It's pretty standard nowadays, although there used to be some horror stories about Paypal freezing accounts randomly - I think that situation has improved due to the amount of negative press they were getting.
Personally I use Paypal quite often, and they give the buyer a decent level of protection depending upon what you're purchasing. On the other hand, I try not to keep any funds in my account - instead paying via card, and withdrawing anything as soon as possible.
No problems at all but just beware of scam emails telling you that your account will be frozen etc if you don't update your account. i.e. you follow a link & some crooks get your details. The usual stuff but they can look extremely valid.
I hadn't used it at a all before setting it up to give Joe & @Henry Irving a donation for scarves a while back and was quite wary of it. Used it a lot since then, but I linked it to my bank account, rather than any cards and all seems to work really well. Certainly speeds up checking out when purchasing online.
PayPal is really useful if you top up other accounts like Starbucks etc.
Every now and again I see something on here that really makes me realise how different I am to other people. This is by far the biggest WTF moment I've had in a long while. Is this true, do people really have accounts at Starbucks? It's a chuffing coffee shop!!! I am absolutely gobsmacked.
PayPal is really useful if you top up other accounts like Starbucks etc.
Every now and again I see something on here that really makes me realise how different I am to other people. This is by far the biggest WTF moment I've had in a long while. Is this true, do people really have accounts at Starbucks? It's a chuffing coffee shop!!! I am absolutely gobsmacked.
I think it is to do with pre-loading money and getting rewards.
PayPal does deals with similar pre-loading money schemes where you get cashback and rewards if you pay using PayPal. For example, a deal of a month could be 'pre-load your Starbucks card with £25 with PayPal and get an extra £5 topped up'. I don't use it for Starbucks, or use Starbucks at all, but I am aware of these schemes/deals they do. They barely advertise them though.
As for PayPal itself I have not heard any complaints from a customer point of a view, they seem to be very good at security and conflict resolution. I have read a couple of horror stories concerning vendors who use PayPal to run their businesses/accepting payments and having to deal with false accusations of fraud but all indications are it is just as safe as other methods of payment from a customer's point of view.
Thanks for the explanation Fiiish. I'm still in a state of shock and awe though, and I'm afraid you've just added to it by telling me there are people out there who are spending £25 on coffee chains.
Thanks for the explanation Fiiish. I'm still in a state of shock and awe though, and I'm afraid you've just added to it by telling me there are people out there who are spending £25 on coffee chains.
Again I'm not a coffee fan but say you're one of these yuppies who goes to Starbucks every weekday morning, each coffee is around £3, so say you're spending £60 a month anyway. A rewards card gives you discounts or free drinks automatically if you pre-load it with money so for those who are regular Starbucks goers you can save a few notes every month, as well as getting cashback by loading using PayPal. Ultimately instead of spending £60 in physical cash paying for each transaction at point of purchase you might only actually had to pay £30 upfront if you know the tricks.
I have had a Paypal account for years and never had a problem. As others have said just keep away from the scam emails making out they are Paypal.
This.
Agreed, and it's so fast and so simple, and the "paper trail" (digital trail really) that it leaves is good should you ever need resolution for some reason.
Honestly, it's not much different than online banking. In terms of security, in the US at least, the standards around cybersecurity for financial services are as high, if not higher, than some of the Department of Defense stuff I work with. We have a saying "The best way to be safe with your personal information online is to not have any online accounts and to never have had them" . Short of that, going through official channels online is pretty safe.
Comments
Personally I use Paypal quite often, and they give the buyer a decent level of protection depending upon what you're purchasing. On the other hand, I try not to keep any funds in my account - instead paying via card, and withdrawing anything as soon as possible.
The same as LuckyReds, I don't tend to keep funds in the actual account though.
PayPal does deals with similar pre-loading money schemes where you get cashback and rewards if you pay using PayPal. For example, a deal of a month could be 'pre-load your Starbucks card with £25 with PayPal and get an extra £5 topped up'. I don't use it for Starbucks, or use Starbucks at all, but I am aware of these schemes/deals they do. They barely advertise them though.
As for PayPal itself I have not heard any complaints from a customer point of a view, they seem to be very good at security and conflict resolution. I have read a couple of horror stories concerning vendors who use PayPal to run their businesses/accepting payments and having to deal with false accusations of fraud but all indications are it is just as safe as other methods of payment from a customer's point of view.
If only pubs ran a similar scheme!
Honestly, it's not much different than online banking. In terms of security, in the US at least, the standards around cybersecurity for financial services are as high, if not higher, than some of the Department of Defense stuff I work with. We have a saying "The best way to be safe with your personal information online is to not have any online accounts and to never have had them"