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Knowing when and how eBay requests credit/debit card information and what to do if your card is declined will help you understand how to solve credit/debit card problems with your eBay account.
The following are the only situations when eBay will ask you for your credit or debit card information. If you’ve been asked to provide card information in any other manner, be suspicious and report it immediately to eBay. (Learn how to recognise spoof mails.)
When you register a seller’s account, your credit or debit card will need to be verified.
You can keep a credit or debit card on file in your seller’s account for monthly automatic payment of any eBay fees.
If you have a card registered with your account and it expires, you will receive an email from eBay asking you to update your card information.
If you try to list an item and have no credit or debit card or an expired card on file, you will be asked to update your card information.
Certain bids for large amounts will require a credit or debit card verification.
If you are registering a new User ID and you wish to use a free email address, such as a Hotmail or Gmail address, you will be asked to complete credit / debit card verification.
If your credit or debit card is declined during seller verification, when making payment, or another verification attempt, contact the card issuer about the following:
Determine if your card is in good standing.
Make sure that you do not have daily transaction limits that may affect the payment or flag your card for additional authorisation. If you are making a payment, the card will be charged for the full payment amount you enter.
Make sure your card has been activated if it is new.
Verify that the billing address your bank has on file for you is identical to the one you are entering. If you have recently changed your address, for example, the bank may still have the old address registered for the card.
If you have two names on the card, or a business and a personal name, make sure you are entering the names on the same lines as they appear on the statement, using one of the address boxes if necessary.
If you are adding the card on file with eBay, ensure credit / funds are available to cover a verification check of $1.00 U.S. (the card will not be charged, the amount will be held then released).
Please be aware that many pre-paid cards are not available for use during the seller verification process. If a problem persists, you can pay your eBay fees by Direct Debit, cheque or money order. View your account balance to find the total amount due.
If you have specific questions about an eBay charge to your credit or debit card, please write to:
eBay, Inc. Billing Department PO Box 1497 Draper, UT 84020 ATTN: Credit Card Resolution
OR fax to: 801-838-1979
When contacting eBay, please include the following:
Name
Address
Daytime phone number
Email address
Transaction date
A copy of your credit card statement showing the charge
Paying Your Seller’s Fees
Making a One-time Payment
If you have an additional question about this subject, email us at Customer Support. If you would like to ask a question on another subject, please use the Contact Us page.