eBay to ban checks and money orders in late October

Filed under: Business, Internet, Web services

eBay to ban checks and money orders in late October

by Brad Linder Sep 24th 2008

There's no question that PayPal is one of the easiest ways to send and receive payments for items bought on eBay. But since the online auction site was founded, users were able to send checks or arrange payments via other methods if they were more convenient. Now all that's about to change.

Starting in about a month, eBay will stop allowing users to send checks or money orders as payment for items purchased on the US version of the site. You'll only be able to pay using PayPal, ProPay, credit or debit cards (if the seller has an internet merchant account), or pay for the item upon pickup.

In January, eBay will make sure all of these options are easily available in the checkout section. For example, you'll be able to enter your credit card information to complete a purchase if a seller is authorized to accept credit cards.

eBay tried to issue a PayPal-only requirement in Australia earlier this year, but regulators ruled that the move would be anti-competitive.

[via Ars Technica]

Tags: auctions, ebay, paypal, shopping

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

eminemdrdre00 said 12:12PM on 9-24-2008

This sucks. Ive bought 10 things on eBay and have always used a money order. Im 20 but dont have a credit card yet :\

Travis said 3:20PM on 9-24-2008

Ebay is just greedy and wants to try to force you to use PayPal. Too bad they'll just ban your PayPal account for unknown reasons months later.

dave said 3:28PM on 9-27-2008

that will never happen since ebay OWNES paypal now.

The_Steven said 3:42PM on 9-24-2008

Sure, I could use my Amex, Visa, Discover, or Mastercard on eBay, but I choose not to.

Sure I could go to my bank and get a rechargeable gift card, but I choose not to.

On every dollar bill in my pocket it says that it is legal tender for all debits public and private, but I'd prefer not to mail money.

What if I prefer not to have a credit card? What if the easy use of my credit card got me into trouble? What if I declared bankruptcy and can't get a credit card?

Once they enact that change, they will loose me and many others as users.

keeves said 7:25PM on 9-24-2008

I think this is a poorly thought out plan, that may in the long term be bad for ebay. A lot of beginner users i would presume use cheques (i preferred to for a while), whilst more experienced users have moved on to paypal for convenience. If you eliminate the option of cheques then they may prevent new users from signing up.

Brandon said 11:25PM on 9-24-2008

My name is Brandon Crotts, I am the product manager at ProPay and I know that a lot people are upset about the changes that eBay is making but we are really excited about being selected as one of the payment options. And I think people are forgetting that Paypal isn't the only option on eBay. We hope that we can be a highlight to what eBay has been doing.

ben morgan said 10:07PM on 10-13-2008

Your position is understood. You must be in bed with ebay for them to choose you.

Best regards, Ben

joo-joo said 6:28PM on 11-12-2008

Brandon, my problem is not with having to pay with paypal, it is receiving paypal payments. I'm not sure if pro-pay is the same, but if i want to receive more than $50 (a month) they charge me a fee, on every transaction. This is not fair.

Anita said 9:56AM on 9-25-2008

I buy and sell on ebay, although I haven't had any thing up for sale for many months now, since their seller prices went up. In any case it was nice to offer people alternative options to pay. I can kind of see the checks going but money orders, that does not make sense to me.

sina said 9:56AM on 9-25-2008

here is to the worst company on the history of the planet... i hope ebay is wipped out of the face of internet... i hate 'em so much. Why no one is coming up with this problem????

jeri said 12:16PM on 12-04-2008

I may be able to help! I really think you are right, ebay will be wiped out; send me an email, and I tell you what I know. Thanks! jeri

Kate said 9:56AM on 9-25-2008

I have been an eBay user for over 9 years and have always paid by money order. I don't have a bank account as I am disabled and have been battling SS for the past 7 years/live on what I can make. Needless to say, I can't get a credit card either! Paying fees for PayPal, a pre-paid debt card etc is money I NEED for medications and living purposes. Living in a rural areas, eBay has enabled me to purchase items I cannot buy locally or spend $ on gas to go to a larger town. If I can't continue to pay with a money order then I will cancel my membership. Anyone know of any other auction sites out there? I will NOT use PayPal or any other method of payment.
The mind boggles about how in hell they are going to enforce this! What's to stop a potential buyer emailing the seller and asking if they will take a mo?
Drop a line of protest to your State Attorney General to see if this is actually legal to do in your State!
eBay is greedy, greedy, greedy!

Susan said 5:56PM on 9-25-2008

I too am upset about this stupid new rule. I have been looking into epier.com and think this will be where I buy and sell.

ben said 10:08PM on 10-13-2008

I agree. I am finished with the Extortion/bay

Regards, Ben

sfgdsdfg said 9:57AM on 9-25-2008

The way eBay is behaving in the last months and years, becoming more and more hostile towards its sellers, makes you wonder whether they WANT to go down.

sam said 9:57AM on 9-25-2008

I can`t believe that ebay is going to do this. I have sold on ebay for awhile now, I was using paypal, and after I figured out how much money I was loosing to paypal for fees...I stopped! It was bad enough to have to pay the HIGH fees that ebay has set, but then to turn around and pay more fees just to get your money? Thats crazy. Ebay will loose me as a customer as well.

mike said 9:57AM on 9-25-2008

ebay is greedy, I have used paypal and money orders and even personal checks. I can see not accepting checks but not money orders? I think they will soon figure out a way to charge the buyers!!! They have a good thing going why on earth would they want to ruin it? I used to sell on ebay but the fees seem unfair to me so i haven't sold anything for years. I hope someone at ebay wakes up and see's this will only hurt their operations. They must be getting a kickback from paypal or they own the company is all i can figure. boycot ebay!!!!! there are severl other online auction sites.

Mike said 9:57AM on 9-25-2008

This is of course not right. Also I lost a dispute with Paypal The buyer claims he never received the item. I offered insurance but the buyer refused to buy it as in most cases on Ebay.I was told by Paypal that the seller is responsible for Physical Delivery of the item or the buyer wins the dispute. I hope I can warn sellers. I hope I can find a new place to sell records.

gilbert said 10:06AM on 9-25-2008

ebay is going down hill .coporate creed paypal is the worst piece of crap any body can used .they make money both ways before you know it your profits are going down the tube .i am finish with e-bay they can have it and 60 % of the items do not sell on ebay.thier time will come is just around the corner before this company hits bottom.

ANONY0102 said 10:13AM on 9-25-2008

WOW, HACKERS AND SCAM ARTISTS ARE
GOING TO HAVE A FIELD DAY WITH THIS

| 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 20 Comments

Featured Time Waster

Civiballs is a beautiful, soothing physics puzzle Time Waster

I have an absolute weakness for physics games, and while Civiballs isn't the strongest physics-based game, what it lacks in the physics department it makes up for a few times over in style and fun.

In Civiballs, you are presented with a few colored balls, and your goal is to get those balls into the same-colored urn on the level. The "civi" part of Civiballs is that there are 3 sets of levels to play, each representing a different civilization. While the civilization doesn't affect gameplay, the artwork for each level is beautifully themed to it's appropriate era.

To play the game, you are given only one tool - a sword with which to cut the chains that are holding the balls. The puzzle part of the game is in figuring out what order, and with what timing to cut each chain. Do it right, and all the right balls end up in the right urns, with no stray balls entering an urn (a no-no). Do it wrong, and you get to start over again.

Civiballs is not terribly deep on gameplay; the entire game can be completed in about 15 minutes. But if you enjoy this type of game, it will be a very enjoyable 15 minutes.

View more Time Wasters