Author: Ina Steiner

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.

From the Editor – July 12, 2020

July 11, 2020July 11, 2020 Ina Steiner

Cue the music for the JAWS theme song, and you might get an idea of how some eBay sellers are feeling as they anticipate the imminent switchover to Managed Payments. It’s a big transition, and while there are some pros Read more

eBay Managed Payments: The Devil Is in the Execution

July 11, 2020July 11, 2020 Ina Steiner

In 2015, eBay and PayPal broke apart into separate companies, and next week, the companies will be free of the constraints of the 5-year operating agreement under which they had been bound. Despite the fact that eBay will place many Read more

Wix Acquires InkFrog as It Prioritizes Ecommerce

July 11, 2020July 11, 2020 Ina Steiner

Website builder Wix acquired a tool for eBay and marketplace sellers called Inkfrog in February 2020 to enable marketplace and sales channel integrations, and it continues to prioritize ecommerce to meet the urgent needs of businesses amid the fallout from Read more

EcommerceBytes Soundoff: Letters to the Editor – July 12, 2020

July 11, 2020July 11, 2020 Ina Steiner

In every issue, readers soundoff about issues important to them. From shipping issues to payment processing, from fees to online marketplace policies, EcommerceBytes Soundoff gives you a chance to air your views. Dear Ina,Just something interesting. I signed up for Read more

Escrow Part of eBay’s New Vertical Strategy

July 10, 2020July 10, 2020 Ina Steiner

eBay will make escrow services available on eBay Motors and in the eBay Motors App through a new partnership with Escrow.com, part of a new “vertical” strategy it revealed in January. In Wednesday’s announcement, eBay said of the partnership, “As Read more

eBay Australia Goes All in on Prime-Like Program

July 9, 2020July 9, 2020 Ina Steiner

eBay is retiring its “Premium Service” badge on seller listings as it goes all in on its eBay Plus program that offers paying members free shipping on eligible items. eBay told sellers this week, “The eBay Premium Service (ePS) badge Read more

Etsy Updates Pandemic-Related Product Attributes

July 8, 2020July 8, 2020 Ina Steiner

Etsy began allowing sellers to list face coverings in early April due to the demand from people concerned about COVID-19. It created a new category for handmade face masks called “Face Masks & Coverings,” as well as a new category Read more

eBay Advises Sellers on USPS International Tracking Changes

July 7, 2020July 7, 2020 Ina Steiner

eBay alerted sellers about changes to the US Postal Service’s international delivery confirmation that took effect last week (July 1), and it touted its own Global Shipping Program as an alternative to using USPS. eBay’s July 6th post said the Read more

Amazon to Open Fulfillment Center in Walmart Territory

July 7, 2020July 7, 2020 Ina Steiner

Amazon announced Tuesday it will open a new fulfillment center in Little Rock, Arkansas, only a few hours away from Walmart’s hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas. The news came the same day reports surfaced that Walmart is planning to launch an Read more

eBay to Expand New Local-Pickup Feature Internationally

July 6, 2020July 7, 2020 Ina Steiner

eBay will expand its new local-pickup feature internationally, the company announced on Monday. This spring, it introduced QR codes in the eBay mobile app that serve as proof of delivery for Local Pickup orders for US users. Some sellers who Read more