Alternatives to PayPal for sellers on eBay

[*wheels*]

Does anyone have first-hand experience with PayMate?


http://www.paymate.com/cms/index.php/component/content/article/3-newsflash/223-paymate-checks-into-ebay-australia

Paymate Checks into eBay Australia!

Sydney: 13 May 2010

Paymate (www.paymate.com), an innovative Global provider of Internet payment services, today announced the full integration of the Paymate service into the eBay Checkout process on eBay Australia/New Zealand as the only third party alternative to PayPal.  Paymate’s sellers in Australia can now sell on www.ebay.com.au with the additional benefits of the integration of Paymate into Checkout to be implemented shortly.

..

Paymate offers a credit card payment service that Australian and New Zealand sellers can use to accept payments via Visa and MasterCard on eBay Checkout as well as websites.  Australian sellers can also accept foreign currencies from buyers but get paid in AUD.  Paymate’s risk assessment systems will help sellers avoid fraud while buyers will be fully protected against unauthorised payments and non-delivery of goods.




Seller Fees AND Buyer Fees!

http://www.paymate.com/cms/index.php/help/fees-au

[*FluffyDuckee*]

The only experience I had with Paymate was when I bought something of an Australian Internet site (the Sissel exercise equipment site in Adelaide), I had to pay via Paymate and I was charged a fee to do it.

[*Brum6y*]

It was the case (a while back) that the seller had the option of splitting the fees - so that they paid some and the buyer paid some - OR - to pay the lot themselves.

Not sure what the current standing is though .... I thought I heard something about it changing, but I haven't checked it out.

[Centuries]

Is the Paymate fee a flat fee or does the fee rise in accordance with the selling/buying price of an item?

[Poddy]

It would be very interesting to find out EXACTLY who owns Paymate and and if it will remain independent and not be gobbled up by guess who.

[bnwt]

Now that they are accepting online credit card payments does everyone realise that eBay will have to offer a 'shopper cart' like every other ecommerce site in the entire world

the eBay General Announcements says ...... Increasing the number of accepted safer payment methods will help eBay develop an enhanced checkout experience in line with industry best practice. The introduction of the two new accepted safer payment methods have been discussed with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), who have welcomed the initiative.


the key phrase is develop an enhanced checkout experience in line with industry best practice .... I have spoken with eBay and to the best knowledge of the powersellers support staff there will be a shopping cart

about friggin' time

[*Brum6y*]

I have heard that Paymate and eBay have something up their sleeves....

From the inferences given, I draw the impression that there will be some special fee rates for using Paymate through eBay ... and that these will be available at the time of implementation - and only through the use of - an integrated payment process (I imagine something similar to the current PayPal facility).

I have also heard that a couple of larger sellers have been on the phone to Paymate to try and get some details ... but Paymate are being extremely tight-lipped about it at the moment.

[*wheels*]

Some interesting reading on a US thread - some good, some bad experiences with Paymate:

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Paypal/From-Paypal-To/510219632&start=0

[Liisa-Sx]

It would be very interesting to find out EXACTLY who owns Paymate and and if it will remain independent and not be gobbled up by guess who.

The Company
Paymate is a US company with offices in Silicon Valley, USA, Ottawa, Canada, and Sydney, Australia.  We provide information, risk and financial management services tailored for global e-commerce.

The Paymate president wrote on the US Ebay forums here: http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Paypal/Ebay-List-Paypal/520179869

paymate (0)
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(4 of 68)
Re: ebay list paypal, paymate, etc as payment. who owns paymate?
Jan 20, 2010 8:48 PM

FYI Paymate is privately held and not owned by eBay or any related company. We do have a long association with eBay, starting in Australia in 2001. We are now a US company with offices in Silicon Valley as well as Sydney.

We do appreciate your business!

Regards,

Dilip Rao
Founder & President
www.paymate.com
http://au.linkedin.com/in/dilipraosydney


Interesting Blog here from Mr Rao - http://paymateblog.blogspot.com/
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Excerpt:
As an aside, I should clarify that Paymate has always been an approved payment method on eBay Australia - it is just not convenient to use us without integration into Checkout.

It has??

[*wheels*]

Liisa, I think one seller from here has had Paymate as a payment method on his listings and had posted here a couple of times that he was pleased with their fraud prevention methods.

[Liisa-Sx]

Yep Wheels, they seem pretty good on that front, from what I have acertained so far, however be aware looking up the fees for PayMate currently will be redundant when they are incorporated into Checkout as this statement shows.

Paymate Fees & Charges
Paymate will announce new fees and charges for selling on eBay.com.au closer to the launch of Paymate with Checkout in mid-July 2010.

I am thinking for one they like PayPal will make the seller liable for fees, instead of the ability to split them etc as it currently stands.

Regarding my post below I was just curious about the statement:
"As an aside, I should clarify that Paymate has always been an approved payment method on eBay Australia"

I was not aware that PayMate was an option previously.

[Liisa-Sx]

Update:

Hi All,

Seems there are a few questions on surcharging so i thought i'd provide a few clarifications. I'm not going to start detailing different scenarios, if you have questions relating specifically to your account you should contact customer support.

The payment surcharges policy is available here.

It should also be noted that sellers using Paymate on eBay cannot pass on any associated transaction costs to buyers. Off eBay, Paymate does have buyer fees associated with its service.

Regards
Michelle
The eBay team

[*wheels*]

Is PayPal getting ready to compete with Paymate?

I've just received an email from PayPal:

SELLER PROTECTION IN 60 seconds

What is PayPal Seller Protection?
PayPal Seller Protection is there to protect your payment every time you sell on eBay.com.au. It's included as part of the service we give to you. When you’ve got Seller Protection, you don't have to worry about things going wrong.

Who is eligible?
PayPal Seller Protection is available to all sellers on eBay.com.au.   
  What do I need to do?

To make sure every transaction is eligible, you need to follow a few simple rules:  Sell a tangible item on eBay.com.au
 Collect payment via PayPal
 Post the item using a service that will provide proof of shipment.

If a buyer does file a claim against you, you’ll need to produce proof of shipment which shows:  The delivery address of the buyer (being the address on the PayPal transaction details page)
 The date the item was shipped.
 An official acceptance of the item by the shipper, such as a postmark or online status update. A status showing the item was delivered is also acceptable.
 

[Liisa-Sx]

Is PayPal getting ready to compete with Paymate?

I've just received an email from PayPal:

SELLER PROTECTION IN 60 seconds
Who is eligible?
PayPal Seller Protection is available to all sellers on eBay.com.au.  
  What do I need to do?

To make sure every transaction is eligible, you need to follow a few simple rules:  Sell a tangible item on eBay.com.au
 Collect payment via PayPal
 Post the item using a service that will provide proof of shipment.

 An official acceptance of the item by the shipper, such as a postmark or online status update. A status showing the item was delivered is also acceptable.
 

How is a postmark going to be proof of postage when it is ON the package? OR do they mean some sort of stamp on a receipt, because we all know there is no way they will accept a regular post receipt with only a postcode...

More grey areas from PayPal

It's a pity The bay can't work with AP to collaborate on an acceptable postage recorded method for ebay sellers.

[bnwt]

To make sure every transaction is eligible, you need to follow a few simple rules:  Sell a tangible item on eBay.com.au
 Collect payment via PayPal
 Post the item using a service that will provide proof of shipment.

so paypal is saying if you pay for Registered Post (the only way to provide proof of shipment) paypal will give you seller protection

i.e. if you pay for insurance with someone else we'll cover you

what a complete load of bunk

[Liisa-Sx]

Ok finally some clarification.. the criteria for seller protection is actually as follows.


Australia Post - eParcel

Copy of the consignment information page
Online tracking


Australia Post - Registered Post

A receipt showing the buyers full name & address
Postmark from the post office


Australia Post - Express Post & Express Post Platinum

A receipt showing the buyers full name & address
Postmark from the post office


FedEx
FedEx International Air Waybill OR FedEx Expanded
Service International Air Waybill & online tracking
Email proof of delivery


TNT

TNT consignment note
Online tracking

[*wheels*]

Liisa, the Express Post heading is a bit misleading. When you click on more detail, it clarifies that the only Express Post covered is Platinum and the 5kg satchel.


Domestic only. Express Post Platinum and 5kg Express Post Satchel.

[Liisa-Sx]

Liisa, the Express Post heading is a bit misleading. When you click on more detail, it clarifies that the only Express Post covered is Platinum and the 5kg satchel.


Domestic only. Express Post Platinum and 5kg Express Post Satchel.

Wheels, trying to find any definitive answer from PayPal is like beating your head against a wall, we can't even trust calling them for an answer as different staff will give different answers as well..I guess we will find out the hard way because they sure as heck are not going to tell us in a manner that we can comprehend.

I wonder if I will get the actual email as I have not as yet.. many others have not either.

[*Brum6y*]

Wheels, trying to find any definitive answer from PayPal is like beating your head against a wall, we can't even trust calling them for an answer as different staff will give different answers as well...

I'd almost suggest we fire up a thread taking note of all the different answers PayPal give...

It would be interesting to see - and I'm sure the ACCC and Fair Trading would be curious, too.

[jwr1au]

They would need much more staff &  " Paypal double - speak" Interpreter