eBay Australia Bans All Payment Methods Except PayPal

Auctionbytes:

eBay is requiring that users in Australia use its PayPal payment service on all transactions. Aside from transactions in which the buyer picks up items in person and cash-on-delivery, no other payment method will be permitted, and eBay is banning sellers from using their own merchant credit card accounts if they have them. eBay said it is making the changes “to make buying on eBay.com.au even safer and selling more reliable.”

The only exceptions to the policy will be for listings in the categories of cars, motorcycles, aircraft, boats, caravans, trailers, trucks (commercials), services, real estate and businesses for sale.

eBay spokesperson Nichola Sharpe said the new policy applies only to eBay in Australia. “There are no plans to go to a PayPal-only model for eBay in the US and we haven’t announced any other markets at this time.”

Sharpe said eBay will evaluate the impact of eBay Australia’s new “Safer Payment” requirements. “If we think these changes will significantly improve the buyer experience, we may expand them to additional segments of sellers or categories.”

Photo by eBay.