I'm considering firing Paypal as a payment processor, because of ONE webpage

[DexSinister]

I like Paypal. I've been using them as a payment processor on my websites for over a year now.

BUT, I've become aware that I'm losing more in sales per month than it would cost me to get a merchant account, because of Paypal's insistence on putting a single confusing webpage in the way of my customer's credit card payments.

Usually, I just lose sales - as someone who is confused and scared away by this webpage generally loses interest and momentum in the sale and is no longer interested in the purchase.

Because my website gathers sales info before transferring to Paypal, I can tell the sales I lose to Paypal. I get a notice of sale, and then "Payment completed: No". When I contact them and ask, the answer is always exactly the same:

"There was no option to pay by credit card, only by Paypal, and I don't have a Paypal account, so I didn't complete the sale."

What do customers mean when they say that? They mean that they've gotten to this screen, and been confused by the obvious obfuscation in the design of the page:

Yes, I'm aware that there is tiny text, with an even tinier link that says "Don't have a Paypal account? Use your credit card or bank balance (where available) Continue".

But, time, after time, after time, paying customers, who are attempting to buy from me and generate fees for Paypal only see this as a part of the "Paypal is the swellest company in the universe" verbiage, utterly fail to see the tiny 8-character link, and stop the payment process cold because they do not possess a Paypal account.

Just this evening, I received an email from a customer - a journalist for a major newspaper - who wrote me:

"I tried to order, but PayPal was the only way offered to pay for it. 

I'd rather just send a money order, if that would work.  Otherwise I need to use a credit card.  Please let me know if a money order will do."

Frankly, I don't care if Paypal thinks it needs to tell people that they can "use their creditcard without exposing your credit card number to merchants" - because Paypal can't do that if it confuses the customers and fails to collect the card number in the first place.

Since there is no place, as far as I can tell, where someone can sign up for Paypal on that page, if that page confuses customers and scares them away, it is totally useless. And it is costing me upwards of $50-$100 in lost sales each and every month!

What do I want the page where my customers land, intending to enter their credit card information (or to sign into Paypal if they have an account) to look like? That's easy! I want it to look like the exact screen that they actually get to if and only if they get past the one that they obviously don't read and which confuses them.

I want them to land on the screen that results from clicking the "continue" link! This one:

Why is this difficult? If the statement "Paypal securely processes Payments for X Corp. You can finish your payment in a few clicks" is important, it would easily fit on that page. That one statement is the only thing that is not accessible on the second page, which is on the first.

Please fix this, and stop chasing away customers who are trying to make payments that earn Paypal its revenue!

[lemont]

FIRE THEM

IT ISN'T FREE ANYWAYS. dON'T THROW AWAY YOUR HARD EARNED CASH FOR SOME CRAPPY WEBSITE THAT ALL IT DOES IS RUIN YOUR BUISNESS. JUST ASK FOR CREDIT CARDS DIRECTLY. DON'T ASK FOR MONEY ORDERS OR ANY TYPE OF CHECK THOUGH. IT'S NOT AS SAFE. GO WITH ANOTHER WAY.

[KozeeLady]

I've had confused customers for years! I suggest PayPal take a poll of their merchants. I suspect they'll find this a common problem. PayPal needs to stop shooting themselves in the foot by loosing sales! 

[EFrank]

I am trying to suspend my account. I have discovered that numerous charges to my account have been made by third party health, fitnes, bromolide, acai berry, etc. I initiated an investigation last week after talking with one of the scammer company representatives. After threatening leagal action, I finally got a promise for a refund of unauthorized $29.95 charges. BTW I also submitted a complaint to PayPal and mailed the required form. Now I find that today I have again been charged this same fee from the same company after a promise that the account is closed.

I have probably lost several hundred dollars--I am researching just how long this has been happrning. Unfortunately, I do not reconcile my account each month (my fault, I know) which allows scams like this to continue. I am ready to cancel my PayPal account in order to stop these payments. Unfortunately there are some legitimate charges that will be affected. I must notify each one about the change in funding source. What a chore this has grown to be. PayPal should allow their customers to suspend payments to any company charging for unauthorized services or products immediately. I need the past records of my PayPal account so I am really unsure if I can obtain them once my account is closed.

Anyone have a better way?

[DexSinister]

Frank, you comments/questions are completely off topic in this thread. Try starting a topic of your own to get your questions answered.

Just off hand, though, I'd have Paypal suspend and re-issue whatever card (Debit?) you used to make the charges, and I'd cancel any recurring subscriptions you have through Paypal.

And this is NOT the place to ask how to do those things. You need your own topic.

---

@EFrank wrote:

I am trying to suspend my account. I have discovered that numerous charges to my account have been made by third party health, fitnes, bromolide, acai berry, etc.

[EFrank]

Thanks--I was going to offer some information that I found useful yesterday, but will refrain. I'm not interested in short-sighted comments. BTW I was also thinking of firing PayPal as well. That's why I joined YOUR site. Don't bother replying.

[also_frustrated]

I agree except I don't like PayPal to begin with.  I find them frustrating to deal with if you have an issue that doesn't fit their little radio buttoned questionair.

Between PayPal and eBay I find them as frustrating to deal with as Verizon Business Center...and that's the worst.

[classyshopper]

I TOTALLY AGREE!

I just feel with so many tactics that PayPal has set us up for failure as sellers, I have spent the money out of my pocket to ship out items next day priority, insured with tracking, and so many of those on Ebay who buy your items, will never ever leave fb, no matter if the items were new and they received them in optimum time. Then PayPal, witholds a sellers money and probably drawing on the interest..

 I was in business less than a month and saw that I had new items, great items, shipped early next day as promised, packaged everything excellently, did all the right things and I still get penalized. The monies I generated I cant even touch for weeks, and I need to put that back into inventory and pay back the shipping.

 I am a small business with new and high quality items usually selling one category at a time, it is a sad thing that we sellers dont get any props, encouragement and we benefit Ebay and PayPal and keep them up and running. But I wont be listing for I just break even because I sell items at a huge discount and then pay listing fees, selling fees, all of that and still cant get my monies.

It makes no sense to sell and the people are so shiftless that they see you leave them feedback but they dont take any care in reciprocating with fb although you did them right. So I give up and I desist from sales, association and all of that with both entities, they are clueless and unfair and no one ever replies just that auto message saying they will and they still have not for a week since I put in my inquiry.

 We might as well be dealing with robots, for no one on Ebay or PayPal has any heart or compassion to know they are breaking us sellers, setting us up for big Time Failure, because these people if they are unrighteous or scammers, can get our items, keep them, make complaints, for NOTHING, then they keep our monies and return them to the SCAMMERS who work like that on Ebay, it is sad but true and the politics stink so bad it makes me ill on PP and Ebay, what a shame they do us the way they want to do and we are like slaves have nothing we can do to get out of their hold. So I give them up to those who want to be treated so badly, take care and so long, have a good life.

I know you have someone officiating these blogs and knowing who is saying what but it is all true and I dont back down to no one when they are wrong I just stay away, for their is no fixing PayPal, the way they do, they are out of NOTHING and we sell, our items, and can lose them just as easy with their so called policies, what about the sellers, most of us are great and honest but you penalize us for everything and nothing is in favor but the process of using your technology to transact things and then still we dont get the benefit, I say release our monies you have no right to keep out money 3 whole weeks and we dont get the benefit of it, I paid highly for gas also which is high price and my time to ship next day.

[Bellabacc]

Integrate the system into your shopping cart and noone will ever see paypal.

[crewshell]

I AGREE WITH YOU!!!

[the-gourmet]

When I have a customer who is ready to pay with their credit card, I warn them about the fact that PayPal interjects a page of their own before they can pay. If they're warned in advance, they can usually figure out that they need to move on past that page.

I also offer them the option of either calling me on the phone (talk about old school!) or emailing their c.c. Information.  Then I just run it through our virtual terminal.

PayPal's obvious goal is to snare the customer, but if you keep the lines of communication open with your customer, they can usually complete their sale.

Hope this helps.