Money orders
are allowed to be taken on ebay
if a customer requests that a seller take one.
From the Accepted Payments Policy
Payment methods not allowed on eBay:
Sellers can't ask buyers to:
- Mail them cash
- Send cash or money orders through instant cash transfer services (non-bank, point-to-point cash transfers) like Western Union or MoneyGram
- Mail checks or money orders (except for items in categories specifically permitted above)
- Pay through bank-to-bank transfers (except for items in categories specifically permitted above)
- Pay by "topping off" of a seller's prepaid credit or debit card
- Payment using online payment methods not specifically permitted in this policy
- Payment using payment methods not listed in this policy
Notice that Ebay is very specific that a seller cannot ask to be paid by those methods. But they have also been very specific that if asked, a seller can take money orders etc.
Here's a copy of post from Seller's Central which is a board on the ebay forum. Jim Griffith is an ebay employee and is a Seller Advocate. He has a thread on Seller's Central which is called "Ask Griff" The writing in blue is Griff's answer and
he is speaking for ebay.
Posted by belladonna4 on Jan-17-09 08:20
Hello Griff,
Has eBay informed sellers directly that they may accept paper payments upon buyer request?
If not, when will that take place?
thankyou
We addressed this during the three day chat session held on August 8th. Although sellers may accept a request from a buyer to accept a non approved payment method, we do not plan, now or in the future, to promote this.
There have been numerous posts on the ebay boards about this and other posters have been told by ebay employees that sellers
MAY accept money orders if a buyer requests it.
So bottom line is ebay will not let a seller put in their listing that they take money orders. But money orders are allowed on ebay if a buyer requests to use one.
So if you want to pay with a money order, you are well within your right to ask your seller if they will accept one. Of course, it is a seller's choice whether or not they will take one.