eBay Top Rated Seller (TRS) vs Top Rated Seller Plus (TRS+)

You may be an eBay Top Rated Seller, but only your individual listings can be "TRS Plus". Actually, it's just "Top Rated Plus" but I see people saying TRS+ most of the time.

TRS+ is a benefit that your listings can qualify for which includes the TRS+ seal displayed on the listing, and 20% off the final value fees (FVFs) when it sells (does not apply to amount charged for shipping). TRS+ applies on a per listing basis, so you can choose for some items to qualify and not others.

For a listing to be eligible for TRS+, you must be a TRS, and your listing must provide:

• At least a fourteen day return policy (thirty days starting May 2016), and
• Same or one business day handling time.

There are few exceptions to this rule:

• Listings with freight shipping don't have to meet the handling time requirement.
• Listings in several categories are exempt from the return policy requirement (e.g. precious metal bullion, tickets, gift cards, business & industrial, certain perishable things like food and seeds, and others).
• Listings that offer local pick-up only, real estate, or specialty services aren't eligible.

How to become a TRS?

• Active account for at least 90 days
• At least 100 transactions and $1,000 in sales with US buyers in the last 12 months
• At least 90% of transactions with tracking uploaded within the promised handling time
• No more than 0.5% of transactions in the evaluation month with defects (i.e. seller cancellations, or cases closed without seller resolution). However, the defect rate won't affect TRS status until you have defects with at least 4 different buyers in the evaluation period.
• No more than 0.3% of cases closed without seller resolution
• Less than 3% of transactions with late shipping

What are the benefits of being a TRS even if your listings don't qualify for TRS+ ?

• Buyers can see your TRS status on your feedback page which should give them confidence that you are a good seller
• Some boost in search rankings (how much boost in unknown, but it’s likely not a large amount)
• Access to lower shipping rates (somewhat better than normal eBay shipping discount)

Is being a TRS worth it?

Assuming you sell enough to meet the sales/volume requirements, absolutely! The requirements to be a TRS used to be much more stringent. Since the last update to the requirements, they are actually quite easy to meet. All you have to do is:

1. Have the item you sold
2. Ship it on time, and
3. Work with eBay and the buyer if there’s a problem.

You’re even allowed to mess up occasionally. And, you even get a grace period once you’ve been a TRS for a while if you happen to dip below the required metrics.

Is it worth having my listings qualify for TRS+?

It depends on you, your situation and what you sell. If you work full-time at a day job and have trouble getting things to the post office within one business day, is killing yourself trying to meet the handling time to save 40 cents off the FVF on a $20 item worth it? Probably not.

But what if you were selling a $1,000 wedding ring? Could you fit shipping that one item into your schedule to save $20? Well, that’s up to you. Since you can pick and choose which listings to qualify, you have the flexibility to decide.

Remember, handling time and return policy don’t affect your TRS status, just the TRS+ discount eligibility on a per listing basis.

Full info on Top Rated Seller status and TRS Plus benefits from eBay:

eBay Top Rated Page