eBay seller verification: identity, bank account and tax ID
When you register to sell on eBay — or change key account details — eBay confirms three things: who you are, the bank account your payouts go to, and, for US sellers, your tax ID. If any of them is missing or doesn’t match, payouts can be held. Here’s what eBay asks for.
1. Your identity
Individual sellers provide:
- full name;
- address;
- date of birth;
- Social Security Number (SSN).
Registered businesses (sole proprietors, LLCs, corporations, partnerships) provide the legal business name, business details, and identification for beneficial owners, officers, directors or account managers. You’ll also verify your address and phone number.
When eBay asks for a photo ID
Only if the system can’t verify you from those details. eBay emails you and adds a notice in your account with upload instructions. It accepts an ID card or passport:
- the image must be clear — not blurry, with nothing cut off;
- JPEG, JPG, PDF or PNG, up to 10 MB.
2. Your payout bank account
To get paid, you link a checking account. The rules:
- The names must match — the name on the bank account and on your eBay account.
- The account types must match — a business eBay account needs a business checking account.
If eBay asks for a bank statement, it must:
- be for the account you’re registering, in your name or your legal business name;
- show your address and account number;
- be less than 3 months old;
- include the bank’s logo and name and recent transactions (values can be hidden);
- be an actual statement, not a letter from the bank;
- be a color image in JPEG, JPG, PDF or PNG, up to 10 MB.
3. Your tax ID (US sellers)
The IRS requires eBay to collect a taxpayer identification number for each seller account — an SSN, ITIN or EIN. If you haven’t given one, eBay asks once you make your first sale. If you don’t provide it, your payouts are put on hold and eBay may deduct backup withholding. If the IRS sends eBay a “B Notice” about your name and TIN and you don’t provide a valid W-9, the IRS requires eBay to withhold 24% of your gross payments.
Your tax ID is also what eBay uses for your 1099-K — see eBay seller taxes.
If you’re stuck
- Check the notifications in your account — eBay says exactly what’s missing and how to send it.
- Make sure every name matches: ID, bank account, eBay account, tax records.
- If your account has gone further than a hold, see eBay account restricted and eBay funds on hold.