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eBay has released its final seller news update for 2025, with a few region-specific updates that impact operational planning.

Summary

  • US: Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) makes a third return — now integrated directly in Seller Hub.
  • UK: AI Activate reminder; eligible sellers can claim a 12-month ChatGPT Enterprise subscription.
  • Germany: PSA data auto-display for trading cards, plus QR-only return labels going forward.
  • Global sellers: No major policy shifts for Q4, but operational clarity improves across markets.

United States: Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) re-introduced

After two failed launches (August 2024 and September 2025), eBay has reintroduced the Your Cost (COGS) field — now live and optional for all sellers.

What’s new

Sellers can add acquisition cost during listing creation or edit it on active listings. Once the item sells, Your Cost appears next to net earnings in Seller Hub.

Why this matters

  • Cleaner bookkeeping: See earnings and item-level cost in one place.
  • Smarter pricing: Make more informed offer decisions and run profitable promotions.
  • Faster sourcing decisions: Identify high-margin and underperforming inventory quickly.

Where sellers will see it

  • Listing tools (single and bulk)
  • Pricing options
  • Earnings Report in Payments
  • Offer flows
  • Order detail pages

Seller caution

Some sellers previously reported default COGS values (for example, $3) appearing without consent. While eBay states the field is fully optional and seller-controlled, skepticism remains high due to earlier rollout issues. US sellers should periodically review their listings to confirm cost values are accurate.

United Kingdom: AI Activate program reminder

There are no major marketplace updates in the UK for December. The main call-out for eBay.co.uk sellers is to register for AI Activate, which includes:

  • A free 12-month ChatGPT Enterprise subscription for eligible sellers.
  • Access to OpenAI-powered tools outside of eBay’s core interface.

Many sellers continue to question why AI innovation is routed through external partnerships rather than being built directly into eBay’s listing and catalog tools. However, for sellers who qualify, the subscription can significantly reduce content creation time across listing, SEO, and customer service workflows.

Germany: PSA trading card data and mandatory QR-code returns

1. Auto-displayed PSA data for trading cards

When sellers list PSA-graded cards, eBay.de now automatically shows:

  • Rarity
  • Population data
  • Certification number validation
  • Additional PSA metadata under “View all”

Seller advantages

  • Faster buyer trust.
  • Higher listing visibility.
  • No additional effort — the data pulls from item specifics.
  • Improved authenticity verification on-platform.

2. QR-code-only return labels (no more printable labels)

eBay Germany is moving entirely to QR-code-based return labels.

How it works

  • Buyers request a return and receive a QR code only.
  • The carrier scans the code, prints, and attaches the label on-site.
  • Sellers continue receiving returns at their usual address.

Benefits to sellers

  • Reduced label misuse or duplication.
  • More secure tracking.
  • Lower buyer friction, which can reduce return-related complaints.
  • No workflow change required for sellers.

If a buyer insists on a printed label, the QR code itself can be printed and shown during drop-off.

CedCommerce POV: what sellers should do next

For US sellers

  • Start using COGS for SKU-level profitability tracking — especially if you manage large catalogs.
  • Audit earlier listings to ensure no unintended default values were applied and clean up any incorrect COGS entries.

For UK sellers

  • Register for AI Activate if you are eligible — ChatGPT Enterprise can significantly reduce listing creation time and boost catalog optimization.
  • Use the AI stack to batch-generate titles, descriptions, and FAQ responses that still comply with eBay’s listing rules.

For Germany sellers

  • Ensure PSA attributes are accurate and complete for trading card listings so that auto-displayed data is correct.
  • Inform customer support teams and help center content about QR-only returns to reduce buyer confusion and back-and-forth.

For global sellers

  • No disruptive policy updates mean Q4 holiday operations can continue without major workflow changes.
  • However, sellers should still prepare for higher return volumes and keep catalog accuracy, inventory syncing, and pricing rules as top priorities.

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Ebay final seller news update 2025 operational planning.