eBay

What eBay does

eBay is a global online marketplace operator connecting buyers and sellers across more than 190 countries, founded in 1995 in San Jose, California and publicly traded on NASDAQ under ticker EBAY since 1998. Its core platform supports both auction-style listings and fixed-price transactions spanning categories including collectibles, trading cards, luxury and pre-loved fashion, refurbished electronics, auto parts, and niche inventory. Under CEO Jamie Iannone, who took the role in April 2020, the company has executed a strategic repositioning toward focus categories — particularly authenticated collectibles, fashion resale, and authenticated luxury items — supported by in-house capabilities such as Certilogo digital product identification, eBay Live livestream commerce, and Authenticity Guarantee services for watches and trading cards. Recent acquisitions include Goldin (trading cards, 2024), Certilogo (fashion authentication, 2023), myFitment (auto parts, 2022), and the pending $1.2 billion acquisition of Depop from Etsy (Gen Z fashion resale, announced February 2026, pending regulatory approval).

The business model is primarily transaction-fee based, with eBay charging final value fees on completed marketplace sales and maintaining gross profit margins above 70%. A growing first-party advertising business (promoted listings) generated approximately $555 million in a single quarter, up 23-28% year-over-year. New monetization layers include Managed Shipping (US, effective June 2026) and Pay by Bank in the UK via Open Banking. Revenue scaled from $11.1 billion in FY2025 (+7.9% YoY) to $3.09 billion in Q1 2026 (+19.5% YoY), with Q4 2025 GMV of $21.2 billion (+10% YoY). The platform serves a highly distributed base of individual consumers, casual sellers, and SMB resellers, with selected power sellers in trading cards generating over $100 million annually. Customers primarily access the platform via web and mobile applications, supplemented by livestream commerce events and authentication touchpoints.

Name

eBay

Legal name

eBay Inc.

Website

https://ebay.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

eBay is a global online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers across 190+ countries via auctions and fixed-price listings, with strategic focus on authenticated collectibles, trading cards, and fashion resale through subsidiaries including Goldin and pending acquisition Depop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Marketplace

NAICS

General Merchandise Retailers (455), Used Merchandise Retailers (4595)

SIC

Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)

akta.pro primary industry

Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail (CRALAGAO)

Keywords

• Online marketplace
• Auction listings
• Authentication services
• Collectibles platform
• Resale commerce

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marketplace Transaction Fees: eBay charges sellers final value fees on transactions completed through the platform. The company maintains gross profit margins above 70% while pursuing aggressive investment in AI, eBay Live, and managed shipping.
2. First-Party Advertising: eBay generates advertising revenue through promoted listings and first-party advertising solutions. First-party advertising expanded 23% year-over-year, reaching $555 million quarterly.
3. Managed Shipping Services: eBay is introducing managed shipping for certain US sellers, requiring them to use eBay-provided shipping labels with coverage limited to $200 for loss or damage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

eBay operates a two-sided global online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers across 190-plus countries through auction-style and fixed-price listings across categories including collectibles, refurbished goods, electronics, fashion, luxury, sneakers, watches, trading cards, and auto parts. The platform provides authentication services, managed shipping, advertising solutions, and livestream commerce, with revenue generated primarily from seller transaction fees and first-party advertising.

Product overview

eBay operates a two-sided online marketplace platform connecting global buyers and sellers across 190+ countries, offering both auction-style listings and fixed-price commerce. The platform has evolved under CEO Jamie Iannone's leadership since April 2020 with strategic focus on fashion verticals (luxury, streetwear, pre-loved clothing), collectibles, and authentication services. The core eBay Marketplace is complemented by specialized sub-products including eBay Live for livestream shopping, Authenticity Guarantee services for watches and trading cards, and Pay by Bank payment integration. eBay has expanded its portfolio through acquisitions including Depop (Gen Z fashion resale, pending regulatory approval), Goldin (trading cards), Certilogo (fashion authentication), KnownOrigin (NFTs), and myFitment (auto parts fitment). The company also operates the eBay Circular Fashion Fund investment program supporting textile recycling innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• eBay Marketplace eBay's core two-sided online marketplace connecting global buyers and sellers across 190-plus countries, enabling both auction-style listings and fixed-price offers across categories including collectibles, refurbished goods, electronics, fashion, and specialty items.
• eBay Live eBay's livestream shopping platform enabling real-time auctions and product showcases. The platform hosts events featuring celebrities, athletes, and influencers who debate and auction memorabilia in real-time streams targeted at UK and US audiences.
• Depop A Gen Z-focused C2C fashion marketplace acquired by eBay from Etsy for $1.2 billion. Depop is a mobile-first secondhand fashion platform with approximately $1 billion in annual gross merchandise sales, 7 million active buyers, and over 3 million active sellers.
• Goldin An auction platform for sports and trading cards acquired by eBay in 2024. Goldin provides auction services for sports and trading cards, complementing eBay's existing collectibles marketplace and partnership with PSA grading service.
• Authenticity Guarantee - Trading Cards eBay's authentication service for trading cards, launched in the UK with PSA verification for single cards priced £500 and above, providing buyer confidence in the collectibles category.
• Authenticity Guarantee - Watches eBay's authentication service for luxury watches, expanded to include Enquirus stolen watch screening across UK, US, and Germany. Watches are verified against the world's largest lost and stolen watch database.
• Certilogo

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue up 19.5% YoY in Q1 2026 to $3.09 billion
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• OpenAIminorOthers · 17 June 2026eBay joined OpenAI's partner network for companies that build, sell and deploy AI services, with OpenAI investing $150 million in the programme targeting systems integrators, consultancies, and technology firms.
• CTIAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026CTIA published updated Wireless Device Grading Standards with collaboration from major D2C e-commerce platforms including Amazon Renewed, eBay, and Swappa, as well as OEMs and carriers to establish industry standards for pre-owned device conditions.
• Australian Fashion WeekminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 May 2026eBay launched eBay Live in Australia at Australian Fashion Week as part of live commerce expansion, with Dentsu launching the platform as the media playbook partner.
• DepopcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2026eBay agreed to acquire Depop from Etsy for approximately $1.2 billion in cash. Depop is a mobile-first, community-powered C2C fashion marketplace with $1 billion in annual gross merchandise sales, 7 million active buyers (90% under age 34), and over 3 million active sellers. Expected to close Q2 2026 pending regulatory approval.
• GoldincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024eBay acquired Goldin (trading card auction platform) and partnered with PSA (grading service) to strengthen its trading card business, enabling Korean sellers to rank 3rd globally on the platform.
• CertilogocoreTechnology or Integration · 17 May 2023eBay acquired Certilogo, an Italian technology company specializing in digital product identification for fashion items. The deal allows eBay to integrate Certilogo's digital authentication technology to enhance brand authenticity and circular services for consumers.
• myFitmentcoreTechnology or Integration · 23 August 2022eBay acquired myFitment group of companies including myFitment LLC and Illumaware LLC to enhance its auto parts and accessories category. The technology improves seller listings, reduces returns, and increases buyer confidence.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Amazon: Amazon operates the world's largest 1P+3P marketplace and competes directly with eBay across collectibles, refurbished electronics (Amazon Renewed), fashion, and general merchandise. Amazon's scale, Prime logistics, and search dominance make it eBay's most consequential competitor even though its marketplace is broader and less focused on auction-style C2C.
• Facebook Marketplace: Meta's Facebook Marketplace is a major C2C listing destination in the US and globally, particularly strong in local general-merchandise resale and used goods. It competes with eBay for casual sellers and secondhand listings and is one of eBay's largest competitive threats given Meta's distribution scale.

Direct peers

• Etsy: Etsy runs a C2C/B2C marketplace for handmade, vintage, and unique goods, directly overlapping eBay's collectibles, vintage, and pre-loved fashion categories. Etsy is the seller of Depop to eBay for $1.2B, and operates Reverb (musical instruments), making it eBay's closest comparable in marketplace DNA and product mix.
• Mercari: Mercari is a US/Japan C2C marketplace for secondhand goods across apparel, electronics, and collectibles, competing head-to-head with eBay in the recommerce category. Like eBay, it has invested in authentication (trading cards, luxury sneakers) and livestream commerce (Mercari Live).
• Poshmark: Poshmark (owned by Naver) is a social-commerce fashion resale marketplace in North America focused on apparel, accessories, and home goods. It directly overlaps eBay's fashion resale segment, which is the strategic rationale behind the $1.2B Depop acquisition to defend share against Poshmark and similar platforms.
• Vinted: Vinted is a leading European C2C fashion resale marketplace with strong Gen Z and millennial penetration. Vinted competes with eBay's fashion/luxury and pre-loved verticals in Europe and is one of the drivers behind eBay's fashion-resale M&A push (Depop, Tise, Caramel).
• StockX: StockX is a leading authenticated resale marketplace for sneakers, streetwear, collectibles, and luxury goods, competing directly with eBay's Authenticity Guarantee categories. StockX's authentication-led model is the strategic benchmark for eBay's collectibles and luxury authentication stack.
• Sotheby's: Sotheby's is a global auction house for fine art, luxury goods, watches, and collectibles — directly comparable to eBay's higher-end auction and authentication business, especially as eBay builds out watch and luxury authentication services. Sotheby's benchmark signals where eBay's authenticated luxury and collectibles verticals could head at the high end.

Regional players

• Carousell Group: Carousell is a leading C2C marketplace in Southeast Asia (Singapore HQ) spanning fashion, electronics, cars, and collectibles. It is comparable to eBay as a horizontal mobile-first recommerce marketplace and is a relevant peer for eBay's APAC expansion strategy including Singapore and Korea operations.

Others

• Shopify: Shopify is a merchant infrastructure platform powering independent online stores and increasingly enabling SMB sellers who might otherwise list on eBay. It is comparable as a peer for the seller-side economics and tools ecosystem, and is a structural alternative to eBay for brands choosing direct-to-consumer over marketplace distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/eBay
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/eBay
• Facebookfacebook.com/eBay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ebay
• Instagraminstagram.com/eBay
• TikToktiktok.com/@ebay

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A76 records

Investments55 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about eBay