I am a newbie and wondering if PayPal is an option for paying for plants or postage. I never tried it but they say they can send money to anyone with an email address. Your thoughts, please.
CLOSED: PayPal
Quite a few of the co-op organizers accept paypal for payment of orders. Since that is the only buying allowed on DG, that's probably the only forum it's used on. Everything else is trade or postage. I've used it to pay for my co-op orders and it's true, you can send anyone money who has an email address. Did you just recently subscribe from member status? Welcome!!
Thanks for the quick reply. Do you know if the person receiving money is charged a fee?
It depends on which type of account they have. We have two accounts, one is a personal, the other a business. Not too long ago, Paypal put a $1000. user limit on the personal account. If you do more than that in a month you get automatically bumped up to the business account. You also can not accept credit card payments on a personal account. Only bank payments. The receiver pays fees on everything received on a business account. Then there's another level higher yet, forget what it's called. I may not have this all exactly correct but it's something like that. You can read the account stats when you go to paypal - they explain it all.
Also, if you do get bumped to a business account and are rudely surprised when you get charged a fee, you can request to go back to a personal account one time. If you go over again, or accept a credit card payment and get bumped up again, you will remain at the business level. That's why we have two accounts, at two different banks, at two different levels. Hope this helps
With a personal acct. I can pay you from my checking acct with no fees to either of us. I have done this before when reimbursing someone for postage !
I use PayPal whenever posible to send postage reimbursment and such to members who accept it.
It would I'm sure need to be done on a case by case basis.
I get postage all the time via pay pal. I always ask that the person be verified, confirmed and that their account is not through a debit/credit card.
Make sure you ask if the person will agree to pay pal before using it. I like using it personally b/c it's instant.
Capt, why do you make sure that a person's paypal account through a debit/credit card?
koko
...NOT through a debit/credit card... because if it is a debit/credit card, paypal will up your account automatically to a business account, with fees, if you accept the payment. That's why you so often see, 'no credit cards please' or 'not able to accept credit card payments, only bank payments'.
Thanks kooger, appreciate it.
koko
On the other hand, if they want to pay with a credit/debit card to my business account, it still ends up being slightly cheaper than sending postage through the mail. AND much quicker.
YW :)
Thanks you all for all the great information. Happy Gardening!!
I suggested this on my gardening club website and you would think I had asked people to provide a social security number and "mother's maiden name"! I pay all my bills online through Bank of America and it's free. If I were to send someone (an individual) money, all I need is the name on the account, the account number, and the ABA or routing number. You cannot TAKE money out of someone's account with this info. I couldn't seem to get them to understand that every time you write someone a check you give that exact same information because it's ON THE FACE OF YOUR CHECKS!!!! My friend does photography and if she and I aren't trading our services (I do garden stuff for her) then that's how we pay each other back for film/plants. You don't have to have Paypal to do this. I know people may feel better since Paypal is supposed to be secure, but someone (I think in Minnesota) was bilked for over $10K through her Paypal account. They had to get attorney involved and all that good stuff. I don't like SASE b/c you not only have the expense of the SASE but the outter envelope and postage as well. Plus the waiting time. :) Sooo, I guess it could be left as an option and if both parties feel comfortable then just do it through the bill pay feature of your checking account. :) Jamie