A seller asks you to pay outside eBay: keep the purchase protected

A seller may claim that moving to bank transfer, crypto or a second website avoids fees and speeds delivery. eBay's buyer rules prohibit offers to complete sales outside the platform, and its seller-fraud guidance warns that such purchases are not covered by eBay Money Back Guarantee. A message sent inside eBay does not turn an off-platform payment into an eBay transaction.

Before you start​

Do not share your email, phone number or payment details merely because the seller asks. Preserve the listing and the exact request in eBay Messages. If you already paid outside eBay, record the payment method, date and recipient; you may need your bank or payment provider's dispute process, and eBay's normal order-protection path may not apply.

Do it step by step​

1. Read the seller's request carefully. Is the new payment URL an actual eBay checkout associated with the order, or a separate website or personal account? Open eBay directly and check whether the proposed transaction appears in the official order flow.
2. Tell the seller you will complete the purchase only through eBay checkout with a permitted payment method. Do not negotiate a separate deposit or shipping fee outside the order, even if the main price is shown on eBay.
3. If the seller refuses, stop the transaction. Keep the message and report the suspected off-eBay request through eBay's seller or listing report path. Choose the reason that describes the behavior, not simply that the price changed.
4. If you already placed an eBay order but have not paid, check its status in Purchase history and use only the payment route linked there. Do not treat a screenshot of an invoice or a QR code in chat as proof of an eBay charge.
5. If you already transferred funds outside eBay, contact your bank, card issuer or payment service immediately using its official number. Ask about reversal or fraud reporting, provide the transaction record and do not send a second payment to 'release' the first.
6. Review the eBay account for additional suspicious Messages, and change your password if you entered it into a non-eBay page. Report the listing and save confirmation numbers from both eBay and the payment provider.

Check the result​

You either complete a qualifying checkout within eBay or decline the purchase. No separate payment is sent on a seller's assurance that it is 'still protected.'

If something goes wrong​

If the seller claims a special eBay invoice is mandatory, verify its presence by navigating to eBay yourself. If payment already went out, do not wait for the seller's reassurance before contacting the provider. A dispute outcome depends on the payment method and facts, not a promise in this guide.

Know the limit​

eBay Money Back Guarantee is not universal even for on-platform purchases; category exclusions and deadlines still apply. An off-eBay agreement can remove eBay's transaction record and normal protection. Reporting the seller is different from recovering a bank transfer. eBay seller fraud eBay guarantee policy