Which would you hate less:
1.) keeping kickitback counter
or
2.) paying us 1.5%.
As far as I can tell most people don't hate the counter. And even less would hate the counter if it meant having to pay instead.
These things make us money. When we don't make money from other sources we are left with 1 source. The seller.
Nevertheless eBay may be forcing our hand anyways and you may get option #2 without a choice at the rate they are going.