eBay to add managed payments in UK market as it cuts reliance on PayPal

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Feb 26, 2020

eBay said this week that it’s expanding its management of payments to the UK as part of the process of “modernising its marketplace and creating a more streamlined experience for customers”.

The service will be rolled out this summer with the company saying it “will offer buyers flexibility and choice in payment methods, and give sellers an easier way to manage their businesses”.

The UK is the third market to offer the group’s new payments experience after the US and Germany.

"We're creating a modern managed marketplace. Taking control of the payments process on our platform is a key component of our strategy to enhance the eBay experience by breaking down barriers and removing complexities for our customers," said VP of Global Payments Alyssa Cutright, adding that the rollouts in the US and Germany have been successful.

It began managing payments on its platform in the US with a select group of sellers in September 2018, and expanded the experience to Germany a year later. The move came ahead of its operating agreement with PayPal that expires in the second half of this year. PayPal was an eBay subsidiary until 2014 when it was spun off and remains the payment option of choice for many buyers and sellers on the platform so will be affected by the eBay move. However, PayPal has also radically expanded its business beyond eBay and is a popular option on many other retail sites.

Under eBay’s new approach, the company plans to offer buyers in the UK a wider variety of payment options, including credit cards, Google Pay and PayPal. The latter will also be available as a payment option on iPhone and iPad.

It expects to have transitioned a majority of its UK business sellers by the end of 2020 and a majority of its marketplace customers in 2021.