Cross border fees ?

[Bronzepenny]

Hello this is my 1st post so please bear with me if I am doing or saying something incorrectly.

Someone in Japan wishes to buy something from me (private sale - NOT Ebay) and wishes to pay me using PayPal.

I am in the UK and wish to be paid in GB pounds sterling. The amount that I want is £1575.00 exactly.

How much would I have to add in pounds sterling  to cover the PayPal cross border  fee ?

If I added i.e. £65.00  to £1575.00 (£1640.00) would that be too much or too little  to get £1575 AFTER PayPal has taken their fee ?

I am not used to payment from foreign countries. PayPal lists a possible 4% (above base rate ?!) fee + 40 Yen !

I would therefore appreciate any help or advice as I don't want to over charge but neither do I want to get less than I ask for at the end of the transaction.

Thanking you,

Bronzepenny

[kernowlass]

@Bronzepenny

Its against paypal rules to surcharge your paypal fees to a buyer.

Secondly you are VERY BRAVE to use paypal to sell an item that pricy AND internationally.

Suggest you very carefully read up on paypal seller protection so you can risk assess that transaction.

[Bronzepenny]

Hello Kudos,

Thank you for your reply.

Unfortunately you did not give me the answer to the question I gave.

You did however bring up the following point. "Its against paypal rules to surcharge your paypal fees to a buyer."

I understand that if one is selling an item via Ebay one cannot ask the buyer to pay the PayPal fee. 

I am NOT selling an item via Ebay but selling an item privately and the buyer wishes to pay by PayPal I am trying to help them. In the UK I only accept Bank Transfers, cheques or cash which means that when I ask for say £100.00 I get £100.00. If foreign buyers with to pay by Bank transfer they have to pay any costs involved so that I get £100.00 at the end of the transaction. To me PayPal is just another bank and a way to transfer money from one country to another i.e from Japan to the UK. NO bank has the right to tell me I cannot add the costs of the translation to the buyer. If a client suggest to use PayPal I am doing them a favour in accepting that method of payment and I will not be put at a financial disadvantage to buyers that are willing to pay the FULL price of the item. The buyer accepts that he has to pay theses costs/fees if he wants to pay me via PayPal and I am only trying to find out the right costs so that I neither gain non loss by this transaction. I am making just £50 profit on this transaction and therefore if I where to have to pay the £65 or whatever PayPal fee I would lose £15.00. I would prefer not to make the transaction - at all. If that is PayPal's rules it is out of line with international banking  rules how dare it tell me what I can or cannot ask the buyer to pay. How would PayPal know if I added the fee to the end price and asked for that amount i.e  £65.00 (PayPal fee) to £1575.00 (my selling price) and ask the client to pay £1640.00 !

My thanks again to you in your bring in up this Paypal rule that I was totally unaware of and find idiotic. If it taking a fee why should it care who pays it !

So thank you but I will probably now not be selling to the client. Which will make my buyer unhappy for not being able to buy the item and me unhappy for now not being able to sell the item to him.

I will do as you suggest and read the PayPal rules  as I will never accept that I cannot ask buyers to pay that fee.

If that is the case I will not accept Payments via PayPal as I have done in the last 10 years from abroad.

I am sorry if I sound angry in this email - it is not at you but at an organisation that thinks it can make unethical demands on a user that no other bank in the world would or could.

My thanks

Bronzepenny

[kernowlass]

@Bronzepenny

1.

My username is NOT kudos.

2.

I guess that they do have the right to tell you not to surcharge IF you agreed to it in the user agreement when you opened your paypal account as they state this.............

PayPal does not encourage surcharging because it is a commercial practice that can penalise the consumer and create unnecessary confusion, friction and abandonment at checkout. If you are a User resident in the UK, you shall not surcharge for the use of PayPal. 

However if you want to go ahead that is entirely your decision but if you continue surcharging don't be surprised if you find your paypal account limited. I can only give you the facts of how things worked and advise you as per my first post.

[Bronzepenny · Accepted solution]

Dear Kernowlass,

My sincere apologises for getting your name wrong.

Thank you also  for sharing with me the following PayPal statement.

PayPal does not encourage surcharging because it is a commercial practice that can penalise the consumer and create unnecessary confusion, friction and abandonment at checkout. If you are a User resident in the UK, you shall not surcharge for the use of PayPal. 

I shall bear this in mind and I will no longer allow any buyer to pay me via PayPal.

Thank you for your help and patience with me.

I shall now advise the buyer that I cannot sell him the item he requests. 

All the best

Bronzepenny