Welcome to selling on eBay. Whether your goal is making extra money cleaning out your garage, or building your own small business, eBay provides the opportunity to sell your items to a worldwide audience. Before listing your first item, it is helpful to know some basic information about selling on eBay.

• Selling − basic steps

• Key concepts about selling on eBay

• Where you can learn more

Selling – basic steps

The basic steps for selling an item are:

• Step 1: Register as an eBay seller.

• Step 2: Prepare to sell your item.

• Step 3: List your item for sale.

• Step 4: Manage your listing.

• Step 5: Complete the sale.

Step 1: Register as an eBay seller.

To begin selling on eBay you need to register and create a seller’s account. To register as a seller, click the “Sell” link at the top of any eBay page, and then click the Sell Your Item button or learn about registration and creating a seller's account.

PayPal is the preferred payment method for most eBay buyers and sellers. Consider signing up for PayPal, eBay’s global online payment system.

Step 2: Prepare to sell your item.

Before you start to list your item, doing some research, especially about setting a starting price, will help you list accurately and efficiently. Find similar items on eBay and note the selling price and how they were listed. Your research will help you make better decisions about selecting selling formats, pricing, postage and payment methods. To help prepare for listing your item, see the Seller's Checklist.

There are certain items that may not be sold on eBay. To avoid breaking eBay rules and the law, check eBay’s prohibited items policies to be sure your item is permitted.

Step 3: List your item for sale.

To list your item on eBay, you need to provide information about your item. Information in a typical listing includes a title, description, price, payment method, postage cost and a photo. eBay’s Sell Your Item form guides you through the steps to a successful item listing.

Step 4: Manage your listing

You can track your eBay activities from My eBay. This page is especially useful if you have more than one item for sale or if you are selling and bidding on several items. My eBay's All Selling page lets you see the status of items you're selling from start to finish and manage your sales from a central location.

Step 5: Complete the sale

At the end of a successful listing you'll receive an email from eBay that includes your buyer's postage address and payment method. Once you receive payment from your buyer you can post your item. Leaving feedback for your buyer after you complete the sale is optional, but it's an important part of participating in the eBay Community and will help you establish your reputation as a seller.

Key points about selling effectively on eBay

Understanding the following concepts will help you prepare for eBay’s unique selling experience.

• Your item will be among thousands of other items. For buyers to consider your item, they need to find it, so think like a buyer. Make sure you have good photos and a complete item description. An informative title, well-written description, and clear photos can make the difference between selling and not selling your item.

• An important part of selling on eBay includes communicating with bidders and buyers. Good communication helps to promote you as a responsive seller and will help avoid potential transaction problems. The majority of communication between sellers and buyers is through email, so it is important that you keep your contact information up-to-date.

• Your item listing will be viewed by a global audience. You probably won’t know your buyers personally, but you can know about your buyers by reviewing their member profiles. Setting your listing preferences in My eBay lets you to have more control over who may bid on your listings. This feature helps to reduce the possible transaction problems and potential unpaid items.

• Your feedback score is important. Feedback is important within the eBay Community. It not only represents your reputation to buyers, but your feedback score is also used to qualify you for some seller privileges. For example, you need a feedback score of at least 20 to open an eBay Shop.

• eBay has rules and guidelines called “policies” that create a safe, fair and enjoyable trading environment. They affect how you sell on eBay. By accepting the terms outlined in the User Agreement, you have agreed to conform to these policies. If eBay determines that a listing breaches a policy, eBay may remove the listing from the site and may take disciplinary action. Be sure to review selling policies before you list an item (see eBay’s Rules for Sellers).

• Both eBay and the eBay Community provide resources to support your success as a seller. You can participate in eBay's community discussion boards and chats where you can connect with other members to get tips, ask for help, or just have fun. eBay Customer Support representatives also offer assistance on many boards and chats.

• eBay provides a wide range of resources for sellers. Listing items does take time, especially when you are new to selling on eBay. However, eBay offers selling tools and resources that help you to manage and automate your selling activities.

Where to learn more about selling

• Visit Seller Resources to learn about resources for sellers.

• Connect with other sellers from the eBay Community.