Is Paypal really needed?

[hppyfngy]

I prefer Paypal for the quick simplicity of it. All I have to do is click a couple buttons and I'm done. I don't have to go find my wallet and then sit there and type in a bunch of information. I buy a lot of gear, and I am also an impulse buyer. Paypal makes that easier since I'm not constantly typing in my info because I don't like it being stored on a bunch of sellers sites, and it also enables my impulse purchasing. Yesterday morning before walking out the door for work I ordered a Black Rock hat. That only happened because I could use Paypal to order it. Otherwise it would be in my bookmarks along with all the other things I've thought about buying but wasn't worth, or I just didn't feel like, taking the time to type in all my info. I am always more inclined to make a purchase on the spot when Paypal is offered. Not to mention the security of it is nice as well.

This is a huge point IMO. If you use it, it's so easy. Take it from an Amazon.comaholic. Ease of purchase leads to purchases.

[packeagle]

I keep my PP balance @ $0. A regular cart would be fine. Its more work, but worth it if I need a Ti doodad.

[TonyYarusso]

How much does Paypal charge vs a credit card processor?

PayPal *is* a credit card processor. The charges vary depending on how you use them. There's a monthly fee of $30 for WSP Pro, $5 for WSP Advanced, and free for WSP Standard. The per-transaction fee starts at $0.30 + 2.9%.

[lilricky]

Yes, I know they are, I guess I should have used the term "typical" in front of credit card processor, I thought it would be assumed, my bad.

PayPal *is* a credit card processor. The charges vary depending on how you use them. There's a monthly fee of $30 for WSP Pro, $5 for WSP Advanced, and free for WSP Standard. The per-transaction fee starts at $0.30 + 2.9%.

[2Questions]

Donna here...I read some of the posts...but didn't take the time to read all...so maybe this has been mentioned. My experience...I like using PayPal for our business when customers buy only accessories. PayPal offers protection for both parties as long as the correct address is used. When customers receive a PayPal invoice from us, they can pay without having an account themselves. Printing a shipping label is convenient for me also. Just my 2 cents!

[TonyYarusso]

Regarding credit card checkout:
From what I understand, the seller/store never sees the info/card # of the buyer....the store just gets the money in their account/bank. The credit card processing company does have the info,and hopefully they are able to keep it safe.

In the vast majority of cases that's true. However, a vendor might store the card info (or part of it) to enable repeat purchases without entering it again or for recurring donation sorts of use cases. (There are pretty strict rules for what you need to do if you go that route though.)

[kc0qnx]

I don't carry a balance in paypal either. It just transfers from my checking.
However, it bites that you get tagged fees ( I guess you would wit CC's too ) but limiting access to YOUR $$$'s ......I wouldn't hang with that. If you dump paypal, that would in no way hinder my decision to purchase.

[2Questions]

Well it wouldn't matter either way for me. I added a second checking account to my bank account just for online purchases. Whenever i want to buy something online i just transfer the funds instantaneously via website and make my purchase. And my main checking account is protected.

Donna here...exactly what we do!

[2Questions]

As a vendor myself, I take comfort in the fact that I do not have any customer financial info stored anywhere.

The payment side of things is none of my business and I'm glad I can only see the name, address & phone. To me, this is well worth the fees charged by Paypal.

Donna here...Yes sir! Me too!

[VictoriaGuy]

Keep the PayPal option, offer a discount to those who use a credit card.

Somebody may have pointed this out already, but I think that sort of thing is not 'allowed' by PayPal. Anyway, it's not as though the credit card companies aren't charging fees- and in the case of 'gold/platimum/rebate/bonus/points' cards, the fees can be hefty.
And, if I ever see a penalty for using my choice of payment -whether it's credit card or PayPal, I turn away.