Listing limits include ALL running listings, regardless of when they were posted. For example:
Seller has limits of 100 listings and $800 per month.
Jan - lists 30 Fixed Price GTC listings. Total of the 30 selling prices is $600
Feb - Seller has 70 listings available (100 for the month less the 30 that were posted in Jan). Seller also can post another $200 worth of goods before reaching the dollar limit of $800. Seller posts 10 more GTC listings at $20 each. They now have 40 listings running and $800 in total inventory posted.
Mar - Buyer cannot post more inventory -- they do have 60 listings available, but they have used the full $800/month and so cannot post more inventory unless they remove something else to 'make room'.
The listing limit is made up of all active auctions and the sum qty total of all active GTC listings.
The dollar limit is made up of the total starting bid or current bid for all active auctions combined with the sum extended dollar amount of all the running GTC listings.
Note that GTC listings can eat up your limits significantly faster. You can only auction 1 item at a time - so auctions always count as 1 listings and a single amount (starting bid or current bid, whichever is greater, plus shipping charge if not free). GTC listings count 1 for each unit of quantity, and then the combined extended total dollars plus extended shipping dollars. A GTC listing with a qty of 5 and a fixed price of $20 will therefor count as 5 units and $100 of value.
Note also that if you are running auctions, once those auctions end unsold, the dollar amount is removed from the total that is compared to the limit -- you effectively can post another listing for that same dollar amount, provided you still have room left before you hit your quantity limit.
Generally speaking, you need to contact eBay to get your limits increased the first time. This allows eBay to review your sales and discuss your business plan a bit -- nothing formal, just questions that help eBay to determine if you harbor disruptive tendencies or not. 🙂 After that, you can request updates monthly, or eBay may even automagically update your limits when they see good sales, good feedback, and that you're getting close to your limits.
One of my local clients (I also do eBay consulting - mostly just answering questions and giving generalized guidance) had their selling limit increased to 400K quantity and $500K dollars in about 3 months -- by submitting copies of his business license and several supplier invoices (properly redacted, of course), which convinced eBay this was a stable business opening a new eBay account. My primary personal account (this one) is 25yrs old and has limits I will never even get close to unless I suddenly inherit several businesses worth of inventory and the staff to go along with it. It's basically a recognition, I believe, of the amount of time and the level of positive feedback and repeat shoppers I've accumulated over those 25 yrs. It definitely is not based on 'cheerleading'... mine tends to run 50/50 -- I'm often just as critical of missteps as I am supportive of positive changes. Some would say I "run hot and cold". I just say that I'm quite capable of holding multiple conflicting opinions at the same time. 🙂
-Bob.
PS: sales made during the month 'lock in' the qty and dollars for that month. Unsold dollars go away. Sold dollars stay. Qty reduced are available for posting, but qty sold are locked in until the next month. That 100 unit limit could be 60 new listings and 40 sales for the month.
There are also 'hidden' limits -- mostly category-based for categories with higher-than-average levels of fraud.
