Why are seller metrics necessary?
In the vast majority of cases sales go smoothly. When you follow selling best practices and make sure the items you list are in stock, you work with a customer when an issue arises, and you ship within your stated handling time, your buyers can shop with confidence and have a great experience.
All eBay's performance metrics and requirements are intended to encourage good selling practices and maintain the good reputation of the marketplace. On the other hand, your buyers' experience can have a significant impact on your business.
On this page, you will find the overview of seller metrics: some of them simply help you monitor your eBay business, while others may trigger the consequences — additional incentives or, conversely, restrictions and limitations.
Service metrics
It is one of the two basic programs of monthly evaluation, based on recent sales. In Service metrics, eBay provides detailed insights and peer benchmarks to indicate how well you're performing compared to others with a similar selling profile.
Find out more
Evaluation scope
Service metrics are provided for all sellers on ebay.com as well as most eBay international sites.
The evaluation cycle and the way eBay calculates your service metrics and peer benchmark are the same on all sites. If you list items on different sites, you'll see separate service metrics for each one.
Please note that eBay will only calculate service metrics for you if it has enough data.
What is being measured?
For this evaluation, two numbers are measured:
- Item Not Received (INR) requests. It means how many times your buyers report that an item hasn't arrived or was not available for collection
- Item Not as Described (INAD) returns. It means how many times your buyers request a return because an item doesn't match the listing
Please note that eBay analyzes recent sales, and looks at how many of those buyers reported a problem with their order, regardless of whether the issue was resolved or not.
What is the policy?
| Evaluation frequency | Evaluation window |
|---|---|
| On the 20th of each month | 3 or 12 months period depending on the number of transactions in the previous 3 months |
Rather than simply calculating INR and INAD rates as a percentage of your sales, eBay compares your rates to those of sellers with similar items, prices, shipping options and terms of sale on the same eBay site. As a result, for each of two service metrics, you receive the indicator that gives you an idea of how well you're preventing buyer issues, compared to your peers: Low, Average, High, Very High.
Use the Service metrics dashboard to see your service metrics and where you can improve.
Evaluation consequence
Other eBay members can't see your service metrics. But eBay may place some limitations on your selling activity, including extended delivery dates or higher final value fees, if your “Item not received” rate or “Item not as described” return rate is significantly worse than your peers and is evaluated as Very High.
Fair evaluation and seller protections
Peer benchmarking helps identify sellers whose rates of “Item not received” reports or “Item not as described” returns are statistical outliers. Your service metrics ratings need to be statistically meaningful and substantially worse than your peer group in order for limitations to be applied, so individual reports/requests shouldn't adversely affect your account standing.
In certain circumstances, eBay may remove INR reports or INAD return requests from service metrics and/or adjust a rating so that it won't affect your account. If you believe a buyer is not following eBay’s policies, you can always report the buyer and eBay will look into it.
Metrics in Seller standards program
Seller standards is the second basic type of monthly evaluation for sellers. And just like the Service metrics program, it is based on recent sales. The difference is that the sellers' performance is not compared with other sellers, but with the minimum eBay’s requirements.
Find out more
Evaluation scope
A seller standards evaluation is applied to all eBay sellers worldwide, with transactions assessed based on the country the item is sent to and counted into one of four regional programs (either global or local, but not both at once). All sellers on eBay are required to meet minimum standards, regardless of which eBay site they are using. The evaluation cycle and the metrics are the same across all programs, but requirements and limitations can slightly vary.
What is being measured?
For this evaluation, the following metrics are measured:
- Cases closed without seller resolution
When a buyer reports that an item hasn't arrived or requests a return, the seller is responsible for providing a resolution. A case closed without seller resolution means that the seller didn't resolve the buyer's issue, eBay stepped in to review the case, and the seller was found responsible. - Transaction defect rate
A transaction is considered a defect if:- The seller cancels the order unexpectedly (e.g. because it was out of stock, or because they sold it to someone else)
- The buyer reports an issue, but the seller doesn't resolve it (a case closed without seller resolution, as defined above)
- Late shipment rate
To help ensure items arrive on time (not later than an estimated delivery date [link to the new article “Delivery date options for sellers”]), sellers are responsible for shipping items within their stated handling time, using the delivery service selected by the buyer. How late shipment transactions are accounted for depends on whether you've uploaded tracking information from an integrated carrier. - Tracking uploaded on time and validated
A percentage of transactions that have tracking uploaded within handling time and validated by the carrier.
Please note again that not every transaction where you have an issue for INR (Item not received) or INAD (Item not as described) reasons becomes an INR or INAD (Significantly Not as Described) defect. The transaction will receive a defect only if a seller doesn't come to terms with the buyer and eBay has to ultimately make a decision on the case, and it rules in favor of the buyer.
What is the policy?
| Evaluation frequency | Evaluation window |
|---|---|
| On the 20th of each month | 3 or 12 months period depending on the number of transactions in the previous 3 months |
eBay evaluates your individual performance on areas within your control each month based on your recent sales, and then compares your rates with minimum and optimal seller requirements and assigns you one of the following seller levels: Top Rated, Above Standard, Below Standard.
- Below Standard status is determined by two main metrics: Cases closed without seller resolution and Transaction defect rate. Going beyond the thresholds of other metrics on their own won't cause your account to be evaluated as Below Standard
- A low Late shipment rate and high percentage of transactions with tracking uploaded are required for Top Rated status
Use the Seller dashboard to see your current seller level, as well as what it would be if we evaluated you today.
Evaluation consequence
If you are Top Rated, this will be shown in your feedback profile. Otherwise, other eBay members can't see your seller level. Once you've reached Top Rated status, you can qualify your listings for the exclusive Top Rated Plus benefits.
If your monthly evaluation shows that you are not meeting eBay's minimum standards, it may put limitations on your selling activity until your performance improves. E.g., you may be charged higher final value fees, lower your selling limits, your funds from your orders may be placed on hold, eBay may place selling restrictions on your account. Some limitations are applied straight away after the evaluation, while others take effect from the 1st of the following month.
Fair evaluation and seller protections
To evaluate your overall performance as accurately and fairly as possible eBay adjusts the evaluation period according to how much you sell, and only counts transactions where the buyer has paid. There can only be one defect per transaction. Also for your transaction defect and late shipment rates, eBay takes into account how many unique buyers are involved.
If a defect on your account is eligible to be removed, eBay will automatically remove it within 72 hours. If the defect isn’t removed automatically, you may be able to appeal, depending on the circumstances.
Shipping performance policy — INR rate
This is an additional evaluation for sellers from certain regions. It is similar in meaning to the INR service metric, but the way eBay calculates this rate differs. eBay is conducting this assessment starting October 2024.
Find out more
Evaluation scope
Only sellers having their registered address in the following regions are being evaluated: HiPO, India, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Korea.
What is being measured?
For this evaluation, eBay is measuring the INR rate, namely, the percentage of transactions where a buyer reported that the item didn't arrive or was not available for collection.
What is the policy?
| Evaluation frequency | Evaluation window |
|---|---|
| Wednesday on a fortnightly basis | Two evaluation period: transactions with an estimated delivery date that falls within the 90 day or 30 day period ending on the Saturday immediately before the evaluation date |
In addition to the evaluation frequency and windows, this rate differs from the INR service metric in that it occurs separately for deliveries to a number of countries and regions, as well as overall for all countries.
For each of the evaluation windows and regions of delivery, the INR rate will be compared with the corresponding market average and, based on the result, one of the indicators will be assigned: Action taken, Non-compliant, Compliant.
You can check your evaluation results on the CBT Seller Dashboard.
Evaluation consequence
Sellers with a higher than market average INR rate (“Action taken” indicator) may be subject to a range of actions, such as eBay ending or removing your listings, enforcing buying or selling restrictions, adjusting your selling limits and/or suspending all relevant accounts.
The indicator “Non-compliant” also means exceeding the market average INR rate, but eBay will hold action this cycle.
Service standard policy — BBE rate
This is another additional evaluation for sellers from certain regions. Sellers are evaluated on the number of transactions with bad buyer experience associated with various situations. eBay is conducting this assessment starting in December 2023.
Find out more
Evaluation scope
Only sellers having their registered address in the listed countries are being evaluated.
What is being measured?
The rate of transactions with BBE is defined by four metrics:
- Significantly Not as Described (SNAD). It means how many times your buyer returned an item and gave a return reason that indicates “Item Not as Described”
- Stock-Out Cancellation (Stock-Out). It means how many times you canceled a transaction because you no longer had the item, or the item was never shipped, and the buyer's money was returned
- Low Detailed Seller Ratings (Low DSR). It means how many times a buyer left a Detailed Seller Rating score of 1, 2, or 3 for “Item as Described”
OR
- Neutral/Negative Feedback (NNFB). It means how many times a buyer left Neutral or Negative feedback for you
What is the policy?
| Evaluation frequency | Evaluation window |
|---|---|
| Wednesday on a weekly basis | 12 weeks period commencing on the last Saturday before the last week of the evaluation date |
A transaction is considered a BBE transaction when any of the above happens and one transaction will be only evaluated once. The BBE rate is defined as the percentage of BBE transactions out of all transactions in the evaluation window.
The BBE rate will be compared with the peer market average and, based on the result, one of the indicators will be assigned: Action taken, Warning, Non-compliant, Compliant.
You can check your evaluation result on the CBT Seller Dashboard.
Evaluation consequence
Sellers with a higher than market BBE rate (“Action taken” indicator) may be subject to a range of actions, including, but not limited to administratively ending or removing listings, adjusting selling limits, holding the payment, enforcing buying or selling restrictions, or suspending the relevant accounts.
The indicators “Warning” and “Non-compliant” also mean exceeding the peer market average. In the first case sellers must strengthen the product and service control and improve buyers’ buying experience, otherwise eBay may take action. In the second case, eBay may not take action because the account is currently restricted by other eBay policies, or for other reasons.