pic microcontroller discussion list <> wrote on Thursday, April 17, 2003
12:38 PM:

>> I also use it [PayPal] for my storefront business for phone and web
>> orders, also with no problems.
>
> But you'll never know how many people avoided buying from you because
> they didn't want to bother setting up a PayPal account or were
> businesses that wanted to deal with a "real" business.

IMO, you never know that anyway.  There may be customers who will be put
off by Paypal's (apparently simple) credit card payment procedure, or by
Paypal horror stories (I can't think of any large corporation that doesn't
have 'horror stories' on the web, if you think it puts users off, consider
Microsoft!), there may be customers without card payment facilities who
would not otherwise have been able to purchase from you.

In my situation, I can't currently justify the fees of any of the online
payment services which take credit cards except for Paypal, so either I
accept some additional sales or none at all, the sums aren't difficult in
my case!  As long as I still sell at a profit, if no-one buys through
Paypal, nothing is lost.

There is also a perception that a site with 'carts' etc is more
professional and businesslike, certainly given the choice in the UK I would
sooner pay by credit card through paypal than deal with a 'company' I'd not
previously come across who expect me to send them a cheque then wait for it
to clear before they send me the goods!

When it comes down to it, I'll be selling something that I think people
need.  If a particular individual doesn't need it enough to jump through my
chosen e-payment hoops, then they lose out.  If this was my sole source of
income, my view would be _very_ different, but I'm sure there are others on
the list who have 'sideline' products, secondary to their main job or
consulting activity, that they'd like to make available to a wider audience
at initially low risk.  I'm not cutting people off from buying from me, if
they find it too nervewracking to put their credit card details and enough
info to verify them on a secure webpage, they won't be able to buy much
online.

I can see that it might put off businesses who want to deal with a larger
company, but again that isn't my market.

Nigel

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