Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell my eBay Seller account is set up correctly as a nonprofit entity?

You can see if you’re set up correctly as a Charity Seller in My eBay. Go to the Account settings of My eBay and select the Business Information link under Personal Info.

How do I set up a new charity selling account?

If you are a charity organization registered with the CRA and have access to inventory that you want to sell on eBay, please follow the steps listed on this page.

If I'm a Charity seller, what are my selling fees?

When you list and sell items on eBay, we charge selling fees. Once eBay manages your payments, we simply charge an updated final value fee when your item sells—and there are no third-party payments processing fees.

Once your nonprofit status is verified, you will pay a final value fee at the special charity rate, calculated as 1.4% of your total amount of the sale (inclusive of tax, shipping or handling, and any other applicable fees), plus a 0.30 Canadian dollar fixed fee per order. If you have been notified to register for eBay to manage your payments, please click here to find more information on all applicable fees and how they are calculated.

Please note: In addition to Final Value Fees, you may also need to pay additional fees on eBay if you use any subscription services or optional listing upgrades. Visit our Selling fees help page for more information.

Why was I charged fees even though I'm set up as a Charity Seller?

Charities pay a final value fee at a special charity rate, with no third-party payment processing fees. Most charities’ fees should be lower overall than they were before. Your final value fee at a special charity rate will be 1.4% of your total amount of the sale, plus $0.30 per order.

Advanced listing upgrade fees such as reserve price or subtitle will be charged. Learn more about selling fees.

As a Charity Seller, when will payments for items sold be received in my charity's bank account?

Payouts are sent directly into the bank account set up for the charity. You can choose to schedule these daily as funds are available, or weekly. Regardless of how the buyer pays, payouts are consistently initiated Monday through Friday, within two (2) business days of order confirmation. Once a payout is initiated, funds will be available in your bank account within normal bank processing times, typically within 1–4 business days.

What documents or information do I need in order to register as a Charity Seller?

Keep the following information handy in order to register as a Charity Seller.

Charity organizational details:

• Charity registration number
• Registered address
• Phone number
• Email address
• Website URL
• Evidence of charity registration (such as current Articles of Incorporation that indicate the charity’s legal status)
• Charity’s logo (maximum file size of 12MB, minimum quality for jpeg/jpg of 90%)
• Charity specific details such as organization’s volunteer base, cause areas, and mission statement

Charity’s bank account details:

• Online banking access (if available)
• Account number (name on the account should match the name of the charity organization provided on eBay account)
• Transit number

Primary contact (eBay account holder) & Director/Trustee details:

• Primary contact is authorized to manage this eBay account on behalf of the charity organization. Director/Trustee has the ultimate responsibility for implementing the decisions of the organization’s governing body. This should be the same as the director/trustee entered in the organization’s governing document (for example, president, treasurer, and secretary). The primary contact and director/trustee may be the same person.
• A Director/Trustee needs to authorize the primary contact to manage all eBay related activities on behalf of the charity organization. The letter of authorization needs to be completed, printed on company letterhead, and signed by a director/trustee. The sample letter of authorization can be downloaded while going through the onboarding flow.
• The following information is required for the primary contact:
  • Full name
  • Date of birth
  • Government-issued identification (driving license)
  • Home address
  • Job title
  • Nationality
  • Letter of authorization (applicable if the primary contact is not a director/trustee)

Why do you need additional information from me?

All the information shared during registration allows us to send your payouts and comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) obligations, which helps keep eBay a trusted marketplace. Our data security procedures ensure that the information you share with us is safe. We will use and share the information you submit as described in the Payments Terms of Use. Learn more about how eBay protects your personal information in our Security Center. For more information, please check here.

How does eBay use my ID information once verification is complete?

Our data security procedures ensure that the information you share with us is safe. We’ll use and share the information you submit as described in the Payments Terms of Use. Learn more about how eBay protects your personal information in our Security Center. For more information, please visit Managed Payments.

How do I make sure that my charity's selling account is set up correctly to accept buyer payments to our bank account?

When eBay manages your payments, your payouts will go directly to your bank account. eBay will deduct fees, expenses, and other selling costs directly from your payouts before they are sent to your bank account. You can track the status of your payouts in My eBay and in Seller Hub. You can schedule payouts at a frequency you choose (daily, as funds are available, or weekly). Regardless of how the buyer pays, eBay will initiate a payout within 2 business days of confirming the buyer’s order. Check eBay help pages for information on getting paid for items you sold.

Can I be a Charity Seller for multiple charities using the same account?

If your eBay account entity type is “nonprofit,” you’ll only be able to sell for one charity using that specific account. If you are a Charity Seller for multiple charities, you’ll need to create a separate account for each organization and register them as a nonprofit. 

What does it mean when eBay manages payments, and how does it affect charity sellers?

Managing payments is the way business is done on eBay, and it’s essential to enhancing the buying and selling experience on the marketplace. It offers sellers one place to sell and get paid. For buyers, it provides more payment options like credit/debit and gift cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and PayBright. Regardless of how the buyer pays, payouts are sent to your bank within 2 business days (Monday through Friday, excluding bank holidays) of confirming the buyer’s payment. You will also be able to download and export reports from Seller Hub. If you use third-party tools, there are no changes to how you use them. Those who integrate using eBay APIs can update their integrations to view payout information. Visit here for more information.

Our charity has an active selling account. Can I set up a second selling account for our charity?

You can have multiple selling accounts for your charity. To ensure your account is set up correctly, please follow these steps:

Step 1: Gather Documentation
Make sure you have the following handy to expedite your enrollment:

• Charity details such as charity registration number, mission statement, website, logo, cause area, etc.
• Evidence of charity registration such as current Articles of Incorporation that indicate the charity’s legal status
• Bank account information and access (bank account needs to be in the registered name of the charity organization
• Letter of authorization, signed by the director/trustee, if the primary contact is not the director/trustee

Step 2: Register for eBay to Manage Your Payments

• Create an eBay business user ID for your charity’s designated seller.
• Register on eBay as a charity seller.
• Please make sure that the name, address, and charity information on your chequing account matches the name and information on your eBay account.
• Watch for a confirmation email.

Step 3: Keep Selling!

• Once your information is verified within 3-5 business days, you’re good to start selling on eBay!
• Use your social media, website, email campaigns, and more to encourage supporters to buy items that support your organization.

What reports are available when eBay manages my payments?

When eBay manages your payments, you will see consolidated sales and payment data in dashboards and reports within Seller Hub. You will also get a reporting interface which functions as a single location from which to access and pull consolidated data about your eBay transactions. You can learn more in the Help Hub.

Can I list on other countries' eBay sites such as ebay.co.uk, ebay.au, etc.?

You may create listings on select eBay sites outside of Canada, such as the United Kingdom (www.ebay.co.uk), the United States (www.ebay.com) and Germany (www.ebay.de). We will continue to expand international selling to more countries in the near future. However, international buyers can still shop on ebay.ca if you ship internationally. For more details, click here.

I'm selling on eBay for my charity. Why am I receiving invoices to pay donations?

This can happen if your eBay selling account was not registered as a nonprofit. You can see if you’re set up correctly as a Charity Seller in My eBay. Go to the Account section of My eBay and select the Business Information link under Personal Info. To get set up appropriately, you need to create an eBay business account and onboard as a nonprofit following the steps listed on this page.