How to Set Up a PayPal Account

The majority of merchants on eBay do not accept anything but PayPal for a number of reasons. First, it protects both the seller and the buyer through its fraud prevention tactics. Second, for the buyer, it is much safer since a password must be provided to log into your PayPal account instead of just typing the credit card or bank account numbers into a website. This assures you that you have an extra layer of protection.

Yes, they are the leading online checkout site and very trusted globally. You'll notice millions of sellers accept PayPal as their preferred form of payment. You'll be protected if the item you pay for is never shipped, and in some instances, you'll be covered under the PayPal Protection Policy if the item is significantly not as described.

First off, open a new browser and type paypal.com into the browser or use the banner link above). Click the link at the top of the page that reads "sign up." If you wish to just purchase and not sell with your PayPal account, click the "personal account" for online shoppers. Next, you will be prompted to type in your personal information. This is completely secure. Choose a password that is difficult for others to guess, even family. Keep this written down in a secure, hidden place. Choose a security question you find others may have difficulty guessing as well.

You will then be instructed to add your credit card information or bank account information. They may also ask for the security code on your credit card. The security code is the 3-digit number on the back of the card for Discover, Visa, or Mastercard. For American Express, the code will be 4 digits, above the 16 digit account number on the right side.

It is also important that you confirm your shipping address with PayPal. When moving to a new location, remember to change and confirm this address. To confirm, log into your PayPal account. Access your profile, then change or confirm the street address that is shown. To do this, simply click "profile" then click "street address." Make sure your credit card billing address is the one shown. If not, you can add the address there.

To link your PayPal address to your eBay address book, log into your eBay account. Click the "addresses" link on the left side of the page. Click the "View all shipping addresses" link. Make sure you have linked your address book to your PayPal account. If you see an "add paypal address" button, your account is not linked. Click this button to link the two. Once this button is clicked, you will be able to select your registered PayPal credit card billing address as your shipping address. You can also choose to "make primary" to ensure all of your purchases will automatically be shipped to this address.

To pay for your eBay items that you have won, simply log into your eBay account and head to your "won" items. Each unpaid item will have a "pay now" button next to the item. Click this button and you will securely head over to PayPal. It will ask you to log into your account. From there, you can pay using your bank account, or to change your payment information to a credit card payment, click "change funding source." Choose the credit card you would like to use for the transaction. Then, click yes, and pay. Make sure your address is the correct one to ship to, and you're done! Check with the seller to see when they ship. Most of the time you can find this information in the eBay listing.

First, click to see if the seller has emailed you regarding shipping. They will usually tell you how long the item will take to ship, or when they have shipped the item. Keep in mind how long the shipping service takes that was chosen. If the item has not yet arrived and you expected it to, email the seller through eBay (click "contact the seller" next to the item you have won) and ask. They should be more than happy to tell you!

Give the seller reasonable time to answer your email.

24 hours is usually standard for emails. Check to see if the seller is on vacation as well (usually their store will indicate this). Always wait to leave feedback as well, since most disagreements can be resolved through a little communication. If the seller has not responded after 48 hours and the item should have arrived, you should start an "item not received" dispute through PayPal. Go to the help page at PayPal, and search for the information there. You will find easy to follow instructions on what to do in this instance. This is a rare occurance, however, and most eBay sellers are kind, courteous and trustworthy. Check their feedback to find out the most you can before bidding!

Phishing is very prevelant. This is when scammers try to lure you into logging into your PayPal account through an email sent to you directly, most often with "PayPal" being somewhere in the sender's email address or name. The message will often lead you to believe that your account has been compromised, that you need to enter your log in details as a security precaution, or something similar. The page will even have the official PayPal logo and look very official. Simply do not respond to these emails and NEVER log into your PayPal account (or eBay account for that matter) through an email! You can either delete these emails or report them to PayPal. The best way to avoid a phishing scam is to not respond to any PayPal email. Log into your own account directly by typing Paypal dot com into your browser if you have any doubts!

PayPal is a lifesaver for online purchases. Unfortunately, there are some scumbags out there that are out to scam whoever they can. Out of thousands of eBay transactions, we were the unlucky recipient of a fraud attempt on one transaction in particular. This seller did not accept PayPal, and we were new to eBay at the time. The item was a counterfeit item that we didn't realize was not authentic. We purchased the item with a money order. Once we received the item, we realized in fact, that the item was a fake and contacted the seller. No response. A week goes by and a few emails later, then we receive an indignant, nasty reply from the seller. Basically, the seller knew there was nothing we could do and allowed us to twist in the wind. eBay has no solid policy in place for money order transactions, and cannot return your money. Yes, there are negotiation services you can use, but when the seller is resistant, you are helpless. If we had used PayPal for that transaction, we would have been saved. This is why it is of the utmost importance that you use PayPal for EVERY eBay transaction. Avoid possible headaches, just use PayPal.