Business

Ebay, PayPal Outline Plans After Split

Published

11 years ago

July 17, 2015

Oakland Post

This photo combination shows logos for eBay, left, and PayPal, outside the companies' corporate headquarters in San Jose, Calif. When eBay and PayPal split up on Friday, July 17, 2015, they'll face different challenges than they did as a combined company. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, Jeff Chiu)

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, Jeff Chiu)

Mae Anderson, ASSOCIATED PRESS

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — When eBay and PayPal split up on Friday, they’ll face different challenges than they did as a combined company.

E-commerce company eBay first said in September 2014 it would split off its payments unit PayPal, in order to focus the two companies on growing profits individually. Investors, including activist Carl Icahn, had lobbied for the movie.

Though the split happens Friday, PayPal starts trading on the Nasdaq under the “PYPL” ticker on Monday, while San Jose, California-based eBay will keep trading under the “EBAY” symbol.

As separate units, eBay faces stiff competition from Amazon and other online retailers that have gained market share from traditional brick-and-mortar stores. It also has to contend with the lingering effects from a cybersecurity breach and changes in Google’s search algorithms that led to fewer eBay results popping up in Google searches.

On the other hand, online payment system PayPal, which had long been eBay’s fastest-growing segment, will have to compete with mobile wallets like Apple and Android Pay and online payment offerings from Chinese e-commerce retailer Alibaba and other retailers.

In a call after the two units posted quarterly profit that topped Wall Street’s expectations, PayPal President Dan Schulman and eBay President Devin Wenig each outlined their plans for the two units following the split:
EBAY

EBay, which has been streamlining its business by selling some units, now is focusing on reinvigorating its marketplace business, which includes the e-commerce arm of eBay. It stumbled last year when it had to deal with a change in Google’s algorithms that made eBay products come up in search results less often.

On Thursday, Wenig said the company now is asking sellers to include more detailed product identifiers on their product listings, which seems to be helping search results.

Wenig said the company is also focusing on gaining traffic through social media. It was an early adapter of shoppable ads on Facebook and Pinterest and has increased efforts on Tumblr Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter’s Periscope to drive traffic and user growth.

“While still small relative to our more established channels, traffic from social channels is growing over 100 percent year-on-year in the U.S.,” Wenig said.

Wenig also reiterated eBay’s plan to focus on small- and medium-size merchants that make of 70 percent of the global retail market.

“Our absolute priority is to improve our competitiveness and drive more stable profitable growth over the long-term,” Wenig said.
PAYPAL

PayPal’s goal going forward is to get more merchants to accept its payments in stores. It also wants PayPal users to pay with the service two or three times a week rather than the current average of two or three times a month.

Meanwhile, Schulman, who will be CEO of PayPal after the split, would like PayPal users who typically use the payment system once or twice a month, to use it two or three times a week, like millennials use its Venmo app. The Venmo app is linked to a bank account or card and lets users pay friends with a text-like note.

Schulman said the company is making some progress. The Subway app powered by PayPal-owned Paydient is the No. 2 food and beverage app in the iOS app store and can be used in 30,000 stores. And Burger King is letting users pay with PayPal in 5,000 stores.

PayPal also plans to grow internationally via its acquisition of Xoom which lets users send money from the U.S. abroad.

“We believe our technology platform, global reach and trusted brand can move PayPal from being an occasional transaction to being an integral part of consumers’ financial lives,” Schulman said.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

###

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 22, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Advice

Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC