Introducing A2X for eBay

It all started with a broken laser pointer.

In 1995, Pierre Omidyar saw potential. The internet was still fairly new, but perhaps this giant network could be a good opportunity for commerce.

He tried it out, listing a laser pointer for $1 on his originally-named Auction Web, which was soon driven up to sell for $14.83. Perhaps there was something here. 

By early 1996, eBay had become a million dollar company. Now, at only a quarter of a century old, its market capitalization sits at around $29b.

We are delighted to announce the launch of A2X for eBay, helping eBay sellers across the world manage their accounts seamlessly.

Read on to find out more about the opportunities that come with selling on eBay, and how to get on top of your accounting with A2X for eBay:

• The benefits of selling on eBay.
• How to get started selling on eBay.
• Tips for selling more on eBay.
• The key benefits of using A2X for your eBay bookkeeping.
• How to set up A2X for eBay.

The Benefits of Selling on eBay

eBay and Amazon were both founded in 1995. Amazon back then specialized in selling books, and eBay had few other competitors in the ecommerce selling space at first. 

As we know, this is no longer the case - by a long shot. eBay is now up against giants like Amazon, Walmart (whose relatively new marketplace has taken the ecommerce industry by storm) and Shopify, to name a few. 

With these kinds of competitors, what could give eBay an edge for sellers, and why should you consider the platform if you aren’t already using it? 

• The Auction Format: what eBay is known for (although you do have the ‘Buy It Now’ option available too). Particularly good for rare or collectible items, the auction format allows buyers to bargain for products and may result in higher profits. It can also move your inventory quickly, if you need faster sales. 
• Simple and Quick Set-Up: your eBay store can be set up and ready to go in a matter of minutes. Great for newer sellers to get started and build on over time. Scroll down for a step-by-step on this process. 
• Competitive Fees: there are six subscription options for sellers on eBay, starting from as low as $4.95/month. You then have insertion fees (approximately $0.35c per listing), final value fees (around 10%) and if you choose, listing upgrade fees. These are relatively easy to stay on top of compared to some other platforms. 
• eBay Managed Payments: eBay’s new Managed Payments system eliminates the extra fee previously paid to PayPal for a transaction, saving sellers a little in the process. It gives buyers more payment options, generates reports on your financials, provides tax documentation, and allows direct transfer to your bank account, saving you time. Plus, with A2X now able to integrate with Managed Payments, you can level up these bookkeeping tools even further - more on this, below.
• Third-party Sellers Only: sellers on eBay escape the added challenge of competing with own-brand products like Amazon Essentials for example, being a platform for third-party sellers only. 
• More Global Reach: typically, more than half of eBay’s annual sales revenue is generated from its 60 million buyers outside the US, setting it apart. Sellers are able to choose to list their items on international eBay sites, expanding their reach and tapping into that huge overseas customer base. 
• Global Shipping Program: reaching international customers requires international fulfilment, and eBay delivers. You will need to meet a few criteria to be eligible for the program, including earning a rating of Above Standard or higher. If eligible, your items may be covered by eBay’s Money Back Guarantee, and any bad feedback received due to mistakes in the handling will be automatically removed from your store. 
• Highest Mobile Reach (for Android): approximately 6.27% of Android users can be reached with the eBay app compared to Amazon’s 0.97% and Walmart’s 1.78%. Those numbers may look small, but with mobile ecommerce sales expected to make up around 54% of total ecommerce sales by 2021 - they add up. And don’t underestimate the portion of people using android; the number of Android smartphone users is forecast to reach 130 million in 2021 and only just lost the top spot to iOS at the beginning of 2020.
• More Room for New Brands and Private Label Sellers: large established brands flock to sell on platforms like Amazon, flooding the seller space and making things a little tougher for the smaller or younger businesses to cut through. Sellers still developing their customer base and brand might have more success on eBay, as may private label sellers, due to a few changes in eBay’s offering.  
• More Room for the Miscellaneous: eBay has the option for sellers to select “does not apply” when they can’t find a product identifier relevant to their listed item. There are also no ‘gated categories’ as found on other ecommerce platforms (but there are some prohibited and restricted products to be aware of). 
• Diversifies Your Portfolio: diversification is a great step to grow and future-proof your ecommerce business. Having all your virtual business eggs in one basket is never a good idea. Not only can you sell more stuff by branching out, but you can protect yourself from complications if you are suddenly suspended on one site. You can also expand your reach and learn more about your customers’ buying behavior beyond one platform, and ultimately grow your brand awareness and loyalty.

How to Get Started with eBay

All you need to sell on eBay is an email address. No approvals needed, no wait times - you can set up and begin selling in minutes.

1. You can create an account with eBay using Facebook, Google or Apple, or with just your email address here. You will be able to choose between a personal or business account, based on how much you intend to sell. 
2. Once your account is created, you can create your first listing. You can easily upload photos and make a listing via the mobile app too. It’s a good idea to do a little research first and see what similar items sell for, and to see what shipping options your competitors might offer. More tips on how to sell below. 
3. You will need to name your item, choose its category and condition, add photos and select the Buy It Now or Auction options. eBay’s quick listing tool can help for new sellers learning the basics. 

And that’s it - easy as 1, 2, 3. Of course, there are great tips and tricks to really nailing your eBay listings and getting those sales up, beyond the basic steps here. We’ll explore a few of those below so that you can get off to the strongest start. 

Tips for Selling More on eBay

You’ve seen how easy it is to sell on eBay, and a lot of people are doing it - so standing out from the crowd is crucial. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can do that. 

• Optimize your listings: start with correct spelling and grammar - sounds silly and obvious, but easy mistakes can instantly compromise your credibility. Then, look at SEO for eBay listings. You want to be found easily, and using keywords to do this organically is a great way to drive traffic without spending loads on ads.  
• Use eBay’s upgrade options: eBay offers the option to add subtitles and galleries for an extra charge to your listings. You might find that these small extra investments really make a difference over time to your brand awareness. 
• Research competitors: with over 182 million sellers on eBay already, you probably aren’t selling much that’s totally unique. See what competitors are doing, beyond just pricing - would free shipping help you stand out? Perhaps offer bulk discounts or bundles for larger orders? Give customers as many reasons as possible to choose you. 
• Create a brand: you want people to come back to you. By creating a professional brand and identity, you can begin to position yourself in the mind of your customers when they search for certain products. Choose a professional username, consider creating a logo and listing software will help keep your listings consistent and visually appealing. 
• Create a store: if you are a more ambitious long-term seller, consider setting up an eBay store. You will be able to customize your look and feel for customers, have access to extra deals and discounts, and upsell or cross-selling to customers that visit your listings. 
• Pay attention to high-performing categories: if you’re unsure where to start with products on eBay or what to sell, research which categories people tend to buy more from specific to the platform. For eBay, that tends to be “Electronics and Accessories”, closely followed by “Clothing and Accessories”. This might help to inform your inventory decisions. 

A2X for eBay

Accounting for any ecommerce seller can be a challenging and time consuming process. 

Connecting your accounting software up with your ecommerce platform is a great first step. But without knowing how much you have paid in fees, lost in reimbursements or collected in sales tax, reconciliation becomes a nightmare. Plus, any growth strategy may be based on inaccurate data. 

A2X for eBay imports your eBay Managed Payments payouts and presents them in your accounting software in a detailed, organised way solving all these problems. You will have a breakdown of all the information you need at the touch of a button. 

Benefits of using A2X for eBay include:

• Perfect reconciliation of eBay Managed Payments.
• Automatic import of accurate eBay Managed Payments data which is then summarized for your accounting software.
• Scales with your business, keeping your books organized and preventing your accounting software from getting clogged up with individual orders.
• Supports all eBay sites worldwide.
• Also supports Amazon, Shopify and Walmart, so you can connect all your marketplaces in one place if you sell on multiple platforms.
• Supports multi-currency sellers and helps you manage varying tax rates.

The best news? You can try out A2X for eBay absolutely free today, and see how much easier it will make your bookkeeping. 

Step by Step Setup for A2X and eBay

1. Create your A2X for eBay account here. 

2. If you are new to A2X, you will be asked for some details to set up your account. If you are already using A2X, you’ll be asked to “Continue with New Account”. 

3. After inputting your details, you will be taken to your A2X dashboard. You now want to connect to eBay.

4. You will be redirected to sign into your eBay Seller Hub account, and asked to grant access permission for A2X. 
5. Once connected, you will be redirected back to A2X and your first payouts will begin to appear. This process can take as little as ten minutes, to a few hours for larger sellers.
6. Once listed, your payouts will appear as below.

7. The next step is to connect A2X to your accounting software. 
8. You can then set up tax mapping, so that all items are correctly and automatically coded as they arrive to your accounting software.’
9. Test your system - try sending your first journal from A2X to eBay.
10. After getting set up and seeing how simple A2X can make your accounting, check out the types of subscriptions available and what would best suit your business.
11. A2X reports on your Cost of Goods Sold, a useful feature for ecommerce sellers to track inventory margins. Enable this feature here.

Click here to find out more about A2X for eBay and start your free trial.