As a seller I can understand not wanting to use PayPal simply because of the associated fees - but as a buyer I love it. In fact, I won't purchase anything on Ebay if the seller doesn't accept PayPal. It's the only security a buyer has against bad sellers.
I can't think of a negative to use PalPal as a buyer.

PayPal used to make you open an account and keep credit card and bank account numbers on file which is why I think a lot of people don't like to use it to pay for things. I believe that now you do not need to have an account and keep anything on file with them if you don't want to but people just aren't aware of that yet.

Firearms enthusiasts represent a major target market for my newest release. It seems that PayPal has established themselves as being very anti-gun. Right or wrong that will keep “Gun Guys” from using their service.

Huh... I'm a "gun guy" and I hadn't heard that one, yet. Either way, I'll continue to use PayPal.

How about providing a link to your site, Aaron?

You're right -- a PayPal account isn't required to purchase through them with a credit card, and it hasn't always been that way. On my sites, and on quotes and invoices, I make this very clear so that those who weren't aware of the policy change are notified.

We looked into opening up a merchant account to handle credit cards ourselves, and it was far more complicated, time-consuming and expensive than going with PayPal. And the fees are very reasonable for a CD that goes out the door for $17.95, (shipping included) PayPal's cut is 82 cents. Considering all the features that are available to sellers, it's a very small price to pay.

I'm a "gun guy" too, but I still think PayPal rocks. It is nice not to have to dig out yer credit card every time you purchase something.

I will add a line stating that customers do not have to have a PayPal account to checkout via PayPal.

The video in question is @ Tactical Response Video

My official video site is @ Performance Edge Productions

The site sucks and I am hoping to do a total overhaul in the next few weeks. When I get that done Tactical Response Video will point to Performance Edge Productions and everything will be combined.


Aaron

Some people do not like pay pal mainly because it forces you to sign up. Also, Paypal is NOT the most respectable business around. Tons and tons of stories of merchants who had their monies with held for now reason and monies being withdrawn from customers checkign account and passed off as system errors.

I particularily hate paypal as I have lost money myself in the past and after eight months of email exchanges, got my money and never used it for business again.

Not gonna get into a gun debate, but I don't think that PayPal, as a company, has any political feelings one way or the other about guns. At least, I haven't heard anything to that effect -- maybe I just haven't read abou it. They did start a policy against letting people use its service for buying certain weapons (not just guns, but also explosives and commonly concealed weapons like switchblades). I imagine this isn't so much a political stance as it is them protecting themselves legally. In today's litigation-happy world, weapons retailers are common sued and/or criminally charged if something they sell is used in a crime. Transaction providers -- PayPal, Visa, etc -- are probably next.

As you say, right or wrong, that's the situation.

As to your question, while I was Googling around to find the above information, I came across a gun-related site that mentioned a PalPal alternative called PayStone. I know nothing about it -- I'll let you investigate and decide for yourself.

Rob

Oh oh... a topic near and dear to my heart. PayPal. Yes, I have expereince with them. My first broadband supplier, a little fly by night operator used them. Lots of people don't like them because they won't help you if you as the consumer are having problems with one of their clients in my case my ex ISP. My ISP skipped town. He "forget" to tell PayPal and while he stopped providing service (he also forgot to pay his upstream, AT&T) PayPal just went right on hitting my credit card every month and I had to jump through hoops not just to get them to stop by first trying to find the right person to talk to then waiting for them to really stop. So yes, lots of people have had similar bad experineces with PayPal and other "online" credit card processing companies and because of it refuse to do business with them.

Now about Merchant's accounts...

I've had one for about 15 years. How difficult it is to get one depends on your credit history, your relationship with the bank you apply with, to some extend you net worth, business experience and type of business. I had no problem. setting up a merchant's account and it was little more than a phone call and a quick drop by the local branch. It just so happens I applied at a branch of a major downtown Chicago bank, not that it helps get an account, rather I went there because I knew that at the bank I applied credit cards were a large part of their business.

ALWAYS try a local bank branch that knows you first. If the first one turns you down, try another. If you get approved you will end up being the proud owner of a credt card terminal (works like a modem) and you can do business that way.

Its really simple enough. Since you don't actually have the customer's actual credit card, you punch in his CC number, experation date and amount of the sale, then you get either an approval or decline code in twenty seconds or so. Its that simple. You get a monthly statement showing what's been deposited in your account. So you end up with a regular buiness account that you can deposit cash/checks to and of course withdraw from that's the best part.

There is a downside. Banks will tack on processing fees of all kinds and the cut they take off the top of every sale vaires on your credit history, volume of business, type of business and of course what competition if any the bank has with other banks offering similar services in your area. In Naperville, there are as many bank branches as gas stations, so I got a decent rate, but it keeps creeping up and the bank does find additional creative charges to hit your account with from time to time, like (you got to be kidding) charging you for a software upgade for the CC terminal. LOL!

I do ALOT of weddings, and maybe because theose getting married are younger, they're more aquainted with PayPal. No one seems to mind that my credit cards are processed through them.

Having PayPal do the credit card processing could not be more simple. Clients will give the same info that they would to someone with a merchant account.

For those that dislike PayPal, I equally dislike most merchant account providers. You'll be squeezed for as many fees as they can think of. The only fee I pay with PayPal is a small percentage of each charge.

Most anti-PayPal sites are set up by merchant account providers. Their gravy train got tipped over by PayPal. I love it!

The main customer complaint I get are, in order:

that the customer can't figure out how to use the service, and isn't willing to try again.

that they can't get the right confirmed address (can't figure out how to get the address where their credit card bill comes and where they want the purchase to come to to be the same place).

The main advantage to me, assuming I follow the rules is that there are NO charge backs. Everyone i know with a merchant account has an occasional chargeback (theft, fraud, disgruntled customer) from time to time. In 5 years I have had a few things that WOULD have been chargebacks, but since I followed the rules, PayPal ended up eating the bill, not me. I estimate I have saved well over $3,000.00 because of this "Seller Guarantee." I know of no credit card company or merchant account which offers such a guarantee.

Aaron,

How are things going with SBG my friend? I haven't kept up with you in the last couple years, ever since that infamous ride in California! LOL! Nice video marketing by the way. Later, Aaron.

The whole point is merchants DON'T follow the rules which are very strick. Charge backs happen with PayPal. If you follow the "rules" a bank won't do a charge back either. If you as a merchant break the rules regardless who you're doing business with, just like the IRS, one way or another they will find a way to get their money back and probably sock you with extra fees on top of it.

For those not use to processing credit card sales a charge back is a reversal of a charge that has already gone through and appears on a customer's credit card statement. Typically the customer needs to document why he feels he was changed wrongly and shouldn't have been.

Two examples from personal experience as a consumer:

I ordered some computer parts from what seemed like a honest company in Texas. They send the usual email confirmation and a promised shipping date. It came and went. Didn't receive anything. I called. They then informed me everything I ordered was out of stock, didn't know when or if it would come in any time soon. I cancelled the order. Couple weeks later I got my credit card statement and it showed I was charged for items not shipped.

I complained and advised them they were in violation of the FTC 30 day rule which mandates any order not shipped within 30 days must be cancelled or obtain permission from customer for an extension. Ignored. My bank reversed the charges and rest assured this company was "charged back" and probably hit with a hefty fine, they may have even lost their right to process credit card orders.

My second experience was with PayPal. Like I said, charged for a couple months of service I didn't get. The first excuse was we need to hear from our client that he agrees. Well, he skipped town. So initially PayPal didn't refund or do anything. Again, I had to go to my issuing bank and have them take action. Its simple really. I prove to MY bank the charge is fraudulent. Since my bank in effect gives money to whatever banks "hit" my account, my bank isn't going to get stuck holding the bag, so they charge back to the bank they paid. Rest assured that bank will then take the funds out of this jerk's account if there was anything left.

Well, around 15 years, never a single charge back for me. I find it curious that in five years you racked up $3,000 in potential charge backs and they didn't drop you like a hot potato. Like insurance companies don't like it when you submit a claim, banks don't eat charge backs. Just curious, when you say you "estimate" you saved 3K how do you get to that figure? Does PayPal inform you they're doing you this favor or something else.

I like paypal (use it all the time, I prefer it when using e-bay), but I found a couple "loopholes" that most consumers don't realize (and some sellers abuse).

A couple months ago I bought a product that cost $16.99, free shipping (paid with paypal). I thought "yippie!" Got an e-mail from that person confirming, and said would be shipped soon. I noticed that the e-mail adress had an aditional letter tacked on as the one on the e-bay account. I e-mailed that person asking if it's been shipped yet, no asnwer. I got contact info from e-bay & called the users phone number. Guess what? The number was for a business that had never heard of the person. I filed a complaint through paypal. Guess what they said: "Our money back gaurentie only is applicable for transactions $25 or more." I'm SOL. The sell closed all accounts (bank/cc) & got my money (several other people's by the looks of it too). That REALLY pissed me off.

Then I found out not long ago that paypal only covers "physical" goods. So, that means if you buy an e-book, downloadable software (such as vegas), a software code (again, like vegas), etc & you get screwed, paypal won't help. That's where a normal CC company/bank would be useful (because they don't have your money unless you pay your bill).

Just wanted to point out, paypal doesn't make you be a registered user anymore to buy from a seller. So, your sellers can just enter their info and it's all done. No need to register an account!

Several of my clients use a company called "CCNow." I don't know much about them, but apparently they handle the credit card and shopping cart stuff, you ship out the product. I believe they charge something like 9% for their service and, for the several years my clients have been using them, they have been quite reliable and pay like clockwork. Might be worth it for you to check them out.

www.ccnow.com

John

Check the forums at sitepoint.com /forums. "Manage Your Site - Ecommerce"

I've had many orders from people that refused to use Paypal for one reason or another. For a while I'd have them send money orders, and that seemed to work, but anytime you put your customer through more work, you're bound to lose sales. Some people just aren't going to follow through, you need to be able to satisfy the impulse purchaser right away.

Also, many international customers can't get Paypal to work.

So I listed my book/DVD on Amazon, and that seems to be a great solution. Amazon handles the payment transaction internally, and I guess anyone and everyone can get an Amazon account (or has one already). The Amazon account handles all credit card transactions and fees and whatnot, and they queue up your payments and send them by electronic deposit to your bank account once every two weeks.

So, most direct orders go by Paypal, but I do have a percentage who prefer to order off of Amazon. Amazon takes a commission, but hey, it's better than not getting the sale in the first place!

Just curious... anyone willing to say what they pay as a percentage of the sale to have PayPal process their credit card sales?

The Merchant's account I've had for a long time at a local bank, a branch of a major downtown Chicago bank, charges me around 3%. Don't have a statement handy for an exact figure. The only down side is being a actual brick and mortar bank they expect you keep a certain minimum balance in the account (think it 1K) or they charge you a service fee.

Billy Boy, off the top of my head I think PayPal charges me about 90 cents on each DVD I sell.

I'm selling the DVDs for $21.85 which includes shipping, and that's the price PP uses to calculate the fee they charge me.

They charge just a bit more for sales from countries outside the US.

I've got a "preferred premier" business account with PayPal, whatever that means. The amount they take each time seems to vary of a pretty wide range with no particular reasoning behind it that i've been able to determine. However, it seems to average around 4%. I've seen it as high as 9%, rarely. In any case, since i do absolutely nothing about processing payments in the slightest except spend the money after it comes in, i have no complaints about their fees.