alternatives to PayPal

chas_kit

G45 Legend
Joined
Apr 25, 2011
Location
Hudson Valley, NY
What are the best alternatives to PayPal right now - and I don't mean personal checks!

There are companies that will let you accept credit cards for a smaller fee than PayPal - does anyone use those? Any recommendations?
 
I have been exploring options for payment resources from people residing outside of the USA other than paypal.
Personally, I'd opt for an outfit that is regulated like a bank, and pay the higher fees. Paypal invokes random "excuses" to hold your money for three weeks, or longer, depending upon your "activity", and other nonsense. They claim it is to prevent "chargebacks" , but you damn well know they are making interest on all of that money placed on hold.
Go visit the ebay community boards and look under the paypal section. You'll encounter numerous examples of people selling on ebay, who are implored to ship the item yesterday, for as little cost as possible, then have their payments frozen for weeks /months on end!
 
I was surprised when I found out how easy it is to send money via your regular bank account from, in my case, Germany to the US. Fees are lower than with bloody paypal and it only takes a few days. You can also do it online just as your national banking, too. I would guess that's possible from most/all other Euro-countries, too.
 
To be honest, I haven't had a problem with Paypal in years. If you are selling records on Ebay and you give refunds to buyers for whatever reason, you really have nothing to worry about. Sure it sucks to be a seller sometimes but unless the records you're selling are shit...you should have no worrys...;)
 
There really doesn't seem to be anything to compete with Paypal since Bidpay went bust originally a few years ago. Western Union is extremely expensive in comparison although can be good for big ticket transactions (even then you have to go to a WU office to collect it). The only alternatives I know of left are to open an account with Gemm or Amazon as a seller and they will deal with the payments and credit card part; but you have to have sold it through their sites! I'm not sure if Music Stack is the same, I've only ever bought from there a couple times and never sold on it.