eBay December 2025 Seller News: Cost Of Goods, UK AI Activate, QR Codes For Returns In Germany & More!
eBay post last seller news update for 2025 and in the midst of Q4 holiday sales, sellers will be thrilled to hear there are no major announcements or updates.
US
For the US, the only "new" news is the re-introduction of Cost of Goods Sold.
You asked for a simpler way to track your net earnings, and we listened. Since November, you may have noticed a new optional field called Your Cost in the listing tools for both new and active listings. When your item sells, you’ll see Your Cost displayed alongside your net order earnings on the Earnings page in Seller Hub.
Why this matters
We know that keeping track of item-level costs is crucial for your business. The new Your Cost field gives you a clearer, more accurate picture of your net order earnings, making bookkeeping smoother. When you receive an offer from a buyer, you’ll be able to see the offer price, your cost (if you’ve added it to the listing), and the age of the listing, making it easier to decide whether to accept the offer.Adding your cost during listing creation or to an active listing is completely optional and only visible to you.
How Your Cost helps you
- Simplified bookkeeping: reconcile your books more easily by seeing your item acquisition costs alongside your listings and sales data.
- Smarter pricing and sourcing: price items more accurately, negotiate more confidently with buyers, run smarter promotions, and identify your most profitable inventory.
- Faster decision-making: view your cost data where you already manage sales—no need to switch tools.
Where to find it
The Your Cost field is now available in Seller Hub:
- For larger sellers: add cost info to new listings or edit active listings using the Your Cost option directly in the single and bulk listing tools
- For smaller sellers: add cost info to new listings or edit active listings by turning on the Your Cost option in 'Pricing options' under the Price section of the single listing tool and by selecting 'Customize columns' in the bulk listing tool
- Earnings Report: go to the Earnings page under Payments and view your net order earnings and Your Cost for each order, when costs were added to the items before the listing sells
- Order Details: quickly review your cost and net earnings for any order
- Offer flows: see your costs when receiving offers
eBay originally attempted to launch this feature in August 2024, but it quickly withdrawn after an embarrassing premature launch failure - and when they launched it again in September 2025, it was also quickly taken back down due to technical issues.
Liz Morton
Here's hoping the third time will be the charm for sellers who have been eagerly awaiting COGS, though many understandably remain skeptical about sharing this important business information with eBay.
UK
eBay UK was also short on updates, with this month's seller news only containing a reminder for sellers to sign up to the AI Activate program to receive a free 12 month ChatGPT Enterprise subscription.
Liz Morton
Germany
eBay Germany is getting PSA data for trading cards and mandatory QR codes for returns replacing the option for a physical label.
At a glance
When you list a PSA-rated trading card on eBay, key details of this certification are now automatically displayed in the listing. This includes PSA data on the rarity and population of your trading card. Your buyers can see all relevant information at a glance by clicking "View all" under "PSA data." This builds trust and helps you sell faster—without any extra effort.Your advantages
- Fast verification: Buyers can immediately check the PSA certificate number on eBay.
- Real insights: Details on valuation, rarity and number of similar trading cards directly in your offer increase the trust of potential buyers.
- No additional effort required: The necessary information is automatically taken from the product attributes.
- Increased visibility: PSA data helps your trading cards be found faster in eBay searches.
Why this is important
Verified PSA data helps buyers better assess the authenticity and condition of your trading cards. This makes the purchase decision easier, fosters greater trust, and increases the chances of a successful sale.Next Steps
You don't need to do anything else: The PPE certification details will be automatically displayed in your listings. Simply list your items as usual and make sure to enter the PPE rating in the item specifics.
Simplified returns: QR codes replace printable shipping labels. Less effort for your customers, more security for you.
Scan, hand in, done – that's how returns work
In the future, returns on eBay.de will be significantly simplified for buyers: When requesting a return, your buyers will only receive a QR code instead of a shipping label. They can simply show this code on their smartphone or as a printout when dropping off the item. The shipping provider will scan the code, print the label on-site, and affix it to the package. This saves time and ensures greater security – without changing your usual processes.Your advantages
- More security: PDF shipping labels that buyers have to print are prone to errors, can be confused, or accidentally used multiple times. With a QR code, however, the shipping label is generated directly by the shipping provider and affixed to the shipment. This ensures reliable shipment tracking.
- Greater trust and satisfaction among your buyers: The QR code can be printed or conveniently shown on a smartphone when dropping off the package. This saves time and simplifies the return process. Thanks to shipment tracking, your customers can keep track of their return shipment at all times.
The next steps
Everything remains the same for you: Returns will continue to be sent to the return address you provided, including tracking. Information such as the buyer's address can be found on the shipping label affixed to the package by the shipping provider.Should your customers ask for a printed return label, you can inform them that these are no longer available and that the QR code is now used instead. If a printed label is still desired, the QR code itself can be printed and presented when returning the item.
What do you think of eBay's December 2025 Seller Updates? Let us know in the comments below!
