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MaryMagdaline

(6,849 posts)
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 01:31 PM Jun 2019

Paying online via PayPal versus credit card

Does anyone here have any opinions one way or the other whether PayPal is preferable to credit card payment when buying items on line?

Last few times I’ve made online payments, PayPal popped up as the first choice. One site (I forget what I was paying for)(flowers I think) was really pushing PayPal.

Is one method more secure than another? Any advantages to PayPal?

35 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Paying online via PayPal versus credit card (Original Post) MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 OP
I used e bay, gave credit card, and saw paypal on my bill. Dunno how that works. empedocles Jun 2019 #1
I don't either except PayPal has always had a relationship with eBay MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #20
Pretty sure they're the same corporation, actually ... founder of one or the other mr_lebowski Jun 2019 #26
Every time you enter a credit card number you give up identity info to yet a new site. hlthe2b Jun 2019 #2
Thank you for this information MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #4
It won't happen with a "verified" paypal account (that means one you've used and for which hlthe2b Jun 2019 #6
Good to know MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #7
You don't have to have a PayPal account to use them. hunter Jun 2019 #8
This I did not know. Thanks again MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #9
I got a call from PayPal last week questioning a payment csziggy Jun 2019 #11
Thanks for feedback MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #19
Exactly customerserviceguy Jun 2019 #31
People are rightfully wary of giving their credit card information to strangers. hunter Jun 2019 #3
Thank you MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #5
I accept various payment options on my own website matt819 Jun 2019 #10
Thank you. Good information MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #18
And if any of the pay sites customerserviceguy Jun 2019 #33
I used Paypal for years and years cyclonefence Jun 2019 #12
It sounds like you were responding to fake emails jberryhill Jun 2019 #13
Thank you. I do like getting a live person on the phone. MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #16
I have used Paypal for years and never had any problems. They have never asked me for a credit card dameatball Jun 2019 #14
If you think you might need product-guarantee protections, use the CC not PP. earthshine Jun 2019 #15
Thanks. I was wondering about that MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #17
A small business or other entity that accepts credit card payments should NEVER handle... hunter Jun 2019 #25
My Capital One MC assigns a virtual # to each merchant liberaltrucker Jun 2019 #21
That explains the other comments about not having to update PayPal MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #22
There used to be a website called "PayPal sucks" FakeNoose Jun 2019 #23
Thank you. I thought I had read bad stuff ... I didn't know whether it was related to eBay only MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #24
PayPal credit not only ads interest to your monthly wasupaloopa Jun 2019 #27
Thank you. This would make a difference for sure MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #32
My out of state clients use PayPal to pay me.... ProudMNDemocrat Jun 2019 #28
It can matter for in store returns of internet orders Freethinker65 Jun 2019 #29
Thanks MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #30
Co-founder Peter Thiel Girl powers Jun 2019 #34
Reason enough for me. Thanks MaryMagdaline Jun 2019 #35
 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
26. Pretty sure they're the same corporation, actually ... founder of one or the other
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 07:08 PM
Jun 2019

purchased the other one ... but I forget the order it happened ATM. I'm sure it's on Wiki ...

hlthe2b

(101,730 posts)
2. Every time you enter a credit card number you give up identity info to yet a new site.
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 01:36 PM
Jun 2019

whereas with paypal, the info is on ONE site and you can secure your passwords such that any attempt to hack into paypal would be unsuccessful. I use a password generator to change my paypal password monthly, as I do my online bank account.

So, while I do use a credit card in some circumstances, I have no problem using paypal and often prefer to do so.

MaryMagdaline

(6,849 posts)
4. Thank you for this information
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 01:52 PM
Jun 2019

My credit card company actually denied payment and called me within 5 minutes to see if I was making a purchase. (I was). I guess if I had checked PayPal this would not have happened.

This almost cost the vendor a sale because I wasn’t desperate to buy the clothes and I’m easily frustrated. If online is not easy, I give up. I wasn’t even going to bother to get out another card.

hlthe2b

(101,730 posts)
6. It won't happen with a "verified" paypal account (that means one you've used and for which
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 01:54 PM
Jun 2019

paypal has already verified your bank account/credit card and address information)

MaryMagdaline

(6,849 posts)
7. Good to know
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 01:57 PM
Jun 2019

I’ll have to update PayPal. Haven’t used it in years since I’m not selling on eBay anymore.

hunter

(38,264 posts)
8. You don't have to have a PayPal account to use them.
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 02:04 PM
Jun 2019

They'll process your credit card payment either way.

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
11. I got a call from PayPal last week questioning a payment
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 02:36 PM
Jun 2019

So they do check for fraudulent activity. Problem was, it was on a payment my husband had approved and by the time he got to the phone the computer making the call had disconnected. The payment was real, he had no objection, and it went through even though he did not complete the authorization. So I am not sure how good their checks on fraudulent activities are.

customerserviceguy

(25,183 posts)
31. Exactly
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 09:56 PM
Jun 2019

Rather than give a card number to an online vendor, I just use PayPal, and since I don't keep any cash in my PP account, I just have it paid through my credit card, so I get the points, miles, cashback, etc.

hunter

(38,264 posts)
3. People are rightfully wary of giving their credit card information to strangers.
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 01:43 PM
Jun 2019

PayPal is not the only credit card processing firm used by smaller businesses on the internet, but it is the most familiar one.

matt819

(10,749 posts)
10. I accept various payment options on my own website
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 02:30 PM
Jun 2019

If you use PayPal, Amazon pay, or Google pay, the merchant (we’ll, really, it’s payment processor) doesn’t see your credit card. PayPal, Amazon pay, or Google pay process the payment using the credit card they have on file and the money eventually comes to my account. So, there is one less merchant out there with your credit card on it it’s payment provider’s system.

Of course, we’ve seen over the years that any system can be hacked. But all payment processors have to abide by the same security standards. I added Amazon pay in Google paid to my website a few months ago. I haven’t had anybody use Google pay, but I have had orders processed using Amazon pay. At some point, I have to check on the fees to compare them to what my own payment processor imposes.

customerserviceguy

(25,183 posts)
33. And if any of the pay sites
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 09:57 PM
Jun 2019

like the ones mentioned ever got hacked, they'd be through, people would flee them practically overnight. So, I doubt they outsource their IT work to overseas firms on the cheap.

cyclonefence

(4,483 posts)
12. I used Paypal for years and years
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 02:39 PM
Jun 2019

It was very convenient--I didn't have to go find a credit card to order something--but then I checked on a payment. I had authorized a one-time donation but from my Paypal statement it looked like it was recurring, so I questioned it. Turned out it was OK but then I began getting emails from Paypal saying I needed to check the security of my account, that there had been suspicious activity. I was pretty sure the "suspicious activity" was me checking on a payment, but I went ahead. I was not allowed to log in! I answered the security questions and agreed to a phone call, but every time Paypal said it was unable to connect due to a problem on their end. They wanted a credit card number, but I had my account connected to my checking account, and the original credit card had long ago expired.

It was hellish. I didn't know if someone was trying to hack my bank account or what. I called them and after *two days* they straightened it out. I ended my account. I now pay with a credit card.

Paypal worked great--until it didn't.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
13. It sounds like you were responding to fake emails
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 02:49 PM
Jun 2019

If you called them and they wanted an unrelated credit card number, then it is not likely you were dealing with them.

dameatball

(7,380 posts)
14. I have used Paypal for years and never had any problems. They have never asked me for a credit card
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 03:01 PM
Jun 2019

number. They sometimes ask me to update my account by adding my mobile phone number, which I always ignore.

 

earthshine

(1,642 posts)
15. If you think you might need product-guarantee protections, use the CC not PP.
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 03:04 PM
Jun 2019

You don't want to have to deal with PP if you need to fight with a merchant about getting your money back for a purchase.

hunter

(38,264 posts)
25. A small business or other entity that accepts credit card payments should NEVER handle...
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 06:51 PM
Jun 2019

... credit card information themselves.

Especially on the internet.


liberaltrucker

(9,129 posts)
21. My Capital One MC assigns a virtual # to each merchant
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 03:38 PM
Jun 2019

So they never see the real one. Also never need to
update when I get a new card upon expiration. Cap
One automatically forwards all the virtual #s to the
new card. I love it.

FakeNoose

(32,356 posts)
23. There used to be a website called "PayPal sucks"
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 05:58 PM
Jun 2019

... and I haven't searched for it recently. But once upon a time I saw this site and read all the posts where random pissed off people told all the bad things that PayPal was doing. It completely turned me off to the point that I have never given my ID info to PP. Places like Ebay require you to use PP because they OWN it (or they used to, don't know if they still do) and they got kickbacks on every PP charge.

So I quit Ebay (because I refused to use PP and they offered -zero- alternative) probably 10 years ago. I realize this is old info but many, many people were turned off to PP for a long time.

Good luck to you!

 

wasupaloopa

(4,516 posts)
27. PayPal credit not only ads interest to your monthly
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 07:22 PM
Jun 2019

balance but also a service fee.

I thought I paid of my balance and closed my pay pal credit but left $1,400.

The added $30 interest and $23 service charge on my last statement.

I wasn’t aware of the service charge because I never saw a statement.

ProudMNDemocrat

(16,486 posts)
28. My out of state clients use PayPal to pay me....
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 07:22 PM
Jun 2019

For their custom orders. Half dlwn, the other half when the project is done. Works nice because they have PP accounts for their purchases elsewhere.

For local Alterations and custom orders, I have the Square reader that deposits the money in my bank account within 48 hours. So far, everything has been safely used.

Freethinker65

(9,934 posts)
29. It can matter for in store returns of internet orders
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 07:25 PM
Jun 2019

At the store I work at, we can only offer a merchandise credit for customers that used PayPal, whereas the purchase price for the item bought directly on a credit card is returned to the credit card.

Make sure you check the return policy.

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