Imagine paying for an ad… that your customer never even clicked on. Imagine checking your affiliate dashboard only to discover you're being charged ad fees for the second time, on sales that happened months ago, that’s not fiction. That’s what's happening right now to sellers across Europe and Australia. What happens if this hits the U.S. market next? You can expect unclear ad charges and serious strategy shakeups. 

What’s unfolding in eBay’s international markets should be setting off alarm bells. While it’s not the first time a major global marketplace has redefined attribution, eBay’s latest move marks a significant shift in how performance-based advertising is understood. 

The Attribution Earthquake in Europe 

eBay is rolling out new ad rules in several European countries including the UK, France, Italy, and Spain as well as in Australia. Sellers using eBay’s “Promoted Listings” program are now being charged advertising fees not just when someone clicks on an ad and buys... but when anyone clicks on the ad, and someone else makes the purchase even if that second buyer never saw the ad at all. 

That’s right. Under the new attribution model, if any buyer purchases a promoted item within 30 days of any click on that ad, the seller gets charged. It doesn’t matter if the actual buyer never clicked, viewed, or even knew the ad existed. If the item was promoted when clicked and promoted when purchased, the platform counts it and bills it. 

It’s a massive shift – and it’s being brushed under the carpet. For sellers using general ad campaigns, this means more attributed sales, more ad fees and potentially, more confusion about what’s working and what’s not. Visibility into what channels are driving performance? Blurred. Budgeting for ROI? Harder. Attribution modelling? Almost meaningless. 

And Then... the Back Charges Began 

As sellers wrapped their heads around the new rules, another curveball hit. Reports began pouring in across forums and seller communities: eBay was retroactively charging ad fees for months-old orders. In some cases, sellers claimed they had already paid ad fees on those sales and were now being charged a second time. 

A thread on eBay’s own discussion board shows dozens of sellers scrambling to understand why sales from as far back as January were suddenly being billed in June. Some called it a glitch. Others wondered if the new attribution model had been activated without warning. Either way, sellers were facing surprise hits to their bottom lines. 

What If This Hits the U.S.? 

It’s not hypothetical. eBay’s U.S. site is governed by the same overarching Marketing Terms that were updated in January 2025, and those terms give the company wide leeway to change fee methodologies and attribution models at any time, with minimal notice. Sellers only have 60 days to dispute charges in writing otherwise, they’re final. 

Let’s put this in perspective - more than 18 million active sellers use eBay globally, with 31% based in the U.S. That’s over  6 million U.S. sellers potentially vulnerable to similar ad fee changes. Many of them run affiliate programs, use offsite traffic strategies, and pay for Promoted Listings based on performance. 

If attribution shifts quietly spread stateside, it could upend how affiliate marketers approach platforms like eBay. If this attribution model proves profitable for marketplaces, others could follow. Amazon, Walmart Marketplace, Etsy they’re watching. If performance-based ad fees become “visibility-based” fees, affiliates could lose control over spend efficiency and campaign clarity across the board. 

The Bigger Picture: Ad Revenue Pressure & Affiliate Risk 

Why the change? eBay’s Q1 2025 earnings report shows ad revenue climbing to $418 million  a 14% year-over-year increase. But that figure is actually down from Q4 2024. The company is under pressure to keep Promoted Listings revenue growing, even as seller adoption appears to be slowing. One way to boost numbers fast? Expand what counts as an attributed sale. 

But for affiliates and marketers, those inflated metrics come with a price. If you’re paying for ad clicks that didn’t directly drive sales or worse, being billed months after the fact you lose precision. You lose predictability, and you lose trust in the system. 

Especially if you manage multiple client accounts or operate on narrow margins, even a few unexpected ad fees can wipe out profitability. Worse, they can tank your credibility if you can’t explain to clients why their ad spend isn’t matching up with sales. 

So, What Should U.S. eCommerce Do Now? 

Right now, this is a “watch and wait” situation but with urgency. 

• Audit your eBay ad campaigns. Double-check your invoices and transactions going back several months. Look for any unexplained fees or retroactive charges. 

• Monitor eBay’s Marketing Terms. This is where attribution rules can change without a formal announcement. Bookmark it and check regularly: eBay Marketing Terms 

• Ask questions now. If you're running affiliate traffic to eBay listings especially through Promoted Listings reach out to your account manager or seller support. Ask how attribution is tracked and billed. Document everything. 

• Diversify your platform mix. Don’t rely too heavily on one marketplace. If attribution models change on one, having alternative income channels can protect your bottom line. 

• Stay loud, stay visible. Sellers in Europe and Australia didn’t get an email when these changes rolled out. Some only found out when they saw unexpected charges. Don’t wait for that to happen here. Share what you’re seeing. Join discussions in affiliate communities. Start conversations before it’s too late. 

Final Thought: Attribution Isn’t Just a Technical Detail 

For a lot of online store owners, attribution is key to the business. It’s how they decide where to spend, what to scale, and who gets paid. If platforms start changing those rules quietly or retroactively the entire foundation of performance marketing comes under threat. 

Could this be an early warning sign for the US market, or will these changes stay limited to Europe? Either way, the playbook is being rewritten overseas—and if it works there, it probably won’t stay there long. Stay alert and be ready. 

Stay ahead with the latest industry news - from attribution shakeups to AI-driven search changes. 

Don’t miss Affiliate Summit East this August 4–5 in the heart of New York City! Hear directly from top pros breaking down what’s happening now and what’s coming next, so you can keep your edge and adapt fast.