Safe Payments and Chargebacks for Sellers

Payment happens between you and the buyer

Sell For Free doesn't hold the money or process the payment. After a sale, the buyer pays you directly, and you mark the order paid once the money has arrived. That is how we keep fees at zero, but it also means that choosing how you get paid is part of protecting yourself.

Payment methods, and what each means for a seller

Cash at a local pickup. Nothing can be reversed later, so there is no chargeback risk. Meet somewhere public, count the cash in front of the buyer, and hand over the item only once you're satisfied.

PayPal Goods and Services. This is the method built for selling things. It charges a fee, and it gives both sides a way to open a dispute. PayPal's seller protection has conditions, usually including proof of delivery to the address on the transaction, so read the current rules for the items you sell.

Card payments through an invoice (for example from Stripe, Square, or PayPal). The buyer pays with a card, which means the buyer can later dispute the charge with their card issuer. That is a chargeback, covered below.

Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle. Payments between people are generally treated like cash: fast, and hard to reverse. That cuts both ways, because there is often little or no protection if something goes wrong for either side. Zelle in particular is designed for people you already know and trust. Check each provider's current rules for payments for goods before you use it with a stranger.

PayPal Friends and Family. Don't use it for a sale, and don't agree to it if a buyer asks. It isn't meant for buying and selling, it comes without the protection that makes Goods and Services worth its fee, and it is a favorite of scammers.

How a chargeback or payment dispute works

A buyer who says an item never arrived, wasn't as described, or that they didn't authorize a payment can ask their card issuer or PayPal to reverse it. The provider then asks you for evidence, usually with a short deadline, and makes the decision. Sell For Free isn't part of that decision and can't overrule it.

Two things are worth knowing in advance. The time a buyer has to file is long, often several months, and varies by provider. And if you've already refunded a buyer, make sure the refund goes back through the same method, or the buyer may end up reversing the original payment as well.

What providers usually want to see:

• Proof the item was shipped, and when
• Proof it was delivered to the buyer's address, such as tracking that shows delivery
• Proof the item was described accurately: your listing photos and description
• The conversation between you and the buyer

Your records on Sell For Free

• Order messages can't be edited or deleted once they're sent, by you or the buyer. Keep the conversation in the order messages, because messages sent anywhere else aren't part of the record.
• On the order page, Download conversation gives you a plain-text record of the order and every message, with all times in UTC. It's built to attach to a dispute.
• When you mark an order shipped, add the tracking number, and use the optional checklist: photos before packing, tracking added, and (on orders of $200 or more) signature confirmation. Your answers are saved with the order and included in the download.

Habits that prevent most disputes

• Describe condition honestly, and photograph flaws. See How to Take Photos That Sell.
• Ship within the 48-hour window, with tracking, every time.
• For higher-value items, add signature confirmation and insure the shipment for what the item is worth.
• Confirm the shipping address in the order messages, and ship to that address.
• If something goes wrong, answer quickly and politely. Most buyers just want it fixed.

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Payment providers change their rules, so read the current terms for any method you use.