Visual Guide to Selling Using eBay's iPhone App

General Views of eBay Headquarters
Getty Images for eBay / Getty Images

 eBay's mobile app for iPhone makes selling on eBay ​faster and easier than it's ever been before. If you're new to mobile apps or the iPhone, however, the thought of posting an entire eBay listing using your phone might be a bit daunting.

Follow along with the steps in this guide and see how simple the process can be.

01
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Tap 'Sell'

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From the eBay mobile app's home screen, tap the 'Selling' button to visit your seller account.

02
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Tap 'List an item'

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On your seller account screen, tap the 'List an item' button to begin the selling process.

03
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Scan Barcode

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Here, you'll be prompted to either type out a product description (and eBay will begin populating keywords for you that can help with your product's search visibility) or you can select the small barcode icon, which is circled in red to the left.

If you are selling a very common retail item with an intact UPC symbol or barcode on it, tap the barcode icon next to the search field to attempt to scan the barcode and have eBay automatically identify your item and fill in parts of the listing for you.

(If your item doesn't have a barcode, skip ahead to step 6.)

04
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Aim Camera at Barcode

Carefully aim your phone's camera directly at the barcode on the item or the item's packaging. When the phone is able to read the barcode, it will automatically move on to the next screen—no need for you to intervene.

05
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Verify Details

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If eBay successfully identified your barcode, you'll see that the listing title and category have been filled in. As you follow along in subsequent steps you'll be able to edit these.

If eBay wasn't able to identify your item based on its barcode, not to worry—everything needed for a successful item listing can be entered by hand, and you'll see how to do this in the steps that follow.

06
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Enter Listing Title

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You'll then be taken to the 'Listing Summary' page where you first list the title of your item.

The title should include the make and model of your item as well as basic (in one or two words) condition information like new, used, mint condition, and so on.

Remember to carefully select your title so as to maximize your visibility in search results.

07
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Begin Category Selection

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Once you've finished drafting your title, tap the pencil icon next within the 'Category' field to begin the process of selecting a category for your item listing.

08
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Select Category

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Here, you'll be shown a long, multi-level list of the categories available to eBay sellers. Tap on the category that best fits your item. In the most recent iteration of the eBay iPhone app, you'l be given a list of suggested categories and their subcategories to choose from.

If you don't find what you're looking for within the suggested categories, you can scroll further down to see all of eBay's seller categories.

09
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Add Photo(s)

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The next step is to add photos. To do so, scroll to the top of the form and click the circular blue plus sign icon. This will prompt you to either take a photo or choose them from your smartphones camera library.

10
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Trim Photo

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One you've taken or selected your photo, you'll be shown an 'Edit Photo' editor screen, where you can rotate, brighten, crop, or delete your photo altogether if it didn't turn out as you wanted.

Once you have successfully edited your photo, tap 'Done' to save the image to your auction listing and continue.

11
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Add/Edit Description

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Should you want to include multiple photos in the listing, you can do so by tapping in the square photo box on the listing form under 'Photos.' Once you're finished adding visuals, scroll down to the 'Description' field, which is located just beneath the 'Item Details' form section. There, you'll click the pencil icon to begin typing out your product description.

12
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Item Description

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Here, you'll either add to or edit the existing description (if you successfully scanned a bar code) or enter a description for your item from scratch.

As you key in your item description using the iPhone keyboard, remember to ​​be as complete and helpful as possible in your item descriptions.

13
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Select Item Details

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Above the 'Description' field, you'll see 'Item Details.' This is where you select the condition of your item (used or new), list the brand and product type, as well as, any other specificities the buyer should know about. When you're done entering any and all necessary information, click 'Done' to save your work.

14
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Listing Type and Pricing

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Next it's time to decide on your pricing options. To do so, scroll down in the 'Listing Summary' form to where it says 'Pricing.' There, you'll click on the pencil icon to begin editing. Often, eBay will give you a 'Recommended' selling strategy, such as holding a 7-day auction beginning at a certain price. However, if you aren't satisfied with eBay's recommendation, you can simply edit the form to reflect the selling mode and price you prefer.

With an auction-style sale, you set a starting price and buyers compete for your item for a certain period of time. Here, you can also elect to have an optional Buy It Now price if you choose an auction format listing, or just a Buy It Now price if you opted for a fixed price listing.

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Edit 'Pricing'

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As you edit your pricing strategy, you can also elect to turn on eBay's 'Easy Pricing' feature, which lowers your starting bid gradually overtime. The point here is to help ensure that your item sells — just in case you had set the price too high in the beginning. You can also set a listing start time and select the duration of time your auction should last. Plus, via the 'Pricing' form, you also have the option to set a 'Reserve Price,' meaning the lowest amount you'd accept, and whether you want to allow bidders to send you offers.

16
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Select Date and Time

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If you opted to schedule a listing start time, simply click on the box where this option's listed. Immediately, your iPhone will pull up a scheduling dial. There, you can scroll to select a date and time in the future when you'd like your listing to go live. Once you've decided on a time, click "save."

If you opted not to schedule your listing for a future time, skip this step.

17
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Tap 'Delivery'

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Next, scroll down to where it says 'Delivery' and click the pencil icon to add shipping details for your item so that buyers know how long it will take to arrive and how much shipping will cost.

18
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Select Shipper, Enter Cost

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After tapping the 'Delivery' pencil icon, select the shipper you'll use to ship the item to the winning buyer/bidder and the amount that you'll charge them to ship this item.

Here, you also select the package details (size), whether you're willing to ship internationally and the associated costs or you can click "Local Pickup" to indicate that nearby buyers can come fetch the item from your home or another location of your choice.

Once satisfied with your selections, click 'Done' to save your shipping settings.

19
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Continue with Listing

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After entering shipping information, scroll all the way to the bottom of the listing form and tap either 'List your item,' 'Preview' to see what your listing looks like, or 'Save for Later' if you haven't finished completing your form or aren't ready to list.

20
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Item Listed!

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A few moments after tapping the 'List Item' button you'll see a final confirmation display from eBay listing any errors that eBay found and giving you one last chance to abort.

If you choose to proceed, your item is listed and eBay displays a confirmation dialog that gives you the item listing number and a button that will take you directly to the listing.

That's it—you're done and your item is for sale!