Are there advantages to signing up to PayPal for buyers?

[rkstr67]

Hi,

I'm brand new to eBay and haven't signed up for PayPal, since I noticed that all credit card purchases are automatically routed through PayPay. So, I though, why bother sign up as a buyer?

Then, I noticed that after having bought two items in U.S. $ (and my credit card being in Canadian $), the credit card company charged a currency conversion fee, tacking it onto the price + shipping fee.

My question is: if I sign up for PayPal, can I avoid payment of the conversion fee which my credit card company is charging, and only pay the actual amount from the listing (cost + shipping)?

Thanks

[vintagenorth · Accepted solution]

If you are using a credit card your card company will always charge a conversion fee when purchasing from another country. Signing up for PayPal will not make any difference. If buying from a Canadian seller, if they list in US funds, you can always request for them to invoice you in Cdn funds to save you the conversion rate. Always ask before you buy though.

[pjcdn2005]

Some sellers will only sell to buyers that have Paypal accounts so if you don't have one, you may not be able to make purchases from some sellers. I have no idea how often that would happen, it might not be a problem for you. If you open a Paypal account and link it with your ebay account, you can still pay with your credit card in most cases.

[tyler@ebay]

Hi everyone,

Due to the length of time that has passed since this thread began I have locked it from future replies. If this is still an issue that warrants discussion, don't hesitate to begin a new thread!