Since extending the requirement to offer PayPal on selected categories, we’ve seen a significant fall in the rate of fraud and other bad experience. We’ve also seen increases in sales in these categories as buyers have increased confidence in their level of protection.

Sellers who list in the Motors Vehicles category will be exempt from this policy.

Sellers who currently have listings in Shops Good ‘Til Cancelled format will need to amend listings that currently do not offer PayPal when they are auto-relisted. If you wish to sell on eBay and don’t already have a PayPal account, you can sign up for one on PayPal.

This change does not affect categories where PayPal is the only permitted payment method (as previously announced):

1. Video Games > Video Game Consoles
2. Consumer Electronics > MP3 Players
3. Computing > Software
4. Wholesale & Job Lots > Mobile & Home Phones
5. Business, Office & Industrial > Industrial Supply / MRO

Payment Holds for eBay Items

To help ensure every eBay sale results in a satisfied buyer who will return again and again, PayPal is identifying a small percentage of transactions that pose the greatest risk to buyers and holding payments to ensure that the transaction is completed to the satisfaction of the buyer.

If you have received more than 20 Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs) in the past 12 months and your DSR average is 4.5 or higher, your payments will not be held. If you have fewer monthly DSRs or a lower DSR average than this, then there is a chance that your payment will be held. Please click here for more details.
Expanding Seller Protection for PowerSellers

PayPal is now offering expanded seller protection as an exclusive offer for PowerSellers. Expanded seller protection will cover addresses in 190 countries, whether they’re confirmed or not, and has no annual coverage limit. If you’re an eBay PowerSeller, enrol for expanded seller protection now.
Further Information

What is changing in the Accepted Payments Policy and when are the changes effective?

As of June 3rd 2008, eBay will require all sellers to offer PayPal as a payment option. Offering PayPal greatly reduces fraudulent transactions. A reduction in fraudulent transactions will encourage more buyers to come back to eBay to buy again and again, which is of benefit to sellers.

A number of categories will be exempt from this Policy, details of which are below.

PayPal will also be holding payments from a small percentage of sellers who are responsible for the vast majority of unsuccessful sales on eBay. This will help ensure that good sellers no longer have to compete alongside bad sellers.

Read the Accepted Payment Policy
Do I have to relist items in my Shop that are Good ‘Til Cancelled?

Sellers who currently have listings in Shops Good ‘Til Cancelled format will need to amend listings that currently do not offer PayPal when they are auto-relisted.
What Categories are exempt from this policy?

The following categories are exempt from the policy of requiring all sellers to offer PayPal as a payment option.

Cars, Parts & Vehicles > Aircraft & Aviation > Aircraft
Cars, Parts & Vehicles > Boats & Watercraft > Jet Skis
Cars, Parts & Vehicles > Boats & Watercraft > Narrowboats/ Canalboats
Cars, Parts & Vehicles > Boats & Watercraft > Power Boats
Cars, Parts & Vehicles > Boats & Watercraft > Sailing Boats
Cars, Parts & Vehicles > Campers, Caravans & Motorhomes > Campervans & Motorhomes
Cars, Parts & Vehicles > Campers, Caravans & Motorhomes > Caravans
Cars, Parts & Vehicles > Cars
Cars, Parts & Vehicles > Classic Cars
Cars, Parts & Vehicles > Commercial Vehicles
Cars, Parts & Vehicles > Motorcycles & Scooters
Cars, Parts & Vehicles > Other Vehicles
Home & Garden > Residential Property
Local Services

Which sellers will have their payments held?

PayPal will hold payments in transactions where the vast majority of bad sales occur. Here are the most common instances in which a payment may be held:
+ You have been on eBay less than 6 months and sell an item above £50
+ You have a feedback score of less than 100 and sell an item above £50
+ You have a consistent history of transactions that result in dissatisfied buyers*
+ You have an average Detailed Seller Rating (DSR) of less than 4.5
+ You have received less than 20 Detailed Seller Ratings in the last 12 months
+ You are listing your item in a higher-risk category such as Health & Beauty, Video Games or Computers

If you have received more than 20 Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs) in the past 12 months and your DSR average is 4.5 or higher, your payments will not be held.

Buyer dissatisfaction percentage is measured by adding negative events as a percentage of your transactions. Negative events include negative & neutral Feedback, Detailed Seller Ratings scores of 2 or less, and Item Not Received or Significantly Not As Described disputes.

What will happen if my payment is held by PayPal?

If you are sent a payment that is held by PayPal, the amounts held will show as “Pending” in a separate PayPal balance on your account page. You will still have access to all other funds in your PayPal account.

Your funds will immediately be released when one of the following occurs:
+ The buyer leaves you positive feedback
+ 21 days pass without a dispute, claim, chargeback, or reversal filed on the transaction.

If you receive a dispute, claim, chargeback, or reversal on the transaction subject to the hold, PayPal may hold the payment in your account until the matter is resolved, even if the claim, chargeback or reversal is made after the hold is released.

Why is the payment being held for up to 21 days?

The majority of buyers who raise a dispute on their items will do so within 21 days of the transaction. If a buyer has not raised a dispute, claim or chargeback within 21 days, we will release the payment to the seller in good faith that the buyer was happy with the transaction. Note that if the buyer leaves positive feedback at any point before 21 days and no other issue has been raised on the transaction, PayPal will immediately release the payment.

Will my payments be held if I have excellent buyer satisfaction, but sell in risky categories?

If you have a record of positive feedback, satisfied buyers and an average DSR of 4.5 or more, your payments will not be held regardless of the category you sell in.

What should I do if a payment is subject to an eBay item hold?

Once the buyer has paid for the item, you should post it immediately it in order to increase the likelihood that the hold will be released sooner. PayPal will release the hold when the earlier of the following occurs:
1. the buyer leaves positive feedback,
2. 21 days without a dispute, claim, chargeback, or reversal filed on that transaction.

If I sell to countries outside the UK, how will these requirements impact me?

eBay’s Accepted Payments policy applies to all items listed on ebay.co.uk, regardless of the buyer’s country.