Did you know that the average eBay seller makes $42,000 a year? That’s quite impressive, considering all you have to do is source items, then list and mail them to buyers.
Realistically speaking though, you’ll have to put in hard work and actively look for treasures to sell at a profit to others. If this sounds like something you’re willing to take on, then you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the platform’s policies.
For instance, how old do you have to be to sell on eBay? And if you’re a minor, can you sell on there? Read on to find out.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Sell on eBay?
According to eBay’s policy page, users have to be at least 18 years old. This is because to sell, you must enter into a contract, and in most countries, you must be 18 to do so.
Don’t be immediately disheartened though. While there’s an eBay age requirement for accounts, there are ways around this if you’re under 18.
Do You Have to Be 18 to Sell on eBay?
Technically, you don’t have to be a legal adult to sell on eBay. Note that this is different from having an account, which you do have to be 18 for.
Minors can always ask their parents to make an eBay account if they don’t already have one. From there, the parents can add their teen children as authorized users.
You can also ask your legal guardian if you don’t live with your parents. You can even ask anyone over 18 that you know.
The account owner has a huge responsibility though. They have to monitor all of your activity, and they’re legally responsible for everything that happens on their account.
For example, if you don’t send an item to a buyer, the adult on the eBay account can be taken to court. Or if you conduct illegal activity, they’ll be the ones penalized.
Because this is such a serious responsibility, we suggest only asking those you’re close to. Otherwise, you may end up souring relationships that weren’t all that strong to begin with.
What Happens if You Try Getting an eBay Account as a Minor?
You can try and set up an account as a minor, but we don’t recommend doing so. It’s against the terms of service, and if eBay finds out, you’ll face consequences.
If you’re caught with an eBay account and you don’t have an adult linked to it, your selling and buying capabilities may become limited. In some cases, eBay may even suspend your account.
How to Start Selling on eBay
By default, eBay accounts are personal ones. So if your parent or guardian already has an account, it’s probably a personal one. This is already good enough to sell items.
However, you can take it a step further and sell with a business account. eBay lets you have accounts as a sole proprietor, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), or corporation.
Depending on what state you’re in, minors may own LLCs. Otherwise, you need to be at least 18, so you might have to have your parents or guardians help out again. This is a good idea anyway, as it’s likely that you’ll run into several issues along the way as a minor business owner.
To form an LLC, you should use our business registration service. Our base package starts at $37.00, plus state fees, and it only takes a few minutes to fill out our form. Before you know it, you’ll be set up as an eBay business.
Do note that if your parents want to keep their personal account and your selling one separate, they can do this. They can have multiple accounts as long as they have different usernames and email addresses.
Start Selling on eBay
Now you know the answer to the question, “How old do you have to be to sell on eBay?”
According to the platform’s terms and conditions, the minimum age to sell on eBay is 18. More specifically, this is the minimum age to hold an account. However, minors can sell under an adult’s account, as long as the adult supervises all activities and accepts any potential consequences.
Sign up with Business Anywhere today if you want to form an LLC before selling on eBay. Our experts will handle all the paperwork and will notify you when everything’s ready.
