Hello 'petunia',
Unless your seller is one of those very rare merchants who does not have paypal set up but only takes credit cards directly (I've only ever seen one of those once on here), then you can use either a paypal account or a straight credit card purchase for items on ebay. For credit cards, paypal processes the transaction so you'll still get a "paypal receipt" even though it was a card-only purchase.
When you buy an item or win an auction, the next thing to do is click Pay Now. The next page shows your mailing information on the left and payment options on the right. The top option is credit cards, the second is paypal. Make your choice and follow the directions. It's super easy, either way.
