How to Accept Payments on eBay Without PayPal

Skrill, previously known as Moneybookers, is an online payment service accepted on eBay, Skype, and other websites. First, register at Skrill.com. When you sell an item on eBay, the buyer will check out with his form of payment, which is then processed and sent to your Skrill account. ProPay is a similar alternative to PayPal. You need to sign up at ProPay.com. After the eBay buyer checks out, his payment is sent immediately to your ProPay account. Neither of these PayPal alternatives requires the buyer to sign up for anything, and both provide eBay's seller protection. However, as with PayPal, eBay collects fees from sellers.

An alternative to signing up for Skrill or ProPay is to accept credit card payments to your Internet merchant account directly through eBay checkout. You need to have an Internet merchant account -- a bank account that allows you to accept payments by debit or credit card online -- and provide eBay with your payment gateway account. The buyer will pay using the Pay Now button, and the payment is securely processed online from eBay checkout through your payment gateway. You will then receive an email notification of payment. Although eBay does not charge a fee, consider the credit card processing fees charged by your merchant bank before choosing this option.

Ebay also allows in-person payments, called payment upon pickup. Forms of payment upon pickup include checks, money orders, cash, PayPal or credit card. When you write your listing, specify which of these payment methods you are willing to accept. Be cautious about accepting checks or money orders, because if they don't clear after the buyer has picked up the item, you have fewer options for resolving the problem than if you had accepted cash or a credit card. Be careful when arranging in-person meetings. Take a friend and try to arrange a meeting in a public place, not at your home.

You can accept payments by personal check, cashier's check, bank-to-bank transfers or money order for certain eBay categories. These forms of payment are restricted to capital equipment, real estate, adult only and some motors categories. For eBay Motors vehicles transactions, you can use Escrow.com, eBay's approved escrow service.

Remember, never accept overpayments from buyers, especially if the buyer asks to be reimbursed. This is likely part of a counterfeit cashier's check scheme. Also, you can't require buyers to pay using methods you didn't include in your listing.