posted on November 11, 2002 06:02:39 PM new
I have used paypal for ages...now that it has been taken over by eBay I'm looking for an alternative payment system... Id ont like the way if I use paypal on my normal sales site... and if users sign up they are encouraged to go to eBay...
I dont want someo f my buyers going to eBay... so I would liek an alternative service before paypal gets too strong....
Its a pain in the kneck with ebay ads all over it....
anyone think the same and any recommendations?
Cheers
Ro.
posted on November 11, 2002 06:06:14 PM new
I, actually, had never considered it that way. You make alot of sense. There are many of us who sell outside of ebay through e-commerce websites, and use the Paypal shopping cart. I will keep watch for any good alternatives...
posted on November 11, 2002 06:14:49 PM new
Yes.. I dont use the paypal shopping cart purely for this reason.... it encourages users now to go to eBAy so how loyal will your customers be if they can get similar stuff on eBay...?
I am a developer and sell stuff for fun but still... I dont use the paypal cart but give my customers the option of using paypal if they want and prefer to use an existing Credit card processor and would recommend others to do the same... every sale you make whether you know it or not is actually promoting eBAy and erasing your potential customer base....
(indirectly of course! and also if similar items are available on ebay.)
Cheers ..
Ro.
posted on November 11, 2002 09:46:21 PM new
I use Bidpay and all my domestic and intrnational buyers that use it are very happy with it. The thing I like is that as a seller I don't pay any fees. Items can go out almost as fast as with Paypal as a confirmation letter is sent to the seller after they pay. You can send out the item and then wait for the money order from Bidpay.
posted on November 11, 2002 10:48:22 PM new
You must have some stupid buyers, mommoo - I suppose if I was in Sri Lanka, it would be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but why on earth would a domestic, Canadian, or European buyer (which are what I mostly get) pay $5.00 to send money? I would NEVER bid on an auction where I had to use a service that I have to pay extra just to pay, and this includes money order only auctions.
If you are concerned people leaving your web site, how about getting a merchant account set up, and take credit cards for real?
I would love to pay fewer fees, but I'm not going to give up paypal, which now accounts for most of my business. If not for my consulting business, I might even consider giving up my merchant account as almost nobody on ebay pays me anymore with their credit card directly...
posted on November 11, 2002 11:20:28 PM new
ahc3:- Please excuse my cynicism, but whenever I see a chat message singing praises for ebay or paypal or some other big net-commerce web-site, I get the distinct feeling that the author actually works for them- call me paranoid!
I have heard that the paypal charge can amount to almost 10%, when you add the %fee and the unfavourable exchange rate when the transaction is foreign/O.S. related.
Have you worked out as a % what you are loosing by going through them.
As far as loosing customers through other links goes, surely even ebay should acknowledge that, otherwise why wouldn’t they let us put links to our own web sites on our listings.
I accept c/c directly and so I ‘only’ pay 2.75% to my bank.
I can even get paid same day, can paypal do that?
I know bidpay have taken too long to pay me in the past.
posted on November 11, 2002 11:24:14 PM new
ok, I will call you paranoid! I am not an ebay employee, just a realist. I would love my customers to pay me a way that involves no fees. I suppose if they pay with bidpay, I will gladly accept it since it costs nothing, but as a customer too, I won't pay $5 (yes it is $5 on items over $25) to send payment...
Even my business checking account charges me a fee to accept checks, so those aren't free either. I think the only thing that is truely free is cash.
posted on November 12, 2002 06:07:15 AM new
I accept c/c directly and so I ‘only’ pay 2.75% to my bank.
I can even get paid same day, can paypal do that?
///////////////////
is there a monthly fee ??
posted on November 12, 2002 07:35:13 AM new
setting up a merchant account (ie. ability to accept credit cards) does have a monthly fee in addition to the commission percentage.
posted on November 12, 2002 07:45:11 AM new
Doesn't anyone use C2it? It's free for the buyer AND seller and I've had excellent luck/service from them. At first it was a little difficult for buyers to sign up, but that seems to have been fixed.
I also have a bricks and mortar account that charges 1.55% + .20/xaction, but there are also monthly fees and they require the terminal and printer.
PayPal bites. They are a good fit with eBay, though, since both are totally self-concerned and could care less about the people who actually have made them successful!!!
posted on November 12, 2002 07:59:48 AM new
ahc3
$5.00 to send payment, that's quite a slice of $25 ((((((20%%%%%)))))))
As a seller, your product's price will bear the burden of the paypal charges.
askdaruma
I'm pretty sure there is no monthly fee, in my case, I process the c/c manualy, but I believe that an electronic means of processing the cards at my shop costs a further $20 a month.
I don't usually do c/c payment on high priced
e-sales but usually average $150 sales.
The higher 'regard' as a valued client your bank has for you, the lower the % rate.
I believe it is possible to get it under 2%.
posted on November 12, 2002 08:42:24 AM new
austbounty:
You say you process CC payments manually. Does that mean you fill in the multipart forms yourself and send them in to the bank? If so, does that mean payers have to send you their unencrypted CC # via email?
You say you are "pretty sure" you don't have a monthly fee from the CC merchant account. Why are you not "absolutely sure?" I don't understand.
posted on November 12, 2002 12:40:25 PM new
When C2it works, it works very nicely. Unfortnately, that seems to be the exception rather than the rule. But I do get a few payments a week through them and it is nice to pay no fees, have no charge back worries and not have to deal with the confirmed address requirement or the signature delivery. How they can do this, I don't know, but while they do I will use it when I can.
Propay is NOT a real merchant account. They act as a middle man. If there is a charge back, it is reported to Propay who then contacts you. There have been some complaints where Propay dropped the ball and the seller was unreasonably charged back.
The problem with real merchant accounts is the high fees and minimums. My account has a $25 a month minimum. I am charged $25 a month whether I use it or not. I am also charged $10 gateway fee, $10 statement fee plus transaction fees. All told, I am paying over $50 a month. This is a bit high for a starting seller or someone who only wants to accept the occasional credit card. So I went looking for an alternative and found two.
An article of mine will be published this Sunday on another site (I don't think I can mention it here but the name is very similar to this one). It concerns a brand new type of merchant account - the no minimum account. It is a full merchant account that you control. You enter the transactions, deal directly with any charge backs, etc. Instead of all kinds of fees and minimums, they have a higher percentage rate. An example of one offering:
annual fee: $25
percentage: 3.5% + 40 cents a transaction
free bad check collection
There are NO other fees. No monthly, gateway, statement or cancellation fees. As your business grows, you can move to the next tier and reduce the percentage and transaction fees in return for a monthly fee.
There are two companies offering such an account. Each one has a different emphasis, so don't just pick the cheapest - think about your current and future needs.
For more info, you can visit No Minimum Merchant Account or email me and I will send you the link to the article.
posted on November 13, 2002 10:16:31 AM new“... and if users sign up they are encouraged to go to eBay... I dont want someo f my buyers going to eBay...” [sic]
I don’t believe your concern is warranted. Do you not believe your customers know about ebay? The way to keep customers is to earn their business by providing quality merchandise with outstanding customer service at a competitive price. Make them want to buy from you. Trying to keep them ignorant of your competitors is an act of futility.
“ ... so I would liek an alternative service before paypal gets too strong....” [sic]
You’re too late. PayPal captured the market long before ebay bought them.
posted on November 13, 2002 11:20:26 AM new
7 out of my last 10 buyers have all requested to pay with PakiPay. Who am I to dispute the voice of the customers? The beauty of PakiPay is they make real easy to earn referral bonuses. For each person that signs up with your referral link you get 10 Pakistan Rupees! 10 rupees here, 10 rupees there, they add up really quick. This is just like when PayPal was giving away $10 for each referral. If you snooze you lose.
Another thing I should point out that you've probably noticed. I have never seen any complaints posted anywhere on AW about PakiPay.
posted on November 13, 2002 12:55:08 PM new
In response to artnewvo....
who said......
"The way to keep customers is to earn their business by providing quality merchandise with outstanding customer service at a competitive price. Make them want to buy from you. Trying to keep them ignorant of your competitors is an act of futility."
Well... I dont know what you trade in... my guess is you trade in hetrogenous uinique items.....
But in a situation where the goods are more or less generic, homogenous goods, ... where someone can beat you on price by buying in bulk... and you dont buy in bulk... you dont want your customers being poited to eBay sorry...
I think to keep your customers ignorant is the best... information is power.....
I dont like feeding the paypal/ebay synergy, (an an exellent one it is!)
eBAy has the big guns on their site now... and thats not good for small cumpanies providing a good service...ok many wiill want good service but the big fish will blow you out of the pond.....
Ignorance is a powerful tool many countires use it to control their people.....
sam thing...
I think pushing your customers towards paypal is a bad thing....
|Only do it when you have to.....
Be smart.
