EBAY · 10-Q · 2026Q3 · Full report

Operating Expense Trends

EBAY INC · 2026-10-29 · Importance 54 · Surprise 40

Total operating expenses increased to $5.005 billion for the first nine months of 2026 from $4.233 billion, an increase of approximately 18%. Sales and marketing expense growth included $290 million of additional marketing program costs, primarily for C2C and eBay Live, and $61 million in employee-related costs over the nine-month period. Product development costs increased because of employee-related and AI-related costs, while nine-month general and administrative expense increases included $65 million in employee costs, $26 million in restructuring costs, and $13 million in transaction-related and legal costs.

Key facts

• eBay’s sales and marketing expenses increased by $120 million in marketing program costs, primarily related to Depop and eBay Live, and $24 million in employee-related costs in the three months ended September 30, 2026. source
• eBay’s sales and marketing expenses increased by $290 million in marketing program costs, primarily related to C2C and eBay Live, $61 million in employee-related costs and $31 million from unfavorable foreign currency movements in the nine months ended September 30, 2026. source
• eBay expects to continue investing in marketing programs that it believes will generate long-term returns for its on- and off-platform Marketplaces. source
• eBay’s general and administrative expenses increased by $65 million in employee-related costs, $26 million in restructuring costs and $13 million in transaction-related and legal costs in the nine months ended September 30, 2026. source
• eBay’s transaction losses increased by $73 million from unfavorable fluctuations in buyer and seller fraud and recovery rates and by $41 million from higher volume in the nine months ended September 30, 2026. source
• eBay’s general and administrative expenses increased by $42 million in transaction-related and legal costs and $12 million in employee-related costs in the three months ended September 30, 2026, partly offset by $24 million of restructuring costs recorded in 2025 that did not recur. source
• eBay’s product development expenses increased in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2026, primarily due to higher employee-related and AI-related costs. source
• eBay’s transaction losses increased in the three months ended September 30, 2026, primarily driven by volume. source