How are Online Payments handled?

Friends of Churchill Island Society Inc. > Online Payments

We use the payment services provided by PayPal to handle online payments.

PayPal has been chosen because it best meets our key requirements which are:

  1. High level of security.
  2. Cost-effective way of handling a small volume of transactions.
  3. Inexpensive way of handling small amounts.
  4. Provides the customer with a choice of payment methods (PayPal account, funds transfer from linked bank account, credit card, debit card).
  5. Enables the Society to accept credit card and debit card payments without the need to become a credit card merchant thus avoiding the costs that this entails.
  6. Easy to integrate with our own web site to make it easier for the user.
  7. Simple to use.

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What payment options are available with PayPal?

Friends of Churchill Island Society Inc. > Online Payments

PayPal offers you 4 payment choices:

  1. Payment from your PayPal account.
  2. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) from your bank account.
  3. Credit Card.
  4. Debit Card.

Payment from your PayPal Account

In this case, you need to have a PayPal account.  If you already have a PayPal account, you can submit your payment simply by entering your PayPal account name (email address) and PayPal password when prompted to do so.  If you wish to open a PayPal account, you can do so free of charge here: https://www.paypal.com/au/webapps/mpp/get-started

EFT from your Bank Account

In this case, you need to have a PayPal account and you need to link your bank account to your PayPal account.

Credit Card Payment

In this case, you don’t need to have a PayPal account and you can submit your payment using your credit card.  When you submit your payment, PayPal will invite you to open a PayPal account but this is optional.

Debit Card Payment

In this case, you don’t need to have a PayPal account and you can submit your payment using your debit card.  When you submit your payment, PayPal will invite you to open a PayPal account but this is optional.

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Are there any extra costs for members who wish to use this service?

Friends of Churchill Island Society Inc. > Online Payments

If there is no currency exchange involved with your payment, e.g. the item you are purchasing is priced in Australian dollars and you are paying in Australian dollars, there is no extra cost to you, the purchaser, for using PayPal (even if you choose to pay by credit card).

However, if your payment involves a foreign currency, e.g. the item you are purchasing is priced in Australian dollars and you are paying in British Pounds, then you will be charged a foreign currency fee by PayPal.

You have the option of creating your own personal PayPal account.

You need to do this if you wish to:

  • Use your PayPal account as your source of funds.
  • Use your bank account as your source of funds.

You can choose not to do so if you wish to:

  • Pay using your credit card.
  • Pay using your debit card.

If you do decide to create your own PayPal account, there are no establishment fees or annual or monthly fees or any other fees.

Please note that although there no fees charged by PayPal, your bank or credit card provider may charge you a fee.

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How is this different from the Society operating as a credit card merchant?

Friends of Churchill Island Society Inc. > Online Payments

If the Society was to become a credit card merchant, there would be many other fees in addition to a transaction fee for each transaction such as establishment fees, joining fees, annual administration fees, monthly access fees, minimum merchant service fees, credit card authorisation fees.

On the other hand, as a PayPal merchant, the Society only has to pay a small transaction fee for each PayPal transaction.  This is similar to the merchant fee that would apply for any credit card transaction.

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How is this different from electronic funds transfer (EFT)?

Friends of Churchill Island Society Inc. > Online Payments

Experience shows that there are 3 drawbacks with the EFT approach:

  1. It’s not user-friendly.
  2. It’s easy for errors to occur.
  3. It’s extremely difficult to obtain an accurate record of who has made a payment and what the payment is for.

Not User Friendly

It’s not user-friendly because you first have to access the Society’s web site to submit your application and take a note of how much is owing.  You then switch across to your bank’s Internet banking web site and login to your Internet banking service.  You enter the payment details including the amount previously noted – hopefully you enter the amount owing without making a transcription error.  You enter your name in the very limited space that is available (if you have a very short name, no problem but if you have a longer name, you will have to abbreviate).  You also enter the reason for the payment.  You have a very limited amount of space for this so you will need to get creative when you try and explain what the payment is for.

However, when the payment is handled via PayPal, you only enter the data once because your order and your payment are handled together.

Error Prone

It’s easy for errors to occur because you have to make sure that you enter the Society’s BSB number and bank account number correctly.  You might enter the account number incorrectly but that number may represent a valid bank account.  In this case, the money is transferred into the wrong bank account.  This causes problems where you insist you have paid but the Society insists it never got the money.

However, when the payment is handled via PayPal, the payment is sent to the Society’s PayPal account automatically and you do not have to enter any account identifiers.

Difficult to Work Out Who has Paid for What

When you use your Internet banking service, there is limited space available for you to enter your name.  There is also a limited amount of space for you to enter the reason for the payment.

When the Society gets the bank statement, we then have to try and decipher the shorthand entries on the statement so that the payments can be properly accounted for.

However, when the payment is handled via PayPal, the Society receives an email with the full details of your payment including your name, your address, your email address, the amount of the payment and the reason for the payment.  You also receive an email with this same information.

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Are there any alternatives to PayPal?

Friends of Churchill Island Society Inc. > Online Payments

Yes, there a number of other ways of handling online payments but none of these are suitable for our needs which are:

  1. High level of security.
  2. Cost-effective way of handling a small volume of transactions.
  3. Inexpensive way of handling small amounts.
  4. Provides the customer with a choice of payment methods (PayPal account, funds transfer from linked bank account, credit card, debit card).
  5. Enables the Society to accept credit card and debit card payments without the need to become a credit card merchant thus avoiding the costs that this entails.
  6. Easy to integrate with our own web site to make it easier for the user.
  7. Simple to use.

NOTE: Online payments are processed by PayPal.  PayPal offers you 4 payment choices:

  1. Payment from your PayPal account.
  2. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) from your bank account.
  3. Credit Card.
  4. Debit Card.

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Can I make an Online Payment using my credit card/debit card?

Friends of Churchill Island Society Inc. > Online Payments

Yes.  You can make an online payment using your credit card or your debit card.

We use the payment services provided by PayPal to handle online payments.

PayPal offers you 4 payment choices:

  1. Payment from your PayPal account.
  2. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) from your bank account.
  3. Credit Card.
  4. Debit Card.

If you choose to use your credit card or your debit card, you don’t need to have a PayPal account and you can submit your payment using your credit card/debit card.  When you submit your payment, PayPal will invite you to open a PayPal account but this is optional.

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Can I make an Online Payment using my PayPal account?

Friends of Churchill Island Society Inc. > Online Payments

Yes.  You can make an online payment using your PayPal account.

We use the payment services provided by PayPal to handle online payments.

PayPal offers you 4 payment choices:

  1. Payment from your PayPal account.
  2. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) from your bank account.
  3. Credit Card.
  4. Debit Card.

If you choose to use your PayPal account as your source of funds, you will need to have a PayPal account.  If you already have a PayPal account, you can submit your payment simply by entering your PayPal account name (email address) and PayPal password when prompted to do so.  If you wish to open a PayPal account, you can do so free of charge here: https://www.paypal.com/au/webapps/mpp/get-started

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Can I make an Online Payment from my bank account?

Friends of Churchill Island Society Inc. > Online Payments

Yes.  You can make an online payment using funds in your bank account.

We use the payment services provided by PayPal to handle online payments.

PayPal offers you 4 payment choices:

  1. Payment from your PayPal account.
  2. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) from your bank account.
  3. Credit Card.
  4. Debit Card.

If you choose to use your bank account as your source of funds, you will you need to have a PayPal account and you will need to link your bank account to your PayPal account.

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