You can connect your eBay shop with Xentral to import your orders and then process them in Xentral. This article will help you set up your eBay shop interface and understand the available settings. Furthermore it includes descriptions and explanations of various use cases.
In addition to the eBay shop interface Xentral offers the eBay app, which you can find in the App center.
The eBay app offers many different features, from an overview of all auctions to various settings for frameworks and the like to stock information. The app may be required to use the eBay shop interface, but in any case it offers useful features for its use. You can find more information on the eBay app and the advantages it offers here.
In this section you can find out how you connect your eBay shop to Xentral. You have to carry out several individual actions to establish the connection:
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Go to the eBay developers program page (https://developer.ebay.com/) and log into the relevant developer account or create one.
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In the developer account click Application Keys and then next to the App-ID click User Tokens for the production system.
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Scroll down to the Get a Token from eBay via Your Application section.
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Specify an URL to which eBay can send the new authentication token. For this, copy the URL of the Xentral installation and replace everything after the question mark with module=ebay&action=rest&cmd=getToken.
Example:
https://<myxentral>/index.php?module=ebay&action=rest&cmd=getToken
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Enter the URL in the Your auth accepted URL field. Make sure that you enter the correct URL here as Xentral will not receive the tokens required for the connection otherwise.
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Confirm by clicking Save.
In your developer account, search for the following keysets:
In addition to the key sets you have to search for the RuName (eBay Redirect URL name). To do this, click User Tokens for your production system. You can find the RuName in the Get a Token from eBay via Your Application section.
You have to enter the keysets and the RuName into Xentral to establish a connection. This is described in the next section.
For the mandatory basic setup of your eBay shop interface carry out the following:
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Go to Administration > Shop Interface > Click +NEW to set up a your eBay shop interface.
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Select the Auftragsimport über alternative API check box. Selecting this check box is extremely important, as no stock synchronization between Xentral and eBay can be carried out, if you have not selected it.
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Enter the App ID, Dev ID, Cert ID and the RuName, which you have retrieved from your eBay developer account as described in the section above, in the relevant fields in the Settings for shop or marketplace > Systemeinstellungen (system settings) section.
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Enter the relevant information into the fields Währung (currency), Site, siteID and Zeitzone (time zone).
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In the Actions section, click REST Token anfordern (Request REST token). You are redirected to eBay.
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Log in with your seller account.
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eBay asks you to confirm the authentication. Please confirm with I agree. You are redirected back to Xentral.
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Click Save. The connection via REST API is now active.
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In the Actions section, click Check connection to check the connection.
If the connection is established successfully, the token validity is displayed in a gray info bar on top of the Interface sub-tab. You can find the token in the Token field.
Caution
If the token validity exceeds more than 6-7 hours or if you get an authentication error, the token was not transferred correctly. In this case repeat steps 5 to 9.
Another step to check if you have received a correct token is to check the token in the Token field. It has to start with a v. If it starts with A, the token is not correct.
Make sure to renew your token in good time before it expires.
Important
When you change the password of your eBay account, you have to repeat the authentication process as the existing authentication will become invalid.
This is the most important form for the setup of your shop interface.
Following you can find an explanation on the most important fields and buttons in this tab.
Settings section:
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Designation: A name is automatically added when you create the interface. You can, however, enter a different name of your own choosing. This name is displayed for example in the product or the import menu).
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Active: Select this check box to make the interface active. If you no longer want to use the interface, clear this check box.
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Project: If you want to link the eBay shop to a project, select the relevant project here. In the project you can set up the logistic settings.
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Pick-up mode: You can retrieve orders from eBay starting on a certain date.
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Date from: The first date orders will be retrieved. This field is updated when you use the pick up orders function
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Import mode: Select the import mode that applies to the import. You can select one of the following:
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Trial (for testing): The order status in the shop is not changed. No product or stock numbers are transferred.
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Manually (with import center): Orders are only retrieved when you click Pick up orders.
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Automatically (via process starter): Orders are retrieved automatically from the shop on a regular basis via process starter. You can find more information on process starters and process starter settings here.
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Only 1 order per request: Only 1 order per request is transferred from the shop.
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Orders in intermediate table: Select this check box, if you do not want orders to be created directly but you want them first stored in an intermediate table for review. In the intermediate table you can select which orders are to be created and which should be imported later.
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Protokollierung im Logfile (Logging): Select whether a log file is to be created or not created. Activating the log file makes it easier to find the cause for errors.
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Einrichtungsmodus (setup mode): Select this check box, if you want to only retrieve one order at a time. Orders already retrieved are ignored (unlike in demo mode).
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Verschickte Bestellungen übergehen (ignore shipped orders): Select this check box if already shipped orders should be ignored during import. This reduces the risk of double shipments.
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Sandbox benutzen (use Sandbox): Select this check box if you want to use Sandbox. Sandbox is a test environment that allows you to test features without it impacting your production environment (live environment).
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Auftragsimport über alternative API (order import using alternative API): Always select this check box. This check box activates the use of the REST API. If you do not select this check box, no stock synchronization can take place.
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eBay Name des Käufers in Auftrag übernehmen (insert eBay name of buyer in order): Select this check box to insert the eBay name of the buyer in the order.
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Rahmenbedingungen verwenden (use framework conditions): Select this check box to use framework conditions. Framework conditions are defined in the eBay app. You can find more info on framework conditions here.
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Warnungen ausgeben (issue warnings): By selecting this check box you can issue warnings about auctions. Warnings are messages that do not prevent the auction creation, but indicate a circumstance that should be checked and/or adjusted.
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Listing ohne Bestand automatisch beenden (automatically terminate listings without stock): Select this check box if you want to end listings with no inventory automatically.
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Beendete Listings bei neuem Bestand automatisch reaktivieren (automatically reactivate terminated listings when stock becomes available): Listings ended due to lack of inventory are automatically reactivated when new inventory is available.
Action section:
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Check connection: Click this button to check the connection between Xentral and eBay. The token is checked at the same time and the token validity displayed in a gray info bar on top of the sub-tab.
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Pick up orders: Click this button to retrieve the orders from your eBay shop.
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Store import intermediate table: Click this button to open the intermediate table with orders from your shop.
Prerequisite for using the intermediate table: Select Manually (with import center) from the Import mode drop-down menu and select the Orders in intermediate table check box.
In the left columns of the intermediate table you can select one of the following options per order:
Import
The job is imported directly.
Bin
The job is moved to the bin and cannot be imported a second time.
Later
The order can be imported at a later time.
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Zur eBay App (open eBay app): You are redirected to the eBay app. You can find more information on the eBay app in this article.
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REST Token anfordern: Request a new REST token. You will be redirected to eBay for authentication.
You can information on how to use the sub-tabs Settings, Payment methods, Shipping methods, and Language/ supplier country in the generic Online shops article.
You can find information on how to use the sub-tab Smarty in the Smarty at Shopimporter article.
The functionalities of the sub-tabs Subshop and Group mapping are not available for eBay.
The functionalities of the sub-tab Free fields are not available for eBay. However, there are free fields for the product description available, which you can define within templates for products in the eBay app.
Important
Make sure that the Auftragsimport über alternative API check box in the eBay interface is selected if you want to synchronize your stock between Xentral and eBay. If it is not selected, no stock is synchronized.
You can find general information on how to synchronize stock number here.
Tips for importing sales orders:
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If you pick a too early retrieval date and the import contains a very large amount of requests, this can lead to failure of the retrieval process as the script reaches the server-side timeout limit and is aborted. This can be indicated by no order being reported back after several minutes of searching.
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When retrieving orders using the demo mode, a maximum of one order is retrieved and the time of retrieval is not changed.
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The maximum time period for retrieving orders is 30 days as defined by eBay. As a consequence a too early retrieval date or if there are no orders for a longer time period, the interface will run into a bottleneck and will not be able to pick up newer orders even if they are available. In this case change the retrieval date manually.
You can find a general guide on how to import orders from online shops in this article.
Note
The phone number of the end customer is required in the shop order if the delivery is an export delivery, i.e. a delivery to a (non) EU country. The number is transferred from eBay to Xentral during order import and can then be seen in Xentral.
Master data > Product > Select product > Details tab > Online shop options sub-tab
If a product is linked to eBay, you will find the icon in the Menu column. Clicking on it opens the Ebay settings form.
The Primary category is required to sort the product into the respective eBay category. When you list the product for the first time, select the primary category by clicking Search.
Category suggestions based on default category names in Xentral are displayed. If no suggestions are found or none of the displayed categories is suitable, you can use the Search field in the Manual category search section to search for a fitting category. You can search for both the description and category ID.
After selecting/ entering the correct category, the category-specific parameters are displayed. The category-specific parameters contain the most selected properties of the other products in this category. Properties could for example be size, model line, color, volume, etc. Additional information might also be displayed.
Check back with eBay for the max. amount of characters allowed per field. If you enter more characters than allowed for a field by eBay, no error message is displayed. However, no stock synchronization will take place for that listing.
Payment, Shipping, and Return information are set in the eBay shop interface settings. There you can deselect payment methods and shipping methods you do not use.
The Templates drop-down menu displays all active templates.
You create templates in the eBay app. If you do not select a template, the standard online shop text of the product is transferred as product description. If a template used by a product is deleted or deactivated, the Templates drop-down will switch to Kein Template (no template). Then the online shop text is transferred. If you have set a template to inactive and then reactivated it, the template is assigned to the product again.
Note
Additional options like Gallery Pictures Plus or Private Listing will incur additional costs.
You need to add at least one image to list a product. The images provided for the listing are taken from the files of the respective product. You can add up to twelve images, after that there will be additional costs. The images are uploaded to eBays own Picture Hosting Service and kept there as long as the auction lasts. Additionally there is a buffer time of 30 days.
If an image does not meet the required parameters, a corresponding text is displayed. If you have selected such an image, the product export will fail.
The eBay listing ID or SKU/bestandseinheit can be used to uniquely map products.
To correctly map stock products from eBay to Xentral, either the eBay listing ID has to match the product number in Xentral or you have to store it as external number in the product. To do this, go to Master data > Product > Select Product > External Numbers tab and create the number with the name eBayListing.
You can find the eBay Listing ID in the eBay app or in the URL of the product listed on eBay.
If you have multiple variants of a product, you have to enter the matching SKU as external number for each product variant in Xentral. In the parent product (which has no SKU) you still enter the eBay Listing ID. If the SKU matches the product number in Xentral, you don't need to enter anything. It is important that you have set the shop link to eBay in each product variant.
For eBay make sure that you always use the correct description when entering external numbers. For eBay inventory units this is SKU or bestandseinheit. For the eBay product number it is eBayListing.
When you have entered the external numbers correctly, you can map the products in the eBay app by clicking Assign item automatically.
To automatically assign products to eBay listings and link the correct products in sales orders, you have to assign the products to the corresponding listing. This is done in the eBay app.
You can either assign the products manually in the respective listing or automatically. For an automatic assignment, both of the following conditions must be met:
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In the Xentral product you have maintained an external number whose value is identical to the eBay Listing ID (eBay product number). The external number must have the name eBayListing.
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In the eBay listing you have maintained the SKU/ bestandseinheit. Ideally this is identical to the product number in Xentral. If the eBay stock unit is not the same as the Xentral product number, you have to maintain it as a external number in the corresponding product. The external number must have the name SKU or bestandseinheit).
You can find more information in the following article: Mapping products from external systems to Xentral - External item numbers.
Conditions are arranged in descending priority. This means that if a product has the eBay Listing ID as a external number, this product will be taken as a match even if another product has the matching product number to the listings bestandseinheit.
There is a special rule for variants. First you have to assign the parent product of the staging listing (the listing as it exists in Xentral) to a product. This assignment can be carried out manually or automatically (according to the rules above).
When you have assigned the parent product of the staging listing to a Xentral product, then you can assign the individual variants if one of the following conditions applies:
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In the eBay listing, the bestandseinheit is maintained for the variant and is identical to the product number of a product in Xentral.
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In the eBay listing, the bestandseinheit is maintained and identical with an external number of a product in Xentral. The external number must have the name SKU or bestandseinheit).
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The parent product of the staging listing is a matrix product and the matrix properties and options are identical to those in eBay.
The conditions are arranged in descending priority. For conditions 1. and 2. it does not matter if the parent product of the staging listing is also a parent product of the Xentral product found.
If a listing has no assignment, then (theoretically) a stock of zero is transferred. However, since the listing has no products, no stock sync is triggered. For a listing with variants where individual variants have no assignment, no stock transfer is initiated for the missing variants.
Caution
Make sure you don't transfer negative stock values when using pseudo storage formulas as these won't be accepted by eBay.
For security reasons, the eBay token is only valid for 7 hours and must be renewed before it expires. It is best to schedule an appointment shortly before the token expires. Please proceed as follows:
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Delete the existing eBay token.
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Save the changed settings.
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Click on Check Connection.
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In the dialog that appears (you may have to deactivate the popup blocker) reconnect eBay with Xentral.
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In the Actions section, click REST Token anfordern (Request REST token). You are redirected to eBay.
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Log in with your seller account.
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eBay asks you to confirm the authentication. Please confirm with I agree. You are redirected back to Xentral.
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Click Save. The connection via REST API is now active.
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In the Actions section, click Check connection to check the connection.
eBay has a daily limit of 5,000 calls. If you need more, we recommend you speak with eBay support to increase it. With that you verify the application with eBay and can get up to 1,500,000 calls per day. This is especially important for large sellers. To get the certification at eBay easier and faster, please refer to the following sample case at eBay: 190319-000002.
After Brexit you still have the possibility to order tax-free goods from the United Kingdom via eBay. However, the Goods and Services Tax, a tax comparable to VAT, has to be displayed on your documents. Starting with version 21.1, Xentral offers support for the eBay UK Goods and Services Tax via the new field Sales Tax Product.
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Create a corresponding product under Master Data > Products with a unique name:
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Add the product in the eBay shop interface in the Sales Tax Articles field.
All orders with a Goods and Services Tax will be recognized and linked by Xentral itself. Finally, this tax will appear as an extra line item on your document, just like a product.
It is important that you activate the following option in your eBay account:
This way if the stock number in eBay reaches zero, the listing remains active. However, the listing will be hidden in the search results until the stock quantity is increased.
When you relist products in eBay, they are not known to Xentral in that moment. You have to assign them in the eBay App. There go to the Einstellungen (settings) tab and open the Zuordnungen (assignments) sub-tab.
First click Update item list, then Assign item automatically.
Only relevant if you are still using the API that was used before the REST API connection was introduced. If you want to switch to the REST API connection, please read the troubleshooting information here.
The sales order import from eBay is based on the last modification date of a completed order (a completed eBay order). eBay has the information if the customer has completed the order or not.
Therefore your cannot retrieve sales orders by status as available in other shop interfaces. Instead, all orders that have the status completed are retrieved.
When going live after switching to Xentral, you have to make a cut between old and new sales orders on the day of the switch. The following has worked well in practice: Do not retrieve long time frames, if necessary retrieve orders from the respective week or day using the intermediate table.
In the intermediate table during the shop import, you have to post away the overlaps and not delete the table. The table is responsible for the fact that old orders still come in.
To assist external developers in deleting customer data, eBay has created a push notification system that will notify all eBay Developers Program applications when an eBay user has requested for their personal data be deleted and their account closed. All active eBay Developers Program applications are required to subscribe to eBay marketplace account deletion/ closure notifications.
To set up the notifications, you need the following information from Xentral:
The Verification token and Url notification are generated automatically.
Steps to follow
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Sign into your eBay developer account.
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Go to the Application Keys page.
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Click the Notifications link next to your App ID. The Alerts and Notifications page is displayed.
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In the Event Notification Delivery Method section select the Marketplace Account Deletion radio button.
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Enter an email address. This email address is only used to alert developers when the specified notification endpoint URL is not reachable or is not acknowledging notifications properly. Click Save.
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Set the notification endpoint URL for receiving notifications. Copy the verification URL from Xentral and paste it.
Note
The notification URL must be accessible from eBay. This means:
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A SSL certificate is required
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On-premise customers need to make this URL public to internet
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Any authentication logic must be accepted for this URL such as https authentication
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The verification token is generated automatically. Copy this value from Xentral and paste it into the verification token field.
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Once you have set your notification endpoint URL and verification token value, click Save.
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After you have successfully subscribed to eBay marketplace account deletion/ closure notifications, you can send a test notification by clicking Send Test Notification. Once the endpoint URL has received the test notification successfully, your setup is complete. Your application should start receiving eBay marketplace account deletion/ closure notifications from eBay immediately.