How to Get Started on eBay

Sign up for an eBay account.

You'll need to register with eBay before you can buy or sell items. You'll be asked to provide your name and email address to get started. Then, you'll create a username and password for your account. To sign up for an account, visit https://signup.ebay.com/pa/crte. There are 2 types of accounts: personal and business. When you sign up, eBay will ask you to choose the type you want. If you plan on buying and casually selling items, go with the personal account. If you're going to be doing a lot of selling or opening an eBay storefront, go with the business account.

Register as a seller to receive payments.

Add your bank account information and wait for eBay to verify you. You’ll need to link your checking account to your eBay account in order to get paid. Your first name and last name on your eBay account should match the name on your checking account. eBay will also ask for your bank's name, account routing number, and account number to complete this process. eBay will send you an email to let you know you’re set up once they verify your details.

Set up your Account Preferences.

Click on Account Settings to set up your preferences. You need to do this whether you're buying or selling items, but it's especially crucial that you set up your preferences as a seller. Scroll through the drop down menu to set up the following preferences: Add a Payment Method: You can choose PayPal, direct debit, or credit card. eBay will deduct seller's fees using this payment method. As a buyer, this is the method of payment you'll use for purchases. Addresses: Update your business address, payment address, and/or shipping address (if needed). Communication preferences: Select how/when you’ll get notifications from eBay about your buying and selling activities. Site preferences: Choose the payment types you'll accept from buyers, set up shipping options for your buyers, note buyer requirements, your return preferences, and more.

List the items you'd like to sell.

You'll create a new listing for each item. Start by describing the item you're selling. Then, add high quality photos and input brand and physical details about the item. Choose whether you want to sell the item using an auction or fixed price format. Then, select which shipping options will be available, a return policy, and how you want to receive payment. If you choose to auction the item, buyers will be able to place bids on it during the specific time frame you choose. The item will go to the buyer with the highest bid when the auction ends. If you choose the "Buy It Now" option, set a fixed price for the item. Buyers won't bid against each other; whoever buys the item gets the item. Be sure to price your items competitively!

Receive payments from your customers.

You should receive payments fairly quickly after making a sale. How fast you actually get the money depends on your payment preferences and how the customer made their payment. If your buyer pays with PayPal, you'll receive the money in your PayPal account almost immediately. If they pay with an offline credit card (a credit card not associated with PayPal), processing times may vary. However, you should receive most credit card payments within the hour. To check the status of a payment, go to “My eBay” in the upper right-hand corner of your screen (when you’re logged in), click on “Sold” items, and select “Awaiting payment.” If there are issues or delays with payments, reach out to the buyer directly via email or contact eBay customer service for assistance.

Ship sold items in a timely manner.

Box up the item and ship it out according to the buyer's details. The time frame and type of shipping depends on how you set up your account parameters. Remember to ship items in the time frame you set up in your shipping preferences. Also, be sure to check the type of shipping your buyer requested: UPS shipping, USPS First Class, Priority, or Express shipping, and so on. Ship items accordingly.

Search for items you want to buy.

Type what you're looking for into the search box at the top of the page. For example, you might type in "Beatles records" if you want to buy music or "The Beatles" if you want to see all Beatles-related items for sale. You can do a general search, or search within several categories simultaneously, such as Music, Sporting Goods, or Books. Sort your results when they pop up on the page. Many searches will show several pages of results. To find what you want more quickly, sort the items by price, time left in the auction, date of listing, or payment options available.

Bid on items you want.

You can bid on the item by clicking "Place Bid." Most auctions will require bids in increments of at least 50 cents (for example, if the most recent bid is $7.00, your bid will have to be at least $7.50). You can also type in a maximum bid amount, and eBay will continue to bid for you up to that amount. This is helpful so that you don't have to sit online and continually watch the item. Some auctions will have an icon next to the price of the item that says "Buy It Now". This means that you can purchase the item for a certain price without having to get into a bidding war with another person. If an item has "Make an Offer" listed next to it, that means you can type in a price that you think is fair and see if the seller approves it. If they do, complete the purchase by paying for the item as soon as possible.

Monitor the auction as it progresses.

Check in on the auction periodically to see who else has bid. If you're no longer the highest bidder, you can raise your bid. You can continue to raise your bid, as needed, up to the end of the auction in order to win the item. eBay is a huge place, so don't get discouraged if you don't win. Similar items going up for sale all the time!

Pay for your item if you win the auction.

Take care of payment as soon as possible. If you win what you were bidding on, you'll receive an email notifying you of the sale. From there, you can follow the payment link to complete your purchase or contact the seller to discuss details of payment and shipping. Technically, you have 4 days to pay for an item. However, the sooner you pay, the better. It's considered rude to make a seller wait for payment.

Leave feedback for the seller.

You can rate your experience and leave comments about the seller. Every time you buy an item on eBay, you can leave positive, neutral, or negative feedback about the experience. You can also rate specific things like the seller's communication, cost of shipping, and so on. To leave feedback for a seller, login to your account and click on "Purchase History." Scroll down to the item in question and click on "Leave Feedback." Remember that you're leaving feedback about your experience with the seller. Feedback isn't for reviewing the item you bought/received.