Payment options for most listings on eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie PayPal Collection in person Credit card Cheque/postal order Escrow Payment safety tips The small print

Offering your buyers safe and convenient payment choices can help your sale go smoothly, get you good feedback, and bring them back for more.

Payment options for most listings on eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie

PayPal is a secure online payment method, which allows you to pay or get paid quickly and easily without sharing any of your financial information with the other user.

You may also offer several other payment options in addition to PayPal, including payment by cheque, postal order, credit card (if you have your own processing capabilities), or Escrow. You can set most payment preferences using My eBay.

For sales where the buyer pays on collection, you may accept cheques and postal orders if necessary, but we don't recommend it as there's a risk that the payment won't clear.

	How does it work? When the buyer clicks Pay now, they simply log into their PayPal account and send you the money. They can use a debit or credit card, their bank account, or funds held in their PayPal account balance.
	Do I need to sign up to PayPal? Once you receive money via PayPal, you'll need to sign up with PayPal in order to collect your payment.
	Do I pay a fee as a seller? There is a fee for sellers, but this is comparable to what you'd pay if you were to set up an online shop and get a bank to process credit and debit card payments. There are no set-up costs or monthly fees.
	Does the buyer have to sign up to PayPal? They don't have to. If the buyer is registered, they can pay from their PayPal account. The buyer can also pay with their credit or debit card directly, without signing up to PayPal.
	Does the buyer pay a fee? No. And most eBay purchases paid for with PayPal are automatically protected by eBay Buyer Protection.
	How soon am I paid? In most cases, immediately to your PayPal account.
	Is there seller protection? Yes. See the key rules of PayPal Seller Protection.
	Is there buyer protection? Yes. eBay Buyer Protection covers the purchase price plus original postage if the buyer doesn't receive the item or the item doesn't match the seller's description.
	Does this method require eBay checkout? Yes.
	Is there help if I have a transaction problem? Yes, through the eBay Resolution Centre. See what to do if a buyer doesn't pay. If you run into a problem with your transaction, you also can find help in the PayPal Safety Advice Centre for sellers.

	How does it work? Your buyer pays you when they collect the item.
	Do I need to sign up? No.
	Do I pay a fee? No.
	Does the buyer have to sign up? No.
	Does the buyer pay a fee? No.
	How soon am I paid? Immediately. In-person payment methods can include cheques, postal orders, cash, PayPal, or credit card. In your listing, be clear about which of these payment methods you'll accept. Note: Most sellers don't offer cheques or postal orders, because if they don't clear after the buyer has collected the item, the seller has little or no recourse. See Accepted Payments policy.
	Is there seller protection? Yes. eBay Buyer Protection protects sellers when they show an item was properly described. To learn more, read our FAQ for sellers about eBay Buyer Protection.
	Is there buyer protection? The eBay Resolution Centre can help buyers and sellers to resolve cases where the item doesn't match the seller's description. However, only items paid for with PayPal are eligible for reimbursement under eBay Buyer Protection.
	Does this method require eBay checkout? No, but you can enter instructions for the buyer to contact you under Additional check out instructions when you list your item. The buyer will see this they click Pay now.
	Is there help if I have a transaction problem? Yes, through the eBay Resolution Centre. Learn more about what to do if a buyer doesn't pay

Tip: If you want to offer the option of paying with a credit card, remember that buyers can pay you with a credit card using PayPal. They don't necessarily need to register - PayPal just processes the payment and puts the money into your PayPal account.

	How does it work? You can accept credit card payments from buyers, provided you have the ability to process the card payment yourself. (Credit card payments aren't integrated into checkout on eBay.co.uk or eBay.ie.) Buyers can see the instructions to contact you after clicking the Pay now button.
	Do I need to sign up? Yes. You need to have both a merchant account with your bank and set up a virtual terminal solution in order to accept credit card payments.
	Do I pay a fee as a seller? Your bank or merchant credit card processor and virtual terminal provider may charge you a per-transaction fee or other fees, and a percentage of the total amount charged by the buyer.
	Does the buyer have to sign up? No, but they will need to contact you via email or phone to give you their credit card details.
	Does the buyer pay a fee? No.
	How soon am I paid? Your merchant account is credited immediately after you've received and processed the buyer's card information.
	Is there seller protection? Yes. eBay Buyer Protection protects sellers when tracking information shows an item has been delivered, or sellers show an item was properly described. To learn more, read our FAQ for sellers about eBay Buyer Protection.
	Is there buyer protection? The eBay Resolution Centre can help buyers and sellers to resolve cases where the item doesn't match the seller's description. However, only items paid for with PayPal are eligible for reimbursement under eBay Buyer Protection. Buyers may have protection through their credit card company.
	Does this method require eBay checkout? You can enter instructions for the buyer to contact you under Additional check out instructions when you list your item. The buyer will see this they click Pay now.
	Is there help if I have a transaction problem? Yes, through the eBay Resolution Centre. Learn more about what to do if a buyer doesn't pay

	How does it work? Buyers can see your payment instructions after clicking the Pay now button.
	Do I need to sign up? No, but you should set up your instructions for the buyer to see during checkout.
	Do I pay a fee as a seller? Your bank may charge you a fee for processing the cheque or postal order.
	Does the buyer have to sign up? No.
	Does the buyer pay a fee? No.
	How soon am I paid? Once you've received the cheque or postal order, it may take several working days for the funds to be available in your bank account. You should make sure that the payment has cleared before dispatching the item.
	Is there seller protection? Yes. eBay Buyer Protection protects sellers when tracking information shows an item has been delivered, or sellers show an item was properly described. To learn more, read our FAQ for sellers about eBay Buyer Protection.
	Is there buyer protection? The eBay Resolution Centre can help buyers and sellers to resolve cases where the item doesn't match the seller's description. However, only items paid for with PayPal are eligible for reimbursement under eBay Buyer Protection.
	Does this method require eBay checkout? You can enter your payment address and any other payment information under Additional check out instructions when you list your item. The buyer will see this they click Pay now.
	Is there help if I have a transaction problem? Yes, through the eBay Resolution Centre. Learn more about what to do if a buyer doesn't pay

Important: Make sure you only use eBay's approved escrow service, www.escrow.com (or an eBay approved international escrow service for international transactions)

	How does it work? Buyers pay the escrow service and the funds are held until the buyer receives and accepts the item (or the inspection period expires). Learn more about using an escrow service
	Do I need to sign up? Yes. You'll need to set up an account with the escrow service.
	Do I pay a fee as a seller? The escrow fee is a percentage of the transaction value. Buyers and sellers should agree which party will pay the fees.
	Does the buyer have to sign up? Yes. The buyer will need to set up an account with the escrow service.
	Does the buyer pay a fee? The escrow fee is a percentage of the transaction value. Buyers and sellers should agree which party will pay the fees.
	How soon am I paid? Once the buyer has paid, the escrow service will ask you to send the item to the buyer. Once the buyer has received and accepted the item, the escrow service will send you the money within 1-3 working days - usually via cheque.
	Is there seller protection? The seller is only authorised to send the item when the escrow service verifies payment, and the escrow service confirms when the buyer receives the item.
	Is there buyer protection? The escrow service tracks the item and verifies it was delivered. The seller isn't paid until the buyer accepts the item, or the inspection period expires.
	Does this method require eBay checkout? You can enter your payment information under Additional check out instructions when you list your item. The buyer will see this when they click Pay now.
	Is there help if I have a transaction problem? Yes, through the eBay Resolution Centre. Learn more about what to do if a buyer doesn't pay

Payment safety tips

• We don't recommend cash or cash wire transfers as payment methods, as they don't provide transaction protection, payments are difficult to trace, and if you run into trouble, there's often little or no remedy.

• Never accept overpayments from buyers for items, especially if the buyer asks to be reimbursed for overpayment. Requests like this are often part of a counterfeit banker's draft scheme. See avoiding payment problems.

The small print

• The payment methods described in this article are for eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie listings only. For payment options in other countries, see the eBay help pages for that country.

• Sellers can't require buyers to pay using methods that aren’t allowed on eBay or that they didn't name in their listing. For details, see our Accepted Payments policy.