Why PayPal only?

With Paypal one doesn't have to make a long trip to the bank to deposit a check or money order.

 

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Though I've done little buying and no selling on eBay in the past couple of years, I am an admitted hypocrite on this. I find it very convenient to pay with Paypal since I don't have to write and mail a check, but I won't accept the terms eBay imposed if you are a seller. (Like the 3.9% + 25 cent whether the transaction is credit card based or not-- for people who pay you out of their Paypal balance, that is free money to Paypal. This assumes a "premium" or "business" account, which you must have in order to use Paypal with eBay.)

I don't think there's any doubt that the big draw of Paypal to sellers is the ability for buyers to put a purchase on their credit card. It probably helps to increase the final value as well. Above a certain value, I do that too-- why not let the amount "float" a bit longer, even if you're going to pay it all off anyway when the statement comes and keep the money in your own interest bearing account for a couple of weeks?

There are sellers who in my mind have clearly added Paypal fees to the shipping and handling, and are not allowed to discount in any way for an alternative form of payment, so why not use Paypal to complete the purchase?

I can understand how the use of Paypal can be of a benefit to the high volume seller, particularly given the alternative of taking credit cards directly; but for the casual seller it's just another cut of what's probably a small dollar sale anyway.

I have read and heard stories about how the seller isn't all that protected; from other stories I'm aware of, I'm not sure the buyer is that safely guarded either. It's interesting how many sellers are requiring insurance and/or delivery confirmation at the buyer's expense as a condition of taking Paypal; I guess that provides the proof of delivery to Paypal in case there is a dispute of receipt after the fact. (And what a sweet deal for the Postal Service also.)

 

For me paying with Paypal is a bit of a godsend as I live in the uK but buy a lot from the USA (Sport & Non Sport Cards ) never mind for books & coins n notes LOL UK cheques are a nightmare to try to cash and you dont take British Postal Orders.