Why do I have to use a preferred payment option to list something for sale?

[kdog285]

I rarely sell on EBay and do not wish to go through PayPal and obviously do not have a merchant account. Without accepting one of these payment methods I cannot list my item for sale. Has EBay become a site just for businesses and large volume sellers?

[*tippy*toes*]

No, eBay (currently) is a place for all sellers, large and small. The rules are you have to offer a safe payment method, that being PayPal or a merchant credit card account. Very few buyers these days pay with bank deposit, most prefer PayPal as they have full buyer protection in the event something goes wrong. If they pay using bank deposit, neither you, or the buyer has any protection.

[kopenhagen5]

To add, if you are listing a pick up item just list with PayPal as an option and mention in the listing cash on pick up is preferred as there is no protection on pick up items.