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eBay Stores: Frequently Asked Questions

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Welcome to eBay Stores
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  Frequently Asked Questions  
General
What's an eBay Store?
An eBay Store is a comprehensive ecommerce solution that helps you get more out of the eBay marketplace and the millions of buyers worldwide who shop on eBay. You get exclusive marketing and merchandising tools, plus great customization features to build a strong brand that keeps customers coming back. By showcasing all of your merchandise in one location, an eBay Store creates a central shopping destination where buyers can learn more about you, your products, and your policies.

In addition, an eBay Store subscription package provides eBay sellers with a range of options for easy selling and maximum profitability. List in Fixed Price with full search exposure for as low as 3¢ and in Auction-style with discounted Final Value Fees.

A red "Stores" tag next to a seller's user ID indicates that the seller has an eBay Store.
Why open an eBay Store?
With eBay Stores, sellers can choose the subscription package that's most profitable for the way they sell. The vast majority of higher-volume sellers who sell more than 50 items per month can get significant savings with dramatically reduced upfront costs compared to eBay standard fees. Plus, get powerful tools to help build, manage, promote, and track your eBay presence for greater selling success.
Who can open an eBay Store?
To open an eBay Store, you must meet the following requirements:
What if I have a Premium or Anchor Store but fall below the performance requirements?
Premium and Anchor Store subscribers who don't meet the performance eligibility requirements will receive an email notification letting them know they have 60 days from the time of the notice to improve before their subscription will be downgraded to Basic. If you are downgraded due to performance standards and your standing improves and you once again meet the performance requirement, you will be able to upgrade to a Premium or Anchor Store under Manage My Store in the Account tab in My eBay.
Is an eBay Store right for me?
In evaluating the benefits of an eBay Store, you should consider your listing volume and most frequently used listing format. If you're an existing eBay seller, enter your selling activity into the Fee Illustrator to determine which eBay Stores subscription may best fit your needs. For many sellers, an eBay Store subscription can reduce overall fees significantly. eBay Stores is also one of the best ways to establish your brand with a custom Store home page and custom header and logo that appear in your listings.
How do I open an eBay Store and what do I do first?
If you meet the requirements to open an eBay Store, sign in to My eBay. Click "Subscriptions" under the Account tab. Click "Subscribe" next to eBay Stores. After you subscribe, choose "Subscriptions" and then click Manage My Store on the left. Choose "Design My Store" or "Quick Store Tuneup" to begin.
How do I list items in my eBay Store?
All items currently listed on eBay will automatically show up in your eBay Store. To list new items, click the "Sell" button at the top of any eBay page. You'll go through a step-by-step process that makes it easy to list your item and find appropriate categories for your item. If you would like to list in bulk, you can use advanced seller tools like Turbo Lister, Selling Manager, or your favorite listing tool.
If I subscribe to an eBay Store, does that mean I'm officially a business?
Subscribing to an eBay Store does not automatically classify your account as a business account. Find out how to register as a business on eBay.
Subscription Levels
How do I upgrade my eBay Store?
To upgrade your eBay Store, go to My eBay and click on Account, then Subscriptions. From the Subscriptions page, click "Change level" to upgrade your eBay Store. You can also review our video tutorial for more information.
How do I re-open my eBay Store?
Per our eBay Store policy, information will be retained for 30 days after your subscription is cancelled. To open an eBay Store, you'll need to go through the process of opening a new eBay Store. To open an eBay Store, go to My eBay and click on the Accounts tab and then Subscription tab. Once you're on the Subscriptions tab, click Subscribe for one of the eBay Store levels.

To find the eBay Store that best fits your selling activity, use our Fee Illustrator tool. You can also review our video tutorial for more information on how to open an eBay Store.
What level Store should I open?
The Store level you open will depend on your listing frequency and which formats you use. Each Store level has its own subscription-based listing fees. To maximize your exposure and minimize your costs, use the Fee Illustrator to find the subscription level that's best for you.
  • Basic Store: An ideal solution for sellers who are just starting out and want an affordable and easy-to-use platform to sell online, and for sellers listing a high volume in the Auction-style format.
  • Premium Store: A more comprehensive solution for small- to medium-sized sellers who want to aggressively grow their online business. Great choice for higher-volume sellers (more than 250 items per month) and sellers listing in both Auction-style and Fixed Price formats.
  • Anchor Store: An advanced solution for higher-volume sellers who want maximum exposure on eBay. Higher-volume sellers get top savings and the lowest package rates on eBay.
Learn more about eBay Stores subscription levels and fees.
Store Design
Can I use HTML to design my Store home page?
Yes. Store sellers can create a custom header with HTML just below the standard eBay Store header. In addition, Store sellers can build a completely customized Store home 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 column. Sellers can also easily create links to their Store by using HTML Builder, located in the left column in Manage My Store.
How can I make changes to my Store?
You can change your logo, Store name, categories, and more at any time by going to Manage My Store, located in the left navigation column of My eBay.
How can I change my Display Settings/Sort Order?
  1. Log in to My eBay and under the Account tab, click on Manage My Store
  2. Click on Display Settings under Store Design in the left navigation
  3. Under Theme and Display, click on "Change" next to Item Display Settings
  4. Scroll down to Sort Order and choose your preference from the drop down menu.
  5. Click Save Settings.
Promoting Your Store
How does eBay help me promote my Store to millions of buyers?
Your eBay Store is promoted to millions of buyers on eBay in several ways:
  • All of your item pages contain an eBay Stores icon next to your user ID that links buyers to your eBay Store.
  • The eBay Store Directory drives buyers to your Store.
  • Your eBay Store comes with your own personalized web address so you can drive buyers directly to your Store.
What's the best way to get people to my Store?
Sellers have a variety of methods to drive traffic to their Store, including links to specific listings, links to their customized Store, and links to a customized Store category landing page. Learn strategies for how to drive traffic to your Store.
What is the Listing Frame?
The Listing Frame allows sellers to pull elements such as their Store category list or Store Search box into all of their item description pages with only a few clicks.
There are three key elements (see image below):
A. Store Name
B. Listing Header
C. Category Navigation Bar
Listing Frame
Why should I use the Listing Frame?
One of the most successful marketing strategies for Store sellers is to market their Stores within their listing descriptions. The Listing Frame makes it quick and easy for you to employ this powerful strategy in a professional and effective way. The Listing Frame also helps you merchandise the breadth of items you carry and reinforces your Store's branding.
How do I turn on and customize the parts of the Listing Frame I want to display on all of my item descriptions?
From Manage My Store, click "Listing Frame." You'll be taken to a page where you can easily make changes.
Can I turn the Listing Frame on for only some of my listings?
No, the Listing Frame setting automatically applies to all or none of your listings.
Will the Listing Frame have any impact on my existing listing description template?
If you choose to add the category navigation bar that appears on the left side, 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 bar of the Listing Frame is 170 pixels.
What elements can I customize on the Listing Header section of the Listing Frame?
  • Store Logo Display
  • Search Box
  • Categories
  • Other Store Page Links
  • Newsletter Sign-up
  • Add to Favorite Stores
Store Categories
How many categories can I create?
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. Please note: eBay automatically creates a default level 1 category named "Other Items" that can't be edited and does count toward the 300 category limit.
How many Store categories should I use?
Just because there are 300 categories available doesn't mean you need to use all of them. We provide 300 for the most extreme cases but expect most sellers will only need 20–40 categories. Go to the Store categories page in Manage My Store for suggestions on how to set up your Store category structure.
Email Marketing
What is Email Marketing?
Email Marketing is a tool for eBay Stores sellers that enables them to send email to interested buyers who have signed up for their mailing lists.
Who can I send email to?
You can email anyone who has subscribed to your mailing lists. Users subscribe to sellers' mailing lists in the "Add to Favorite Sellers and Stores" process, through which they can select one or more mailing lists to subscribe to for each seller.
How do I send email to my subscribers?
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 per week for each of your mailing lists, and there is no limit to the number of subscribers on an email list.
Markdown Manager
What is Markdown Manager?
Markdown Manager is a free feature exclusively for eBay Stores sellers that enables them to discount the price of their items or add a limited-time free shipping sale.
How do I access Markdown Manager?
Markdown Manager is available for all eBay Stores subscribers under My eBay > Account Tab > Marketing Tools > Item Promotion > Markdown Manager on the left navigation bar.
Is there a charge to use Markdown Manager?
No. Markdown Manager is free for all eBay Stores subscribers.
What listings are available in Markdown Manager?
You can use Markdown Manager to discount all Fixed Price listings or provide a limited-time free shipping sale on all listing formats.
Where can buyers see my discounted listings?
Buyers will see a special strike-through price and Sale logo in the following places:
  • 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
Buyers will see special strike-through pricing in the following places:
  • Search results
  • In-Store Search results (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 Buy It Now price (including in the main eBay search results).
Other
How do I close my Store?
You can close your eBay Store at any time by signing in to My eBay and clicking the "Subscriptions" link under the Account tab. You'll be taken to a page where you can cancel your subscription.
What happens to my listings when I close my Store?
Sellers can choose to end their active Fixed Price listings or keep them, subject to standard fees.
How does the Selling Manager Pro credit work for Premium and Anchor Stores?
Premium and Anchor Stores subscribers won't be charged for Selling Manager Pro as long as they maintain their Premium or Anchor Store subscription. To qualify for this offer, you must subscribe to Selling Manager Pro on the same eBay country site where you opened your eBay Store. Existing Selling Manager Pro subscribers will begin receiving their free Selling Manager Pro subscription on their invoice after they subscribe to a Premium or Anchor Store.
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