How to become an eBay Top Rated Seller and get the 10% fee discount (2026)
Seller levels, Top Rated requirements, Top Rated Plus listing requirements and what the 10% discount is really worth; how to keep the defect rate low when you sell without stock.
In this guide
eBay gives every seller a level: Below Standard, Above Standard or Top Rated. The level affects both your fees and your visibility: Top Rated Plus listings get 10% off the percentage part of the final value fee plus a badge; Below Standard pays 6% extra and drops in search. This guide explains the criteria and the practices specific to selling without stock.
1. Three levels, two fee effects
| Level | Fee effect | Visibility |
|---|---|---|
| Below Standard | +6% on the final value fee | lower ranking, selling limits |
| Above Standard | standard | standard |
| Top Rated (+ Top Rated Plus listing) | −10% on the percentage part | badge, ranking advantage |
Top Rated is an account level; the discount applies per listing, to listings that meet the Top Rated Plus requirements.
2. Becoming Top Rated (US program)
The criteria eBay publishes as of 2026; you see your own numbers on the "Seller level" dashboard in Seller Hub:
- Account active for at least 90 days.
- At least 100 transactions and $1,000 in sales with US buyers in the last 12 months.
- Defect rate 0.5% or less (seller-initiated cancellations and cases closed without seller resolution).
- Late shipment rate 3% or less.
- Cases closed without seller resolution 0.3% or less.
- Tracking uploaded within handling time and validated by the carrier on at least 95% of transactions.
eBay evaluates on the 20th of every month; a drop lasts until the next evaluation.
3. Top Rated Plus listing requirements
For the discount and the badge a listing must meet two conditions:
- Same-day or 1-business-day handling time.
- 30-day or longer returns, with a money-back option.
A listing that misses either gets no discount even if the account is Top Rated.
4. What the discount is really worth
The discount applies only to the percentage part, not to the fixed per-order fee ($0.30 / $0.40).
| Sale | Percentage part (13.6%, tax-inclusive base) | 10% discount | At 300 sales a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25 + $5 shipping, 7% tax | $4.37 | $0.44 | ~$131 |
| $50 + $0 shipping, 7% tax | $7.28 | $0.73 | ~$218 |
See it with your own price by choosing the "Top Rated" level in the eBay Fee Calculator.
5. What it means when you sell without stock
- Handling time is not delivery time. 1 business day means you enter the tracking number within that time. Order on Amazon the same day and upload the number right away and you meet it.
- Tracking must be real and validatable. Numbers the carrier cannot validate, or numbers entered later, don't count as "uploaded on time".
- An out-of-stock cancellation is a defect. Cancelling because Amazon ran out raises your defect rate directly; stock tracking is a precondition for Top Rated.
- 30-day returns cost money when you sell without stock: plan the return shipping and the Amazon return; enter your return share in the "return rate" field of the Profit Calculator.
- Answer cases within 3 days. Cases closed without seller resolution are the heaviest metric; accepting a return is cheaper than leaving the case to eBay.
6. Five rules for a low defect rate
- Sell only items whose stock and price you monitor; don't list what you can't watch.
- Set a realistic handling time and keep it; don't write "1 business day" and upload on day 3.
- Write accurate descriptions; "not as described" cases come from wrong descriptions.
- Reply to messages and return requests the same day.
- Send the Amazon order as a gift so no invoice is in the box; a confused buyer becomes a case.
7. If your level drops
An account that falls to Below Standard pays 6% extra, ranks lower and may get selling limits. To recover you must fix the metrics within the 12-month window; the fast path is zero defects and on-time tracking on new transactions. Check your level in Seller Hub before the 20th every month.