The world's biggest auction site is making some major changes, and you're gonna LOVE them. Whether you buy or sell on eBay, these are changes that will save you money and time. This is a prime example of what can happen with a company listens to its customers. The updates are scheduled to launch on April 19th. (See also: Secrets of Top eBay Sellers)

Free Listings Are Back, and They're Here to Stay

This is the biggest news for me, and it's better for everyone. Casual eBayers and sellers with eBay stores all benefit. As a casual eBayer, your listing is free, and you will only pay a tiny percentage of the final value fee. As a seller with a store, rates are reduced. Either way, when sellers pay less, buyers also pay less. Here's how it breaks down:

Free Auction-Style Listings and a Free Buy It Now Option

For casual sellers, this is a huge change. From April 19th (until further notice, it seems) you can list your auction-style items for free. You get up to 50 items per month, and you can add a free Buy It Now option to any or all of them. How does eBay make money? If the item sells, you pay a small percentage of the final value. And, starting July 6th, the fixed-price final value fees will be reduced and applied to the total amount of the sale. This includes shipping. Quite simply, from April 19th on, it's going to be a lot cheaper to sell anything on eBay!

Good News for eBay Store Owners

Although you don't get free insertions, the final value fee rates for both auction-style listings and fixed-price listings will be reduced and applied to the total amount of the sale. This starts July 6th, so you have a little longer to wait before the savings kick in.

20% Discounts for Top eBay Sellers Remain

The new rate structure will not affect your 20% incentive, and top-rated eBay sellers will continue to earn this killer discount on final-value fees. However, the 5% discount for PowerSellers who are not top-rated will end on June 1st.

Finally, the eBay Shopping Cart is Coming!

We all love getting deals on eBay. But how annoying is it to have to do separate transactions with every single vendor? Well, that's about to change. The eBay shopping cart will allow buyers to pay for items from multiple sellers, both auction and fixed price, in one easy checkout. Nice!

Plus, Even More eBay Upgrades

Improvements have been made to the whole shopping experience on eBay. There will be new ways to search for products, with even more options available to help you narrow your search or list your item. This is a much-needed improvement for clothing, shoes, and accessories, which now require mandatory item specifics. And if you buy or sell motor parts and accessories, new rules have been put in place to reduce buyer questions and build confidence.

The eBay site as a whole will be undergoing improvements to increase the confidence and trust of buyers everywhere, with particular attention on international eBay transactions. More information is available in eBay's Spring Seller Update, and you can keep on top of the many improvements coming to eBay on the blog eBay Ink.

Or, if you want a quick five-minute update, check this video out from Todd Lutwak, VP of Selling Experience for eBay.