eBay wants to help ensure that the marketplace offers buyers safer online payment choices. As described in our safe buying guide, eBay encourages sellers to offer payments through PayPal. PayPal is convenient to use and has privacy built in.

Some offline payment methods, such as personal checks, may not offer the same level of protection or convenience as online payments.

Effective March 2008, sellers may be required to offer PayPal or a merchant credit card as one of the payment methods for a specific listing.

Permitted on eBay.com:

Sellers may offer to accept:

• PayPal, merchant credit cards (including MasterCard, Visa, Amex, Discover® Network), debit cards, and bank electronic payments for eBay purchases.

• Bank-to-bank transfers, often known as bank wire transfers or bank cash transfers.

• Cash on Delivery (COD) or cash for in-person transactions.

• Personal checks, money orders, cashier's checks, certified checks, and other negotiable instruments.

Not permitted on eBay.com

Sellers may not solicit:

• Buyers to mail cash.

• Buyers to send cash or money orders through instant cash transfer services (non-bank, point-to-point cash transfers) such as Western Union or MoneyGram.

• Payment through "topping off" of a seller's pre-paid credit or debit card.

• Payment through online payment methods not specifically permitted in this policy.

Please see the "Some Examples" section of this policy for permitted and non-permitted online payment services.

Misleading & Discouraging Payments

Sellers who state in their listing that they accept certain payment methods must not selectively offer those payment methods to buyers or discourage buyers from using those payment methods.

This means that sellers must always accept payment from buyers through the payment methods they have selected in their Payment Details section of their listing, including PayPal, and must not act in any way to discourage buyers from paying by these methods.

This policy is not only limited to communications made in listings, but also includes all correspondence between a seller and buyer that relates to an eBay transaction.

Violations of this policy may result in a range of actions including: 

• Listing cancellation

• Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings

• Limits on account privileges

• Loss of PowerSeller status

• Account suspension