How do I pay for my eBay item with PayPal?
You have three options. Please note that you may complete options 1 and 2 without already having a PayPal account. We will prompt you to create a PayPal account when you click the PayPal logo.
Payment option 1: if you have a PayPal account and your eBay seller's auction accepts PayPal as a payment option, proceed with eBay's checkout. You will be automatically transferred to PayPal to pay for your eBay purchase.
Payment option 2: if the seller's auction displays a PayPal logo, click on the logo, enter your email address and password and simply confirm the details of the payment.
Payment option 3: log in to your PayPal account at https://www.paypal.com/uk and click 'Send Money'.
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How can I be sure that the eBay seller has received my PayPal payment?
To check the status of all payments you send via PayPal, log in to your PayPal account and click History. Click https://www.paypal.com/uk/HISTORY or copy and paste the entire link into the address bar. If your payment has a status of 'Completed' then the seller has received your funds.
For more information about a specific transaction, click Details in the transaction record.
For more information about the status of payments, click 'Help' in the top right-hand corner of any PayPal page.
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If you have a balance in your PayPal account and you are sending a payment that can be funded entirely by the balance, PayPal will automatically use the balance to pay for your transaction. If you do not have enough money in your PayPal account to cover the whole transaction, PayPal will first use the balance in your account (if it is in the same currency you are sending) and fund the rest of the payment with your debit or credit card.
Once you have registered your bank account to your PayPal account, you may withdraw your funds by following these steps:
I haven't received my eBay item; can PayPal refund me?
Buyers who do not receive their eBay items should first contact their seller.
To refund part or all of a payment, the seller can use PayPal's 'Refund Payment' link. The buyer's source of funds will be credited and the seller's receiving fees on the payment will be refunded.
If a buyer is unable to resolve a dispute directly with a seller, PayPal offers two different programmes:
1. PayPal Buyer Protection
This programme provides protection to eBay buyers for PayPal transactions up to £500.00 GBP with no processing fee on purchases of tangible goods on eBay.com, eBay.co.uk and eBay.ca from eligible sellers. PayPal Buyer Protection covers items not received and items that are significantly different to the seller's item description.
eBay buyers can look for the PayPal Buyer Protection icon in the 'Seller Information' box on any eBay View Item page to see if the item is covered.
2. Buyer Complaint Process
If PayPal's Buyer Protection programme does not cover a payment, a Buyer Complaint can still be filed. When a claim is filed for a transaction, PayPal will check to see which protection applies and will process the claim accordingly. If PayPal's Buyer Protection does not cover the item, the Buyer Complaint Process may still apply.
For further detailed information, please visit our User Agreement for the PayPal service.
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My seller wants me to pay extra for using PayPal. Is this allowed?
Sellers who accept electronic money services as a means of payment for an item purchased on eBay, may not impose a surcharge (or extra fee).
Electronic money services include, but are not limited to, services such as PayPal, Nochex, FastPay or Moneybookers. eBay's policy is to ensure that all buyers receive clear and accurate pricing information when trading on eBay.co.uk.
Click here to view our policy on surcharging.
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I received an email asking for information, but I'm not sure if it's from PayPal.
To help you discern the legitimacy of an email, please note that no PayPal email will ask you for any of the following:
- Your password and email address combination
- Credit card numbers
- Bank account numbers
- Debit card PIN
- Driving licence number
- First and last names
When using the PayPal service, always ensure that the URL address listed at the top of the browser is https://www.paypal.com/uk/. The 's' at the end of 'http' ensures that the website is secure. Even if the URL contains the word 'PayPal', it may not be a PayPal webpage.
If you think that you have received a fraudulent email, please forward the original email to spoof@paypal.com and then delete it.
To view PayPal's 'Security Tips', click here.
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