# Online shop & paypal



## joannec (4 Jan 2011)

Hello

I'm new to the forum and looking for some advice. I'm setting up a small online business / shop and need to set up a paypal account. I've never had a paypal account before. Are there different types of paypal accounts I can set up and if so, whats the best? Also, what do I need to set it up. I have a personal bank account with a Laser card but have heard mention of credit card - I don't have a credit card, can I still set up paypal account? Also, when there's money in my paypal account, how can I get this money? Can I get a cheque sent to me or does it have to be transferred into bank account?
Sorry one more question! All productts on my online shop are not available for straightforward purchase, ie customers pay a deposit, I work on their request and they pay the remainder when product is nearly ready (if that makes sense). So if I have a paypal account, can I email an invoice to customers and request they pay to my paypal account?
Sorry for all the questions, hope someone can help.
Thanks
Jo


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## PaddyW (4 Jan 2011)

Joanne, this is the help page from Paypal, it should answer all your questions

https://www.paypal.com/ie/cgi-bin/helpweb?cmd=_help


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## Jimbobp (5 Jan 2011)

Heres a handy online invoicing system where you can email invoices and receive paypal etc. 

www.freshbooks.com


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## joannec (5 Jan 2011)

Thanks, not finding all the answers there so was hoping someone here could help but I'll continue my search!
Thanks again, Jo


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## joannec (20 Jan 2011)

Can anyone else help with my questions above?


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## irishmoss (31 Jan 2011)

I'm only trying to set this up myself but have you linked your bank account to paypal?


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## vin1070 (24 Feb 2011)

all you have to do is set up a paypal account you can do this by visiting the paypal site next you will need to link it to your bank account it will take you through the process 
if your business is small you are best to do your transactions via email with your customers whareby if they make a purchase from you you just ask them to go to paypal and input your email address as the person they are making the payment to 
if you have a larger e business site you can link the paypal account automatically to your site so it makes it a little easier but this will cost you more to use 
hope this helps and good luck


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## Satanta (8 Mar 2011)

A little late to the party, but seeing as it hasn't really been cleared up...*

Are there different types of paypal accounts I can set up and if so, whats the best?* 
There are a number of different account types, but which one is 'best' will entirely depend on your needs and usage. Compare the different costs against your expected usage and you should be able to see which is the best fit for you. 

*I don't have a credit card, can I still set up paypal account?* 
Yes. You can set up and use a paypal account without a CC. You just need to transfer money into your account from your bank account rather than using a credit card. 

It's been a while since I went through the verification process, but from memory a CC was needed in order to confirm your postal address. If your account isn't verified, it has additional restrictions on how/where you can use it.

*how can I get this money?* 
The withdrawal process is pretty well explained on the site. There are various ways it can be done, including a cheque or bank transfer. 

*So if I have a paypal account, can I email an invoice to customers and request they pay to my paypal account?*
You can. Or you can send a payment request directly from PayPal. PayPal simply handle the transfer of funds, it's up to you and client to organise how/when/how much is transferred. 

The site gives a very good overview of each of these areas. If there's anything about the information given that doesn't make sense or is confusing, don't be afraid to ask the specific questions to get clarification.


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## PaulyB63 (22 Mar 2011)

I use paypal to process payments from my site. You will need a credit card to verify your account - It charges you 1 euro and you input the reference on your statement.

You can get around this by using a 3v card.


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## JoeB (22 Mar 2011)

Paypal have problems relating to Irish addresses, and they may ban credit cards for what they consider to be an incorrect address. Their customer service is terrible, as is their attitude to customers. Just my 2 cents.


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## PaulyB63 (22 Mar 2011)

I haven't had any issues and I've been using them for years. I wish the banks would allow them to take Laser cards however...

Pain in the rocks so it is!!


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## JoeB (22 Mar 2011)

It might not be the account holders that have problems.. it's the people who try to pay through Paypal. 

I for one will never use Paypal, and if a retailer only offers that option then I'd have to go elsewhere. Retailers should consider if many people feel as I do. I have emailed retailers saying that they have lost my business by only offering a Paypal payment service, and by ignoring the dismissive attitude that Paypal display to Irish customers..

Paypal use computer programs to perform validations.. the computers aren't foolproof, and then they say to their customers that the computer is making their decisions for them, and if the computer is wrong they don't care. Hardly inspiring customer service.

Computers aren't allowed to decide loan applications (as they make errors).. but they are allowed to 'decide' if a person is committing fraud, even though the computers can't do that properly either.


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## Hammerhead (23 Mar 2011)

I am a web developer and have worked on a number of payment gateways including PayPal. Here's my insight.

@op/joannec:
Have a look into setting up a merchant account and maybe using Realex's *RealPay*. It is quite reasonably priced as per the transactions. What many people don't realise, depending on what PayPal service you use - considering Ireland is limited to a subset of PayPal services, is that you can get hit for transaction fees on money coming into your PayPal account and money coming out i.e. going to your pocket.

On the offset, Realex offer a monthly fee per transactions, 350 as current, and .12c per transaction in excess of that and the money goes straight to our bank account. In my mind, you know what you are paying always. Whereas PayPal work on transaction fees + a percentage, on both sides of the transactions in most cases.

Yes, I'm sure someone will point out that you will require an Internet Merchant account but again, this isn't as costly as many think, especially when you way the benifits. It also gives you the benifit of using a credit card terminal in your office/business and taking payments over the phone, with RealPay you can do this anyway.

One could argue either way which is cheaper but cheaper is not always the solution. It what works best for you and your business. 

As JoeBallantin points out, PayPal do indeed have issues with Irish addresses. The issues are actually a combination of things but in the majority of cases it comes down to the address/postcode. While Ireland does have postcodes that we as of yet do not use PayPal usually expects a legitimate postcode, as do most american/uk based monetary systems. Another perfect example of this is . Have you ever tried to enter in an address, on Google Maps *Ireland*, which is buried in the country? It just fails. The addressing systems are similar.

So imo, I wouldn't use PayPal to take *credit card* payments for *Irish* customers. PayPal *accounts* however should be ok. Again, this is my opinion.

Also, don't forget there are other payment gateways based on the same easy-use principles as PayPal. Worldpay for instance. There is far too many to list.

@JoeBallantin:
I would tend to agree with most of the points you make about PayPal. Web retailers and alike should offer more than one option, especially direct credit card payments (which I believe some of the *Irish* available PayPal methods support without using a PayPal account). 

In my instance, I dislike using PayPal as my account was hacked twice and I was flushed of money on my credit card, luckily I got it back on both occassions. PayPal is a great and reputible company but some of their security measures lack a thought process. As a web developer I generally try to go with the best tried and tested methods and while PayPal would fit this category I just think it's too easy to spend or loose money with them.


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## Satanta (23 Mar 2011)

Hammerhead said:


> In my mind, you know what you are paying always. Whereas PayPal work on transaction fees + a percentage, on both sides of the transactions in most cases.


I'm a big fan of Realex, they provide a great service and excellent customer service to back it up, but as Hammerhead mentioned it really comes down to the specific needs in each case.

For many new start ups, attaining merchant banking services can be an ordeal (or impossible). Having fixed monthly costs, while a cost saving for some, can be expensive/unsuitable for others.

In cases like that, where you wish to provide as much flexibility as possible for customers, you could look at alternative payment solutions such as OWJO. While the individual transaction costs are far higher than other options, the flexibility of the payment processor handling the merchant banking and transaction based billing (if it's low volume sales or sporadic sales periods) can be ideal. 

It's very much a horses for courses thing, there's no 'one size fits all' solution.


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## ccraig (23 Mar 2011)

Try sagepay, cheap and easy setup


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## mcaul (28 Mar 2011)

joannec said:


> Hello
> 
> I'm new to the forum and looking for some advice. I'm setting up a small online business / shop and need to set up a paypal account. I've never had a paypal account before. Are there different types of paypal accounts I can set up and if so, whats the best? Also, what do I need to set it up. I have a personal bank account with a Laser card but have heard mention of credit card - I don't have a credit card, can I still set up paypal account? Also, when there's money in my paypal account, how can I get this money? Can I get a cheque sent to me or does it have to be transferred into bank account?
> Sorry one more question! All productts on my online shop are not available for straightforward purchase, ie customers pay a deposit, I work on their request and they pay the remainder when product is nearly ready (if that makes sense). So if I have a paypal account, can I email an invoice to customers and request they pay to my paypal account?
> ...


 
Everything is possible

1 - If you get a visa debit card, this will probably be fine, or just ask you bank for a credit card with a small limit.

2. You can set the online store with a full price displayed and a deposit amount in the calcultion area.

3. To get the balance of the payment you just send a paypal request to the customers email. (they don't have to have a paypal account) This means you can state that you accept payment by credit cards. 

4. another option is to have the shop set up so that no money changes hands at the order stage and that you take the order, send a paypal payment request for deposit and at the same time getting customer to acknowlege the full amount. -  a non payment order site that I use for packaging materials is [broken link removed] . Order is placed & confirmed and then a customer service person rings me and asks how it is to be paid.  

5 Payment from paypal has to be to a bank account in the name of the paypal account. This takes 2 days if the payment request is made early in the day. Request 9am Monday = Wednesday into your account, though first time users may have a delay as a security measure.


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