How to Authorize your Account: quick version
The fastest, easiest way to authorize your account is to click
eBay Settings,
click the big Link to eBay button and follow directions. That's it!
Pro Tip: If you have more than one eBay account you use with eSnipe you
will need to authorize them one at a time.
How to Authorize your Account: step-by-step with full explanations
If you're nervous about why eSnipe is asking you to do this, or if you're a
power user who wants all the inside info, here's what's going on.
eSnipe no longer stores eBay passwords. Only eBay has this information now.
A quick reminder. eSnipe is independent from eBay and always has been. eSnipe makes bids on eBay for you,
which meant that eSnipe has always kept a copy of your eBay login information. This had two
problems: it meant you had to keep your login information current on both sites, and it
doubled the possibility that your eBay information could be stolen.
Authorizing your eBay account for use with eSnipe means that only eBay stores your username and password.
Keep in mind that if you change your eBay password you'll be asked to do this authorization
step again.
One login from now on
Most eSnipe users log in with their eSnipe account information.
Some users knew they could also log in to eSnipe using their eBay account information, which
mean two separate ways to log in. From now on, you can only log in using your eSnipe account information.
Why can't you log in with your eBay account information anymore?
Because eSnipe no longer knows anything about your eBay account.
It's all on eBay's servers. eSnipe has permission to use eBay's services to
make bids for you, period. So logging in to eSnipe now requires you to use your
eSnipe account.
Incredibly good news: reliability increases
Now that eBay knows it's okay for eSnipe to bid for you, eBay will no longer block eSnipe
or put up captchas due to concerns about a computer that is not your own placing bids.
eBay now knows that eSnipe is authorized to bid for you. The problems
eSnipe had with this a few months ago are eliminated.
An illustrated guide to authorizing your eBay account
- Log into eSnipe as usual
- Choose Settings, then eBay
- Choose your eBay username
- Click the big Authorize button. You're taken to eBay and asked to sign in:
- Log in with your eBay (NOT eSnipe) username and password.
You're taken to a page that says "Grant application access: eSnipe".
A big version of the eSnipe logo appears underneath it.
- Click the big blue Agree button
You're taken back to eSnipe.
Your username now appears in a different color,
and you will see the words Re-Authorize with an expiration date.
Re-Authorize means everything went right. Congratulations. You no longer need to trust eSnipe with your eBay login information.
It is now stored with eBay.
FAQ
Q. I already have some bids scheduled! Will this screw them up?
A. Don't worry! The bids you already placed will be executed.
But you won't be able to place any more bids until you follow these steps to re-authorize your account.
Q. I used to be able to log into eSnipe with my eBay username and password.
Why can't I do that anymore?
A. You are now required to log into eSnipe using only your eSnipe username and password
because eSnipe no longer stores your eBay login information. It's all on eBay. It may
seem a little inconvenient but it comes with a HUGE advantage: your eBay user ID information
is now managed on eBay, not eSnipe. That means less risk, because it's stored in just
one place: eBay. You no longer have to keep them synchronized on eSnipe.