In the face of rising competition from the likes of Facebook Gifts, Groupon and Pinterest, eBay is repositioning itself as a mobile e-commerce platform.

Over the past few weeks the company has rolled out a series of mobile features that sees eBay moving away from its traditional marketplace offering.

Bidding on mobile

In 2011 eBay amassed $5 billion in mobile transactions, and expects that number to double this year. 

The entry point for many of these transactions are eBay's mobile apps, which have been downloaded more than 100 million times. 

eBay's has just added geofencing to its popular barcode scanning Red Laser app, which allows retailers to deliver deals to consumers based on their location. 

The company also launched an iOS app called eBay Now that gives users $5 same-day shipping on products. 

Taking a cue from Pinterest

eBay last week announced a tool called Setify, which allows users to curate collections of goods and shares many of Pinterest's features.

“Setify is a lightweight tool that allows collectors to track the items that they own, share their collections and build wish lists and shop for collectibles on eBay,” the company wrote on its blog.

Through gaining more insights into user preferences, eBay is shifting to a more personalised and curated platform, much the same way Amazon recommends products. 

PayPal

eBay-owned PayPal is also undergoing a change. The massive payments service boasts over 100 million active users, but has faced competition from rival payment platforms such as Square. 

PayPal recently unveiled two new features, GeoMetrics and GeoAudience. GeoMetrics allows advertisers to compare campaign performance within geographic regions, while GeoAudience lets brands build customer profiles based on location data and spending habits. 

Battle for the e-buck

Whether eBay's shift towards a more mobile and customised experience will be enough to sway consumers being wooed by an expanding array of mobile e-commerce options remains to be seen.

What is apparent is that the bid for the mobile dollar is booming. 

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