(Applicable to eBay US & UK)
Online shoppers are accustomed to adding items to a shopping cart—and they're often motivated to buy more—that's why we're bringing it to eBay. The new eBay shopping cart works with both Fixed Price and Auction-style items. Buyers can add multiple items and pay in one easy checkout—making it easier and more likely for them to buy more. It will become the standard way to shop on eBay before the 2011 holiday season.
- eBay's shopping cart supports all forms of approved payments on eBay. Buyers can use the cart for both Auction-style and Fixed Price items.
- For sellers, the eBay shopping cart is a great way to upsell and cross-sell. Buyers can easily add more of your items to their cart.
- The shopping cart eliminates virtually all unpaid items for Fixed Price listings. Fixed Price items added to a buyer's cart but not paid for remain available for other buyers to purchase—your listing stays active until payment is sent.
- You can opt in now to try out the new cart. It will be available to more buyers in the coming weeks.
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- As a seller, you don't need to do anything or alter your listings in any way--buyers simply add them to their cart.
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- Always specify shipping for key export countries such as Canada, Australia and the UK. This is an even greater advantage in the cart. Buyers who have all the shipping information they need can check out faster. As always, offering a range of domestic shipping options also helps ensure faster checkout. Note if you do not specify shipping, buyers will still be able to request their total from you via the cart.
- Offer free shipping where it makes sense to do so.
- Specify combined shipping rules in My eBay and not just in the item description text to make check-out more efficient for buyers. Properly specified combined shipping discounts will be prominently displayed in the cart.
- Use multi-quantity Fixed Price listings for items with variations such as colour or size. A buyer can place the multi-quantity listing in the cart, browse through the variations, select the one they want, then quickly move through checkout.
| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
Why is eBay introducing a shopping cart?
Today's online buyers are accustomed to and expect to have a shopping cart to combine items in their shopping session and pay in one easy checkout. A shopping cart can actually encourage buyers to consider other items before checking out and buy more with each visit. For sellers, a shopping cart eliminates almost all unpaid items for your Fixed Price listings, ensuring items aren't removed from your inventory until the buyer pays.
When will the shopping cart be available on eBay?
It's available now for buyers to try out. In the coming weeks, buyers will be transitioned slowly to the shopping cart. The goal is to have the cart be the standard way to shop and buy on eBay before the 2011 holiday season.
If my buyer uses the shopping cart to make a purchase from me, will I see or experience anything different?
No, for you as a seller, the experience will be the same as it is today. In fact, some of your buyers may have already purchased from you using the cart.
How does eBay's shopping cart work for Fixed Price and Auction-style items?
On Fixed Price listings, your buyers will see an “Add to Cart” button instead of a “Buy It Now” button. Buyers simply click this button to add items to their cart. Auction-style listings are automatically added to a buyer's cart once they place a bid. Buyers can add items from the same or different sellers to their cart. They can check out and pay for all the items in their cart at once, or check out on selected items and save others for later—for example, an Auction-style listing that is not yet ended.
For Fixed Price items, buyers see an “Add to cart” button. Auction-style items are automatically added when the buyer places a bid. Buyers can access their cart from the top of any page on eBay for quick checkout.
Can buyers pay for items from more than one seller or different types of transactions in one payment?
If items from different sellers in a buyer's cart all accept the same payment method (such as PayPal), the buyer can pay for all the items in the cart with a single payment. They can also pay for different types of transactions (won Auction-style listings, Fixed Price and Best Offer items) all at the same time.
How does the cart help eliminate unpaid items for Fixed Price listings? What if a buyer adds an item to their cart and doesn't check it out?
Buyers will no longer be able to commit to purchase your Fixed Price listings without paying for them first. Fixed Price items added to a buyer's cart but not paid for remain available for other buyers to purchase—your listing stays active until payment is sent.
How can I try the shopping cart?
You can opt in as a buyer for your own purchases. However, as a seller, you cannot opt in or out of having your items added to the cart.
Can sellers opt out of having their items be added to a shopping cart?
No, there is no way for sellers to opt out of having their items added to a shopping cart. Buyers who have voluntarily opted into the cart can opt out at any time by going to their shopping cart and clicking the “opt out” link near the top right of the page.
Can buyers add items from different sellers to their shopping cart?
Yes, buyers can add items from more than one seller to their cart and pay for all the items in a single payment if all sellers accept the same payment method. Each item will show up as a separate purchase with its own item number and the seller's user ID associated with it, exactly as it does today in My eBay. If a buyer puts multiple listings from the same seller in their cart, these items are grouped together within the cart.
How do Auction-style listings work with the shopping cart?
Auction-style listings are automatically added to a buyer's shopping cart once they place a bid. The winning bidder pays for the item from their cart at the end of the Auction-style listing, just like a Fixed Price item.
Ended Auction-style listings that you lost remain in your cart until you remove them. If you were the successful bidder, the item remains in your cart until you pay for it.
Are there items that can't be added to a shopping cart?
Yes. Items listed in the following categories can't be added to a shopping cart:
- Motors Vehicles
- Real Estate listings
- Mature Audiences listings
- Classified Format Listings
- International items listed in foreign currencies
When a buyer puts a Fixed Price item in their cart, are they committed to purchasing it?
No. The buyer is not committed until they pay. Fixed Price items that have been added to a buyer's cart but not paid for remain available for purchase to other buyers. The buyer who checks out and pays first gets the item. As always, if a buyer bids on an Auction-style item, they are committed to purchase if they win.
Are my specified shipping costs shown in the shopping cart?
Any applicable shipping costs athat would be shown to a buyer in eBay Checkout are also shown in the shopping cart.
Can buyers remove my item from their cart?
Yes. There is a “Remove” link below each item in the shopping cart. Buyers can click this link to remove items from their cart. Any item can be removed from the shopping cart except completed successful Auction-style listings and Best Offers that have been accepted. These can't be removed from a buyer's cart because they've already committed to pay for them. Fixed Price items in the cart automatically disappear once they are showing as paid within My eBay. They will still be available in My eBay for the same amount of time as they are today.)
If you are outbid on an Auction-style listing, you are free to remove the item from your cart or bid again .
If you haven't specified shipping charges for an item and the buyer wants to checkout with that item using the cart, they'll need to request an invoice from you with the shipping amount included. Buyers can do so by clicking the “Request total from seller” link next to the seller's ID in the shopping cart.
As always, the best practice is to specify shipping for all your markets. eBay is expanding the number of international shipping options from three to five in May, making it easier for you to specify shipping to multiple international markets. For heavier items, consider using a calculated international shipping service for overseas buyers, and another for Canadian buyers. These will automatically quote the correct rate based on the buyer's location.
Does the eBay shopping cart only work with PayPal?
During the initial phase, PayPal will be the only method of payment for use in the cart. Other eBay-approved payment methods – such as ProPay, Moneybookers, Paymate and credit or debit cards processed through a seller's merchant credit card account – will be supported later this summer.
Do third party checkout listings work with the shopping cart?
Yes. Buyers will be routed through third party checkout separately from the other items in their shopping cart. Note that
third party checkout will no longer be supported on eBay as of June 30, 2011 (US Pacific Time) .
How does combined shipping work with the shopping cart?
Because items are grouped by seller in the shopping cart, any applicable combined shipping rules will be applied and displayed prominently in the cart, to help highlight savings to the buyer. Sellers should
specify combined shipping rules in My eBay (and not just in the item description text) to make checkout more efficient for buyers. Combined shipping discounts that are properly specified will be prominently displayed in the cart.
Do I need to use Immediate Pay with the shopping cart?
No, with the eBay shopping cart, all your Fixed Price listings act as Immediate Pay listings for buyers who are using the cart, regardless of whether you listed with Immediate Pay.
However, we recommend you continue to use Immediate Pay in the same way you do today on your Fixed Price and Buy It Now listings. Immediate Pay will still apply to buyers who are not yet using the shopping cart and, if you sell internationally, on other eBay sites where a shopping cart is not yet available.
What do I need to do to prepare my listings for the shopping cart?
Nothing. There is no new action you need to take to prepare your listings for shopping cart. Just follow the best practice below to make it easy for buyers to check out.
How can I use shopping cart to increase my sales?
All of the same
best practices for increasing sales still apply. Some best practices—especially especially those around shipping—are even more important. For example:
- Specifying shipping for key export countries such as Canada, Australia and the UK becomes an even greater advantage in the cart. Buyers who have all the shipping information they need can check out faster and easier. As always, offering a range of domestic shipping options ensures quicker checkout as well. (If you do not specify shipping, buyers will still be able to request their total from you via the cart.)
- Offer free shipping where it makes sense to do so.
- Specify combined shipping rules in My eBay and not just in the item description text to make check-out more efficient for buyers. Properly specified combined shipping discounts will be prominently displayed in the cart.
- Use multi-quantity Fixed Price listings for items with variations such as colour or size. A buyer can place the multi-quantity listing in the cart, browse through the variations, select the one they want, then quickly move through checkout.
How will merchandising work in the shopping cart?
The new eBay shopping cart provides a powerful platform for generating add-on purchases from buyers. Merchandising functionality is still in development and will be added to the cart over time once the test phase is completed. Best practices will be shared with sellers for successful cross-merchandising.
Can I tell when a buyer adds one of my items to their shopping cart?
No.
I opted out of eBay's multi-seller checkout. What happens to my listings with shopping cart?
Because purchasing items from more than one seller in one shopping session is central to the shopping cart, sellers will no longer be able to opt out of multi-seller checkout.
