Opinions about PayPal....

Ok,

I normally don't post alot on here, but I do read alot. As some of you know, I run a small buisness that designs and builds cat furniture. I set my company up to recieve credit card payments through PayPal. However, recently I've read alot of bad press about how PayPal treats its buisness customers. I have even read articles that claim most people buying off the web don't consider a company that uses PayPal as a "real business".

What do you guys honestly think about Paypal ? Would you not buy from a company because they only took credit cards through PayPal ? Are you more suspicious of companies that work through PayPal ?

Also, I know that many of you run small businesses. Do you use PayPal to accept payments ? If so, have you had any problems with PayPal ?

SystemXpert

We use it for Meowhoo.com. I find that it is satisfactory to work with, but some of the customers don't care to use it. So they get options of how to pay. They take a small percentage of each payment when it is made, and I have read the bulletin board set up to complain about PP. but so far, knock on wood, we have had no problems. There are now alternate companies out there that offer what PayPal does. Somewhere I have a list of names, I will see if I can find them and post them for you.

I use PayPal for buying and selling on ebay. So far my only complaint is when I switched to a premier account to accept personal credit cards then found out they take a percentage of my money when someone pays. So.. I switched back to a regular account to only accept paypal payments and so far its been ok. Except that some people would rather send me a money order, so I will except that as well. I have no problem paying people through paypal.

I buy at E Bay 2 cat tree and payed with Pay Pall and had no problems at all . I also pay for my 2 Selkirk Rex cat with Pay Pall and there were no problems . I like Pay Pall as a costomer (sp) . I would use it again if I had to .

Hi,
I have my own small business also, and made the decision to take advantage of a special deal between my hosting company (which also provided me with one of the best rated shopping cart programs - Miva Merchant) and the company I have my merchant account with. I did research a number of credit card processing companies and felt best with the one I chose.

I use paypal to purchase on ebay and with thaigem before they got their current set-up (now one has a choice), and use paypal to accept donations on my cat rescue site. I would not hesitate to use a company that accepts only paypal, but I do personally prefer one that accepts visa/mc through their own merchant account.

I think, as one begins a business, you have to do what you can afford to do, i.e. not all new companies can hire a web designer, or start with all the product lines they might want to carry, or advertise as broadly as they wish. Upgrades and changes can be made as you go. If you are sure you are losing orders you need because of this, I'd begin doing research to see what you can afford.

Fwiw, the small business list I belong to, qflea, a lot of merchants there use a customizable free shopping cart by Mals (there is also a spiffier version that is like $5 a month), which relieves you of the cost of a shopping cart program at least.

hope this helps,

I have been using Paypal to buy and sell on Ebay since it first started, and have never had a problem. I had a seller not send me a purchase once, and Paypal refunded my payment to me after investigating. Yes, they take a small fee for using them to accept credit cards, but at least I get paid right away, and don't have to wait for the money orders that are always promised but never come.

I would rather use the paypal system for my e-bay transactions. I personally have never had a problem using them. I always look for the paypal payment thing before I even place a bid on whatever I am interested in getting.

I have used PayPal a number of times, without any problem. I don't do a LOT of shopping online, but my experience of PayPal has been just fine.

Personally, I think it's too complicated, if I have only the option to pay via paypal, I won't get the item.

We use Pay Pal for our cattery and have had no trouble with it at all.

I use paypal for my business. And I feel safer paying through paypal then putting my credit card online through a persons company. I also except money orders from those that do not like paypal or prefer not to pay online in general.

I think with big companies, people do expect to be able to pay through credit card directly. However, as a customer I prefer to pay through paypal then through a company that I don't know.

What most medium size businesses do is use a company that processes credit cards on the net, much like paypal does, but isn't paypal. So it looks to people like they're paying direct, but they're really paying through a third party.

Have you tried reading about this at www.sitepointforums.com? there's a forums dedicated to online commerce there.

I prefer to pay using paypal even IF a business accepts credit cards, especially if they are a small business where I am shopping at for the first time. It stops them from gaining access to my credit card number if they are phony, and if they never send what I paid for I can get my money refunded very easily.

I think most normal internet retail customers would be fine with paypal, but sometimes in a more niche market you will get first time net buyers who are leary of the whole paypal thing, especially in a non-auction setting. I would encourage you to accept a few different forms of payment, such as money orders and credit cards independently. Over all though I think that accepting paypal only will not discourage as many people as credit card only would.

I consider businesses who only accept paypal as home businesses run by people who are just starting out. I don't think anyone would NOT take you seriously as a merchant, but that people will think of you as more of a on-the-side business (as opposed to a full time one) which may encourage some paranoid people to rethink their purchase.

However, I think you could do no wrong by adding paypal to your payment methods--just don't make it the ONLY option. But I think eventually down the road if the need arises you should also consider accepting credit cards independently also.

I have bought online from many merchants (non auction) using paypal and i swear it's the easiest thing ever. Just the convenience alone is worth it.

I prefer PayPal to any other method when I'm paying online.

As far as charging for allowing credit cards, if you were a brick and mortar business that accepted credit cards you'd have to pay for that too. Most times the business just passes that charge onto the customer. When we bought my car we paid 5% extra in order to pay by credit card. When I worked for AAA, even though we sold American Express traveler's cheques we didn't accept American Express because it cost more to accept than MC or VI did.

Originally posted by TTMom
I prefer PayPal to any other method when I'm paying online.

As far as charging for allowing credit cards, if you were a brick and mortar business that accepted credit cards you'd have to pay for that too. Most times the business just passes that charge onto the customer. When we bought my car we paid 5% extra in order to pay by credit card. When I worked for AAA, even though we sold American Express traveler's cheques we didn't accept American Express because it cost more to accept than MC or VI did.

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I can only speak for how I do business, but I have never charged extra to allow for the merchant fees I pay with each online credit card transaction. I don't charge extra for those that pay with checks, so why would I for those that pay with a credit card? I consider it a cost of business, and like a brick and mortar store, set prices based on wholesale price, the srp, and what the competition is charging

I do not charge extra to use paypal. I do how ever only giving shipping discounts when people pay for multi purchases together. I beleave in paypal rules it states that you are not allound to mark up costs to cover paypal fees.

Originally posted by annabelle33
I prefer to pay using paypal even IF a business accepts credit cards, especially if they are a small business where I am shopping at for the first time. It stops them from gaining access to my credit card number if they are phony, and if they never send what I paid for I can get my money refunded very easily.

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This was one reason I chose to have my credit card transactions be processed real-time..they are verified immediately, and I never see the person's credit card number, they are processed for me.

Why is it so confusing? I have a PayPal account, but for the life of me, I wouldn't know how to use it.

Originally posted by HopeHacker
Why is it so confusing? I have a PayPal account, but for the life of me, I wouldn't know how to use it.

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it's really not confusing. You click send money, put in the person email addie and the amont and then send it. I use it sooooooooooo much it is like second nature to me now.