Policies
eBay seller levels: Top Rated, Above Standard, Below Standard
On the 20th of every month eBay puts a seller in one of three levels. Which measures count, what the thresholds are and what Top Rated Plus saves in fees, from eBay's own policy.
eBay sorts sellers into three levels by performance: Top Rated, Above Standard and Below Standard. The level can affect visibility in search, fees and selling limits. The thresholds below are from eBay's Seller standards policy (US, read on 5 October 2026).
When, and what is measured
The evaluation happens on the 20th of every month. If you had more than 400 transactions in the past 3 months, those 3 months count; with fewer, all your transactions from the last 12 months count. There are three measures: the transaction defect rate, cases closed without seller resolution, and the late shipment rate.
The thresholds
- Above Standard: a transaction defect rate of no more than 2%; no more than 2 cases closed without seller resolution, or 0.3% of transactions. This is eBay's minimum standard.
- Below Standard: going over either of those two thresholds.
- Top Rated: a transaction defect rate of no more than 0.5%, with no more than 3 different buyers; no more than 2 cases closed without seller resolution, or 0.3%; no more than 5 late shipments, or 3% of transactions; tracking uploaded within handling time on at least 95% of transactions; an account active for at least 90 days; at least 100 transactions and $1,000 in sales with US buyers over the past 12 months.
Top Rated Plus: a discount on fees
When a Top Rated seller offers same-day or 1-business-day handling and free returns of 30 days or longer, the listing becomes Top Rated Plus. eBay gives these listings a 10% discount on the final value fee.
Keeping your level
- Keep stock accurate: cancelling an order as the seller because the item is out of stock counts as a transaction defect.
- Set a realistic handling time and upload tracking within it; late shipments are measured from the tracking record.
- Solve the buyer's problem before it becomes a case with eBay: cases closed without seller resolution have the tightest threshold.
In SellerLibrary
The order line in My Store shows orders whose eBay ship-by date is near or has passed; when a tracking number is ready it can be uploaded to eBay. On listings with a linked Amazon source, stock protection suggests setting the eBay quantity to zero when the source runs out, so an out-of-stock item isn't sold.
See what fees do to profit in the fee calculator; the fees post walks through what you keep, with an example.
Common questions
When is my seller level updated?
On the 20th of every month. With more than 400 transactions in the past 3 months those 3 months count; with fewer, the last 12 months count.
How many sales does Top Rated take?
At least 100 transactions and $1,000 in sales with US buyers over the past 12 months. The account must be at least 90 days old and meet the defect, case, late shipment and tracking thresholds.
What does Top Rated Plus give?
eBay gives Top Rated Plus listings a 10% discount on the final value fee. It takes same-day or 1-business-day handling and free returns of 30 days or longer.
Related posts
- PolicieseBay VeRO: what to know before a listing is removedWhat eBay's VeRO program is, why a listing is removed and what to do when it is. Four checks to make before publishing, from the rules eBay publishes itself.
- PoliciesDrop shipping on eBay: what's allowed and what isn'teBay doesn't ban drop shipping, but it does ban buying an item from another retailer and having it shipped straight to your buyer. What the rule says, why it exists, and what to do to protect your account.
- Fees and profitPromoted Listings: what the ad rate takes from your profitWith eBay's general ads you pay only on a sale that came from the ad, but the rate is taken from the total with shipping and tax. The rule, its effect on profit in an example, and what to look at when you choose the rate.