Yes. it's probably been a year now or maybe a bit longer.

The seller may not offer anything other than Paypal in the TOS. But the buyer is free to email the seller and ask if they will take other forms of payment. Some will, especially if they are a store that does off eBay transactions as well since they may be better set up for it.

As a private seller I wouldn't want to go through the extra bother of having to do the work that Paypal has already done for me.

Paypal protects the buyer and the seller. Especially the buyer since no one sees your financial info other than Paypal. No credit card numbers, no bank account numbers, nada. Paypal is a secure middleman.

The seller can ship promptly without waiting for funds to be verified and there is no need to hold checks. Paypal is an instant transaction. Beneficial to all.

I think the seller of the item decides which methods of payment they'll accept. When you list an item, a question comes up asking how you'd like to be paid. I list Paypal, money orders and personal checks. The last time I sold anything was in June, so the policy may have changed.

I has changed, Jannie, and I think it was longer ago than June. Wildchild is right, as far as I know.

You can have it set up in paypal to have the money paid from your checking acct. so it would be the same thing as writing a check only safer for the seller, easier for you than writing and mailing a check and faster payment means faster shipment of goods.

I use it on other sites that accept paypal as well...just like regular shopping with your checkbook...I love paypal!

nola anne

Wildchild is right.. but in some instances the seller can ask that you go through a different auction payment site. I just did that a week ago and was able to pay with my Visa card instead of using Paypal. I think it is because the seller has an actual business. I wouldn't have considered doing that except that this seller has over 20,000 positive feedback.

Is everyone else unable to use a credit card through Paypal to pay for an item if you have funds in your account? I can always choose to send a e-check... but not a credit card if I have funds available. I don't usually mind, but sometimes I don't want to pay that way.

I have never bought on eBay, just sold things. I was selling on eBay a few years ago and at that time a postal money order was the only guaranteed funds. It can be cashed at the post office without guaranteeing it with you checking account. I took checks, but held off sending their purchase until payment was deposited in my account. I don't like using a middle man when it comes to my money.

That's interesting, Lydia. I can't answer your question because I haven't sold on eBay in a while and therefore am not carrying a Paypal balance. But it doesn't seem right that they would force you into one form of payment.

A couple of times I've chosen to pay for an item through my credit card rather than bank account. EBay tried to talk me out of it ("Are you sure you want to pay this way?" etc.), but I persisted. :-)

I opened a small checking account just for this purpose! eBay no longer "allows" a Seller to state they will accept any form of payment except PayPal! eBay OWNS PayPal..so that's probably the reason. Then the Seller is charged eBay fees AND PayPal fees! (it's all about the money).

Before I opened the checking account that I linked to eBay, there were times I would email the Seller and ask if they'd accept a check or money order! Some would and others wouldn't. I'd just find the same item and a Seller that would accept that form of payment.

This is from eBay's website:

Accepted Payments Policy

Our Accepted Payments policy helps ensure that buyers and sellers on eBay are offered safe, convenient payment options.

For most categories, sellers need to offer one or more of the following electronic payment choices:

*

PayPal
*

ProPay
*

Moneybookers
*

Paymate
*

Credit card or debit card processed through the seller's Internet merchant account

Additionally, payment upon pickup and Bill Me Later are valid payment methods as well.

I actually think it is a good idea not to allow money orders and checks. I received a bad check once (from a garage sale) and I've read enough about money order fraud to know it happens frequently.

Out of further curiousity, I checked on the subject of PayPal with good old Wikipedia. Much more then I'd ever want to know, but somewhere therein, the current President of EBay said the revenue from PayPal is overtaking EBay's revenue from its auction site. I already figured EBay wasn't offering this amazing service out of the goodness of their heart.