Getting Access to ebay Buy / Offer API

Hi, I was trying to develop my own third party software for ebay and one of the features would be to manage ongoing bids easier and placing bids through the software. However to do this I would need access to the ebay Buy API and in particular the Offer API. https://developer.ebay.com/api-docs/buy/offer/overview.html

However when trying to make my app in production I do not have access to any of the buy API scopes.

I am using an authorization code grant but only have access to a select few API scopes compared to in sandbox, I have been trying to find any information online on how to get access to these scopes needed for my application. Some people say to contact premium support but this comes out to £75 an hour.

Any help on how I can get access to this scope needed would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks

ctrlcheeb

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Posted 2 years ago·Last reply 2 years ago

2 comments

developer_support@ebay

2 years ago

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Hi @ctrlcheeb @cassiebratt,

Offer API is a (Limited Release) API available only to select developers approved by business units. If your business model is approved by the eBay Partner Network, open a "Application Growth Check" request, using "Buy API Production Access (eBay user ID)" in the subject line. In the ticket, include the following:

EPN registered eBay user ID
Detailed instructions on how to access and test your application in Sandbox
The approval email from EPN as an attachment

The application growth check is a free service that the eBay Developers Program provides to its members. For information on how to obtain access to this API in production, see the Production access process.

cassiebratt

·2 years ago · Edited

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@ctrlcheeb wrote:
Hi, I was trying to develop my own third party software for ebay and one of the features would be to manage ongoing bids easier and placing bids through the software. However to do this I would need access to the ebay Buy API and in particular the Offer API. https://developer.ebay.com/api-docs/buy/offer/overview.html

However when trying to make my app in production I do not have access to any of the buy API scopes.

I am using an authorization code grant but only have access to a select few API scopes compared to in sandbox, I have been trying to find any information online on how to get access to these scopes needed for my application. Some people say to contact premium support but this comes out to £75 an hour.

Any help on how I can get access to this scope needed would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks

Hello,

You're right, the eBay Buy API, specifically the Offer API, is indeed limited access. Here's the breakdown on how to potentially gain access:

Limited Release Notice:

The Offer API is currently in Limited Release, meaning it's not available to all developers. https://developer.ebay.com/api-docs/buy/offer/overview.html
Gaining Access:

There are two main paths to consider:

eBay Partner Network (EPN):
Become an EPN affiliate or Buy API Partner. This allows you to integrate eBay listings into your app and potentially earn commissions on sales. https://developer.ebay.com/api-docs/buy/static/buy-overview.html
This route might be suitable if your software aims to drive traffic to eBay rather than manage bids directly.
Contacting Business Units:
As mentioned, some resources suggest contacting eBay's business units for access. However, this might involve the premium support you mentioned, which can be costly.
Alternative Approach (Consideration):

While not ideal, explore using the Browse API to retrieve general bidding details and suggest bids to users. You can't directly place bids through Browse API, but it might offer a workaround for managing bids within your software. https://developer.ebay.com/api-docs/buy/browse/overview.html
Recommendation:

Explore the EPN route first. It offers a way to integrate eBay and potentially gain access to Buy APIs (without the limited release restriction) while generating revenue through commissions.
Additional Tips:

Stay updated on eBay developer updates. They might announce wider access to the Offer API in the future.
Consider reaching out to the eBay developer community forums to see if others have encountered similar limitations and found solutions.
Remember, since the Offer API is limited access, there's no guaranteed way to obtain it outside of the EPN program or contacting business units. However, the EPN route seems like a promising option to explore first.