How to create an account and sell an item on eBay

eBay is a well-trusted global commerce platform that millions of buyers and sellers use. If you have any vintage or unused items lying around the house, chances are someone is willing to buy them, especially if you’re offering a good deal. Payment transactions are secure, and shipping is easy. Here’s everything you need to know about creating an eBay account and selling items.

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How to create an account on eBay

All you need to set up an eBay account is an email address. To start, go to eBay’s registration page. You can either sign up with an email address or use the one associated with your Google, Facebook, or Apple account. Enter your information, then create a password to keep your account secure. When done, click Register, and eBay will ask for your contact address and telephone number so that it knows where to ship your items and how to reach you.

If you plan to sell on eBay, you must link a bank account. eBay initially used to rely on PayPal for transactions but has since brought the service in-house. Make sure that your bank account type matches your eBay account type. For example, register as a business seller if you have a business bank account. Likewise, register as an individual seller if you have a personal bank account.

Once you’ve signed up for an eBay account, check your inbox for a welcome email and a unique link to verify your account. See the following sections for tips on mastering the basics of selling on eBay.

How to make a listing and start selling on eBay

Whether you want to make some extra cash or clear out some unwanted items from around the house, it’s easy to start selling on eBay. Creating a listing is the first step to getting your item in front of buyers. Navigate to the eBay seller hub once logged into your account, and select Create Listing under Listings.

eBay will first ask what you are selling to match the listing template with similar items that have already sold or are currently for sale. Select the one most similar to yours and choose to Use this Product if such products are available. If not, you can fill in the details of your item from scratch.

When filling in the specifics about your item, you’ll find that some fields are required, marked with a red star. Details may include brand, size, type, color, style, or other relevant info about your selling item. Try to provide as many specifics as possible to ensure your item gets the most visibility across eBay and external sites such as Google Shopping. It’s also a good idea to include original photos of your product from different angles so buyers can see its condition.

You’ll need to add the weight and dimensions of the item for shipping cost calculations. You can decide whether you or the buyer pay for shipping, but it’s pretty rare to find a seller that pays their own shipping costs, especially when selling internationally. You can save drafts of your listings to finish later, which you can find on the Drafts page in My eBay. Read on for tips on pricing and turning your listing into a sale.

How to choose the right price for your eBay listing

If you’re unsure of your item’s value, you can look around on eBay for similar products to get an idea of what other sellers are charging. You can also see the price of similar items sold in the past. To do so, scroll down on the Search Results page, and from the left-hand navigation, check the boxes beside Sold Items and Completed Listings. This gives you a selection of how much to sell an item on eBay for.

Once you have a price for your item in mind, it’s time to decide your listing format.

Fixed price vs. auction

If you only have a single price you are willing to settle for, then choose a fixed price. However, you can let buyers make an offer to allow for some negotiation. The company states that allowing offers increases your chance of selling by 3—7%, so it doesn’t hurt. You can also automatically set your listing to decline offers under a certain threshold or accept ones above another.

The other option is to create an auction-style listing for buyers to compete for your item. In this case, it’s best to choose a low starting price to generate interest. If you don’t see much activity on your auction at first, don’t worry; that’s normal. Buyers will often place their bids right before the listing ends, hoping to snag it for as low as possible. In specific categories, you can add a Reserve price. This is the lowest price you’re willing to sell an item on eBay, which protects you from settling for less than you’re comfortable with.

If you have an ideal price you’d like to sell an item on eBay but still want to list it as an auction, you can add a Buy It Now price. However, the price has to be at a minimum of 40% higher than the starting price.

What are the eBay fees for selling?

As with most services, eBay will take a cut of the transactions on its platforms to operate. They charge two main selling fees: an insertion fee when you create a listing and a final value fee when your item sells. The amount they charge depends on the item’s price, the format and category your item is listed in, any optional listing upgrades you add, and your seller performance.

You get up to 200 free listings monthly, which should be enough for individual sellers. On the other hand, the final value fee is calculated as a percentage of the total amount of the sale, plus $0.30 per order. For a complete list of rates, see eBays’ selling fees guidelines.

Read more: How to cancel a bid on eBay

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