The agreement authorizes eBay to place holds on seller funds based on assessments of risk, policy violations, anticipated disputes, anticipated chargebacks, or legal compliance requirements, and permits funds to be held in pooled or separate accounts during the hold period.
This analysis describes what eBay's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This provision grants eBay discretionary authority to withhold seller proceeds under broadly defined conditions including anticipated disputes and risk assessments, without specifying a maximum hold duration in all circumstances. This creates operational payment timing uncertainty for sellers, particularly high-volume merchants relying on proceeds for working capital.
Interpretive note: The maximum duration of fund holds is not uniformly specified for all triggering conditions in the document, creating ambiguity about seller remedies and applicable timelines.
The updated User Agreement incorporates additional policies and terms that were previously referenced separately, making them contractually binding conditions of service use. The agreement now explicitly states that continued use constitutes acceptance of all incorporated policies and additional terms posted on eBay's sites and applications. The updated language emphasizes that disputes are resolved through binding arbitration unless the user opts out according to section 19.B.9, and contains a waiver of class action rights. You can review which eBay entity contracts with you based on your jurisdiction (eBay Inc. for US, eBay UK Limited for UK, eBay GmbH for EU, and others listed) and locate the opt-out mechanism for arbitration in section 19.B.9 of the full agreement.
View change record →The provision now includes explicit language about pooling funds with other users and proactive holds based on anticipated buyer disputes or chargebacks.
View full change record →Under this clause, eBay may withhold seller funds when it determines a risk condition exists, a policy violation has occurred, a dispute may be filed, or a buyer refund has been determined, with the hold persisting for unspecified periods depending on the triggering condition. Sellers operating on the platform should account for potential payment delays when managing cash flow.
How other platforms handle this
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"We may place a hold on your funds if we believe there may be a high level of risk associated with you, your account, or your transactions, or if you have violated our policies, or if we are required to do so to comply with legal requirements. We may keep your funds in a separate account or pool your funds with other users' funds. We may also place a hold on your funds if we believe a buyer dispute or chargeback may be filed, or if eBay has determined that a buyer is entitled to a refund.Excerpt from eBay's User Agreement
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Fund hold authority may require evaluation under state money transmission laws and payment services regulations, particularly in California, New York, and other states that regulate the timing and conditions of fund disbursement …
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This provision grants eBay discretionary authority to withhold seller proceeds under broadly defined conditions including anticipated disputes and risk assessments, without specifying a maximum hold duration in all circumstances. This creates operational payment timing uncertainty for sellers, particularly high-volume merchants relying on proceeds for working capital.
Under this clause, eBay may withhold seller funds when it determines a risk condition exists, a policy violation has occurred, a dispute may be filed, or a buyer refund has been determined, with the hold persisting for unspecified periods depending on the triggering condition. Sellers operating on the platform should account for potential payment delays when managing cash flow.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 230 platforms. See the full comparison.
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