eBay Q2 2026 Pre-Earnings Commentary & Highlights

Liz Morton

Published: Aug 3 2026 Updated: Aug 3 2026

eBay is set to report Q2 2026 earnings August 5th at 5:30 PM Eastern. Take a look back at highlights from Q2 and what's happening so far in Q3 with Value Added Resource!

Leadership Changes & Corporate News

After an initial settlement fell through, the eBay stalking scandal civil suit was briefly reopened before finally reaching $55.7 million resolution on July 25.

The settlement came as the documentary Whatever It Takes brought renewed attention to the case while leaving broader questions about press freedom, governance and founder Pierre Omidyar’s legacy unresolved.

After passing regulatory reviews in the UK and Australia, eBay closed the deal to acquire Depop from Etsy on July 30 for $1.4 billion.

General Manager of US Fashion, Garry Thaniel, quietly exited the company ahead of the Depop acquisition while eBay Ventures is expanding its bets across secondhand fashion, authentication and circular commerce as scrutiny grows around the company’s broader investment strategy.

Germany’s Digital Services Coordinator found eBay had violated several user-rights provisions of the Digital Services Act, while a former employee filed a retaliation suit alleging she was terminated after raising discrimination concerns and questions about possible manipulation of Promoted Listings metrics. eBay is seeking to move the suit to private arbitration.

eBay also quietly eliminated the remaining Web3 team left after closing KnownOrigin, while its proxy statement, board committee refresh, and annual meeting revealed higher executive pay and security costs against a backdrop of lingering governance and compliance concerns.

Questions about eBay’s relationship with San Jose also resurfaced after newly public records showed the company has received almost $50 million from its controversial tax sharing agreement with the city.

eBay also migrated its community forum to a new platform, removing easy access to years of seller discussions as the company continues backing away from direct engagement.

The old forum gave sellers, analysts, shareholders and reporters a public record of recurring technical failures, policy disputes and marketplace complaints. Without that history, persistent problems become easier to present as isolated incidents.

eBay’s stock received a significant boost from GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen’s unsolicited $56 billion acquisition proposal. The board rejected the offer, but Cohen has said he may take the matter directly to shareholders, and GameStop now directly owns approximately 9.8% of eBay’s outstanding shares.

Cohen has also taken his case directly to eBay sellers through interviews with reseller-focused YouTube channels, offering a level of candor and engagement many say has been missing from CEO Jamie Iannone and other current leaders.

The proposal, GameStop’s stake and any questions about eBay’s response are likely to loom over the earnings call.

eBay Live

eBay has introduced a public fee schedule for eBay Live as competition heats up from Whatnot, StockX and a recent Vinted Ventures investment.

Dedicated marketing campaigns and targeted discounts should help lift Live GMV, but eBay’s intentionally vague growth statistics still make the actual scale of the business difficult to measure.

The company is also piloting a "streaming-as-a-service" offering and expanding affiliate support through the eBay Partner Network.

Focus Categories & C2C Pivot

eBay continued investing in collectibles, launching trading-card authentication in the UK and lowering the US eligibility threshold to $200. The company also tightened trading-card repack rules, eliminated cancellations for auction wins and shortened buyer-protection windows for Coins and Bullion purchases.

Pokémon’s upcoming 30th anniversary should generate significant activity, though widespread presale violations are already creating fraud risks while allowing eBay to recognize GMV and fees months before products ship.

In Motors, eBay is shutting down MyFitment as a standalone service September 30, ending support for Amazon and other third-party platforms as the technology is folded into Fitment Plus Auto.

The company is also accelerating its C2C and recommerce strategy internationally, changing fees for some German business sellers while shifting casual seller fees to buyers in Australia, though confusing eligibility rules disrupted the rollout.

Depop eliminated Australian seller fees ahead of the acquisition, while eBay subsidiary Tise quietly entered the market and Vinted launched new competition.

Competition is also increasing in key resale categories as StockX expands into traditional listings and Meta gives Facebook Marketplace sellers a dedicated app.

Shipping, Tariffs, & Payments

eBay International Shipping expanded to the UK, replacing the Global Shipping Programme, while Managed Shipping is being tested with select US sellers.

At the same time, sellers are absorbing an 8% USPS fuel surcharge and several additional carrier rate changes.

Because eBay includes shipping and tax in GMV, higher delivery costs can give reported marketplace volume an unearned lift even when the number or value of items sold is unchanged.

New EU customs charges and 50% US tariffs on specified Canadian goods are adding another layer of uncertainty for cross-border sellers.

eBay will stop selling digital gift cards on August 3, 2026, with physical gift cards at retail locations expected to gradually disappear as remaining inventory sells through.

AI

eBay rolled out Finances Copilot to answer seller questions about fees, payouts and earnings while testing AI-generated fashion models that can alter listing images without explicit seller consent.

The company continues to promote AI as a way to level the playing field for small businesses, though broken tools, limited access and seller risk undermine that message.

Promoted Listings Ads

eBay has launched a new variation on Promoted Listings Priority cost-per click-ads, allowing sellers to feature videos in select ad placements across the site.

The company also introduced Easy Boost for Promoted Listings General cost-per-sale ads, though sellers question whether the simplified feature will generate incremental sales or merely increase ad fees.

When eBay reports August 5, any improvement in buyer growth and GMV will need to be weighed against what the company is spending to generate activity in Live and other focus categories. Depop will likely be a major focus of the call, alongside the growing pressure from GameStop’s stake.

Catch up on Q1 2026 earnings commentary and stay tuned for more coverage after the call from Value Added Resource!

eBay Earnings

Liz Morton Twitter Facebook LinkedIn

Liz Morton is a 17 year ecommerce pro turned indie investigative journalist providing ad-free deep dives on eBay, Amazon, Etsy & more, championing sellers & advocating for corporate accountability.