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PayPal Dedication Can Leave Your Business Exposed
Drew Michael
To many web users, PayPal is not the kind of pal they had envisioned when starting their online business. Long on track history but overwhelmingly unpopular among merchants and buyers one is left to wonder why PayPal has continued to grow.
Ignorance and lack of knowledge has a lot to do with PayPal's growth. Many merchants are not aware of the potential problems they can encounter depending solely on PayPal for their online payment processing. That is, until they encounter potential customers that won't use PayPal to purchase their products or services. Or worse, they have their PayPal merchant account suspended and funds frozen without notice, effectively shutting down their business.
If you really want to get some idea as to the depth of PayPal's unpopularity, you need only to do a search on Google. Type in "PayPal Complaints" and click enter and see what happens. Over 335,000 results and still counting. No other online merchant processor comes close to having this many dissatisfied customers.
'Phishing' is another reason many customers and potential customers are steering clear of PayPal. Not that PayPal is doing the 'Phishing', but they are certainly not making a big enough effort to stop it. And why should they? They are not 'Phishing' and they are not losing money. Only the customer is. Virtually 100% of online 'Phishing' associated with merchant accounts is done using the PayPal name. And even seasoned web users are being scammed by this technique.
Customers can eliminate most, if not all, of the 'Phishing' associated with online purchasing by simply using a different service. It is that simple! And there are plenty of good alternatives to PayPal out there that are hungry for your business. None are as big as PayPal and few have been around as long as PayPal. But they are reputable and offer a wide variety of services. And you most likely will never receive any 'Phishing' messages using their names.
So make the change now, before it is too late. Our advice is to avoid PayPal if at all possible. And we also would advise you to offer two different online payment options, with at least one providing you with the ability to accept payments by check.
Following, you will find the most complete listing relating to online payment options. Brief outlines are meant only to give you an idea of what they have to offer. We would suggest taking the time to visit each site. Your customers will thank you. And you will most likely eliminate a lot of headaches in the process.
2CheckOut
2CheckOut has been offering its services since 1999. 2CheckOut charges $49.00 to open an account with transaction fees of 5.5% plus 45 cents. It does not charge an application fee nor does it impose any monthly or statement fees.
http://www.2CheckOut.com
BidPay
BidPay has been in business since 1999 and offers services intended for those that buy and sell at online auctions. Sellers receive payments directly to their bank or via Western Union® branded money orders.
http://www.BidPay.com
BitPass
No set-up or maintenance fees for self-installed product. Fees for BitPass Professional range from 15% for items priced $0.01-$5.00 up to 5% + $0.50 for items priced $5.00 and higher. BitPass provides a platform for digital content commerce that bundles authentication, payment, and access control. BitPass enables a la carte and subscription-based purchases at any price point, starting at just one cent. Digital content can be Downloads - Music files, stock photography, games, software, movies, mobile content, crafts; Website Access - Premium website content, Interactive games, subscription sites, online comics, blogs, interactive panoramic photography; Streaming Media - internet radio, concerts, webisodes, movies; and Services - premium database searches, web hosting services, webinars, premium customer support, interactive learning and testing.
https://www.bitpass.com
CCNow
CCNow is the perfect low cost solution to selling your products online. With CCNow, you'll avoid the up-front expense and time required to set up e-commerce software, merchant accounts, customer service and more. CCNow is a shopping cart system that will allow you to take all major credit cards without the need of a merchant account.
http://www.CCNow.com
ClickBank
If you have a unique product or service to sell, and it is deliverable over the Internet itself (via web pages, files, or email) then ClickBank is for you. They have 100,000 affiliates ready to promote your product. There is a one-time set-up fee of $50.00. Transactions are $1.00 plus 7.5%.
http://www.ClickBank.com
DigiBuy
Using DigiBuy's ecommerce service, you can quickly and inexpensively build a secure shopping cart to merchandise your products, take orders online, process payments, and distribute digital products over the Internet. Transaction fee is 13.9% with a $3.00 minimum.
http://www.DigiBuy.com
Ibill
In business since 2002, Ibill is perfect for merchants that sell services and subscriptions. Merchants can accept payments online by credit card, check, and phone. Has numerous fee schedules but the most common is for businesses that sell up to $9,999.00 in a billing cycle. That charge is 15.19%.
http://www.ibill.com
Ikobo
This is a money transfer service that has been providing services since 2001. No application fee or set-up fees and transaction fees range from $1.99 - $2.99 plus 29 cents. Payments that are received are deposited to your Ikobo Visa Debit Card or your bank account.
http://www.IKobo.com
Moneybookers Ltd.
Moneybookers enables any business or consumer with an email address to securely and cost-effectively send and receive payments online – in real-time! Moneybookers delivers a product ideally suited for small businesses, online merchants, individuals and others currently underserved by traditional payment mechanisms. Does not charge for set-up or applying and has no monthly fee. Transaction fees range from 2% - 8%, depending on how payments are made.
http://moneybookers.com
MonPay
Monpay has been doing business since 2003. With it, you can sell products and services on web sites, auctions, and even by email. It does not charge for set-up or applying and has no monthly or hidden fees. Transaction fees for checks or credit cards are 2.95% plus 55 cents.
http://www.monpay.com/
PayMate
Claims it is the fastest and safest global trading service on the Internet. It has no set-up fees, gateway fees, etc. Has a very high User Satisfaction and continues to add new improvements on a regular basis. Transaction fees for credit card payments are charged at 2.4%. Please visit their web site for more information on transaction fees.
http://www.paymate.com.au
PaySat
With PaySat you can sell your products/services Online and enjoy such features as: International Merchants Accepted; Instant Application Approval; Product and Recurring Billing; Easy To Use Plug-N-Play Code; Flat Low Rates; No Set-up Fee; Multi domain/brand support; and Intelligent Fraud Detection System. PaySat is only in its 2nd year of operation but has a pretty good reputation. Transaction fees are 5.3% plus 39 cents.
http://www.paysat.com
Paystone
Great service that started in 2002. Free to open an account with instant approval. Fees to receive payments range from 2.8% + $0.10 for micropayments to 2.8% + $0.30 for transactions over $5.00. There are no set-up or monthly fees.
http://www.paystone.com
PaySystems
PaySystems Internet Merchant Account Solution is designed to meet the specific needs of Internet and mail/telephone order merchants. Available for U.S. and European-based businesses, the PaySystems Internet Merchant Account Solution allows merchants to expand their payment options, increase sales and focus their management efforts on growing their business. PaySystems has no application fees and no merchant account set-up fees. Offers highly competitive rates on transaction fees but you must contact them using their online form at http://eforms.paysystems.com/ps/info/ for more information.
http://www.paysystems.com
ProPay USA
With ProPay, merchants can accept payments by credit card on the Internet and by phone. There is no expensive equipment, no statement / gateway fees and no long term contracts to use their service. Annual fees range from $34.95 - $299.95 with transaction fees ranging from 3.50% plus $0.35 to 2.69% plus $0.25, depending on the type of account you desire.
http://www.ProPay.com
RegNow
RegNow is the software industry’s premier registration commerce provider. RegNow makes running a successful online shareware or software publisher business easy by putting a highly advanced platform, customizable technology and powerful resources right at your fingertips. No charge to apply but there is a one-time account activation fee of$9.95 and transaction fee is 16% with a $2.00 minimum charge.
http://www.regnow.com/
RegSoft.com
In business since 1998, RegSoft.com provides an easy system for users to pay for software and data licensing fees by providing a variety of payment methods. There is a one-time set-up fee of $50.00 and transactions are processed at 8.9% with a $3 minimum.
http://www.regsoft.com
share-it!
share-it! is used by over 30,000 Software Publishers for their e-Commerce Solution. share-it! works on a commission basis. In other words, after licensing your program, they retain a service charge of either USD/EUR* 2.95 + 5% (Pricing Model A) or 14.9% but no less than USD/EUR* 2.50 (Pricing Model B) and ) and forward the remaining amount to you.
http://www.shareit.com
StormPay
A very good service which has been around since 2002. Free to open an account with instant approval. Fees to receive payments are 6.9% plus 69 cents. There are no set-up or monthly fees.
https://www.stormpay.com
SWREG
SWREG, the oldest online software store in the world, has been in existence since 1987. All their prices include credit card processing on their merchant account. Technically, you sell to SWREG on consignment and they sell on to the end user. SWREG accepts Micro Payments for 69 cents for items to $7 in value. Default discount is $1 + 6% with a minimum fee of $1.50 (2% surcharge for American Express). This account will be charged a $20 monthly fee with the first payment to you each month made with no transmission costs (free wire for instance). Visit http://www.swreg.org/pages/pricing.htm for complete pricing information.
http://www.swreg.org
YowCow
YowCow is a new company that offers online processing and a 5-level deep affiliate program. No merchant account is needed and you can begin selling today with no monthly fees and a free shopping cart. Has numerous account plans available. Please visit http://www.yowcow.com/yowcow.php?module=pricing for in-depth information.
http://www.yowcow.com
Other Options Worth A Look:
Cardservice International at http://www.charge-it-now.com
Charge.Com at http://www.charge.com/index.shtml
Credit Card Processing Services at http://www.mcvisa.com
Free-Merchant.com at http://www.free-merchant.com
Free Merchant Source at http://www.freemerchantsource.com
e-gold at http://www.e-gold.com
GreenZap at http://www.greenzap.com/default.asp
IntGold at http://intgold.com
Merchant Warehouse at http://www.merchantwarehouse.com
Peppercoin at http://corp.peppercoin.com
Total Payment Solutions at http://www.totalpaymentsolutions.com
VirtualBank at http://www.virtualbank.com
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About the Author: Drew Michael is a webmaster and marketer. He is the
owner of The Business Junction at http://www.thebusinessjunction.com,
a major software and entrepreneur directory. For a free subscription
to The Business Junction Newsletter and free software downloads
subscribe at:
http://thebusinessjunction.com/Newsletter_Subscribers_SignUp_Page.htm
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=====================================================================
Drew Michael is a webmaster and marketer. He is the
owner of The Business Junction at http://www.thebusinessjunction.com,
a major software and entrepreneur directory. For a free subscription
to The Business Junction Newsletter and free software downloads
subscribe at:
http://thebusinessjunction.com/Newsletter_Subscribers_SignUp_Page.htm
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