eBay Top Rated Seller in the US: the requirements, Top Rated Plus and how to get there

What does eBay Top Rated Seller US status require?

eBay sets out the eBay Top Rated Seller US requirements on its Top Rated Seller Program page. You need all of the following at the same evaluation:

eBay's export site adds that you must comply with eBay's selling practices policy. Once you meet the requirements, eBay says it will automatically upgrade you to Top Rated status at your next evaluation. There is nothing to apply for.

How does eBay evaluate US sellers?

eBay's export site page on seller levels and performance standards says evaluations happen on the 20th of each month. The period depends on your volume:

• Fewer than 400 sales in the previous 3 months: a 12-month evaluation period.
• 400 or more sales in the previous 3 months: a 3-month evaluation period.

The same page sets the minimum standards for all sellers: a transaction defect rate of no more than 2% and no more than 2 cases closed without seller resolution, or 0.3% of transactions. Top Rated is well above that level. Between the two sits Above Standard, which means you are meeting eBay's expectations.

Falling below the minimum is expensive. eBay's seller fees page says that if your account is Below Standard at the evaluation on the 20th, an additional 6% is added to final value fees on sales in the following calendar month.

What does each US metric measure?

Transaction defect rate

The share of your transactions with a defect, such as an order you cancelled because you could not supply it, or a case closed without your resolution. Keeping listings in stock is the single biggest lever here. Our guide to the eBay transaction defect rate lists what counts.

Late shipment rate

The share of transactions treated as shipped late. This is why your handling time matters so much: it is the promise your shipment is measured against. Set one you meet every time, not your best case. Our guide to eBay handling time explains how to choose it.

Cases closed without seller resolution

Cases where eBay stepped in and found for the buyer because you did not resolve the problem. Answering quickly and offering a fair fix before a buyer escalates keeps this at zero.

Tracking uploaded and validated

Tracking must be uploaded within your handling time, and the carrier must validate it, meaning the carrier's system shows the parcel being accepted and moving. Tracking numbers that are uploaded late, mistyped or never scanned all count against you. See our guide to adding a tracking number on eBay.

What is Top Rated Plus and what does it give you?

Top Rated is a seller status. Top Rated Plus is a benefit for individual listings from a Top Rated seller. A listing qualifies when it offers both:

• same or one-business-day handling; and
• a 30-day or longer free return period.

eBay's export site adds that for US item locations you need 30-day free domestic returns, and for non-US item locations 30-day free international returns.

Qualifying listings get the Top Rated Plus seal, shown in search results and in the listing, and a 10% discount on final value fees. According to eBay's export site, the discount applies to the total amount of the sale including shipping and tax, excludes the per-order part of the fee, and is available only to US residents.

Is Top Rated Plus worth it?

Compare what you gain with what it costs. The gain is the seal and 10% off the final value fee on qualifying sales. The costs are free returns, which you pay for when buyers send items back, and one-day handling, which you must meet every time or risk late shipments. A seller with low return rates and same-day dispatch usually gains. A seller whose supply needs two or three days to dispatch should not shorten handling time just to qualify, because late shipments would cost more than the discount saves.

A worked example

Example, with hypothetical numbers: suppose you had 250 transactions with US buyers in the last 3 months and about 900 in the last 12 months, worth well over $1,000. With fewer than 400 sales in 3 months, eBay looks at the last 12 months.

1. Defects: 0.5% of 900 is 4.5, but the program also says three or fewer defects from unique buyers. Keep defects to three buyers or fewer in the year.
2. Cases closed without seller resolution: two or fewer, and 0.3% or less.
3. Late shipments: five or fewer, and 3% or less. Five late shipments in a year is not many, so handling time is the metric to protect.
4. Tracking: 95% of 900 is 855, so no more than 45 US transactions can lack on-time, carrier-validated tracking.

On a 12-month window, a bad week stays on your record for a year. That is the main reason smaller sellers find Top Rated hard to win back once lost.

How does the US programme differ from eBay UK?

Sellers who trade on both sites often assume the rules match. Several differ in ways that change what you have to do.

Performance with buyers on each site is judged separately, so you can be Top Rated on one and not the other. If you sell on both, watch both Performance tabs.

How do you get to Top Rated in the US?

1. Build the sales history. You need 100 transactions and $1,000 with US buyers over 12 months, on an account at least 90 days old.
2. Set realistic handling times. Measure how long you really take to dispatch, including weekends and supplier delays, and set the handling time from that.
3. Upload tracking the day you ship. Use a carrier that scans at acceptance so the tracking validates.
4. Keep stock accurate. If you cannot supply an item, set the quantity to zero before a buyer pays for it.
5. Resolve problems yourself. Reply to every buyer issue quickly, and offer a return, replacement or refund before a case is escalated.
6. Check the Performance tab weekly. Seller Hub shows your current figures, so you can act before the 20th.

If you source from a retailer, know the rule as well: eBay's drop shipping policy allows dropshipping from a wholesale supplier, but listing an item and then buying it from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your buyer is not allowed. In every case you are responsible for delivery within the time in your listing and for the buyer's satisfaction. US sellers should also know the FTC's rule on shipping times; our guide to the FTC 30 day shipping rule explains it.

A quick checklist

• Account active 90 days, with 100 transactions and $1,000 with US buyers in 12 months.
• Defect rate at or under 0.5%, with three or fewer defects from unique buyers.
• Two or fewer cases closed without seller resolution, and 0.3% or less.
• Late shipments five or fewer and 3% or less.
• Tracking uploaded within handling time and carrier-validated for 95% of US transactions.
• For Top Rated Plus: same or one-business-day handling and 30-day or longer free returns.