listing, you
can choose a primary and a secondary Store category for no extra charge.
The listings will count towards the item count for each Store category it
is listed in.
Q. How do I change the Store category for a
listing?
A. The Store category for a
listing can be changed at any time. First, make sure the category you want
to move the listing to has already been created, then take the following
steps:
- Go to My eBay > Items I'm Selling
- Use the search box and filters at the top of the
page to find the listings you want to edit
- Mark
the checkbox for the listing you are interested in and then click the edit
button at the top of the table
- On the next
screen, choose to edit the Store primary and secondary category and hit
continue
- On the following screen, choose the new
Store primary and secondary Store categories from the dropdown.
Q. How do I move a Store category?
A. You can move categories and subcategories into a
new location.
Check the box next to the
categories you want to move
Select the
Move Category button
Select the desired category where you'd like
to move your selected categories
Click the
Move button
Note: If the categories you move contain listings,
the listings will move with the category.
Q. How can I change the category order in my
Store?
A. You can select from three
options when specifying the order of your Store categories in your eBay
Store:
- Alphabetical
order: Categories appear in descending order from A to Z
- By number of
listings: Categories appear in descending order showing the
highest to lowest number of listings
- Manual
order: Using the arrow buttons, you can move level 1, level 2,
or level 3 categories up or down in the order
- Select Save to apply new order
Q. How do I control whether I display eBay categories
or Store categories in my Store?
A. You
can control the display of categories in your Store in "Display Settings"
under "Manage My Store". Click the "Change" button to the right of "Left
Navigation bar settings". Here you will be given the option to either
display eBay Categories, or Store Categories. If you choose Store
Categories you will be able to choose the Category level you wish to
display.
Q. Can I control how many Store categories are
displayed in my Store and in what order?
A. Yes, you will be able to specify to which category
level to display (e.g. level 1, level 2 or level 3). Furthermore, under
"Manage My Store" you can choose to "reorder categories."
You can select from three options when specifying
the order of your Store categories in your eBay Store:
- Alphabetical
order: Categories appear in descending order from A to Z
- By number of
listings: Categories appear in descending order showing the
highest to lowest number of listings
- Manual
order: Using the arrow buttons, you can move level 1, level 2,
or level 3 categories up or down in the order
- Select Save to apply new order
Q. Will there be any impact to pre-existing links
that I have to Store categories?
A. All
preexisting links to categories should work. However, if you choose to
move your categories so that they are no longer the first level of
categories and exist within another category, the link will break and send
users to the storefront. Please use the following new structure going
forward: http://stores.ebay.com/[Your_Store_Name]_W0QQfsubZ[x] Where
[Your_Store_Name] is the name of your store and [x] is the category
number. You can get the category numbers on the "All Store Categories"
page here: http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?StoreAllCategories
Q. Will I still be able to influence the meta tags
used for category pages?
A. Yes, you
will be able to choose keywords for eBay to use in contrasting meta tags
for each of your category pages. Any keywords previously entered will be
retained.
Q. Will categories with zero listings in them show up
in my Store?
A. No, categories with zero
listings will not appear within your Store unless that category has
subcategories with active listings. From Manage My Store you will be able
to see and manage all categories, even those with zero listings.
Q. How do I re-name a Store category?
A. Under "Manage My Store" click on Rename
Categories, which will allow you to change the name of the selected
categories.
Q. What happens if I re-name a category?
A. Nothing will happen to the listings within a
category that is re-named. The URL for the category page will change to
reflect the new name. eBay will redirect traffic from the old category URL
to the new Store category URL in as many cases as we can. If we are unable
to redirect to the new category page, we will forward the URL to the front
page of your Store. Store categories that change names often may see a
decrease in the natural search page rank of the corresponding category
page.
We encourage sellers to use the special Store html
tags when creating links to Store categories. The Store html tags utilize
the Store category ID number (which does not change on rename) to refer to
the correct category page. See additional information.
Q. Can I create more than one category with the same
name?
A. You can create categories with
the same name as long as they do not exist within the same category. For
example, if you only have one category level, you will not be able to
create multiple categories called "shoes". However categories with the
same name are able to exist within different categories. For example:
"Women-> Shoes" and "Men->Shoes" is permissible.
Q. What happens if I delete a category?
A. Deleting a category will affect the following:
1) Listings: You will be prompted to move your
listings into another category before deleting the existing category.
2) Subcategories: If the subcategories contain no
listings, these subcategories will be deleted upon verification.
3) URLs: These URLs will no longer exist, however if
they are used, the buyer will be redirected to the User's Stores homepage.
Q. Is there any way to see my entire category
structure?
A. From Manage my Store,
click on Store Categories in the left hand navigation bar. In the bottom
right corner of the table, click on the "All Categories" link.
Q. How do I display my Store categories in my Item
description?
A. In "Manage My Store"
click on Listing Frame under Store Marketing. This will take you to the
Listing Frame setup page. You can include links to your Store categories
in two areas of the Listing Frame:
- Option #1:
You can choose the option to "Show my listing header in my listings" and
add to
up to 5 category links to the
Listing Header across the top of your item description.
- Option #2: You can show the first 30 store
categories on your Store Left Navigation menu by
clicking on "Show my Store listing header
and left-navigation bar in my listings".
Q. How will this new feature impact my
cross-promotions?
A. Existing
cross-promotions will work as long as the categories have not changed.
Should you choose to change your categories, you will need to edit the
rules for cross-promotions to fit the new categories.
Q. Are Store categories supported in my favorite
listing tool?
A. Store categories are
supported in the Sell tab of the eBay site and in all eBay listing tools,
except Seller's Assistant products.
- In Turbolister, choose "Tools-> Check for
Program Updates -> Install Now" to make Turbolister pick up any changes
you have made to your category structure.
- Applications from third party developers may not
immediately support Store subcategories. eBay has been working with 3rd
parties to help them transition and we encourage you to let them know that
you would like to use subcategories within your eBay Store.
- If you are using Seller's
Assistant, it will not support any changes made to categories. Starting
Friday, May 12, 2006, eBay will no longer support Seller's Assistant
products. However, Seller's Assistant users can migrate from Seller's
Assistant products to the new and improved Blackthorne products as early
as possible. To assist our sellers with the migration, we've put together
a migration details page containing a variety of information and
resources, including short quick start guides, to help make your
transition from Seller's Assistant to Blackthorne smoother.
 |
Email
Marketing
Q. What is email marketing?
A. Email Marketing is a tool for eBay Stores sellers
that allows them to send email to interested buyers who have opted-in to
their email mailing lists.
Q. Who can I send
emails to?
A. You can email anyone who
has subscribed to your mailing lists. Users subscribe to a seller's
mailing lists via the "Add to Favorite Sellers and Stores" process,
through which they can select one or more mailing lists to subscribe to
for each seller.
Q. How do I send
email to my subscribers?
A. Using the
Email Marketing tool, you can easily create and send template-based or
fully-customized HTML emails to your subscribers. You can send one email
to each of your mailing lists every week, but there is no limit to the
number of subscribers on one email list.
Q. What types of
default email layout and content are available?
A. You can use default content for the following
types of emails - Items Ending Soonest, Newly Listed Items, Previous
Buyers and Welcome Email. After choosing the type of email, you select the
layout you wish to use for the mailing. When you choose one of these types
of emails, the subject line and personal message in the email will be
filled with the default content. You can either edit the message and
subject line or simply leave the content as is.
Q. What is a Welcome
Email?
A. A Welcome Email is a specific
type of email that is sent to the subscriber as soon as they subscribe to
a Store mailing list. The Welcome Email introduces the Store and informs
the subscriber how they can unsubscribe from the mailing list. Welcome
Emails do not count against your monthly allocation of free emails.
Q. How do I schedule
an email?
A. When you create your email,
you will be asked if you want to send the email immediately or if you
would like to set the email to be sent on a recurring schedule. You can
choose the frequency you wish the email to be sent (weekly, every two
weeks, etc.) plus the day of the week that you want the email to go out.
Q. How can I cancel
or modify a scheduled email?
A. All
scheduled emails will be appear in the "Pending Emails" section of the
"Email Marketing Summary" page. To delete a scheduled email, simply select
the email and press the delete button. To edit the email, select the email
you wish to edit and choose "Edit" from the pull-down menu in the Action
column.
Q. How do I change
the listings that appear in my emails?
A. There are two places in the email where your
listings may appear - the Item Showcase and the Item List. In the Item
Showcase, you can choose to use automatic selection and based on the type
of email you select to send, the appropriate items will be selected for
you by default. You can override the default selections and click on
"change criteria" and manually selected the items you wish to show in the
Item Showcase. For items in the Item List, you can change the items being
displayed by clicking on the "change criteria" link.
Q. How do I know how
many emails I can send for free?
A. In
the upper right-hand corner of the "Email Marketing Summary" page, you can
see the number of free emails you have left for the month. Additionally,
on the "Preview and Send" page, you will be shown the number of emails
that you have remaining for free before you send your email.
Q. How can I limit
sending emails to only those that I can send for free?
A. When you create your email, there is a setting
that allows you to send only emails that are included in your Stores
subscription for free. If you uncheck this selection, you will be able to
send more emails than are included for free.
Q. How do I send
more emails than the monthly allocation included in my subscription?
A. Basic Store subscribers can send
5,000 emails/month, Premium Store subscribers can send 7,500 emails/month,
and Anchor Store subscribers can send 10,000 emails/month. Before sending
an email, you will be shown the current allocation and remaining email
count for the current month. On the "Preview Email" page, you will be
shown the additional charges and by clicking "Send Email", you agree to
pay the additional charges on your eBay account.
Q. How can I tell
how many subscribers I have?
A. The
"Store Marketing Summary" page displays your total number of subscribers.
Q. How will I know
that my email is reaching anyone?
A. The
Email Marketing tool has a tracking mechanism built in which allows the
sender to see the number of recipients who opened the email, clicked on
links, and bid or bought directly from the email. This helps sellers
understand which messages or product offers are most effective, and helps
sellers fine-tune their marketing strategy.
Markdown
Manager
Q: What
is Markdown Manager?
A: Markdown Manager
is a free feature exclusive to eBay Stores sellers that allows them to
discount the price of their items or add a limited time free shipping sale.
Q: How do I access this feature?
A: Markdown Manager will be available for all eBay
Stores subscribers under My eBay > Marketing Tools > Item
Promotion> Markdown Manager
Q: What is the charge for using Markdown
Manager?
A: Markdown Manager is free for all eBay Stores subscribers.
Q: What listings are
available in Markdown Manager?
A: You can
use Markdown Manager to discount all Fixed Price and Store Inventory
Listings, or provide a limited-time free shipping sale on all listing formats.
Q: Where can buyers
see my discounted listings?
A: Buyers will see a special strike-through price and Sale logo in the following places:
- View Item Page (plus a Free Shipping logo if offered)
- Cross Promotions on the bottom of the View Item
Page
- Seller Email Marketing (plus a Free Shipping logo if offered)
- eBay Stores Promotion Boxes
- eBay Express View Item Page
Buyers will
see special strike-through pricing in the following places:
- In-Store Search (this is the Search within a
particular Store)
- Items I'm Watching (if the item has gone on
Sale after it was added to the buyer's watch list)
- Items I'm Watching Ending Soon Email
- In all other areas, the "Sale Price" will be
displayed as the BIN price (including in the main eBay Search
results).
Q: How do I apply
discounted Sale pricing to my listings?
A: When Creating or Editing a Sale you can select:
- All listings from a category
- This will apply to all currently active Fixed
Price and Store Inventory Listings in the selected category
- All currently active Store Inventory Listings
- All currently active Fixed Price Listings
- Individual items selected by the Item Picker
- Note: all of these selections will only apply
to currently active listings. If you would like to apply a Sale to
future listings, you will need to select them in the Sale once they
become active.
- To create a free shipping sale, see the FAQs below this section.
Q: When does the
"Sale Ends in X days" appear on the View Item page?
A: This text will only appear if the sale ends within
the next 7 days or fewer, except for Auction-style listings with free shipping sales.
Q: How soon will my scheduled Sale start once I
submit it?
A: Under normal circumstances
the Sale should start at the specified time, however in some rare cases it
may take up to 6 hours for the Sale to become active.
Q: I selected a
category to be put on Sale, but some of my listings weren't
included.
A: This may have occurred for
multiple reasons:
- Markdown Manager only applies discounts to
Fixed Price and Store Inventory Listings
- Some of the listings did not meet the
requirements as mentioned in Listing Requirements
- The listing became active after the Sale was
created.
- You selected the listing to go in another Sale
with overlapping dates.
Q: I tried creating a free shipping sale, but received an error message.
A: This may have occurred for multiple reasons:
- Your shipping costs are unspecified
- Shipping Insurance is included in your listing
- International shipping is offered
- Local pickup is offered
- Your item will require freight costs
- Note: all of these selections will only apply
to currently active listings. If you would like to apply a Sale to
future listings, you will need to select them in the Sale once they
become active.
- To create a free shipping sale, see the FAQs below this section.
Q: What are my
limitations to scheduling a price discount sale?
A: Your
limitations to scheduling a Sale are listed below:
- 1 Day Minimum Sale Duration
- 45 Days Maximum Duration
- 5% Minimum Discount
- 75% Maximum Discount
- 24 hour wait time from when an item goes off
Sale to when it can go back on Sale.
Q: What are Sale
Listing Limits?
A: Sale Listing Limits
are the number of listings that can be scheduled for any given day PLUS
the number of edits to any active Sale.
- The daily limit is defined per Store
subscription:
- Basic Store Subscribers: 250 Listings
- Premium Store Subscribers: 2,500
Listings
- Anchor Store Subscribers: 5,000 Listings
- For example:
- Seller A is a Basic Store subscriber and
schedules a "New Years" 10% off sale with 250 listings to start on
January 1st and end on January 15th. This sale will be allowed.
- If Seller A schedules another Sale with 250
listings to start on January 1st, they will be unable to do so because
they have reached their limit for that day.
- However, Seller A can schedule a second sale
to Start on January 2nd with another unique 250 listings, because they
have not reached their limit for January 2nd.
- Likewise, if Seller A tried to change the %
off of their "New Years" Sale on January 1st after the Sale became
active, they will be unable to because they have reached their maximum
edits for that day.
Q: How many Sales
can I create?
A: You can create as many
Sales as you like and potentially have an unlimited number of listings on
Sale at any given time, however you will be restricted by the number of
listings that you can actively manage (create or edit Sale) per day.
Please check your listing limit per day.
Q: How far in the future can I schedule a
Sale?
A: You can schedule a Sale up to 6
months in advance.
Q: Can I
edit my Sales once they are active?
A:
Yes, however the number of listings on Sale that you can edit will be
limited to your daily listing limit (see Listing Limits above).
Q: Can I reschedule
a Sale once it has ended?
A: You can reschedule a Sale once it has ended, but you will need to wait at least 24 hours before it can become active. This does not apply to Auction-style listings with bids.
Q: Why is my Sale in the Processing
State?
A: When first scheduling a Sale,
if you select over 200 listings to be in any given Sale, it will take some
time for us to process the request. You will receive an email letting you
know when this process is complete.
Q: Can I create a Sale to start
immediately?
A: You can schedule a Sale
to start as early as the next hour.
Q: Can a listing be in multiple Sales?
A: Listings cannot be in multiple active Sales.
Listings can be in multiple scheduled Sales as long as the scheduled dates
do not overlap. If the dates overlap, the listing will be in the Sale that
was most recently saved.
Q: How can I see which of my listings are currently
on Sale?
A: You can see the listings on
Sale in the "Items I'm Selling" section of My eBay or Selling Manager. You
can also see them by going to the "Manage Sales" page and clicking on the
number by the corresponding sale to see the listings in that Sale event.
Q: Can I delete a
Sale?
A: Yes, you can delete a Sale as
long as it is not active or pending.
Q: What happens if my listings end before my Sale
ends?
A: You can add listings to a Sale
if the listings end before the Sale as long as the listings will be on
Sale for at least 24 hours.
Q: I list items in multiple countries; can I still
put them on Sale?
A: Yes, you can add
listings from multiple currencies into the same sale. However if you
select an amount off, it will be applied in the listing's local currency.
Q: Do 3rd party
applications support Markdown Manager?
A:
Yes, this feature should be supported by 3rd party applications; however
it is up to that provider to add the service. Please contact your service
provided directly for more information.
Q: How is the Final Value Fee calculated for items on
Sale?
A: The Final Value Fee will be
calculated based on whatever price the item was sold. The Sale price will
be treated as the actual price in all flows.
Q: How is the Insertion Fee for items on sale
calculated?
A: The Insertion Fee will be
calculated based on the highest value of that item in the 30 day billing
cycle.
Q: What happens if I
edit the price of a listing on Sale?
A:
If you change the price of a listing after it has been added to any Sale
(active & inactive) it will be removed from all Sales.
Q: What happens if I edit the shipping price of a listing that offers a sale on free shipping?
A:
If you increase or decrease the specified shipping price on an item while a free shipping sale is active, the free shipping sale will be removed.
Q: How is the
percent off calculated (is it rounded)?
A: The percent off is calculated by ([Original price]
- [Sale Price]) / [Original Price]. The decimal points will be dropped
from the % off.
- For example: Item A was listed for $100 and
gets reduced by $10.90. The new Sale Price will be 89.10, but the % off
will reflect 10% (not 10.9% or 11%)
Q: What happens if I
relist an item that is on Sale?
A: If you
relist or sell a similar item, it should be relisted at the original
price.
Creating a Free Shipping sale with Markdown Manager
Q: How do I access the free shipping sale feature?
A: All eBay Store subscribers can access this feature under My eBay > Marketing Tools > Item Promotion> Markdown Manager.
Q: Why is the 'Add all active Auction-style listings' checkbox grayed out?
A: Auction-style listings can only have free shipping applied as an available sales discount; therefore we gray out the Auction-style checkbox when price discount is selected.
Q: Why does an end date and time not apply to Auction-style listings?
A: When free shipping is added to an Auction-style listing it is required to stay on for the duration of the listing. The end date of the sale is synonymous with the end date of the listing, therefore entering a sale end date in not applicable.
Q: Do I need to specify an end date and time when placing Auction-style listings on a free shipping sale using Markdown Manager?
A: No. If you do select a sale end date, it will not have an effect on the duration of the sale you have added to the Auction-style listing.
Q: Once a sale is active, can I add new listings to an active sale?
A: Listings can always be added or removed from an existing sale, as long as the listings you are adding or removing do not include Auction-style listings with bids.
Q: Once a sale is active, can I add a different discount to an active sale?
A: No, adding a different discount is not permitted on an active sale.
Q: Will buyers watching my items be notified when I place listings on a free shipping sale?
A: When a seller has added free shipping to listings, buyers watching those items prior to the discount will see a note from eBay, indicating the seller has added free shipping to those items. This note applies when a price discount, free shipping, or combination of both a price discount and free shipping are added to items being watched.
Q: How will buyers know an item has free shipping?
A: Buyers will see a Free Shipping icon on the View Item page. In addition, listings with free shipping will display "Free" under the Shipping column, in search results.
Q: Will there be a "time left" message displayed on View Item pages?
A: A "time left" message for the sale will be displayed on Fixed Price and Store Inventory format listings, on the View Item page (in the shipping costs field). The sale end time for Auction-style listings will default to the duration remaining on the listing, and therefore will not display a separate time left message on the sale in the shipping costs field. In addition, only Fixed Price and Store Inventory format listings that have free shipping applied using Markdown Manager will have a time left message displayed, due to the nature of being able to state start and end dates for the sale.
Q: Can I add a price discount to my Auction-style listings?
A: You may not add a price discount sale to Auction-style listings. The 'Add all active Auction-style listings' checkbox will be grayed out when price discount is selected to prevent this occurrence. In the event you add a category to a price discount sale that includes Auction-style listings, those listings will be excluded from the price discount sale.
Q: Why do I get a message saying my sale was created successfully, yet no listings could be added to the sale?
A: A sale is allowed to be created successfully even if some listings may not have been added. This gives the seller an opportunity to correct the listings while preserving the time spent setting up the sales. In most cases, the appropriate error message will explicitly state the reason why some listings could not be added; in the event the reason is not stated, it is due to more than one of the criteria not being met for adding the listings to the created sale.
Q: Can I delete a free shipping sale?
A: You can delete a free shipping sale as long as there are no active Auction-style listings in the sale that have bids.
Q: What listing formats can be placed on a free shipping sale using Markdown Manager?
A: Fixed Price, Store Inventory Format, and Auction-style listings without bids can be added to a free shipping sale using Markdown Manager.
Q: Can I add a percentage discount to shipping or add other shipping discounts using Markdown Manager?
A: No. You can only add free shipping to a listing using Markdown Manager and the full shipping costs of your first selected domestic shipping service will be set to $0.00 (Free).
Q: If I already have selected free shipping on my listings through 'Sell Your Item' what will happen if I try to add the listings to a free shipping sale using Markdown Manager?
A: You can still add the listings to a free shipping sale using Markdown Manager, which would give you the benefit of adding the sale in bulk or specifying a start date and end date (excluding Auction-style listings) to the listings. In the event the free shipping sale ended before the duration of the listing, the listings would be removed from the sale and would return to the original shipping costs; which in this case would have been standard free shipping.
Q: Which of my shipping services will I be offering as Free to my buyers?
A: The first domestic shipping service will be set to $0.00 (Free).
Q: What shipping services are available for me to add free shipping?
A: Free Shipping can be added to listings with specified flat or calculated domestic shipping services for all available shipping carriers.
Q: What are the criteria for being able to add free shipping?
A: All fixed price, Store Inventory Format, and Auction-style listings (without bids) can be added to a free shipping sale unless the listing does not have specified shipping.
In addition, all listings that include insurance, surcharges, handling fees, and global insurance on multiple quantities cannot be added to a free shipping sale using Markdown Manager.
Listings with local pick-up and freight cannot be added to a free shipping sale
Q: If my sale has not started yet, what can I edit?
A: You are able to edit all fields while your sale is still in the 'scheduled' state, including the ability to add or remove listings that have no bids, and change or add a sale discount.
Q: How is free shipping added through 'Sell Your Item' different from adding free shipping using Markdown Manager?
A: Using Markdown Manager to add free shipping allows Store subscribers the ability to add the discount to listings in bulk, and allows the sale to be created for a specific period of time which can create a