At first glance Paypal does not look like something you could really use but it has become a vital part of the Internet auction sector. The sheer fact of convenience and simplicity is literally what makes Paypal work. Lets take a deeper look at this modern day marvel of bill paying.
Paypal begins by offering you a 45 bonus just for ’’signing up’’. You immediately get $5 credited to your account to use as you choose. Yes, it is really $5 cash, not tokens or credits but real money.
The Paypal site is very simple and easy to navigate. You have five ’’main’’ categories separated by tabs. Under each ’’main category’’ you have ’’sub categories’’ and tabs for them as well.
- My Account
A. Overview (here you see what is new and your general account overview)
B. Add Funds ( here you may chose to have funds electronically transferred to your account)
C. Withdraw (take your money out in either check for a fee of $1.50 or E-transferred for free)
D. History ( this shows you ALL of you transactions until you delete them)
E. Profile ( your basic information as well as credit card and checking account information)
- Send Money
This is so easy. You simply type in the e-mail address of the person you want to send money to and off it goes. They do not have to have a Paypal for you to send them the money. I have never had to send money to anyone that is not on the Paypal circle so I am curious as to how that works. Will they be forced to open a Paypal account to get the funds? I do not know. Here you state the amount of money to be sent, who it goes to and what item or items it is being sent to pay for. You may also leave a note to say thanks or leave your mailing address.
- Request Money
This is very simple and straightforward. Type in the e-mail addy, put the dollar amount in, select what the money is payment for and send away. You have a space to put a subject in the e-mail and leave a personal note if you choose. This is especially helpful for auctions or trading.
- Shop
A. Search window for looking for a specific item
B. Main category buttons to just look around and browse.
C. Over 15, 000 websites accept Paypal so have fun!
- Sell
A. Seller Tools.
B. Sell on Auction sites and also earn another $5 for referrals.
C. Accept payment immediately on your website for you items.
D. Invoice winning bidders and have automatic payment requests.
E. Earn interest on an ATM or Debit Card on file.
I have enjoyed using Paypal for the last 2 years. It has enabled me to keep track of my purchases on Ebay as well as my coupon trading. Ebay has a ’’history’’ feature that allows you to keep a log or journal of all your purchases or any transaction. This Sell can prove to be very useful in the event you cannot remember who you paid or if someone paid you!
Paypal gives you the option to have funds sent to you or you send someone funds. You may choose to use either a credit card or a checking account. The transactions are always secured and go smoothly.
Customer service is unmatched. I had lost my password due to a computer crash. I simply called Paypal customer Service and they were more than happy to help me. After a few security questions my password was e-mailed to me immediately and I was once again on a roll!
I have used Paypal to pay for auction items, Avon orders or just to send money to my sister in Oklahoma for my niece and nephew. The service is also an easy and efficient way to send money for a graduation or birthday gift if you forget (like I would never do that!) and the day suddenly sneaks up on you!
I like the idea of having a receipt sent to me to verify I made payment. I needed it one time when an Ebay seller said that I did not pay for my auction item. I had paid for the item and in fact had the item in my home. I forwarded a copy of the receipt I received to Ebay and the matter was quickly cleared up.
The only draw back was that after being verified with my credit card they changed the policy and decided they needed a checking account as well. I took offense to having a status next to my name. I had been a loyal user of Paypal for sometime. It just hit me the wrong way.