Selling on eBay.com From Canada - How to Avoid Currency Conversion?

I live in Canada but used to sell on eBay.com and have my payments, which were in US funds, transferred to my US Paypal account with no currency conversion. I'd then transfer those funds to my US Chequing account at the RBC in Georgia, then to my US Savings account at the RBC here in Canada, all without any currency conversion whatsoever.

 

I've recently started selling again on the eBay.com site and the first thing they did is convert my US payments to Canadian funds. They won't send US payments anymore to Paypal.com, (no longer affiliated) nor will they send to my US account in Georgia OR my to my newly created US chequing account here in Canada without currency conversion.

 

My only option, they say, is to create a new eBay account on eBay.com, with a US address linked to a US chequing account.

 

The problem with this is my (333) 100% positive feedbacks will be lost if I start over.

 

Am I hooped?

 

 

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Re: Selling on eBay.com From Canada - How to Avoid Currency Conversion?


@binnaudio wrote:

 

My only option, they say, is to create a new eBay account on eBay.com, with a US address linked to a US chequing account.

 


Not sure who gave you this info but I can absolutely assure you that it will not work unless you are a dual citizen or a legal US permanent resident. To open a US based account under Managed Payments you MUST have a US SSN or ITIN.

 

There is an option for Canadians to receive payments for sales on .com in US Dollars but it is a one shot deal. It sounds like you are already signed up for Managed Payments with eBay.ca and the account is set up to receive funds in CA Dollars (regardless of the eBay site they are listed on).

 

The only way to acomplish what you want is to start a new selling account and specifically choose US Dollar payouts, these payouts can only be sent to a Canadian based US Dollar bank account, you would not be able to have funds deposited directly to a US bank account. Of course if you pick US Dollar payout any listings you make on .ca will have conversion fees unless you operate both accounts in tandem with one for .com listing and another for .ca listings.

 

eBay.ca eliminated the dual currency in 2016, as you probably know only CA Dollars can be used on .ca since 2016.

 

 

 

To avoid currency conversion fees you only have two options, the easiest is to list on eBay.ca, your sales and payouts will be in CA Dollars so no conversion. The alternative is to open a new account to use for listings done on .com and have the Payouts done to a US Dollar account with a Canadian bank.

 

Is there a specific reason why you want to list on .com instead of .ca?

 

 

 

 



"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.
Message 2 of 12
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Re: Selling on eBay.com From Canada - How to Avoid Currency Conversion?

This very helpful! 

I want to list my vintage audio tube and hi-fi collection on the US site because I think the market there and my potential payouts therefore will be much greater. 

The problem I'm trying to avoid is eBay's exorbitant currency conversion fees. 

I do have a US address so I suppose I can create a new US account with that and have my payouts go to my US checking account in Georgia... I'm going to lose, however, my great feedback.

Message 3 of 12
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Re: Selling on eBay.com From Canada - How to Avoid Currency Conversion?

Or did you say I can open a new account on eBay.com and specify payments in US funds directly, without conversion, to my US dollar chequing account in Canada?

 

I'd still lose my feedback but at least I'd avoid the currency conversion.

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Re: Selling on eBay.com From Canada - How to Avoid Currency Conversion?


@binnaudio wrote:

Or did you say I can open a new account on eBay.com and specify payments in US funds directly, without conversion, to my US dollar chequing account in Canada?

 

I'd still lose my feedback but at least I'd avoid the currency conversion.


If you are a resident of Canada you CANNOT open a new account on .com unless you have a US SSN. If you try your account will be suspended and it's likely your Canadian account will also be suspended.

 

If you are a Canadian citizen and resident you must open any new accounts via eBay.ca, you can have the Managed Payments account for that new id in US Dollars. With any eBay account no matter where it was opened you can list on ANY eBay site.

 

FYI - I list on eBay.ca, my listings offer shipping to the US and show up there just the same as if they were listed directly on .com. Unless buyers specifically change their setting to show prices in the original listing currency (most buyers don't) they will see prices converted to US Dollars, the only way they can see that it's not a US listing is by looking at the item location.

 

Of the three things you recently sold the first two were listed on .ca, the most recent was listed on .com. If you are ultimately wanting to convert the funds to CAD whynot just eliminate the entire issue by listings on .ca and let the buyers cover the exchange costs.

 

The sellers that wanted an option to receive funds in US Dollars mostly wanted this because they intended to spend the money in the US (holidays, shopping etc) there is no point in selling in USD if you ultimately want to have the funds in CAD. Yes, you can do better on the exchange rates outside of eBay but you can't do better than no conversion at all.

 

FYI - When Managed Payments started there was no US Dollar payout option, sellers who selling on .com because they wanted to list in US Dollars applied a bit or pressure on eBay to make USD payouts possible and after  6 months or so eBay made it possible but only for new selling accounts.

 

As far as "losing" your feedback, there is nothing special about your current feedback, all you have is really old stuff, which effectively makes it look like you have never sold anything or at best nothing for a very long time. It's not the 1990's anymore feedback is not as important as it once was given that every buyer is covered by eBay's Money Back Gurantee.

 

 



"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.
Message 5 of 12
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Re: Selling on eBay.com From Canada - How to Avoid Currency Conversion?

@binnaudio 

 

One other caveat of opening a new account would be payout holds. See attached. I guess okay if you don't mind waiting........

 

https://www.ebay.ca/help/selling/getting-paid/getting-paid-items-youve-sold/payments-hold?id=4816&st...

 

lotzofuniquegoodies_0-1709696253016.jpeg

 

 

-Lotz

 

 

 

 

Message 6 of 12
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Re: Selling on eBay.com From Canada - How to Avoid Currency Conversion?


I do have a US address so I suppose I can create a new US account with that

but

To open a US based account under Managed Payments you MUST have a US SSN or ITIN.

 

and of course report  US income and pay US taxes.

Message 7 of 12
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Re: Selling on eBay.com From Canada - How to Avoid Currency Conversion?

What are the eBay currency conversion fees?

I imagine they change daily, since bank conversions do, so adding the date of the fee would be helpful.

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Re: Selling on eBay.com From Canada - How to Avoid Currency Conversion?

HIGH ----, VERY HIGH.   Nothing more to add

 

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Re: Selling on eBay.com From Canada - How to Avoid Currency Conversion?


@clemowbooks wrote:

What are the eBay currency conversion fees?

I imagine they change daily, since bank conversions do, so adding the date of the fee would be helpful.


I think it's 3%, it doesn't matter how much the actual exchange rate changes the 3% fee is what is charged. That's a high fee given that even a bank is usually at most 2.5% and if you use an exchange service like Wise it can be under 1% (when I was using x.com it was .7% on the mid-market rate.

 

 



"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.
Message 10 of 12
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Re: Selling on eBay.com From Canada - How to Avoid Currency Conversion?

The mid-market rate is not a "retail" rate though. It's used for bank to bank type exchanges.

In the millions.

Although we used it when calculating currency exchange for senior officers working overseas, it wasn't what was actually being paid out.  Just a convenience.

A bank fee of 2.5% and an eBay fee of 3% makes more sense.

Message 11 of 12
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Re: Selling on eBay.com From Canada - How to Avoid Currency Conversion?

That is correct.  And you are correct in indicating a US dollar chequing account in Canada from a Canadian bank.   When MP first started some folks tried use a straight US$ saving account and not a chequing account and that not only did not work, but took some time to get their MP setup right.  

 

When managed payments came in I opened a TD US$ chequing account and elected to receive all my payouts to that account in US$.  I primarily sell on .com and 95% of my sales are to the US.  

 

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