posted on September 19, 2000 01:45:59 PM
I'm not sure that it does...
They already have different fee schedules for 'merchant' sellers (ebaY sales over $1000 a month) and 'Standard Service' sellers who do a lower volume. It seems that the letter that went out didn't reach everyone signed up for Billpoint, and that the folks who didn't get it seem to be lower volume sellers...
Providing you a trusted, convenient payment service at a
fair price has been Billpoint's mission from the outset. We
are very excited that effective October 1, we are
significantly lowering your eBay Online Payments fees! Your
Billpoint account will be updated to reflect these exciting
changes:
* According to a new PayPal policy, a Business/Premier
Account is now required for all "auction sellers -- both
individuals who make it a full time job and those who
sell on a recurring part-time basis." It is the only way
to use auto-deposit and instant purchase -- features
Billpoint already has.
** All Billpoint credit card transactions $15 or less now
qualify for a flat transaction fee of $0.35 -- previously
it was $10!
*** Blended rate for credit card and electronic check --
average selling price of $100, 2/3 of transactions credit
card, 1/3 electronic check.
As you can see, we substantially lowered your credit card
transaction fee from 3.50% to 1.75% (plus the usual $0.35
per transaction fee). We also raised the dollar size of
transactions that qualify for our flat $0.35 rate from $10
to $15! In both cases, funds will automatically be deposited
to your FDIC-insured bank account EACH DAY for an additional
0.5%.
**************************************
They have at least two different fee schedules already.
posted on September 19, 2000 02:04:29 PM
Julesy, I do about 15 a month through them as well, but I do over $1000 a month at ebaY. The fees right now are based on your ebaY volume, not your Billpoint Volume.
I'm just trying to figure out how this sorts out...
There's nothing about the new fees on the Billpoint website. There's nothing about the new fees on the ebaY Announcement Board.
If you opt out of Billpoint Junk Mail, you would not have gotten the email, but I wonder if any sellers who are Billpoint sellers and average more like $200 a month in total ebaY sales got the new rate email?
posted on September 19, 2000 02:09:22 PM
In fact, now that I think about it, I do over $1,000 per month on each of two sperate accounts and did not receive the email for either. Weird...
posted on September 19, 2000 02:41:00 PM
On a scale of 1-10 my ratings with BillPoint would be .00001 and I got the new 2.25% fee schedule (1.75% rate + .50% deposit fee). Kind of clever the way they broke it up with the 1.75% when the .50% deposit is mandatory.
posted on September 19, 2000 03:28:26 PM
This was posted on an eBay board this morning by one of the Billpoint reps.
Dear XXXX
I just wanted to let you know that the reason we haven't publicly announced our new pricing is that we wanted to give all of our existing customers advance notice as a courtesy. The community at large will be notified as soon
as we complete the process of telling all of our existing customers. Hopefully, that makes some sense (whether you agree or not .
posted on September 19, 2000 06:00:38 PM
I didn't get the email and when I checked my fees as listed in my account at Billpoint, they are still the same...3.9%
I'd be happy for them to go done...very happy.
posted on September 20, 2000 06:43:19 AM"Instead of a rate of 1.75% + .35 for transactions over $15, my fee is 2.50% + .35"
The 1.75% doesn't really exist, they just made up a charge for the deposit fee .50% (which isn't an option) and separated them, so if it says 1.75% it translates to 2.25%. Still that's strange you'd get 2.50% in your email.
If you'll give me an email address I'll forward my email from them and you can see what changes were made.
posted on September 20, 2000 08:47:50 AM
So that's what I thought...
Billpoint is making rates lower for higher volume sellers who are required to upgrade by PayPal to a fee based service...
And while they lowered rates for lower volume sellers, they are still quite a bit higher than the free PayPal service for those users.
So Billpoint is trying to draw sellers away from the fee based PayPal service, and has provided little to no incentive to sellers who qualify for PayPal's free service.
posted on September 20, 2000 08:54:30 AM
Toyranch, my total eBay volume for the account that I received this notice on was over $3,500 for the past 30 days, and the volume has been similar since I started using Billpoint.
I suspect that when I request the lower pricing, it won't be a problem, but I don't see any type of pattern as to who is being offered the lower rate.
posted on September 20, 2000 09:01:34 AM
I just received the notice for my second account. Similar volume (+$2,000 past 30 days), and that account, too, is being charged the higher rate.
posted on September 20, 2000 09:08:48 AM
Toyranch...Instead of speculating, why not do the obvious and ask Billpoint? Then you can post an accurate statement about billpoint's fee stucture.
[ edited by amy on Sep 20, 2000 09:09 AM ]
posted on September 20, 2000 09:18:47 AM"Billpoint is making rates lower for higher volume sellers who are required to upgrade by PayPal to a fee based service... And while they lowered rates for lower volume sellers, they are still quite a bit higher than the free PayPal service for those users."
That sounds logical, but I didn't qualify for the PayPal upgrade notice yet I did get the BillPoint mail for the 1.75% (+ .50% deposit fee). I guess BillPoint based their fee on the eBay history and PayPal based their upgrade notice on PayPal usage. Or maybe it all has something to do with how many vowels you have in your name. I wonder where I'd stand with a use ID like Sequoia.
posted on September 20, 2000 09:28:32 AM
Months ago, when my billpoint account was upgraded by Billpoint to the 2.25% fee schedule, the email notice stated the new rate was based on ebay volume and feedback plus my billpoint account history.
When billpoint introduced the service to all ebay users, feedback level and length of time on ebay determined if a user got the higher 3.9% rate or a slightly lower rate (but not one as low as 2.25%).
I visited Billpoint's website and saw their division of 'Merchants' vs. 'Standard' service and the basis for deciding, so I don't see what asking Billpoint would accomplish...
Although it's possible that they would admit to a strategy of taking PayPal's fee based sellers and shifting more weight on their 'free' services, I'd say that is doubtful in the extreme.
posted on September 20, 2000 10:16:45 AM
Well, I was one of those with the higherBP rate, because I am a very small seller. I have only used BP about 4 times! I received an email this morning from BP outlining the new lowered rate and a comparison to PP rates. On small sales, it IS cheaper. On larger sales, it is NOT as cheap as PP. When I do sell, my final prices are usually between $75-$175. To use a payment service, PP would still be cheaper for me.
This was on the chart sent to me by Billpoint. Of course the .60% really only applies on PP IF you sweep daily. BP didn't mention that.
Maybe higher volume sellers will get EVEN more off?????
edited 'cause if I had read more carefully I would have seen there IS a different price for small sellers and high volume!
[ edited by sulyn1950 on Sep 20, 2000 11:33 AM ]
posted on September 20, 2000 11:24:06 AM
Toyranch...if you want to know if the fee schedule you recieved was for ALL billpoint users, as your thread title indicated, then the most logical way to get that information is to ask billpoint.
Now, if all you want to do is try and paint billpoint as some how being unethical, then of course you don't need to ask billpoint anything.
IMO, I fail to see what the problem is with billpoint fighting fire with fire by cutting their rates..especially at a time when their competitor has made a really BIG BOOBOO with the recent announcements they (paypal) have made.
As for the paypal accounts being free for low volume sellers, how do you know that? Has paypal contacted you and made an official statement to that effect? Did they tell you what was considered low volume? Did they tell you what the cut-off point was that triggers a mandatory business/premier account?
If you have the answers to these questions, which many posters to AW have been asking paypal, in futility, then please share them with the rest of us, because, as far as I can see, no one else here has been able to get a single definite answer to these questions. All the rest of us have been getting from paypal is the run around.
[ edited by amy on Sep 20, 2000 11:26 AM ]
posted on September 20, 2000 11:49:38 AM
Amy...............
<sigh>
When I started this thread, I noted that not EVERYONE was getting an email with the new rate. I was questioning whether or not the new rate applied to everyone.
This thread served that purpose, as we discovered that there is, in fact, more than one rate as another batch of emails went later... and now the same standard applied on the previous fee schedule does not seem to apply to the new one...
I am not trying to 'paint Billpoint as being unethical' and have never called their ethics into question at all! I happen to LIKE Billpoint and am just seeking input as to what they are doing and who is getting what kinds of messages from them.
I know some sellers who have contacted PayPal customer service and have been told that their volume of sales does not constitute a 'Seller' as PayPal defines the term, but PayPal has not yet explained their definition of the term to the rest of us. So while I do know that there is some standard that qualifies one to be a 'Seller' who is required to upgrade to the fee-based PayPal service (if they desire to continue using PayPal) and there is some standard by which someone can be a 'seller' but to be a 'lesser seller who is not a seller by definition' according to PayPal.
So yes, I know for a fact that PayPal's definition of 'Seller' is not 'One who sells', but rather is some other nebulous standard which has not been defined in full.
No, I don't have any problem with Billpoint 'fighting fire with fire' and lowering rates... I'm just curious as to how it's being applied. Sorry if that bothers you or something... you seem annoyed by this thread and I don't really understand why.
posted on September 20, 2000 12:45:04 PM
Just got my email and here are my new fees:
from 3.9% + $0.39 to 2.5% + $0.35 per transaction.
Paypal is still cheaper, and I have a business account, but do not use the Daily Sweep feature, so my deposits are free. Heather
.
