How Long Does a Buyer Have to Pay on eBay?

So you just heard the sweet “CHA CHING” from your eBay app, letting you know that you made a sale on your eBay Store. GREAT!

Now, we just need to wait to see that payment hit your account.

It is NOT always the case that you will receive the payment immediately after making that sale. In fact, it can take a little while for your buyer to make payment for their order.

For this reason, its CRUCIAL to know how long it can take for a buyer to pay for an order on eBay. In addition, you want to make sure that buyers pay for their orders on time so that you can pay your relevant suppliers and meet your obligations.

This guide will explain exactly how long you will have to wait for a buyer to pay for an item, and will also give you some insights into what happens if a buyer fails to pay beyond their designated period.

Key Takeaways

• ✔ eBay buyers have a four-day period to make payments for their purchases.
• ✔ Sellers should utilize eBay’s invoice system for reminding buyers of pending payments.

Before You Get Started

• ✔ Understand eBay’s payment policies for auctions and direct purchases.
• ✔ Learn the process of sending invoices on eBay to facilitate timely payments.

How Long Does a Buyer Have to Pay on eBay?

The short answer is four days. As of 2022, eBay has rolled out a new rule that states all unpaid items must be settled within four days from the time that the buyer has finalized the order or has won the auction.

Therefore, a buyer must pay for the sold items within that period. But there are instances when the seller does not receive payment from the buyer immediately, or within four days.

It is not uncommon for an eBay seller to receive a winning bid from a buyer and then the latter would not respond to their messages once they’ve won the bid, or does not acknowledge the invoice sent by the seller.

In this situation, a seller must send an invoice and remind the buyer to settle their payment within the specified date.

How to Send an Invoice to the Buyer

Knowing how to send an invoice to the buyer will make it easier to receive payment for the buyer’s purchase. Once four calendar days have lapsed since the sale was finalized for the sold items or the winning bid, eBay will send a reminder to the buyer about the pending invoice.

The seller can also send the buyer an invoice within 30 calendar days from the time of purchase. To do this, you must follow these steps.

Step 1

Find the specific item that the buyer was interested by going to My eBay and then Sold Items.

Step 2

Choose the ‘More Actions’ option.

Step 3

Choose the ‘Send Invoice’ option.

Once you have sent the invoice to the buyer, they will be able to see it in their eBay buyer’s account dashboard. It is visible in the Unpaid Invoices section.

If despite sending an invoice and the buyer has chosen not to respond or pay for the items they bought, you don’t need to open a dispute within eBay.

Instead, eBay allows for the automatic cancellation of orders of any unpaid item. You can set this up in the seller hub, which enables you to cancel orders or give the item to the next highest bidder.

Either way, when you cancel orders and give it to the next bidder, you will be able to collect payment for the items you are selling.

NEW Unpaid Item Policy for eBay

The new Unpaid Item Policy was rolled out by eBay in 2021. According to this policy, the seller has the ability to cancel orders for any unpaid order within four days from the date of purchase.

You can cancel the orders manually or set up the automatic cancellation of orders in the seller hub of your eBay account.

If the buyer hasn’t paid for the items you are selling on eBay, despite receiving an invoice from the seller, then you have the option to cancel that order.

However, you need to do the cancellation of the order after four days of not receiving payment. Moreover, it is not advisable that you cancel an order after the buyer has paid for it.

Choose the Cancel button and the drop down menu will give you the option “Buyer Hasn’t Paid”. Choose that option as the reason when you cancel orders.

Setting Up Automatic Cancellation of Order

You can set up for any unpaid transaction to be automatically cancelled in your account. This feature is activated when buyers fail to pay within four days for items awaiting payment.

It is a part of eBay’s Unpaid Items Policy as a measure to protect sellers from abusive buyers. The unpaid order in the buyer’s account will be automatically cancelled, which allows you to continue selling that item and make money with it.

When a buyer hasn’t paid, they are at risk of having their eBay account suspended. Any negative feedback left by the buyer who has an unpaid order will be deleted.

What to Avoid Doing

• ✘ Avoid delaying in sending invoices to buyers after a purchase is made.
• ✘ Don’t miss setting up automatic cancellation for items that remain unpaid.

How to Prevent Issues

• ✔ Regularly manage and monitor payment processes using eBay’s seller hub.
• ✔ Stay updated with eBay’s latest policies for compliance and effective transactions.

Conclusion

Effective management of eBay sales involves understanding the payment window, using the invoice system, and setting up automatic cancellations for unpaid items. Proactive management and staying informed are key for successful transactions.