eBay Seller Performance Standards and Success: A Comprehensive Guide from Bad Transaction Rates to Global Star Ratings

In order to ensure that buyers can receive high-quality service and shopping experience, the eBay platform has developed a series of seller performance standards. These standards not only include the calculation and evaluation of bad transaction rates, but also involve seller star ratings, logistics freight, account review and other aspects. This article will take an in-depth look at eBay Seller Performance Standards and their impact on sellers.

1. eBay bad transaction rate calculation and evaluation standards

Bad transaction rate calculation formula

The formula for calculating eBay’s bad transaction rate is: Bad transaction rate = (number of transactions in which buyers filed disputes and won / total number of disputes filed by buyers) × 100%. This calculation includes disputes raised automatically by the platform as well as disputes raised manually by buyers.

Assessment criteria

• Bad transaction rate threshold: It shall not exceed 5%; within one year, the number of bad transactions from different people shall not exceed 8.
• Unresolved dispute ratio threshold: It must not exceed 0.3%, or more than 2 transactions, otherwise the account evaluation will be negatively affected.
• When the annual transaction volume exceeds 10,000 USD and the number of transactions exceeds 100, the bad transaction rate shall not exceed 2%.

Other considerations

The dynamic scoring standard comprehensively considers order cancellation rate, return rate, complaint rate and other information to evaluate the overall performance of the seller.

2. Global seller star rating

eBay uses a strict set of standards to rate sellers with stars, help sellers understand their performance, and provide various offers and benefits.

1. Top Rated Seller

• Standards: Need to complete at least 100 transactions in the past 12 months with sales of more than $1,000; transaction defect rate less than 0.5%, unresolved dispute rate less than 0.3% , the delayed shipment rate is less than 4%.
• Benefits: Superior search rankings, lower costs, and more exposure.

2. Above Standard Seller

• Standard: Complete at least 10 transactions in the past 12 months; transaction defect rate is less than 2%, unresolved dispute rate is less than 0.5%, late shipment rate is less than 7% .
• Advantages: Although not as good as Top Rated sellers, they still benefit from certain advantages.

3. Below Standard Seller

• Risk: Reduced search ranking, increased costs, reduced display opportunities; sales may be limited, or even account frozen.

3. Seller performance standards and their impact

1. Seller level

Based on factors such as transaction volume, out-of-stock rate, return rate, case rate and feedback score, eBay divides sellers into four levels: excellent, superior, standard and below standard.

2. Out-of-stock rate requirements

Out-of-stock rates should be kept below 0.5% to ensure good inventory management.

3. Return rate standards

The return rate should be kept below 10% to show that the quality of the goods provided by the seller and the accuracy of the description are high.

4. Case rate requirements

The case rate should be kept below 0.3%, reflecting the seller’s delivery speed and after-sales service.

5. The importance of feedback scoring

Sellers should keep their feedback rating above 4.6 stars and work hard to avoid negative feedback.

4. Standards for big sellers

Becoming a big seller on eBay requires meeting certain sales volume requirements, maintaining high buyer satisfaction, low dispute rates, timely delivery and good account health.

1. Sales volume requirements

Complete at least 1,000 transactions and generate at least $10,000 in sales in the past 12 months.

2. Buyer satisfaction

Maintain over 98% buyer satisfaction by providing quality merchandise, accurate descriptions, timely shipping and good customer service.

3. Low dispute rate

The dispute rate should be less than 0.3%, provide accurate product descriptions, clear return policies, and ensure that any return requests and buyer complaints are handled promptly.

4. Timely delivery

Maintain a high level of on-time shipping rates (usually required to ship within 48 hours), use appropriate logistics partners, and ensure that orders are processed in a timely manner and merchandise is properly packaged.

5. Maintain good account health

Comply with eBay’s policies and regulations, handle any violations and disputes promptly, and maintain a good account rating and reputation.

6. Provide excellent customer service

Proactively respond to buyer questions and concerns, promptly handle return and refund requests, and resolve any potential issues.

Conclusion

Failure to adhere to eBay Seller Performance Standards may adversely affect a seller’s visibility, fees, and offers. Therefore, as an eBay seller, you must strictly abide by standard requirements such as out-of-stock rate, return rate, case rate and feedback score to provide high-quality goods and excellent services, maintain seller level and improve search rankings. By striving to meet these standards, sellers will be able to build a strong reputation, attract more buyers, and achieve greater business success.