The seller's excellent work is appreciated not only by buyers, but also by eBay. Top Rated sellers get exclusive benefits that can help boost their listings visibility, improve conversion, save money, and protect them from abusive buying behavior and events outside their control.
International seller standards programs
Sellers who deliver exceptional customer service may qualify for eBay’s Top Rated seller program depending on their sales history and on meeting regional performance standards requirements.
If you sell on more than one eBay site, or you offer international shipping, your transactions will be counted into the respective program based on the buyer's delivery address. eBay has four regional performance standard programs:
- 🇺🇸 US program determines your seller level on ebay.com. Evaluation based on transactions which are shipped to the US
- 🇬🇧 UK program determines your seller level on ebay.co.uk and ebay.ie. Evaluation based on transactions which are shipped to the UK and Ireland
- 🇩🇪 German program determines your seller level on ebay.de, ebay.at and ebay.ch. Evaluation based on transactions which are shipped to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
- 🌏 Global program determines your seller level on all other eBay sites. Evaluation based on transactions which are shipped worldwide, minus those that are shipped to the US, UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
To become a Top Rated seller, you need to be an active seller who's performing well above eBay’s minimum standards on the qualifying site, as well as having an established sales history and complying with other eBay policies.
eBay will automatically upgrade you to Top Rated status on the 1st of the following month if you meet all of the criteria at your seller performance evaluation. See the criteria for each site below.
Top Rated seller in the US program
Qualifying as a US Top Rated Seller
- Your eBay account has been active for at least 90 days
- You have at least 100 transactions and $1,000 in sales with US buyers over the past 12 months
- You're complying with eBay's Selling practices policy
eBay Top Rated Plus requirements and benefits
Once you've reached Top Rated status, you can qualify your listings for these exclusive Top Rated Plus benefits if you offer same- or 1-business-day handling time and 30-day or longer free returns. You can choose to offer these in some or all listings.
For listings that qualify, you earn the following benefits:
- The Top Rated Plus seal will be displayed prominently in search results and in the listing description
- A 10% discount on your final value fees. Please note, this fee discount:
- Is calculated on the total amount of the sale, including shipping and tax
- Does not apply to the per order portion of the final value fee
- Does not apply to any additional final value fees applied to sales in categories where you're rated as Very High in your service metrics for “item not as described” returns
- Is only available to sellers who reside in the US
Free returns must be based on your item's location in order for your listings to qualify for Top Rated Plus:
- If the item location is in the US, you need to offer 30-day free domestic returns
- If the item location isn't in the US, you need to offer 30-day free international returns
In some product categories, eBay will extend the discount benefit (but not the seal) even if you don't offer 30-day free returns.
Circumstances where the discount benefit applies
See the full list
In Jewelry & Watches, and most Collectibles & Art categories, you need to offer 14-day free returns.
When you use freight shipping or sell items in the following categories, you need to offer 30-day or longer returns, but the buyer pays for return shipping:
- Books
- Motors > Automotive Tools & Supplies
- Motors > Parts & Accessories
- Movies & TV
- Music
- Musical Instruments & Gear
You don't have to accept returns for these categories:
- Business & Industrial
- Cell Phones, Smart Watches & Accessories > Cell Phone Cards & SIM Cards > Cell Phone SIM Cards
- Coins & Paper Money > Bullion
- Coins & Paper Money > Virtual Currency
- Computers, Tablets & Network Hardware > Computer Printers, Scanners & Supplies > Printer Ink, Toner & Paper > Printer Ink Cartridges
- Computers, Tablets & Network Hardware > Computer Printers, Scanners & Supplies > Printer Ink, Toner & Paper > Printer Toner Cartridges
- Computers, Tablets & Network Hardware > Computer Software
- Gift Cards & Coupons
- Home & Garden > Food & Beverages
- Home & Garden > Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living > Plants, Seeds & Bulbs > Plants & Seedlings
- Pet Supplies > Bird Supplies > Food & Treats
- Pet Supplies > Cat Supplies > Cat Food
- Pet Supplies > Dog Supplies > Dog Food
- Pet Supplies > Fish & Aquariums > Coral & Live Rock
- Pet Supplies > Fish & Aquariums > Food
- Pet Supplies > Fish & Aquariums > Live Fish
- Pet Supplies > Fish & Aquariums > Live Invertebrates
- Pet Supplies > Fish & Aquariums > Live Plants
- Pet Supplies > Small Animal Supplies > Small Animal Food
- Sporting Goods > Fishing > Baits, Lures & Flies > Live Bait
- Tickets & Experiences
- Trading Cards (Sports Trading Cards, Non-Sports Trading Cards, and Collectible Card Games)
- Wristwatches
The Top Rated Plus benefits don't apply to:
- Items listed in the Real Estate and Specialty Services categories
- Items with local pickup only
Top Rated seller in the UK program
Qualifying as a UK Top Rated Seller
- Your eBay account has been active for at least 90 days
- You have at least 100 transactions and £1,000 (€1,500) in sales during the last 12 months with UK and Irish buyers
- You're complying with eBay's Selling practices policy
- You are registered as a business seller on ebay.co.uk or ebay.ie
eBay Premium Service requirements and benefits
Once you've reached Top Rated status, you can choose to provide eBay Premium Service for some or all of your listings. Any qualifying listings will show the eBay Premium Service badge to let buyers know that you offer high levels of customer service, attract more buyers and boost conversion.
eBay also rewards sellers who uphold the highest delivery standards in the marketplace. Benefits of using eBay Premium Service include:
- Maximum visibility in Best Match search results
- 10% discount on final value fees on ebay.co.uk. Please note, this fee discount:
- Is calculated on the total amount of the sale, including shipping
- Does not apply to the per order portion of the final value fee
For your listings to qualify for eBay Premium Service, they must have:
- Shipping options:
- Free domestic delivery option within 3 working days
(Items listed under the Authenticity Guarantee programme must be received by the authentication center within 3 working days with tracking information)
- Free domestic delivery option within 3 working days
- Express delivery option within 2 working days for no more than £10
- Tracking:
- For items over £20, all of the delivery services must be designated tracked services, and valid tracking must be uploaded within the dispatch time. This includes auction-style listings and Best Offers where the final price is over £20
- Returns:
- If the item location is in the same country as the eBay site you listed on, you need to offer 30-day domestic returns
- If the item location isn't in the same country as the eBay site you listed on, you need to offer 30-day international returns
For more information, see the eBay Premium Service page.
Top Rated seller in the German program
Qualifying as a German Top Rated Seller
- Your eBay account has been active for at least 90 days
- You have at least 100 transactions and €1,000 in sales with buyers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland over the past 12 months
- You're complying with eBay's Selling practices policy
- You are registered as a business seller seller and are resident in Germany, Austria or Switzerland
eBay Plus program requirements and benefits
If you are Top Rated or Above Standard sellers and already provide excellent customer service, you are eligible to list your items through the eBay Plus program. eBay Plus is the unique buyer loyalty program. For sellers, participation in eBay Plus is free.
As an eBay Plus seller, you can enjoy the following benefits:
- Better visibility and searchability of your eBay Plus items: Your eBay Plus items will be marked with a special logo to help buyers recognize them or find them using a search filter. In addition, users receive personalized purchase suggestions with only eBay Plus items
- Marketing for eBay Plus listings: eBay promotes your eBay Plus items exclusively in sales and discount campaigns, theme areas and in monthly special newsletters that go to all eBay Plus customers
- Additional seller protection when shipping with tracking: If you upload the tracking number, eBay protects you in case of delivery delays from the shipping service provider. All negative and neutral feedback, defects and open cases resulting from a supposedly “item not received” claim will be removed
- Special conditions for return: eBay covers the return costs providing buyers with free return labels
eBay Plus listings requirements:
- Item location and return address in Germany
- Same day shipping if payment is received by 2 p.m. (Mon - Fri) and handling time of max. 1 working day
- Free fast domestic shipping: delivery in 1-2 working days if processed on the same working day or up to a maximum of 3 working days if processed the next day
- Shipping with tracking for items priced at €10.00 or more
- Fast payment method (PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay)
- 1 month or longer return: eBay activates automatic acceptance of eBay Plus returns for you and provides free return labels
- All activated listings meet the conditions for eBay return labels such as weight, package dimensions, etc.
For more information, see the eBay Plus Program page.
Top Rated seller in the Global program
Qualifying as a Global Top Rated Seller
- Your eBay account has been active for at least 90 days
- You have at least 100 or more transactions during the last 12 months with buyers all over the world except for the above countries
- You're complying with eBay's Selling practices policy
The benefits the Top Rated sellers can receive will vary depending on the site on which they are listing their items.