When you see an item for sale on eBay, the listing will include the payment methods you can use to buy it. If you have any problems paying for your items, we can help troubleshoot the issue.
Are you having issues paying for your items? Choose your payment method below for troubleshooting tips:
When you're ready to pay, simply go to checkout. You'll be able to select your payment method and review your order details, including your shipping address, before you pay.
In most categories, credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo and PayPal are accepted. You'll find the payment methods accepted by going to the Shipping and Payments section of the listing.
Checks and money orders aren't allowed for most eBay purchases. However, you can use these payment methods to buy vehicles, capital and business equipment, real estate, and items you pick up in person. See our Payment methods policy for more details.
You may see a choice of payment currency options at checkout. For example, if you live in the US, and want to pay for an item located in the UK, you may see the option to pay in either GBP or USD.
If you choose to pay in your local currency and it's different from the currency the item is listed in, you’ll see the exchange rate along with the order total in your local currency at checkout. You’ll also see the currency you used in your winning bid confirmation email.
You can pay with Escrow.com if you're buying a vehicle. Find out more in our article about buying vehicles, parts and accessories.
Starting August 17th, you will not be able to use American Express on eBay. However, we do offer a wide variety of alternate payment methods such as credit and debit cards, Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Starting August 17, you will not be able to use your American Express card on eBay. To continue using your American Express card from August 17 onwards, you can add it to your PayPal or Venmo account. We also offer a wide variety of alternate payment methods such as credit and debit cards, Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay. We strongly encourage you to save an alternate payment method to ensure you can continue to make purchases and sell on eBay smoothly after August 17.
Why are you no longer accepting American Express on eBay?We will no longer accept American Express as a form of payment on eBay effective August 17, 2024 since we have been unable to agree on terms that are acceptable to eBay.
What will happen to the American Express card you have on file for me? Will you remove it or do I need to?
If you have an American Express card saved, we’ll remove it from your wallet on August 17. There is no action required on your part.
What happens if I also use American Express for my selling costs and fees and do not add another payment method?
If we can’t obtain payment for fees from your preferred payment method or linked checking account, we will prompt you to add a payment method for selling costs. If you do not add an alternative payment method, your payouts will be blocked and further restrictions may be applied to your account.
You can choose from a wide variety of other payment options, including checking accounts, debit cards, and other credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard and Discover.
How can I update my American Express card to be my preferred payment or autopay method on PayPal or Venmo for use on my eBay account?
To add or edit cards on your PayPal wallet, visit the Credit and Debit card section of PayPal's My Wallet page - opens in new window or tab . To update your preferred or automatic payment method on PayPal, visit PayPal's dedicated page - opens in new window or tab . For other troubleshooting, visit the Paying with PayPal Help Hub page.
For Venmo, visit their dedicated page - opens in new window or tab . For other Venmo troubleshooting, visit the Paying with Venmo Help Hub page.
I have an American Express bank account on file, do I have to change my bank for my payouts?You can still use your American Express bank account to receive your payouts. This change only affects American Express cards.
What happens if I return an item I bought with American Express? How do I get refunded?If you’re eligible for a refund, we will continue to process refunds to your original form of payment, even if you used American Express to make the purchase. More details can be found in our refund policy page.
For certain items on eBay, you’ll have the option to pay with wire transfer. If you choose this payment method, we’ll send you instructions, and you’ll have 3 business days to ensure eBay receives the funds to complete the payment. While you can pay with one or more wire transfers, eBay currently only accepts wire transfers from US bank accounts.
When making a wire transfer, the name on your eBay account must match the name on your bank account, or your order could be delayed or canceled. Allow 1 business day for eBay to receive and process your wire transfer, and you can check the status of the payment in the order details in your purchase history.
Tip
Always include the unique reference number in the wire transfer instructions to ensure the wire transfer is applied to the correct purchase. Otherwise eBay will automatically apply the wire transfer to your next pending wire payment. Your unique reference number can be found in your order confirmation email, or the order details in your purchase history.
In some cases, it may take an extra 5 days for the seller to receive payment while we verify bank account details. Sellers will see the status and expected date of payment in the Payments and Orders tabs of My eBay and Seller Hub.
If an order is canceled or refunded, please allow 2 business days for any wire transfer refunds from eBay back to your bank, and processing times may vary. eBay isn’t responsible for refunding any fees that were charged by your bank as part of the wire transfer.
Watch our video on how to make a wire transfer payment on eBay:
If you have problems paying for your items or if you receive an error message at checkout, try the following troubleshooting tips to resolve the issue:
When you buy an item on eBay, whether you won an auction or used Buy It Now, you'll need to pay the seller within 4 days. The sooner the seller receives your payment, the sooner they'll send your item. When making a bid or a Best Offer, we may ask you to provide your payment method and shipping address in advance. If you win the auction, or the seller accepts your Best Offer, payment will be taken immediately to ensure a smooth transaction.
If your Best Offer is accepted or you win an auction, the payment method you added when making the bid or Best Offer will be charged, even if you removed that payment method before accepting the offer or winning an auction.
You'll find everything you've bought recently – including items you still need to pay for – in your Purchase History - opens in new window or tab .
When you buy an item, it's important to pay as quickly as possible. If you haven't paid within 4 calendar days, a seller can cancel your order. If this happens, you won't receive your item and the unpaid item will be recorded on your account. Buyers who have excessive unpaid items or canceled orders may have limits imposed or lose their buying privileges.