| Stream | 03-03-2011 12:09 AM |
third party checkout services will be discontinued
Consistency for buyers, new functionality for sellers in one eBay Checkout
No matter what they buy or who they buy it from, all eBay buyers go through checkout. A consistent and familiar checkout experience is key to completing their purchases quickly and easily and to coming away from the transaction with a sense of confidence and satisfaction. Checkout is also important for sellers, providing essential business functions such as payment processing and tax collection. Important updates over the next year will improve this vital part of the eBay experience for both buyers and sellers.
Third party checkout services phased out.
To provide a consistent experience for buyers, third party checkout services will be discontinued on June 30, 2011. eBay has been teaming up with checkout providers for some time to support this transition and, at the same time, working to provide sellers the robust functionality they need in eBay checkout.
* Integrated merchant credit/debit card services enhanced. Beginning in September 2010, all sellers will have more choices when selecting their payment gateway for offering credit or debit card processing services to their customers. For many sellers, this means that buyers will no longer need to call to provide credit card details and complete the purchase.
* Standardized shipping service terms. To help set buyers' expectations, starting in September shipping services along with estimated delivery times will be displayed more prominently on the item page and in checkout using four industry-standard terms—Economy, Standard, Expedited and One-day. You'll still be able to specify your shipping carriers and costs.
* More control over shipping to Hawaii, Alaska, US protectorates and APO/FPO addresses. Also starting in September, sellers will be able to exclude buyers from these areas from bidding or buying their listings. Or they can use shipping rate tables to provide more accurate shipping costs to buyers at these addresses.
* Premium Sales Tax calculator for high volume sellers. While the basic onsite tax calculator is sufficient for lower-volume sellers, some higher-volume sellers need a more sophisticated option. Starting in September, eBay will pilot a premium sales tax calculator with many advanced tax options. | 
