Anyone know a 'back door' into PayPal?
 

Here is the problem...

I'm negotiating with a seller on eBay, and I want to purchase the card in question at the price he is willing to sell it for. However, I need to use my credit cards points to defray some of the cost (without CC points the price is, well, a rip-off). When I go to pay for things on eBay using PayPal, sometimes it brings me to PayPal and allows me to click the box and use my points, but the vast majority of times (including now!) the window appears and has me sign in, and then POOF!! it disappears and I'm back at eBay's checkout page with the only option being "Pay Now." (For some reason, when I have my credit card itself selected as the payment type, it gives no option to use my points either, just "Pay Now.")

Is there a way to sign into PayPal first to pay for an auction? In other words, is there a way to avoid the situation I described above? Being able to use my CC points is such a random occurrence with PayPal, as there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason involved. I bought two separate cards just the other day, and both gave me the option of using my points, but I didn't. It seems to come and go. To be clear, I am not trying to avoid using eBay or do anything against the 'rules.' I want it to be an eBay purchase through my credit card via Paypal.

Anybody have any insight? Is there a way for the seller to send me an invoice, so it brings me directly to PayPal, or allows me to directly use my credit card points??

I'm sure a whole bunch of other people here would like to know the answer to this, too.

(There are no other issues, like my points were already used and whatnot. And I've done everything involved with refreshing the window, throwing out preferences, changing and re-changing payment types, etc. The issue is as straightforward as I presented it.)

Is it the Paypal credit card? If so, just have the reward money sent to your Paypal account and keep checking out without worrying about applying the reward balance.

No, it's just a regular credit card. No PayPal ties.

Have the seller send you a PP invoice, then pay through PP.

Would that work?

I hear you, Darren. I get the same situation, and it seems like the PayPal option that allows you to use points only comes up maybe 20% of the time compared to the one that doesn't give you any options to use any of those points. I'd like to know what triggers each option too, but right now they seems totally random to me too.

This led me to the realization I could use CC points to buy even some of Dean's pricey cards on Amazon for a deal. But my wife would kill me...

Just tell her that with the tear the market has been on lately, Dean's had the most reasonable prices. Maybe then she'll grant a stay of execution.

As you can use these points to buy something else I do not understand how they make the card any less of a rip off. Unless the points were expiring. Like ebay bucks.

Unfortunately (but I guess ultimately fortunately?), I had to check day after day by putting things in my cart and seeing if it would let me get two feet on the ground inside of PayPal during the checkout process without the window disappearing, and it finally worked. In the meantime, I lost both the card I wanted to buy as well as my 'back-up' plan cards, but I did happily end up with a pretty sharp PSA 6 1971 Topps #513 Nolan Ryan in the end, so I'm enthused. Hopefully, before the next round of CC points drop, I'll find a workable avenue. Ebay has provided me with nothing but their usual "Is your computer plugged in?" type of tech support/customer service. Same with PayPal.