PayPal for Accepting Payments in the Sales Area 0

[shootin-str81]

Hi,

I am thinking about starting to sell on the forum.  I currently sell on eBay and the fees...well, you know.  When looking at other sellers "terms" for selling I see that at least a few appear hesitant to accept PayPal unless they know you or you have solid references.   Can anyone explain to me the potential problems when accepting PayPal?? I did a quick search and didn't really find anything specific.  I see many accept personal checks which I am assuming the funds must clear on the sellers side before shipping.  Correct?  Thanks.  

[shootin-str81]

6 minutes ago, Testinadicalicious said:

I think those dealers you mention are too cheap to cover the PayPal fees.

I hadn't considered the PayPal fees.  To me it seems reasonable at 3% to get a secured payment instantly especially when compared to Ebay    My assumption was the sellers were protecting themselves from being ripped off when they accept PayPal.....and I am not criminally creative enough to figure out how they could do that.    

[Jeffro.]

26 minutes ago, shootin-str81 said:

 Can anyone explain to me the potential problems when accepting PayPal?? I did a quick search and didn't really find anything specific.

Some people just don't like and don't want to use Paypal. If there are reasons beyond that, I don't know what they are. Also, you can't accept paypal friends & family for payments. That's verboten.

Since you are considering selling here, makes sure you read the usage guidelines.

 

[shootin-str81]

3 minutes ago, Jeffro. said:

Since you are considering selling here, makes sure you read the usage guidelines.

Thanks.  Yep, read the whooooooole thing!!  I am sure I will still mess up but I will try to be a good forum citizen.  

[PovertyRow]

I do not like Paypal. I occasionally use PayPal for buying because I know I would not try to stick someone. The PayPal fees don't bother me. The convenience of easily taking charge cards in is worth a small fee. The last time I accepted PayPal as a payment method they held onto my funds for two weeks for no apparent reason, even though I had  been a PayPal member since 2003 . Now this WAS a couple of years ago but it left a really bad taste. An even worse taste is their ability to potentially hold my money for 180 days. The idea they can do this is madness.

I started using Square (with the little phone module for in person and their online transaction setup, and have always had timely and smooth transactions. Square has fees as well (pretty much every charge card company charges fees) and again the convenience is worth them.

I plan on doing some selling in a while and will start on the boards. I will use checks, money order or charge cards via Square but I am really on the fence about offering PayPal. I do not like feeling they can just freeze my assets even for a couple of weeks. So when the time comes for me to put some books up I will start figuring things out for real. 

[shootin-str81]

I know you said they held your funds for no apparent reason but did they at least attempt to justify why they held the funds??  I agree, I would not like that.  When dealing with Board members are they agreeable to sharing their credit card info??  Thanks!

[PovertyRow]

14 minutes ago, shootin-str81 said:

I know you said they held your funds for no apparent reason but did they at least attempt to justify why they held the funds??  I agree, I would not like that.  When dealing with Board members are they agreeable to sharing their credit card info??  Thanks!

I was able to talk to someone on the phone and they just told me it was "policy" and did not mean I was in trouble - which I guess was supposed to make me feel warm inside?!

The sharing of credit card info IS problematic. I do understand that, although people regularly share their credit card info on web sites just because they seem like a legit web site. So as I say I just don't know yet. 

 

UPDATE - just did some searching and discovered Square now has Online Checkout where I send an invoice and the customer inputs their cc info on the form rather than giving it to me to input. Just learning about this but seems pretty neat. Reasonable fees too. Would love to know if anyone else has used it. 

Edited April 18, 2021 by PovertyRow
online update

[Jeffro.]

27 minutes ago, PovertyRow said:

The last time I accepted PayPal as a payment method they held onto my funds for two weeks for no apparent reason, even though I had  been a PayPal member since 2003 . Now this WAS a couple of years ago but it left a really bad taste. An even worse taste is their ability to potentially hold my money for 180 days. The idea they can do this is madness.

I had the same thing happen to me two years ago. I decided to sell some stuff on ebay and I hadn't sold anything in about four years. Since that had been the case they held the funds as some kind of precautionary measure, even though I've been a paypal member since 1999 and use it all the time to pay for good. Insanity.

Edited April 18, 2021 by Jeffro.

[Ryan.]

I stopped accepting PayPal for a few reasons, including lack of security, such as my account being hacked, but not because of the fees. I just straight up don't like the service anymore. I know for a fact that has cost me sales since people are so used to paying with it but that's a gamble I've taken. I do accept Venmo and Zelle and have had great success with using those services as a buyer and seller. The occasional check too. 

With all that said, a new seller here may have no choice but to accept PayPal due to the buyer protection it offers. 

[revat]

There Are some young people who don’t like PayPal 

 

they prefer Venmo, cash app, zelle, Bitcoin,  whatever else. ( I’m pretty sure one of those is owned by PayPal but whatever)

 

[PovertyRow]

27 minutes ago, revat said:

There Are some young people who don’t like PayPal 

 

they prefer Venmo, cash app, zelle, Bitcoin,  whatever else. ( I’m pretty sure one of those is owned by PayPal but whatever)

 

Yes, Venmo is a Paypal brand.

Edited April 19, 2021 by PovertyRow
finish the dang sentence

[theCapraAegagrus]

PayPal sucks, so I understand those who choose not to use them.