eBay US goes PayPal only

eBay drops the ball with US 'PayPal only' payment scandal
eBay drops the ball with US 'PayPal only' payment scandal

eBay US has announced that, as of October 2008, eBay subsidiary PayPal will be pretty much the only way to buy stuff via its massively popular auction site.

Aside from those buyers looking for cars, real estate, industrial equipment, and "mature audience" goods (our minds boggle?!) eBay will only allow PayPal, ProPay, or payment upon pickup as its accepted methods for users.

Greater security, they say

"We're making this change to better meet buyer expectations for a consistent, more secure checkout experience on eBay," the company claims in an FAQ update.

"This should increase buyer confidence in shopping on eBay, which should result in more buyers and increased sales for sellers. The change will directly benefit sellers by making payments faster and more reliable, enabling sellers to ship more quickly and increase buyer satisfaction."

You may remember that eBay was investigated by the competition commission in Australia earlier this year for similarly trying to restrict Aussie users' payment options.

Adam Hartley