> when someone pays via eCheque
Isn't that "most of the time"? That seems to be how paypal encourages buyers to fund their purchases.
eCheque is whenever Paypal isn't entirely sure they are actually going to get the funds to send you. For example, is the buyer has no money in their Paypal account, but they have a linked bank account to draw from, it takes a couple of days. If the bank withdrawal is declined, the eCheque gets declined. If they have funds in their account, its an instant transfer.
The other way to still do an "Instant" transfer while still transferring from a bank account, is to link a credit card to your account. If the bank withdrawal fails, Paypal simply uses your credit card as a backup.
I would say 95% of payments I receive are the instant type. The credit card backup option is actually quite good if you think about it. A regular bank transfer takes a few days, which means delayed shipment. Paying by credit card involves (more) fees. Best of both worlds this way
Paypal does actually have a few things going for it despite all the negative media.