eBay

blue_skies150 · ‎03-03-2020

What is the timing of Promoted Listings fees and related credits? I have read the information here, but the example doesn't address mid-month billing cycles.

On what dates does the Promoted Listings quarter (for credit purposes) begin and end? - Are they calendar quarters?

What is the criteria for determining the quarter into which a promoted listing falls? The sold date? The paid date? Some other date? It appears that it is the sold date, but I'm not sure.

Example: Seller is a Top-Rated Seller (TRS) with a $30 quarterly credit for promoted listings.

Seller starts their first promotion in December. Here are the dates sold and the related promoted listing fees:
Dec 28 - $5
Jan 10 - $10
Feb 6 - $13
Feb 23 - $15
Mar 10 - $9
Mar 19 - $4

Seller receives invoices on the 15th of each month:
Items with a sold date of Dec 16 - Jan 15 => invoiced on Jan 15
Items with a sold date of Jan 16 - Feb 15 => invoiced on Feb 15
Items with a sold date of Feb 16 - Mar 15 => invoiced on Mar 15
Items with a sold date of Mar 16 - Apr 15 => invoiced on Apr 15

Promoted listing fees charged on the invoices:
Jan 15 invoice: $15 fee
Feb 15 invoice: $13 fee
Mar 15 invoice: $24 fee
Apr 15 invoice: $4 fee

On which invoice would the first promoted listing credit be received? Feb 15? March 15? May 15? June 15?

Is the credit for items with a SOLD date of Jan 1 - Mar 31?

How much would be credited on each invoice?
Feb 15 invoice: $10 credit? (or $15?)
Mar 15 invoice: $13 credit?
Apr 15 invoice: $7 credit? (or $2?)
May 15 invoice: $4 credit?

blue_skies150 · ‎03-11-2020

No one? Would appreciate help if anyone has experience with this. Thanks!

coffeebean832 · ‎03-11-2020

On what dates does the Promoted Listings quarter (for credit purposes) begin and end? - Are they calendar quarters?

Yes, the credits are based on calendar quarter. Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sept, Oct-Dec

What is the criteria for determining the quarter into which a promoted listing falls? The sold date? The paid date? Some other date? It appears that it is the sold date, but I'm not sure.

The sold date. If I'm not mistaken, the fee is charged on the next invoice and the credit appears on the invoice after that.

blue_skies150 · ‎03-14-2020

@coffeebean832, thanks very much for your reply. Thanks very much for the confirmation on those questions.

What I still don't know - and is not explained in eBay's Promoted Listings page - is if there are timing issues for charges and credits. It is not explained how the credits are accumulated and capped for members who have mid-month invoicing/billing cycles. That is not addressed in eBay's simplistic example:

Example: If you are a Top Rated Seller and spend $15 on Promoted Listings in April, you will be charged $15 on your May invoice and receive up to a $15 credit on your June invoice (example based on a $30 quarterly Promoted Listings credit for Top Rated Sellers).

If a sale was on April 5, would the promo charge appear on your April 15 invoice? Or your May 15 invoice?

If on the April 15 invoice, would the credit then be on the May 15 invoice?

If you had a sale on March 28 that appeared on your April 15 invoice, would it be eligible for the April-June quarterly credit? Or does eBay account for the credit quarters by sale date even though invoices issued on April 15 - June 15 cover sales from March 16 - June 15? If so, that would mean that if I have charges of $10 on one invoice, I would not necessarily receive a $10 credit the next month because of timing issues. Charges for March 16-31 sales would appear on the April 15 invoice but not receive related credits on the May 15 invoice?

For those of us who want to manage use of our credits, this is critical information to know.

I will have some answers in a few days... my March 15 invoice is just around the corner.

Thanks again for your time.

coffeebean832 · ‎03-14-2020

@blue_skies150 wrote:
If you had a sale on March 28 that appeared on your April 15 invoice, would it be eligible for the April-June quarterly credit?

March 28 sale would count towards your first quarter credit- regardless of billing date.

blue_skies150 · ‎03-14-2020

@coffeebean832 wrote:
@blue_skies150 wrote:
If you had a sale on March 28 that appeared on your April 15 invoice, would it be eligible for the April-June quarterly credit?
March 28 sale would count towards your first quarter credit- regardless of billing date.

Ah, so there are timing issues. For the second invoice of each quarter, the credits do not match the previous invoice's charges. You have to parse them by date. Good to know. Thanks!

blue_skies150 · ‎03-17-2020

I had sales from promoted listings on February 12 and February 15. I just started promoting and those were the first promo charges I incurred during the first quarter of 2020. I was billed for those promo fees on my Feb 15th invoice.

I am a TRS with a $30 quarterly promo credit. I did not receive a corresponding credit for the Feb 15th fees on my Mar 15th invoice. That seems contrary to eBay's example (above) of being billed one month and receiving a credit the following month. Should I have?

eBay's Promoted Listings page says: "eBay will issue your quarterly credit up to the amount used on your next monthly invoice and note any remaining Promoted Listings credit balance. Credits will appear in the "Miscellaneous Credits" section of your invoice. The description will tell you which month and quarter the credit is for."

- I did not receive any promo credits.

- I do not have a section called "Miscellaneous Credits" on my invoice.

- Obviously, I did not have a note telling me the remaining Promoted Listings credit balance, either.

Did anyone else get their credits? Am I missing understanding something about the process? Thanks!

vc_pocketchange · ‎03-24-2020

Still have not received mine (3/24/20) for February. Quick to claim they are trying to help out but slow to give back our money ... ps it would help if they did.