# "PAYPAL"......How does it work.......any current issues......etc.



## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

Please educate me about Paypal........the good, the bad, the ugly.


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## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

It's free to sign up.you need an email and a bank account. Some prepaid cards work but not all. There is a PayPal prepaid card I believe you'd have to check the web site. You use your email and password to pay for things on websites instead of your card info. If you have money loaded directly to your PayPal ( like someone sends you money or pays you for something. Or you sent money to PayPal from your bank.) It will deduct from the PayPal balance. If there is not enough to cover the transaction it will take the remainder from the bank account you have connected to it. 

There aren't any fees that I know of. I have a business account. It was free. I have a free debit card that I get 1% cash back. So if I use it instead of my bank debit it still comes out of my bank automatically and I get 1% cash back refunded to my PayPal balance monthly. 

You can send money to someone if you have their email. It's pretty immediate. 

It also keeps you bank account info safe when shopping online since you are only giving those businesses your PayPal info. 

You can also use it at stores in person . With the app you can pay at Dollar general. With just your phone number and a pin you can pay at home Depot. 

This has saved me many times when I've forgotten my wallet.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

Thanks........there has to be something in it for Paypal. Where do they get their cut, to cover the cost of their business......??? It just can't be free......and they give you 1% of the transaction as a gift.


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## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Maybe if you are doing a tremendous amount of business? You'd have to read the fine print. But I've never been charged a fee for anything. I don't have a business at all. But I was still able to set up a business account.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

So...........if I sell something for say $2,000.-- How do I get that money.......??? Can I only get it by spending it with some business that accepts Paypal.......????

And why do some business refuse to accept Paypal......??? Especially firearms related products, seem to loath Paypal.


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## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Sourdough said:


> So...........if I sell something for say $2,000.-- How do I get that money.......??? Can I only get it by spending it with some business that accepts Paypal.......????
> 
> 
> 
> And why do some business refuse to accept Paypal......??? Especially firearms related products, seem to loath Paypal.


I don't know about the last part. But the first part, that person would also need to have PayPal and they would send you the $2000 using your email address. Then once the transaction is credited to your PayPal balance you can transfer it to your bank account. 

Places that don't take PayPal directly will still take the debit card which is a master card.


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## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

https://www.paypal.com/us/selfhelp/article/what-are-the-fees-for-paypal-accounts-faq690


I've never used the invoice feature to bill anyone for anything...I've transferred money to and from other PayPal users without fees. But never used the actual business part of the account so that why I don't get charged. The debit card was free however. And I do get cash back every month.


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## CajunSunshine (Apr 24, 2007)

Make absolutely certain that your computer is VIRUS FREE. Some people never realize their machines are compromised until their bank accounts are impacted.

As a precaution against financial fallout from present or future virus/malware infections, I would have a special bank account dedicated to PayPal, one that is not linked to an account that I pay my bills with. 

If I were a buyer, I would keep a low balance, enough for my immediate purchases. Also, I would decline any offers from my bank for "overdraft protection."



.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Paypal is not free for sellers, but is for buyers. I've used it for years and really like it. When someone buys an item from me, I am charged a 30 cents transaction fee plus a smaller percentage -- 1.7%, I think. It is free for buyers. For a recent transaction of $45.00, the fee I paid was $1.52. Much cheaper than using the regular credit card system for taking payments.
The only time it is free is sending money between friends or family for non-purchases.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Sourdough said:


> So...........if I sell something for say $2,000.-- How do I get that money.......??? Can I only get it by spending it with some business that accepts Paypal.......????
> 
> And why do some business refuse to accept Paypal......??? Especially firearms related products, seem to loath Paypal.


You transfer the money into your bank to use it. If you sell something for $2,000.00 your transaction fee would run somewhere around $34.00. 

Paypal keeps records of every purchase or sale, and follow all state and federal rules, so I imagine some folks (like firearm dealers) would prefer their sales to not be scrutinized as closely. Paypal also tends to take the side of the purchaser over the seller in transaction disputes, so some sellers don't like it because of that.


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## In The Woods (Apr 27, 2017)

I’ve had a paypal account for many years. My wife now uses it for her ebay stuff (daily sales). For ebay that is your only choice for making transactions because ebay owns paypal.

I also use it for private transaction. For example buying and selling used photography equipment on a forum I frequent.

The fee is 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction. My wife just incorporates that fee plus the ebay fees into her pricing.

To me the service is great and I don’t mind the fee whatsoever. Makes private transactions a breeze.

Many retail vendors take paypal now. My wife has a paypal debit card to access her funds also - works just like any other bank debit card.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

So........if I sell a pair of binoculars for $2,000.-- it cost me about $58.00 That seems excessive to me. Guess I'll stick with USPS money orders.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

If taking credit cards will grow your business, then the fee is well worth it. And the fee changes, depending on whether the purchase is purely on-line or not. I use their card reader at conventions and the fee for that is 1.7% with no transaction fee. At the last convention, I only made 9 cash and check sales -- the remainder (over $800.00) were all credit and debit cards. So the fee was well worth it in increased sales.


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## Skandi (Oct 21, 2014)

I used to sell on Ebay using paypal, you can also use it to take credit cards I cannot remember the fee, but I have never had any issues with it in in the urm 13 years? I've used it.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

Well.........I am not in business. I am an old man with a lot of stuff and no one to leave it to, so it needs to get sold over the next few years.



Belfrybat said:


> If taking credit cards will grow your business, then the fee is well worth it. And the fee changes, depending on whether the purchase is purely on-line or not. I use their card reader at conventions and the fee for that is 1.7% with no transaction fee. At the last convention, I only made 9 cash and check sales -- the remainder (over $800.00) were all credit and debit cards. So the fee was well worth it in increased sales.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Then your best bet would probably be to sell it for cash or money orders. I don't know if E-Bay even allows a seller to set up an account without Paypal these days -- I haven't sold on there for 15+ years. The benefit of E-Bay is they offer both buyer and seller protection.


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## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

If you are selling just a couple things and not running a business I would try just having the buyer transfer the $ to you through PayPal , instead of using the card feature or the "selling" feature. You just give them your email and they can send you the $ via PayPal for free and you can get your $ for free.

But if it's something you are going to do alot of id do it the right way. Because also their are none of the seller/buyer protections are in place with transfers. Like the mediation or whatever.


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## wendygoerl (Apr 30, 2005)

Sourdough said:


> So...........if I sell something for say $2,000.-- How do I get that money.......??? Can I only get it by spending it with some business that accepts Paypal.......????
> 
> And why do some business refuse to accept Paypal......??? Especially firearms related products, seem to loath Paypal.


Since you'd be the "seller," PayPal will take a fraction of the money the buyer transfers to you as a "transaction fee". Looks like a big bite, but actually not out of line with what a credit card would take for their services (a restauranteur-friend of my one-time boss said he had to raise prices 6% across the board to cover the people who wanted the "convenience" of paying by credit card).

Firearms don't have a problem with PayPal, PayPal--like many liberal companies--has a problem with firearms. If they know it's a firearms-related transaction, they'll make sure it never gets to the seller. You can transfer the money from your PayPal to your bank account, but PayPal will take their own time to do it (5-7 days to get the money INTO your bank, vs. a few seconds to get the money OUT of your bank.)


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## wendygoerl (Apr 30, 2005)

Belfrybat said:


> Then your best bet would probably be to sell it for cash or money orders. I don't know if E-Bay even allows a seller to set up an account without Paypal these days -- I haven't sold on there for 15+ years. The benefit of E-Bay is they offer both buyer and seller protection.


No, eBay won't let you create an account without PayPal. And eBay protections are . . .arbitrary.


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## wendygoerl (Apr 30, 2005)

Sourdough said:


> Well.........I am not in business. I am an old man with a lot of stuff and no one to leave it to, so it needs to get sold over the next few years.


The good thing about PayPal is that they'll deal with CC's for you.


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## wendygoerl (Apr 30, 2005)

CajunSunshine said:


> Make absolutely certain that your computer is VIRUS FREE. Some people never realize their machines are compromised until their bank accounts are impacted.
> 
> As a precaution against financial fallout from present or future virus/malware infections, I would have a special bank account dedicated to PayPal, one that is not linked to an account that I pay my bills with.
> 
> ...


By that logic, every bill payee you have should have its own account. PayPal's no more dangerous than any other company you've got automatic payments set up with. As a buyer, there's no need to have any balance--PayPal will pull from the linked bank account as needed. Unless you sell a lot more than you buy through PayPal, it's easier to just leave the money in your PayPal account than go through the hoops of getting the money moved to your bank account.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Accepting a money order from a stranger is foolish, IMHO. Greatest scam is to get a $5000 money order for a $4000 car, with a request that you send $800 money order to the moving company and keep $200 for your trouble. You cash the money order, mail the $800 money order and pocket the extra $200. A week later, the Bank calls and tells you the money order is fake and you owe the bank $5000 and are out the $800.
Paypal is the established middleman. It doesn't send the seller the money until the buyer has the goods. Yesterday, I bought some batteries on ebay and in about three clicks they were on their way and I got a couple emails detailing the transaction and tracking numbers.
Without Paypal, sellers have to wait until the check or money order clears, can take a week, before sending the item. I've bought hundreds of things through Paypal without problem. Sold a $1000 saddle on ebay using Paypal, to a person three states away. I wouldn't be able to reach out nationally without Paypal.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

I have had used PayPal for well over 15 years. They also cover disputes and such, have used them for that successfully. I have a business account (no business now that I am disabled) with the Mastercard as well, and I love that I can transfer funds between my online credit union account and PayPal. huge ease of sending money and receiving money no matter where I am or other folks are. 

the only issue I ever had was when I changed my legal name entirely and had my account frozen because of something between the name change and the Patriot Act. took three months to sort it out, but not one single problem in all these years.


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## zuren (Feb 13, 2015)

haypoint said:


> Accepting a money order from a stranger is foolish, IMHO.


x10 on this! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER accept a money order or personal check for selling something over the internet. These payment methods can be easily forged and faked. By the time you realize the payment was phony, its a month later and you have no recourse. The name and address they gave you was probably fake.

If you want to sell items local, see if there is a Craigslist or a Facebook "classifieds" page for your area. Even with that, the transaction needs to be in person, in a public place (if the item is small enough), and cash only. Again....no checks, no money orders....too easy to fake. Another option is selling on a forum site like this one. Many forum boards have classified areas to buy/sell/trade. But you'll want to get a little established on the forum first so people know you are real and not just a potential scammer invading their community.

I use Paypal all the time for both buying and selling on Ebay. For transferring money between me and family/friends, there is no fee. If I buy something, there is no fee. If I sell something and accept payment, there is a fee. It may seem high, but securely receiving cash from someone on the opposite side of the continent comes at a cost. My PayPal account is connected to a checking account that I do not use for anything else and I keep a very low balance ($50). If I sell something, I transfer the funds from Paypal to the checking account immediately. If there is ever a dispute, Paypal may freeze my account but at least I have the money. I feel it is good practice to keep your PayPal balance low or at $0. To get the money out of that bank account and into my hands, I just write a check to myself.

If you are new to selling on Ebay, I recommend starting out by selling smaller, inexpensive stuff first. If the transaction goes well, the buyer and you as the seller have a chance to leave "Feedback" for each other and this is how you start establishing a reputation. Once you have a few sales with positive feedback, you can then move toward your more expensive stuff. As a buyer, I won't bid in an auction where the seller is obviously new and the item is a high dollar item.

Some people curse PayPal and feel it is the devil with their fees. You don't like the fees, use a different payment service; Google Wallet is another I use occasionally. I've never had a single problem over a good many years with PayPal and I accept the fees as the cost of doing business.

You mentioned firearm related items. Here is PayPal's stance:

https://www.paypal.com/us/selfhelp/...-on-transactions-that-involve-firearms-faq585

All that being said, I've bought and sold firearm PARTS and used PayPal without trouble; they can't police every and all transactions but they may catch some. Also, tread carefully here in general. Selling and shipping most firearm parts over state lines shouldn't be a problem. Selling to another guy/gal in Alaska shouldn't be an issue for ammo or a firearm. Shipping ammo or a firearm over state lines may become a problem; I'm not 100% certain on the rules for ammo but a firearm will require a FFL transfer. 

Good luck with liquidating your things! When I'm selling stuff to clear space, I find it therapeutic.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

Well.......the deal is done. He sent the money, plus the 3% PayPal fee. I got it in about two minutes, immediately transferred the funds out of PayPal, and at the same time locked PayPal out of the account the money was transferred to. Then with-in an hour the two Noveske 6.8 SPC-II barrels at $465.99 each were on their way to Georgia. Thanks to everyone for their help.


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## GeneV (Nov 28, 2015)

If you're selling regularly via purchase card transactions, you're probably better off setting up a merchant account to process payments. Paypal charges 2.9% plus $0.30 on domestic payments (either via paypal directly or them processing a credit card). Intl transactions see a 4.4% plus fixed amount which varies per currency.


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## Jdeatsch (Jan 25, 2018)

'arbitrary' 

Ain't THAT the truth! I've been dealing with praypal for YEARS and still hate 'em. ebay is just as bad. There are SO many scammers that it's incredible. 

That said, there are plenty of legitimate sellers and buyers. 


Caveat Emptor.


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## Trixie (Aug 25, 2006)

I have had Paypal since they began and haven't had a problem. 

I don't do very expensive transactions and it's mostly Ebay. 

My daughter had just found out she was expecting and I told her I wanted to pay for her some maternity clothes and to use my Paypal to buy them. She did some online shopping, paid for the items through Paypal, some problem came up and she and the store agreed to cancel the order and return the money to Paypal. 

I got an email from Paypal confirming the cancellation and saying the money would be replaced within a certain time - 10 days or something like that. That didn't seem right as they had taken the money immediately. It shouldn't take any longer to return it. I called Paypal and presented that truth to them and they agreed I was right, and put my money back in the account immediately.

A lot of people do seem to have problems, and I believe them. Since my activity has been almost none for the last few years, things may have changed.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

zuren said:


> Shipping ammo or a firearm over state lines may become a problem; I'm not 100% certain on the rules for ammo but a firearm will require a FFL transfer.


Shipping loaded ammo isn't a problem as long as it's properly labeled.
It can go by Fedex or UPS.

Firearms can be shipped by Fedex or UPS by individuals, and rifles can be shipped USPS to FFL's or manufacturers.
Handguns can be mailed by FFL holders.

Pay Pal won't do any transactions involving firearms, and I don't know if they would do ammo.

https://www.paypal.com/selfhelp/article/FAQ585#!


> For example, using PayPal, you can’t buy or sell: Any firearm, including rifles, shotguns, and handguns,


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