Tech Support Alert: Transaction ID Expansion

As originally announced in mid-May 2006, developers building applications with eBay Web Services should be aware that eBay item ID and transaction ID could expand up to 19 digits. If your application does not support expanding ID numbers up to 19 digits, then your application could generate errors with new and revised listings.

As of late January, eBay transaction IDs will be expanding to the 7 billion range. Developers who tested their application back in May to ensure that their item ID support was compliant with our ID number expansion should ensure their transaction ID support is also compliant. Please use this opportunity to check all your tools and applications to ensure they can handle these IDs growing up to 19 digits in the future.

Furthermore, we recommend that developers never try to build logic about ID ranges, other than treating each ID as a unique identifier. Eventually the range for every item category will be updated and any previous assumptions about the ID range will no longer be valid.

Sandbox support for the transaction ID number expansion to the 7 billion range has been enabled, so that you are able to test your application before the late January expansion.

System status, updates to the schedule and other information will be updated in the API Production System Announcements:

All API production sites (US, CA & Motors and International): week of January 29th

Check updates: Production System Announcement