USPS Suspends Mail to Middle East and Numerous Military Post Offices
The United States Postal Service announced a temporary suspension of acceptance for items bound for 18 countries, citing logistics impacts from the Middle East conflict. The list includes Algeria, Iran, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates, among others. In parallel, USPS halted mailing services for numerous military post offices. Unlike a prior 2023 suspension, the notice did not specify refund procedures for affected senders.
Etsy Displays Price Plus Shipping in UK Search Results
Etsy has begun displaying a combined item‑plus‑shipping price for UK shoppers in search results, a change announced on February 25. The update aligns the marketplace with the UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act, which mandates upfront price transparency. Sellers...
EBay Ad Strategies Webinar Now Streaming on YouTube
eBay has released the full recording of its “2026 Advertising Strategies” webinar on YouTube, featuring senior product leaders Kye Mou and Rishi Vora. The session outlines three core advertising solutions for sellers—Promoted Listings, Promoted Offsite, and Promoted Stores—detailing targeting options,...
Handmade Marketplace Goimagine to Close in March
Handmade marketplace Goimagine announced it will shut down on March 23, 2026, with its website and seller dashboard disabled shortly after. The platform never achieved the traffic needed to compete with dominant players like Etsy, leading to unsustainable scale. Sellers are instructed...
Amazon Borrows Forum ‘Mentor’ Program From eBay
Amazon has introduced a Seller Expert Pilot Program, inviting top contributors on its Seller Forums in the US, UK, Japan, and India to earn gift cards for posting quality content and providing feedback. Participants can receive a $100 gift card...
Amazon Sellers Have 2 Weeks to Ensure Compliance of Tools They Use
Amazon will amend its Business Solutions Agreement (BSA) effective March 4, 2026, adding a new Agent Policy that governs AI and automated tools accessing Seller Central. Sellers received notice on February 17 and now have a two‑week window to confirm that any third‑party...
Sellers Should Monitor How Shipping Costs Are Squeezing Their Margins
Ship.com warns that rising carrier surcharges will compress e‑commerce margins in 2026. It advises sellers to treat shipping expenses as part of COGS when evaluating product profitability. The firm highlights that base‑rate increases are less damaging than a growing web...
A Seller’s Years-Long Campaign to Get eBay to Roll Back BBL Change
eBay removed the ability for sellers to message users on their Blocked Buyer List in 2023, sparking a prolonged campaign by veteran seller wastingtime101 to restore the feature. Sellers argue the change hampers dispute resolution and leaves blocked buyers unaware...
Etsy Is (Technically) Funding Coupons in Targeted Promotions
Etsy is distributing platform‑funded coupons, like the recent SHOP15 code offering up to $20 off, to a select group of buyers. These promotions are invitation‑only, have a 2026 expiration, and can be used with any shop that accepts Etsy gift...
EBay Disappears the Auto Price-Reduction Feature
eBay’s Auto Price Reduction tool, which let sellers automatically lower fixed‑price listings every three days, disappeared from the platform in early February. The change was reported by multiple sellers on forums, Reddit, and to EcommerceBytes, but eBay has offered no...
EBay Celebrates Local Super Bowl with Live Shopping, Bay-Area Watch Party
eBay is leveraging the 2026 Super Bowl in its home market with a multi‑day live‑shopping experience called the eBay End Zone in San Francisco’s Union Square. The pop‑up will showcase rare sports collectibles, trading cards, vintage football gear and pre‑loved...
New eBay for Sellers Webinars: Ad Strategies, Store Enhancements & AI
eBay announced a series of free, monthly live webinars aimed at its seller community, beginning on February 19 with a focus on advertising strategies for 2026. Each session will spotlight a single topic, with the March 26 webinar covering store enhancements and...
Walmart Offers Incentives for Reviews – Don’t Try This at Home
Walmart’s Post‑Purchase Reviews program lets eligible sellers offer shoppers a promo code incentive for leaving feedback after purchase. Participation is restricted by an internal eligibility algorithm, and sellers are barred from direct email solicitations or external gift‑card offers. The retailer...
USPS Delivered Duty Paid Launches for Outbound Packages
The U.S. Postal Service introduced a new international offering called Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), allowing shippers to prepay import duties, taxes, and fees for outbound packages. The service launches today for shipments to Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom and...
Amazon Changes How It Charges FBA Removal and Disposal Fees
Amazon announced that, starting February 15, 2026, it will bill FBA removal and disposal fees on a per‑unit basis at the moment each item is processed. The fee amounts remain unchanged; only the timing of the charge shifts from a...
Would You Trust Amazon with Your QuickBooks?
Amazon has launched an embedded QuickBooks Online app inside Seller Central, fulfilling a promise made last year. The multi‑year partnership with Intuit lets sellers import financial data, view profit‑and‑loss trends, and monitor inventory across channels, with a three‑month free trial...
How to Turn Off eBay Live Notifications
eBay Live is the marketplace’s livestream shopping feature that sends push notifications to buyers. Users on both iOS and Android have reported that these alerts can freeze the eBay app and become a daily annoyance. eBay’s help center outlines seven...
Tariffs Changed How Buyers Shop, with Some Advice for Online Sellers
Support for tariffs among American shoppers jumped to 46% this year, up from 34% a year earlier, according to Omnisend’s January 2026 survey. Nearly three‑quarters of respondents say tariffs influence their buying choices, with 57.5% deliberately seeking Made‑in‑USA products. However,...
USPS Warns of Disruptions Due to Weekend Storm
The United States Postal Service announced a temporary suspension of its Priority Mail Express guarantee and a nationwide halt to Live animal shipments from 00:01 EST Friday January 23 through 00:01 EST Monday January 26, 2026, citing Winter Storm Fern. The storm is projected to bring Arctic‑vortex temperatures,...
USPS Loosens Amazon’s Grip on Its Last-Mile Delivery
The United States Postal Service has launched a new bidding platform that lets any shipper compete for access to more than 18,000 destination delivery units nationwide. The move challenges Amazon’s long‑standing exclusive Sunday‑delivery contract, which runs until October 1 2026, and aims...
EBay Identifies 3 Ways AI Will Impact Ecommerce
eBay executives outlined three AI-driven transformations for its marketplace: continuous verification to embed trust, AI‑powered tools that boost the sale of pre‑loved items, and accelerated product development through AI‑assisted debugging. By 2026, AI is expected to handle translation, compliance, payments,...
Ruby Lane Blames USPS for Upcoming Errors in Shipping Prices
Ruby Lane announced that, starting Jan 26, its calculated shipping rates for USPS services may become unreliable due to the postal service’s ongoing API transition. The marketplace has chosen not to adopt the new USPS API, citing rate limits and instability,...
USPS to Enforce Stricter Requirements on Military Mail in March
The United States Postal Service will begin enforcing stricter customs data requirements for mail sent to or from overseas military and diplomatic post offices on March 16, 2026. Any shipment containing a good, weighing 16 ounces or more, or sent...
Amazon Removes Safeguard for Sellers of High-Value Items
Amazon will require all U.S. sellers to use the Amazon Prepaid Return Label (APRL) program for customer returns starting February 8, 2026, ending the previous exemption for high‑value items. The change aims to streamline refunds and cut customer‑service workload, but sellers argue...
EBay Shares Climate Transition Plan for ‘Sustainable Commerce’
eBay unveiled its inaugural Climate Transition Plan, outlining a roadmap to achieve net‑zero emissions by 2045 while deepening its recommerce model. The plan highlights a shift from air to ground shipping, expanded local delivery options, and AI‑optimized logistics to cut...
USPS Is Already Planning July 2026 Changes
The United States Postal Service has released a preview of its July 2026 pricing plan, even though the January 2026 rates have not yet taken effect. The agency is considering expanding the cubic‑tier maximum length from 18 to 22 inches for both...
USPS to Restrict Access to Package Tracking
USPS announced it will restrict access to package tracking data for commercial API users, introducing paid access and stricter authorization requirements. Consumers can still view tracking information on the USPS website, mobile app, and Informed Delivery without changes. The new...
Amazon Hypes Ambient AI: Always on in the Background
Amazon highlighted its "ambient AI" vision at CES 2026, promising products that operate invisibly until needed. The company also announced Peter DeSantis as head of a new unit covering AGI, custom chips and quantum computing, underscoring a long‑term conviction in breakthrough...