Frequenty Asked Questions
Categories
Our Programme
Q: What is the eBay.co.uk Affiliate Programme?
A: The programme enables website owners, webmasters, Internet developers and entrepreneurs to earn commission through promoting eBay.co.uk. As an affiliate you can earn up to £11 each time vistors to your website are directed to eBay.co.uk and subsequently become active registered users (ACRU).
A registration is "active" when the user completes the registration process (by placing a Bid or BIN) within 30 days of their initial visit to eBay.co.uk. You will also receive up to 60% of eBay.co.uk's Revenue (not item sale price) on all Winning Bids or Buy It Now (BIN) transactions within 7 days after the first click.eBay.co.uk affiliates receive monthly commission cheques and are given access to industry-leading tools that help to increase your profits. Read how it works for further information.
Q: What are the benefits of becoming an eBay.co.uk Affiliate?
A:Becoming an eBay.co.uk Affiliate is easy and free. Affiliates make money every time they drive a new active user to eBay.co.uk. You will also earn money when your site visitors use your affiliate links to place bids or Buy It Now purchases on any eBay.co.uk item. Additionally, affiliates add value to the content of their site by integrating relevant eBay.co.uk text links, banners, and logos. We handle all of the link creation and reporting; all you do receive the commission. Become an affiliate now and start making money.
Q: Is the eBay.co.uk Affiliate Programme free?
A: Yes. Join now and start earning money today.
Q: How do I register?
A: Complete our online application form. After your application is submitted, eBay.co.uk and Commission Junction, our trusted third-party campaign operators, will email you with login details and information on how to get started. Join the eBay.co.uk Affiliate Programme today.
Earnings/ Compensation
Q: What is the payment structure for the eBay.co.uk Affiliate Programme?
A: See a complete description of eBay.co.uk's payment structure
Q: How often are affiliates paid?
A: Throughout the month, your site generates active registered users (ACRUs) as well as bid and Buy It Now (BIN) transactions on eBay.co.uk. After each calendar month, a report is generated to determine the total amount of ACRUs, Bids and BINs generated from your programme, and the revenue associated with these. Commissions are then paid accordingly on a monthly basis. Though Commission Junction, affiliates are able to track daily, monthly, quarterly and even yearly earnings. At the beginning of every month your total transactions for the month are set to zero.
Q: How are affiliates paid?
A: Earnings can be collected via two options: either cheque (received through direct mail) or direct deposit into your bank account. You decide this when you sign up to CJ. Learn more about eBay.co.uk's payment structure.
Q: If I operate more than one website, can I track them separately and still receive a single payment?
A: Yes. You are able to operate multiple websites and URLs with a single Commission Junction account.
Q: What does an "active registered user" mean?
A: An "active registered user" is defined as an individual who: (a) registers for eBay.co.uk from the specific URL designated by eBay.co.uk; (b) confirms his or her registration with an eBay.co.uk-supplied password sent by email; (c) then goes onto eBay.co.uk and places a bid or uses BIN to purchase an item within 30 days of their original registration; and (d) does not have an account with eBay.co.uk at the time of registration. The programme is not session based - users do not need to click, register, and make a bid or use BIN during the same visit. They can come back and finish the registration process within 30 days.
Q: What constitutes a "Winning Bid" or "Buy It Now (BIN)"?
A: A "Winning Bid" is defined as any bid or BIN placed after a user comes to eBay from your promotional link (within 7 days of the cookie being dropped), resulting in a Winning Bid / BIN as confirmed by eBay and its partner's automated tracking infrastructure.
Q: Once visitors click from my link to eBay.co.uk, how long will they be tracked (when do their cookies expire)?
A: Cookies have two distinct expiration dates correlating with our "Winning Bid" and ACRU tiers. "Winning Bids" - Cookies expire 7 days after the cookie is placed. During this period of time "Winning Bids" will be compensated under the aforementioned pricing structure. The user doesnt have to register through your link (they can already be registered) or win the item for the Bid to count. Similarly, with Buy It Now (BIN) items, these BINs will count whether or not the user originally registered from your site. ACRUs - Cookies expire 30 days after the cookie is placed. In this period of time a user must become a confirmed registered user and go onto eBay and place a bid or use BIN to purchase an item.
Business Models
Q: What are the most successful business models in the eBay.co.uk Affiliate programme?
A: Please see our Affiliate Business Models section.
Q: I don't have a website. Can I still be an eBay.co.uk Affiliate and make money?
A: Yes. Many of our most successful affiliates do not have Web sites. Sub affiliate sites and widget building are examples of business models that do not require a website and have proven extremely lucrative. Learn more in our Affiliate Business Models section to find out what methods may be suitable for you.
Eligibility
Q: Are all websites, individuals and businesses eligible to become eBay.co.uk Affiliates?
A: We'd like everyone to promote eBay.co.uk; however, there are cases where eBay.co.uk must disallow certain sites to participate in our Affiliate Programme. eBay.co.uk evaluates all affiliate applications and notifies each applicant of acceptance or rejection. eBay.co.uk may reject any affiliate application if we determine, at our sole discretion, that a site is unsuitable for the Programme. Unsuitable sites include those that:
- Promote sexually explicit materials
- Promote violence
- Promote illegal activities
- Promote discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or age
- Include "eBay" or variations or misspellings thereof in their domain names
- Otherwise violate intellectual property rights
If we reject your application, you are welcome to reapply to the Programme at any time. You should also note that if we accept your application and your site is thereafter determined, at our sole discretion, to be unsuitable for the Programme, we are able to terminate your affiliate membership. See Commission Junction's publisher agreement.
Q: Am I eligible to participate in the eBay.co.uk programme if I reside outside the United Kingdom?
A: Yes, The eBay.co.uk affiliate programme accepts applications from outside the United Kingdom.
Q: Can I participate in other affiliate programmes?
A: Yes - eBay.co.uk's Affiliate Programme is non-exclusive.
Q: Does eBay.co.uk require a business license to participate in the programme?
A: No. eBay.co.uk affiliates may be either an individual or a formal business / company. Upon registration, businesses must enter their VAT registration number to avoid paying VAT on commission.
Multiple Applications
Q: Can I apply to the affiliate programme more than once?
A: Yes. You can have multiple sites as an eBay.co.uk Affiliate. However, eBay.co.uk enables you to track and operate numerous sites within a single affiliate account - this is the recommended method of operation because you are able to receive a single, consolidated commission cheque and, more importantly, are able to reach higher tiers within our payment structure.
Q: Does eBay.co.uk provide multiple tracking ID's?
A: Yes. For more information, visit How It Works.
Creating/Setting up Links
Q: Can I use the eBay.co.uk logo or content on my site?
A: Once you have signed up to the programme, you will have access to a wide variety of buttons, banners and text links through www.cj.com, and are welcome to use any of the graphics and text links provided.
Please note: You may not alter or modify any banners or buttons without obtaining prior written permission from eBay.co.uk and the eBay.co.uk Affiliate Team. (You must also secure permission before using any third party's copyrighted materials.) If you are unsure about your right to use or modify the materials for your Web site, please contact us.
Learn more about eBay.co.uk Banners & Buttons and Logos.Q: How do I get banners, logos and text links?
A: Once you have signed up to the programme, you will have access to a wide variety of buttons, banners and text links through www.cj.com. Log into Commission Junction, and within the Current Merchant Partner area choose "eBay.co.uk". Select "Get Links", choose your link and select "Get HTML". Copy and paste the HTML code to your web page.
Q: How many eBay.co.uk links or banners can I display?
A: Affiliates may place as many links (text links and banners) as they choose. In fact, we encourage affiliates to place multiple eBay.co.uk links and banners on their site(s). Learn more in our Banners & Buttons and Logos sections.
Q: Where should I place the links on my site?
A: You should place links where they are easy for your site visitors to find, such as your home page. Links also receive more activity when they are above the fold on the page. Some areas you may want to place your links include your home page, your navigation bar, and any other high traffic areas. If you place the links in an easily accessible location on your site, your visitors will be more likely to click and place bids. Learn more about eBay.co.uk Banners & Buttons and Logos.
Remember: You can also display eBay.co.uk live listings on your site using eBay's Editor Kit.
Q: How often should I update my links?
A: You should update links frequently. We are constantly adding new graphics and links to help you meet the interests of your visitors. Learn more about eBay.co.uk Banners & Buttons and Logos.
Q: How can I fix "broken" or outdated links on my Web site?
A: You are able to run reports on Commission Junction that monitor broken links.
Q: Can I link to a specific eBay.co.uk listing or search results page?
A: You can link to any eBay.co.uk page or URL using our Flexible Destination Tool. Learn more about the Flexible Destination Tool and how to implement it.
Q: Can I place links on multiple Web sites?
A: We recommend adding our links to each of your Web sites. The links will be tracked through Commission Junction. All of your sites will be listed under your one account. Learn more about eBay.co.uk Banners & Buttons and Logos.
You can increase conversions further by placing eBay.co.uk live listings alongside your banners.
Q: How often does eBay.co.uk change its affiliate banners and logos?
A: The affiliate banners and logos are updated monthly to reflect current promotions and highlight "hot" products and categories. Learn more about eBay.co.uk Banners & Buttons and Logos.
Q: Does eBay.co.uk offer dynamic or ad-served banners and graphics?
A: Yes. Learn more in our Banners & Buttons and Logos section.
Products/Tools
Q: What linking tools does eBay.co.uk offer?
A: eBay.co.uk offers several linking tools, such as Banners & Buttons, Logos, the Editor Kit and the Flexible Destination Tooll.
Q: Where do I find more information on the Editor Kit?
A: See our Editor Kit page and learn how to use it to drive ACRUs!
Q: What is Shopper ID (SID)?
A: Learn about SID and how you can drive ACRUs!
My Account
Q: Can I change my Commission Junction password once I have registered?
A: Yes, you can change username and password information in the account management sections on the Commission Junction Web site.
Q: How do I change my account information?
A: All account information can be changed within the account management section of the Commission Junction Web site.
Q: Can I register more than one URL on the same account?
A: Yes.you can include numerous URLs and websites within a single account, enabling you to have inclusive reporting, tracking, and commissions.
Q: Who do I contact for programme assistance?
A: Please contact Commission Junction to address any reporting, linking, or payment needs. You may also contact the eBay.co.uk Affiliate Team with general questions.
Helpful Hints
Q: Does eBay.co.uk have a "Best Practices (Tips)" guide for affiliates to help increase traffic to eBay.co.uk?
A: eBay.co.uk does not currently have such guides. Visit eBay.com which offers best practice tips.
Reporting
Q: Can I monitor and track my transaction and performance metrics?
A: Yes. Learn about how reporting works in the eBay.co.uk Affiliate Programme.
Q: How will eBay.co.uk know that the registrations and bids came from my site?
A: A cookie is placed when users click on any of the eBay.co.uk banners or links provided by Commission Junction. Users are then tracked for two distinct time periods. Activity leading to ACRUs are compensated during a 30 day window. Transactions for Winning Bid and Buy It Now activity are compensated during a 7 day window. You receive commissions if users click from your site and commit any of the above transactions on eBay within the previously mentioned time period!
Q: How customisable is the reporting functionality?
A: Using the reporting features provided by Commission Junction, reports can be run for various time periods or to obtain various types of data. Learn more on on reporting.
Q: Will my reports be updated when I reach a new pricing tier?
A: Once the calendar month is completed, your commissions are adjusted according to your achieved tier (please allow some time for the reports to reflect your monthly earnings).
Q: How do I end my affiliate membership?
A: This can be done through Commission Junction.
Legal Questions
Q: Do I need to sign an agreement to be an eBay.co.uk Affiliate?
A: Affiliates must agree to the terms of eBay.co.uk's User Agreement before joining our programme. See Commission Junction's publisher agreement.
Q: Can I include eBay.co.uk in my company press releases, marketing material, etc.?
A: To use the eBay.co.uk name or logo, you must have approval from eBay.co.uk. If you're interested, please contact the eBay.co.uk Affiliate Team.
Communication
Q: Will the eBay.co.uk Affiliate Team communicate with me via email?
A: Yes. eBay.co.uk will send periodic newsletters with new programme updates. You can opt out of receiving the newsletters.
Q: Does eBay.co.uk have a policy against unsolicited email?
A: eBay.co.uk prohibits the use of unsolicited emails or "Spam" and reserves the right to terminate the membership of any eBay.co.uk affiliate engaging in such practices. See Commission Junction's publisher agreement.
Commission Junction
Q: Where can I learn more about Commission Junction?
A: Read our FAQ on Comission Junction or visit www.cj.com.
Further Assistance
Q: Where can I get help about payment and reporting?
A: If you have further questions about the eBay.co.uk Affiliate Programme, please contact us.
Affiliates can also contact Commission Junction.
