Paying for items with PayPal (Checking PayPal balance, download payment history)

PayPal is the preferred payment method for most eBay buyers and sellers. PayPal enables you to send payments quickly and securely online using a credit card or bank account. You can also check the status of your payment. For information on the advantages of paying with PayPal, see About Payment Methods.

Note: If you are a seller and you wish to withdraw funds from your PayPal account, please visit the PayPal Help Center.

Before you can send a payment using PayPal:

The seller needs to offer PayPal as a payment method in their listing.
You need to have a PayPal account. Sign up now.
Your PayPal email address must be correct. To add or update a PayPal email address:
1. Log in to PayPal
2. Click the "My Account" tab.
3. Click the "Profile" link

To pay for an item using PayPal:

If you haven't already, be sure to link your PayPal and eBay accounts.
After you've won an item, click on the Pay Now button. (You can find this button on the item page, from My eBay, and in the confirmation email that you receive from eBay.)
Check your shipping address. If any information is incorrect, click the "Change shipping address" link to update it.
Note: If you use PayPal, the seller may require a credit card billing address registered at PayPal, sometimes called a "confirmed" address.
Confirm the order details, including shipping, insurance, and taxes. Then, click the Continue button.
Note: If you're missing total cost information or have questions about the total price, click the "Request total from seller" link. The seller will respond to your email.
Select PayPal as the payment method.
Log in to your PayPal account. If you do not already have a PayPal account, you can sign up for an account.
Make sure that your shipping details, payment method, and order details are correct. Then click the Confirm Your Payment button to complete your purchase. The amount of your purchase will be deducted from your PayPal account and transferred to the seller immediately.

Note: These steps assume that the seller is using eBay's Checkout system. Sellers have the option to use other checkout systems. If your seller does not use eBay Checkout, he or she will send you an invoice or other payment instructions to help you complete your purchase. If you recieve an error when trying to pay your seller with PayPal, please contact the seller by email or phone.

If for some reason you are unable to pay from eBay using the Pay Now button, or if you decide to pay for an item with PayPal after you complete Checkout, you can pay for eBay items directly from PayPal. You will still be covered by PayPal Buyer Protection.

To pay for an eBay item on PayPal:

Log in to your PayPal account.
Click the Send Money tab.
Click the Pay for eBay Items subtab.
Click the Pay button next to the item for which you would like to send a payment.
If necessary, edit the details of your payment.
Click the Continue button.
Click the Send Money button.

Checking the status and history of your PayPal payment

You can:

Check the payment status and details from My eBay or the View Item page.
View a more complete payment history by accessing your PayPal account.

To check the status of a payment:

Go to My eBay.
Click the "Won" link on the left side of the page.
Select View PayPal Transaction from the drop-down menu next to the item under the Action heading.
Log in to your PayPal account to review the status of your payment.

To check your payment status from the item page, click the "View PayPal transaction " at the top of the listing.

To check the history of a PayPal payment:

Go to My eBay
Click the "Won" link on the left side of the page.
Select View PayPal Transaction from the drop-down menu next to the item under the Action heading
Log in to your PayPal account (www.paypal.com )
Click the History tab.
Review the listed transactions, or use the search options at the top of the page to find your payment.
Click the link in the Details column to see additional details about your payment, including the time, date, item name, shipping address, and optional message.

To check your PayPal payment history from the item page, click the "View PayPal transaction" link at the top of the listing.

If you have a PayPal question, please contact PayPal Customer Support.

Note: If you have accidentally paid for an item twice, contact your seller and explain that you submitted a duplicate payment and request that they refund the second payment to your PayPal account.

Related Help topics

About Payment Methods