eBay Glossary
Print this quick guide to the terms, acronyms and icons you'll be seeing as run your business on eBay.
About me:an eBay page that tells other users about you
Announcements board:a special online bulletin board where eBay posts timely information and updates; regular eBay users should check this board daily
Bid cancellation:the cancellation of a bid by a buyer or a seller
Bid increment:the amount by which a bid is increased each time the current bid is outdone
Bid retraction:the withdrawal of a bid; bid retractions are rarely allowed on eBay
Bidder search:a search for all the items on which a particular user has placed bids
Bidding:the act of placing a bid on a listed item
Card not present:a term used by credit card companies to describe a transaction when the seller has not seen the actual credit card; typically, this applies to Internet and mail order sales
Completed search:a search of eBay listings, which has
ended in a sale
Customer issuing bank:a financial institution that provides a customer with a credit card or other payment instrument
Cybercrime:crime related to technology, computers and the Internet
Domain name:the textual name assigned to a host on the Internet
Dutch auction:when a seller has two or more identical items offered in the same listing; also known as a Multiple Item listing
Dutch avoidance:avoiding posting a Dutch Auction by listing a single item and offering additional items for sale in the item description; this is a violation of eBay policy
Featured listing:a marketing service provided by eBay that gives listings extra exposure in the "Featured" sections at the top of listings pages
Feedback:comments made by one user about another regarding the trading experience between the two
Final value:the amount for which the item sells
Final value fee:the percentage of the final value that is paid by the seller to eBay as part of the listing fees
Gift services:an eBay service that allows you to feature your item as a gift and let buyers know that you offer services such as gift wrapping, cards and shipping directly to the recipient
Hot item:a designation that appears in search results given to nonreserve items that have received more than 30 bids; hot items are symbolized by a burning-match icon
HTML:stands for Hypertext Markup Language, a simple language used to create Web pages; can be used to enhance eBay listings
Indefinite suspension:the suspension of a user's eBay privileges for more than 60 days with no definite reinstatement date
Insertion fee:the nonrefundable fee charged by eBay to post a listing; insertion fees vary by type of listing
Internet merchant account:a special account with an issuing bank that allows a seller to accept credit cards over the Internet
Internet Service Provider (ISP):any company that provides users with access to the Internet
Item lookup:a method for searching for an item on eBay when you know the item number
Live auctions:a way to bid in real time at offline auctions through eBay
Markup:the amount by which the wholesale price of an item is increased to reach the retail price
Maximum bid:the maximum amount the buyer is willing to bid and pay for an item in a specific auction
Merge:combining several eBay User IDs (including feedback scores and comments) into one
Minimum bid:the lowest amount that can be entered as a bid for a specific auction
Mint:a subjective term used to describe an item that is in perfect condition
Multiple item listing:see Dutch Auction
Opening value:another term for a starting price
Outbid:a bidder is outbid when another bidder has placed a higher maximum bid than theirs
Outsource:hiring outside firms to provide products and services traditionally handled within a company
Password:a data string used to verify a user's identity
Payment gateway:a service that provides connectivity among merchants, customers and financial networks to process and authorize payments
Piracy:the act of illegally copying software, music or movies that are protected by copyright
Powerseller:an eBay designation for experienced, reputable eBay sellers who consistently sell a significant volume of items, maintain a 98 percent positive feedback rating, and provide a high level of service; PowerSellers are marked with icons next to their User IDs
Private listing:a type of eBay listing where the bidders' User IDs are not disclosed on the listing page or the transaction history page
Processor:a large data center that processes credit card transactions
Proxy bidding:a service that allows you to enter the maximum amount you're willing to pay for an item; the eBay system automatically places bids on your behalf, increasing your bid as necessary by standard increments to maintain your high-bid position
Reserve price:a hidden minimum amount the seller is willing to accept for a listed item
RMA:return merchandise authorization; usually a code number issued by a seller who agrees to accept a return
Shill bidding:the deliberate placing of bids to artificially raise the price of an item; shill bidding is not allowed on eBay and is illegal in many jurisdictions
Sniping:placing a bid in the closing minutes or seconds of an auction
Spam:unsolicited commercial e-mail
Starting price:the price at which bidding on an item begins; also, the lowest price a seller is willing to accept unless you have specified a Reserve Price
Supplier:a company that sells goods and services to
other companies
Trademark:any word, name, symbol or device, or any combination used or intended to be used in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or sold by others, and to indicate the source of the goods
Turbo lister:an eBay service that allows sellers to create and upload bulk item listings instead of manually entering information for each item
Unpaid item process:an online process provided by eBay through which a buyer and a seller can communicate to resolve a situation involving an Unpaid Item (aka nonpaying bidder/buyer)
User ID:an eBay nickname or screen name chosen by the user
Vendor:another term for supplier
Acronyms
BIN:Buy It Now
FS:Factory Sealed
GU:Gently Used
GW:Gently Worn
MWT:Mint With Tag(s)
NBW:Never Been Worn
NIB:New in Box
NR:No Reserve
NWT:New With Tag(s)
S/H:Shipping & Handling

Buy ItNow: The Buy It Now icon means the item has a set price forwhich it can be purchased immediately without going through thebidding process.
Camera: Acamera means that a picture of the item is included with thelisting.
PayPal:This icon shows that the seller accepts PayPal, an eBay servicethat enables users to receive and send online payments throughcredit cards and bank accounts.
PayPal's BuyerProtection Program: This icon means that the item is eligiblefor PayPal's Buyer Protection Program.
Personwith a sunburst behind the head: This icon following a User IDindicates a new eBay user, and also alerts the seller that the newuser might need a little extra patience and assistance.
PictureFrame: A small picture frame means that the item is featured ineBay's gallery. It also means that you can see the item'sphoto in search results and browse listings.
PowerSeller: A blue silhouette in a gold star next to theword PowerSeller indicates that the user has achieved a certainlevel of sales volume and performance status within eBay.
RisingSun: A Rising Sun icon indicates that the item has been listedwithin the past 24 hours. New item icons are removed after thelisting is 24 hours old.
Two peoplewith an arrow between them: This is the Changed ID icon, whichindicates a member who has changed his or her User ID within thelast 30 days.
Wrapped Present: The Wrapped Present icon means the sellerwants to highlight the item as a potential gift, as well as offerassociated Gift Services.