Large Merchant Services

Large Merchant Services (LMS) is a set of APIs designed to meet the integration needs of Large Merchant sellers and ISVs.

Large Merchant Services provides an efficient way to process large numbers of transactions within the eBay Trading Platform. LMS includes merchant-friendly features such as SKU-based inventory management, Orders with OrderLineItems for all transactions, and OrderAck state for robust handoff between eBay and Merchant applications.

Trading API and Shopping API use a synchronous programming model where an API Request is made, and the application waits for a Response on the same connection.
LMS uses an asynchronous execution model where:

• Application makes a Request which returns an Identifier.
  
• Application subsequently checks for completion status of the Request using the Identifier.
  
• Application gathers the Response after the processing of the Request is completed.

LMS also enables large data exchange with eBay using files.

Benefits

• Substantially reduce network bandwidth, and connection requests.
  Consolidate tens of thousands of Requests, or Responses into a single, compressed file.
  
• Simplify integration.
  Familiar file-based integration method between Merchant IS systems and eBay.
• Reduce compute capacity.
  Leverage eBay infrastructure for highly optimized, parallel execution of individual Requests.
• Simplify error management.
  LMS will manage transport and general system errors, and retry appropriately.
• Rich features.
  Access Trading Platform features that may not be available via the Trading API.
  

Supported Features

Formats: SOAP 1.2 or XML

Protocols: HTTP POST

Current Support

LMS currently includes the following APIs:

1. Bulk Data Exchange API provides an asynchronous programming model on long duration processing requests called Jobs. There are 2 types of Jobs:
• Upload Requests where the data is provided to LMS
  The individual Requests within a Job may be executed in any order i.e. one should not depend on side effects based on order of execution.
• Download Reports where the data is provided by LMS.
2. Merchant Data API defines the file format of Requests and Responses for Upload Requests and Download Reports. The functional areas covered are:

SKU Management

• Add FixedPrice Item
• Revise FixedPrice Item
• Relist FixedPrice Item
• End FixedPrice Item

Inventory Management

• Revise Inventory Status for fast price and quantity changes
• Active Inventory Report

Fulfillment Related

• Sold Item Report
• Order Acknowledgement
• Update Shipment Tracking Information

3. File Transfer API provides file upload and download capability using MTOM compliant attachments.

Getting Started and Resources

Samples

• Sample Application (with source code) may  help you exercise LMS features in a short time.

Documentation

Overview

• Making an API call: Shared details about constructing API requests
• Large Merchant Services User Guide: Overview of key concepts, the APIs that constitute the LMS solution, and what you can do with them
• Merchant Data XSD: Allows you to validate the XML in the 'payload' response against the latest schema to ensure proper data binding

Call Reference

• Merchant Data API Call Reference: Supported input and output fields, and samples
  
• Bulk Data Exchange API Call Reference: Supported input and output fields, and samples
  
• File Transfer API Call Reference: Supported input and output fields, and samples

Release Notes

• Merchant Data API Release Notes: View enhancements in each release.
  
• Bulk Data Exchange API Release Notes: View enhancements in each release.
• File Transfer API Release Notes: View enhancements in each release.

Complete Docs

• Documentation Archive: Complete documentation per API packaged up as a single download.

Support

• Production System Announcements: See the latest system announcements regarding eBay Web Services
• eBay Developer Forums: Free support from your fellow developers and Developer Technical Support
• Developer Support: Choose from paid support offerings, including Support Requests and Live Help.