About eBay Power Sellers

An eBay PowerSeller is a seller that consistently sells a specific dollar amount of merchandise or a specific number of items through the site each month. For many on eBay, becoming a PowerSeller is a personal monetary goal.

Types

There are five types of PowerSellers. The lowest level, Bronze, requires that the seller sell $1,000 in merchandise every month for three months in a row, or sell at least 100 items each month during that period. The Silver level requires $3,000 in sales or 300 items. Reaching the Gold level requires $10,000 in sales or 1,000 items sold. The Platinum PowerSeller level requires $25,000 in sales each month or 2,500 items sold. The highest level, Titanium, requires the seller to sell $150,000 or 15,000 items per month.

Significance

Once sellers sell enough through the site each month for three months and meet the other requirements, they are allowed to use the PowerSeller icon on their listings. This shows buyers that the seller is a professional with a history of high volume sales. The PowerSeller icon is thought to instill confidence in buyers and to boost sales to PowerSellers. It also gives sellers access to a private, PowerSeller-only forum where they can learn from other high volume sellers.

Benefits

PowerSellers receive a small savings on some of their eBay fees. The fee savings is based on the sellers' ratings from customers. Each of the four feedback ratings must be 4.6/5 or higher in order to receive a discount. PowerSellers who maintain 4.6 ratings for 30 days are given a 5 percent discount on their eBay commission fees. PowerSellers who keep 4.8 ratings for 30 days get a 15 percent discount. PowerSellers who keep at least a 4.9 are given a 20 percent discount.

Considerations

There are ways that a PowerSeller can lose his status while maintaining the same sales level. A requirement of keeping status is to maintain a high overall feedback rating. A 98 percent positive rating is required to stay in the PowerSeller program. A PowerSeller must also follow eBay listing and bidding rules. A PowerSeller is allowed a specific number of infractions before the status is taken. In any 60-day period, Bronze sellers are allowed four, Silver and Gold sellers are allowed five, Platinum sellers are allowed six and Titanium sellers are allowed seven.

Prevention/Solution

To stay in the PowerSeller program, paying close attention to customer service is important. Because buyers can now leave a negative without being given one in return, the need for good customer service is greater than even in order to keep feedback scores at 98 percent and above. To do this, always make sure that a transaction ends with a happy buyer. This means describing items accurately, cleaning items before selling them and shipping them as quickly as possible.