PSA data on trading card listings

Overview

Trading card buyers use the certification number on graded cards to verify that the cards are real and to check the population information. This causes buyers to leave our platform right before purchase, and is negatively affecting conversion.

To solve this problem, we surfaced PSA’s data prominently on view item to increase buyer trust and increase conversion. With an API connection to PSA, we eliminated the need for users to navigate off our platform to research a card.

I was the sole designer on this project, partnering with a content designer, UX researcher, a data analyst, product managers, and engineers.

Buyers leaving eBay

Research found that eBay buyers were leaving right before purchasing cards. They were going to PSA’s database to verify certification and population stats. But many buyers failed to return to eBay after leaving our platform.

A new partnership between eBay and PSA provided a perfect opportunity. If we could show PSA data directly on our listings, we could reduce abandonment.

Finding a solution

I started by exploring a wide range of design solutions to the problem. This included looking at existing frameworks and features that we could augment. Partnership with domain teams like View Items and Design Systems was incredibly helpful as some strong solutions began to take shape.

From there, research sessions and A/B tests gave me the precise data to determine the exact content and features to include and let us know we were on to something our users were incredibly excited about.

Final design

The final design features a full PSA module, accessible at the top of the View Item page. It gives buyers full confidence at the moment of purchase, and has been wildly successful in increasing conversion rates.

Results

It took time to imagine, refine, test, and then launch, but our conviction paid off. The program’s success led to expansion of the feature on View Item and across other areas of eBay as well.