Personal or Business account?

[adamwhite]

Hello

I currently buy and sell watches on ebay and receive payments through my personal paypal account.

I'm considering creating my own website and selling watches through that instead. If I were to do this, the website would merely act as a catalogue for my watches. Buyers wouldn't pay me through the website, instead they would contact me by email and I'd send them an invoice from paypal. 

Would this be allowed? and if so, would I be able to use my personal paypal account to receive payments or would I need to open a business account?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you in advance

Adam

[kernowlass]

You are not supposed to sell using a personal account, also once a certain number of people have funded their payments via a credit card you will be forced to upgrade anyway.

Also you have NO seller protection if you sell on a personal account.

Personal accounts are for buying or receiving gifts from family or friends. 

[adamwhite]

Thank you for the reply.

So to sell through my website I'd have to open a business account? Would I be able to do this even though I'm not a business?

[kernowlass]

Yes, most sellers on ebay are not registered Uk businesses.

You just select the "individual" pathway when you upgrade so that you don't fill in any company info. 

[adamwhite]

And I can still use a business account for normal eBay purchases and such?

[kernowlass]

Yes of course, i have an "individual" business account ( the old premier account ), as i only sell stuff i no longer want etc and also use it for buying "oh way too much, according to my partner" on ebay. 

[adamwhite]

Ok, thank you.

One final question, does a business account cost anything to run or do you just pay the fees when you receive a payment?

[kernowlass]

When your buyer pays then paypal debit a fee of 3.4%+20pm per transaction and the rest is credited to your paypal account balance.

No fee to use the actual account.

[adamwhite]

Ok, thank you for your help, its much appreciated. 🙂