What is MPN on eBay? – This is a common question new sellers on eBay often ask when trying to list their products. Also, some buyers who have heard of it want to know more about this important concept in selling or buying a product on eBay
. Whatever reason you want to know about MPN on eBay, I am here to help you. This guide will cover in detail what MPN on eBay is all about, how you as a seller can add it to all your listings on eBay, how a buyer can use it to quickly identify the product they want to purchase, the benefits of MPN, and other questions related to it.
What is MPN on eBay?
MPN which stands for Manufacturer Partner Number is a product identifier that helps buyers easily find products they are looking for on eBay. According to Oberlo, there are over 1.7 billion listings on eBay.
So it is hard for a buyer to easily spot the product they want to buy without using MPN.
eBay wants to improve user experience on its platform which was why it announced in March 2015 that sellers of branded items in certain categories must include Manufacturer Partner Number ( MPN) and Globe Trade Item Number ( GTIN) to complete new listings on eBay.
This policy affected previously listed items as sellers had to add MPN and GTIN to their items and relist them manually.
How does MPN work on eBay?
A manufacturer or seller on eBay is required to add a unique code to any product they want to list on eBay. This code which serves as an identifier can be added to the packaging or the product itself. A buyer looking for a particular product from a manufacturer will use the MPN code which is unique to such a product to look for it on the eBay search bar.
For example, a buyer searching for a product on eBay with MKJ73LL/A MPN code will enter it on the eBay search bar and click on Search.
Products with the same MPN code will be displayed in the search results as seen in the screenshot below.
That’s why it is important for a seller to accurately state the MPN of a product they list on eBay; otherwise, shoppers won’t find them on search results. If you are a seller on eBay that sources products in bulk from Aliexpress, it may be hard to manually list and add MPN to all of them on eBay. You can use Aliexpress eBay lister tool which eBay allows to ensure that you list and add MPNs accurately to all categories of products that are affected.
Benefits of MPN on eBay
It is not news that eBay made adding Manufacturer Partner Number (MPN) to certain categories of products compulsory. Although this policy is aimed at improving user experience, eBay sellers tend to benefit from it. That’s why it is advisable you add MPN on any product you list on eBay irrespective of category. Let’s look at the benefits of MPN on eBay.
1. Help buyers find what they are looking for easily
A shopper who sees a product they think will be valuable to them is likely to check the MPN number or any other form of product identifier it has.
If such a shopper shop on eBay, entering the MPN on the search bar on eBay will make it easy for them to identify the product and make a purchase easily. So instead of typing the name of the product and spending much to reading product details to be sure, an MPN code will match the exact product a shopper wants.
2. Product optimization
Competition on eBay is fierce. With over 1.7 billion listings, every seller on eBay will do everything to ensure that their product optimization is on point. Adding an MPN to your listings is part of product optimization. Your product won’t show up on eBay search results when a shopper uses MPN code to look for products to buy.
It is an advantage to your competitor who has done this. Even eBay search algorithms tend to favor products with MPN or any other form of identification like GTIN, EAN, or UPC.
This is because eBay is competing with other ecommerce stores like Amazon and Aliexpress. It wants to offer the best user experience, and grow and retain its users.
3. Boost visibility on search engines
An eBay product with MPN code has a better chance of appearing on search results on Google and Bing. With Google’s shopping section on searches done on mobile devices, ecommerce stores can now appear on search results for specific products shoppers look for. This can create more awareness about your store on eBay and drive more traffic to it.
4. Reduced product return
Since shoppers use MPN to search for products, they are likely to see the exact product they want to buy. This reduces the risk of buying related products which they may complain about and return.
5. Boost sales
A shopper who is using MPN to search for products on eBay is almost ready to buy. This is because they have read and researched about the product before coming to eBay with the MPN to identify it and make a purchase. This reduces cart abandonment and boosts the sales of a seller on eBay.
6. Price accuracy
For a dropshipper that uses Aliexpress eBay lister, you can avoid errors in the price tag of products since the software can add MPN, product description, and prices to corresponding products accurately at the same time.
How to fill MPN on eBay
Now you know what MPN is and how it benefits you as a seller on eBay, let’s look at how you can add MPN to your listings. It is a bit tricky to add Manufacturer Partner Number on your selling page on eBay. This is because every product variant ( color, size, model) must have its unique MPN code. You need to be extra careful to avoid any mix-up resulting in the wrong MPN for a product.
Take the following steps to add MPN to your listings on eBay:
Step One
As a registered seller on eBay, navigate to eBay seller hub and click on Growth tab. You will see it after the Performance tab.
Step Two
A drop-down menu will show after clicking on the Growth tab and the option “Add A Required Product Identifier” will pop up. Click on it and tap on the purple icon. This will make all products you have listed as a seller populate a form for you to fill in their missing Manufacturer Partner Number ( MPN)
Step Three
At this point, you need the Aliexpress eBay lister software to make progress. This will make it easy and fast to import listing details and fill in MPN on each selling page for the products without making mistakes. There are a lot of Aliexpress eBay dropshipping software for importing listing details. You can make your findings and pick one that suits you.
Step Four
This is the final stage where you confirm all changes you have made on each of the listings. Click on the Confirm and Submit button and that’s it. You have successfully filled in MPN on eBay.
Demerit of not filling MPN on eBay
If you are one of the sellers on eBay who are not aware or don’t care about MPN, you may be hurting the growth of your ecommerce business on eBay without knowing. That brings us to the demerits of not filling MPN on eBay.
- You will lose sales because many customers on eBay are aware of MPN and often use it to look for products they want to purchase.
- Be ready for complaints and bad reviews when customers purchase products they can’t derive value from because they couldn’t identify the exact product they wanted.
- Your product pages stand no chance of appearing on eBay, Google, and Bing search results.
FAQs on what MPN on eBay is
Before I call it a wrap, let’s look at some questions relating to Manufacturer Partner Number on eBay
Is MPN required on eBay?
Yes, eBay made it compulsory for certain categories of products otherwise you can’t complete the listings. But it is advisable to fill in MPN for every product you list on eBay. It helps to optimize the product and boost sales.
Is MPN the same as product ID?
Yes, MPN is a sort of product identifier on eBay. It is the same as product ID since it helps shoppers who have it to easily identify what they want to buy using a code.
Where can I find the MPN of a product?
You can easily find it on the label, box, or packaging of the product.
What is EAN on eBay?
EAN means European Article Number. It is a standard product ID or identifier used in European countries. eBay sellers who sell European products are expected to fill EAN of their products.
Final thought on what MPN is on eBay
I trust by now you understand that MPN on eBay means Manufacturer Partner Number which eBay has made compulsory that sellers on its platform add for certain categories of products.
I showed you how to fill it in on your selling page. You also learned the benefits of having MPN for products on eBay.
As a seller, it’s up to head to the seller hub on your dashboard and add MPN for your products. As a buyer, you have learned that using MPN to shop for products makes it easy to find the exact product you want. Thereby reducing the risk of buying fake.
