Seller Standards Update
New seller evaluation timeline & Top Rated Plus badge changes
What you need to know:
- To enable more consistent service when providing eBay Top Rated Seller discounts or applying fees, we’re streamlining the seller evaluation timelines from July 2020. The consequence of your monthly Seller Performance Evaluation currently applies to listings from that same month. From July 2020, they will apply to listings in the following month. We’ll begin the transition to the new timelines on the June 20 evaluation. There is no action required of you for the updated timelines.
- The evaluation rules for earning the Top Rated Plus badge and discounts will also be changing in July 2020.
Seller performance evaluation in June 2020
If you currently receive invoices at the end of the month and your seller performance:
- Doesn’t meet eBay’s standards i.e. your account is Below Standard level or has very high service metrics,
or - Exceeds our Top Rated Plus standards on the June 20 evaluation date, the corresponding fees or discounts will apply to all transactions from June 1 - June 30.
If you currently receive an invoice on the 15th of the month and your selling performance:
- Doesn’t meet eBay’s standards i.e. your account is Below Standard level or has very high service metrics,
or - Exceeds our Top Rated Plus standards on the June 20 evaluation date, the corresponding fees or discounts will apply to all transactions from June 16 - June 30 & from July 1 - July 15.
Seller performance evaluation in July 2020
- If you currently receive invoices at the end of the month, your seller performance fees or discounts on the July invoice will reflect your June 20 evaluation and will apply to all transactions from July 1 - July 31.
- If you currently receive an invoice on the 15th of the month, your seller performance fees or discounts on the 15 August will be based on your June 20 and July 20 evaluations. The fees or discounts will then apply to all transactions from July 16 - July 31 & August 1 - August 15.
Invoice type | Invoice date | Transaction dates | Top Rated Plus discount and fee-based evaluation |
End of the month |
June 30 |
June 1 - June 30 |
June 20 |
July 31 |
July 1 - July 31 |
June 20 |
|
15th of the month |
July 15 |
June 16 - June 30 |
June 20 |
July 1 - July 15 |
June 20 |
||
August 15 |
July 16 - July 31 |
June 20 |
|
August 1 - August 15 |
July 20 |
Changes to eBay Top Rated Plus badge evaluation
After the introduction of separate domestic and international return policies, Top Rated Plus badge and discount evaluation will now be based on seller return policies that align with the country where items are listed and the item location. If you are a seller in the US with items located within the US, who is already offering Free domestic there is no action required.
- If the item location is in the same country as the listing site, eBay will use the domestic return policy for the Top Rated Plus badge and discount evaluation. You will need to offer a minimum of 30-day free domestic returns.
- If the item location is not in the same country as the listing site, eBay will use the international return policy for the Top Rated Plus badge and discount evaluation. You need to offer a minimum of 30-day free international returns.
To ensure your return policy complies with the new requirements:
From your eBay account:
- Go into “My account” > Business Policies > Create policy > returns
From Seller Hub:
- Go into “Seller Hub” > Listing tab > Business Policies > Create policy > returns
Find out more about return policies that can help boost your business: here
FAQ
- Will Seller Performance Fees be changing?
No, Seller Performance Fees will not change. The current rates will apply on July 1.
- Will these changes show in the seller dashboard?
We will show current and previous months’ evaluation on your Seller Standards and Service Metrics dashboards.
- Can I opt out of automatic acceptance?
No, we want to ensure that the payment process goes as smoothly and quickly as possible for everyone.
- Is there any specific action required from me before the change?
We are encouraging all sellers to exceed eBay standards and deliver great buyer experience. If you achieve Top Rated Plus level on June 20, you will have a minimum of 45 days with reduced fees.