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eBay standard envelope categories expanded
This is excellent news! Can we get a list of specific categories > subcategories @kyle@ebay ? Things like patches, stickers/decals, greeting cards can be listed in multiple categories.
Beginning November 1, 2023, in addition to Trading Cards, Coins & Currency, Stamps and Postcards, the following items are eligible:
Patches
Stickers & Decals
Greeting Cards
Seeds
32 comments
kh-cathy
·1 year agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
psfhobbies
·1 year agoYeah I sell some small flat 3d printed parts and metal chain & train parts that could easily ship in an envelope
nobody*s_perfect
·1 year agoYour items might be shippable in an envelope but still not meet all of the criteria for the eBay ESE. These eBay standard envelopes must be flat, flexible, and not over 1/4 inch thick.
davestoybox
·2 years agoIf you want to give your cards, postcards, etc to a thief then use eBay Standard Envelope.
The service is crap, tracking is virtual and I have yet receive my claims. The FTC is very interested in this type of so-called products and services and eBay should remove it since they can't fix it. Go FTC!
Whoever came up with this scheme (sale guys) should be let to the wind.
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoIMO the latest list of categories should have been the first categories.
They are better suited to meet the rigidity requirements than the original categories.
I wonder if they will remove some categories next round.
lolosdreams
·2 years agoThey are currently in a craft/napkin category
I will ask as you suggested
Thanks
wastingtime101
OP2 years agoOh, not the ones I looked at @lolosdreams .
https://www.ebay.com/sch/165662/i.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_ssn=lolosdreams
lolosdreams
·2 years agoI just checked, you are correct - I mostly do "sell similar" in my listings and I must have used a template by another seller and it is in that catagory which says napkins - but they are far feom collectible LOL
Thanks
lolosdreams
·2 years agoI sell individual paper napkins,
These don't fall under a listed category but they are as small and fit into a designated envelope
Is there an "other" type catagory or way to use this postage class?
wastingtime101
OP2 years agoThere is not @lolosdreams . Instructions are provided above for requesting the addition of new categories. You might have better luck with your request being accepted by eBay if those napkins were listed in one of the appropriate craft categories instead of the collectibles category.
gibsonguitarparts
·2 years agoANYONE know what the NEW E-bay Standard Envelope Categories are as stated in the new 2024 update?
ps thanks e-bay for providing ZERO details!!!
wastingtime101
OP2 years agoThat info is posted up top in the green highlighted "best answer" post @gibsonguitarparts .
kingdad3
·2 years agoCan you please add photos to the standard envelope. Thanks
valueaddedresource
·2 years agoThanks @wastingtime101 @kyle@ebay and the shipping team for getting this done!
wastingtime101
OP2 years agoeBay did eventually publish a list of eligible categories here:
https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/shipping/choosing-a-carrier-and-service/ebay-standard-envelope
Go to "eligible categories" and click the link to see the full list of category paths.
If anybody runs into a category that's missing from the list, per Nate from the shipping team at the Nov '23 seller check in, email missing categories you believe should be eligible to: ebayshippingteam@ebay.com
Thanks @kyle@ebay for helping to push through our requests on this. Having the full list has been very helpful.
FYI @dhbookds @valueaddedresource @onefootflipper @saturdaystoys @1786davycrockett
kyle@ebay
Hey @wastingtime101 I'd like to say you're welcome, but really all the credit for this goes to you and all the other folks that pushed for this info. So really, thank YOU! I'm just glad to help get it out there.
dhbookds
·2 years ago@wastingtime101
@kyle@ebay
It would help even more if the category was shown here:
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/ebay-standard-envelope?id=5308&st=3&pos=4&query=eBay%20standard%20envelope&intent=ese&lucenceai=lucenceai&docId=HELP1689#section4
Posting it on the board will be buried after x time.......
thefishingmaster2008
·2 years agoI have been trying all day to revise my greeting card listings but it won’t push through. Was on live chat for some time this evening tying to get help with no luck. The option is there. Once you click on it, it disappears in about three seconds. I deleted my greeting card listings for now. Maybe it’s a glitch that will clear up in a few days. I wonder why shipping options go by category?
wastingtime101
OP2 years ago@thefishingmaster2008 have you checked the dimensions on your listing? In what category were you trying to list?
eBay made a change related to setting up listings with certain types of packaging. When package dimensions entered exceed eBay's programmed dimensions, eBay will not show you those shipping options when setting up your listing.
To access these services, enter the following package dimensions:
USPS Flat Rate Envelopes: 12x9x1
USPS Small Flat Rate Box: 8x5x1
USPS Med Flat Rate Box: 14x12x3 or 11x8x6
USPS Large Flat Rate Box: 12x12x6
eBay Standard Envelope: 11x6x1
fm2000
·2 years agoTrue, it is a recent change, and some of the new changes don't make any sense. (I recently tried printing a media mail label for a graphic novel listed in the "Comics and Graphic Novels" category and couldn't, even though graphic novels are explicitly allowed to be sent media mail, according to the DMM.)
janetandken
·2 years agoWith all due respect to sellers who embrace expansion of the standard envelope shipping (SES) from 4 to 8 categories: It ain't nearly enough. I've been riding eBay's fanny now for quite some time to expand the SES to cover EVERY conceivable category with items that could meet the SES envelope & weight guidelines. (For me, personally, that includes arts & crafts -- fabric, specifically -- brochures, sewing accessories and kits, and maps.) Alas, eBay takes this baby step when it could have made a giant leap to help us sellers.
onefootflipper
·2 years agoI don't see any reason to gatekeep it by category of all. They don't gatekeep other shipping methods by category.
fm2000
·2 years agoUnfortunately, Media Mail is also gated by category, though one can use Pirate Ship to get around that if an item qualifies.
onefootflipper
·2 years agoUp until very recently it seemed like the only categories they blocked media mail out of were non-book categories that frequently contained books. That has begun tightening in recent months, although I am still presented with the media mail option with all sort of inappropriate things such as stuffed animals and craft gourds.
kyle@ebay
Hey @wastingtime101 I have requested those details and we'll be sure to share any updates we receive here!
saturdaystoys
·2 years agokyle@ebay ...I'm not seeing the specific newly eligible categories listed here. Were they discussed elsewhere? It's a great opportunity to bring down shipping costs and to stay competitive in the marketplace. I'm very interested in making it happen for my store.
From what I can see... there is no indication as to which "patches" or "stickers & decals" categories are understood to be the ones eligible for eBay Standard Envelope use. Any progress on this front yet?
Thanks!
Dave Mason
eBay ID: SaturdaysToys
cctpatches
·2 years agoI have problems with printing ebay standard envelope labels for 23 different states police patch. That are in the police patch categories for that state. Here a list of states that Ebay standard envelope services isn't available for AK, CO, KY, IN, UT, LA, IA, AL, SD, ME, NH, ID, OK, RI, ND, MT, OR, MO, MS, KS, AR, WV, and WV.
wastingtime101
OP2 years agoSend a list of categories to ebayshippingteam@ebay.com where you want eBay to add ESE @cctpatches .
cctpatches
·2 years agoI have already done that a month ago.
wastingtime101
OP2 years agoRe-send the email @cctpatches
onefootflipper
·2 years agoI spent years trying to get them to actually come up with a comprehensive list of allowed categories and they always acted like that was just completely impossible to do, which is strange since the only thing that actually gatekeeps the envelope is the listed category and the weight.
Probably either going to have to wait for others to figure it out via trial and error or try some test sales and send stamp and envelope if it won't generate the standard label.
wastingtime101
OP2 years agoI'd assume eBay is hesitant to provide a list because they make category updates twice a year. While I kinda sorta understand not wanting to publish the categories on the policy page for that reason, that doesn't mean eBay can't provide the list on this forum with a time/date stamp. Customer service has been known to give sellers a list of eligible categories (quite regularly) when sellers complain they can't purchase ESE labels at the time of sale.
I hope eBay will provide a list here with the category expansion because some of those categories are not as straightforward as coins, stamps, postcards and trading cards.
I haven't dived into the ESE page yet - doing 100 other things right now - it's on the list.
Side note: eBay recently added to their shipping supply offerings for trading cards - posted about it yesterday here:
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/eBay-shipping-supplies-for-trading-cards-new-Oct-2023/td-p/34076931