eBay

analog215 · ‎10-02-2021

There was a option with Paypal where I could block any transaction from a buyer using foreign currency. If that option is in Ebays managed payment system.......I cant find it. I use Godaddy book keeping and something that is not showing on ebays end is.......Im paying a international fee on transactions that are taking place where the buyers funds are coming from a foreign country. Does anyone know if the option to block foreign currency will be added soon? If a buyer in a foreign country tries to purchase from a seller that has their settings set to ship US only the ip address of the buyer should automatically block the transaction from happening.

lacemaker3 · ‎10-02-2021

@analog215,

Unfortunately, I believe you are correct. There isn't any way to block foreign transactions on eBay. You can only block a foreign shipping address, so there's no way to avoid the international fee.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/store-selling-fees?id=4809#section7

analog215 · ‎10-02-2021

Im doing much more than trying to avoid the international fees. Im being targeted right now by Russian scammers so if Ebay had a safety net like I mentioned before like blocking transactions that are coming from a foreign IP address that would eliminate most of my problems that im having right now.

mam98031 · ‎10-02-2021

This is something you do not need to do on Ebay.

If you are posting on the Ebay.com [US site], then buyer HAVE TO pay you in US currency. They do NOT have a choice.

The block in PP was an unnecessary one, but it did make some sellers feel better. Mostly because they didn't understand how this works.

There is confusion over the Conversion fee and the International transaction fee. They are different. Conversion fees are when funds received that are in a different currency than the seller's primary account is set up in. So for example: A seller from the UK is selling directly on and listing on the US site. When those funds move into that UK seller's account, they will pay a conversion fee because it has to be changed from USD to the currency of their country [the country in which their account is set up in].

A US seller selling on the US site will never run into that problem.

The rule that we do have to contend with is the International Fee. That is if the buyer's account is set up in a different country [other than the US] but the ship to address is in the USA or outside of it, the US seller has to pay an international fee of 1.65% in MP. That was 1.50% in PayPal, it may have increased since 8/2, I don't know if this fees was also increased when PP increased many of their fees.

International fee

If your registered address is in the US, we charge an International fee if either:

The delivery address for the item (entered by the buyer during checkout) is outside the US, or
The buyer's registered address is outside the US (regardless of the delivery address for the item)

This fee is calculated as 1.65% of the total amount of the sale and is automatically deducted from your sales.

If your registered address is not in the US, please refer to the fee page for your country or region of residence for your International fee information.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/selling-fees?id=4822#section8

This international fee can not be blocked in Paypal or in Ebay and never could.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

lacemaker3 · ‎10-02-2021

@analog215 wrote:
Im doing much more than trying to avoid the international fees. Im being targeted right now by Russian scammers so if Ebay had a safety net like I mentioned before like blocking transactions that are coming from a foreign IP address that would eliminate most of my problems that im having right now.

@analog215, well, that's quite different from what you said in your original post, but I do have a better understanding now of what you are trying to do.

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you that you're going to like. Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger.

You are correct that there used to be a block available in PayPal that you could use to prevent this, but there's nothing like it in eBay, and it's unlikely that they will make one available. There are two blocks in PayPal that are similar but not quite the same. You could block payments in a foreign currency, which didn't have any effect on payments for items listed on eBay USA because they are always paid in US$ currency. PayPal converts the currency if the buyer uses any other currency.

There was also another block, which prevented buyers from using a foreign PayPal account to pay. This block could effectively prevent anyone who didn't have a PayPal account registered in the USA from paying, so they would be able to buy, but not to pay. That block could be effective for eBay transactions; if a buyer was using a foreign PayPal account they might (or might not) also be using a freight forwarding address. This would also block a foreign student or worker, who might be using their own shipping address in the USA, but a foreign PayPal account. I believe this would also block guest payments, from users who didn't use a PayPal account, but who were using a foreign credit card to make payment.

As I said before, this is not available in Managed Payments, and there is no indication that eBay is considering making such a block available.

analog215 · ‎10-02-2021

I stopped reading after you said .....I dont have the answer. So thank you for confirming NO.......the managed ebay payment system doesnt have the option to block foreign payments. Me.....ive only sold 1.3 million in volume in 18 years.....at least I have a point of light to shoot for......