Paypal Card Reader

[OnTheShore]

So I applied for the PayPal Here card reader through the app on my phone, and got an e-mail from PayPal asking me to call a certain number, enter the supplied code, and talk to an agent to verify the nature of our business. I just did that and it all seemed to go fine. She asked if we had been taking credit cards previously, we haven't but I told her that we did recently get a Square and were interested in comparing the services. That didn't phase her; she's going to go ahead and activate our account for the PayPal Here app and send the card reader. We'll see if it works on my phone, which isn't actually on their list....
I recall Square making an effort at verifying who we were and the nature of our business as well, but it was all done online. (My phone wasn't on Square's list either, but they described their list as just the phones that they had actually tested, not an exclusive list of the only phones that would work.)

 

[JBloggs]

So I applied for the PayPal Here card reader through the app on my phone, and got an e-mail from PayPal asking me to call a certain number, enter the supplied code, and talk to an agent to verify the nature of our business. I just did that and it all seemed to go fine. She asked if we had been taking credit cards previously, we haven't but I told her that we did recently get a Square and were interested in comparing the services. That didn't phase her; she's going to go ahead and activate our account for the PayPal Here app and send the card reader. We'll see if it works on my phone, which isn't actually on their list....
I recall Square making an effort at verifying who we were and the nature of our business as well, but it was all done online. (My phone wasn't on Square's list either, but they described their list as just the phones that they had actually tested, not an exclusive list of the only phones that would work.).

Thanks Harborfields, we look forward to hearing your next report.

 

[Arks]

On Wednesday I also applied for the PayPal Here card reader through the app I installed on my iPhone. I already had a verified PayPal account to connect it to. I didn't get any call (so far at least) from PayPal asking questions.
I got an e-mail from them saying my reader has been shipped, and got another e-mail from them saying my PayPal debit card has been approved and has also been shipped. (You can use the debit card to spend the money you collect through the card, or of course you can easily transfer the money directly to your bank account.) While PayPal is holding the money, it can earn interest at money market rates (such as they are).

 

[OnTheShore]

Maybe the Verification Team wanted to talk to us because our existing PayPal account (which I believe was a verified account) had relatively little activity on it?

 

[Copperhead]

So I applied for the PayPal Here card reader through the app on my phone, and got an e-mail from PayPal asking me to call a certain number, enter the supplied code, and talk to an agent to verify the nature of our business. I just did that and it all seemed to go fine. She asked if we had been taking credit cards previously, we haven't but I told her that we did recently get a Square and were interested in comparing the services. That didn't phase her; she's going to go ahead and activate our account for the PayPal Here app and send the card reader. We'll see if it works on my phone, which isn't actually on their list....
I recall Square making an effort at verifying who we were and the nature of our business as well, but it was all done online. (My phone wasn't on Square's list either, but they described their list as just the phones that they had actually tested, not an exclusive list of the only phones that would work.).

Thanks Harborfields, we look forward to hearing your next report.
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Thanks Harborfields, we look forward to hearing your next report.

Ditto

 

[Breakfast Diva]

In previous conversations, we discussed one of the negatives of using PP was that you had no protection with charge backs. Does that still apply with this card reader? I have a PP merchant account which I started for Res Key gift certificate orders, but don't use it any more since I went to auth.net which now takes care of our deposits and gift certificates.

 

[Copperhead]

In previous conversations, we discussed one of the negatives of using PP was that you had no protection with charge backs. Does that still apply with this card reader? I have a PP merchant account which I started for Res Key gift certificate orders, but don't use it any more since I went to auth.net which now takes care of our deposits and gift certificates..

In previous conversations, we discussed one of the negatives of using PP was that you had no protection with charge backs. Does that still apply with this card reader? I have a PP merchant account which I started for Res Key gift certificate orders, but don't use it any more since I went to auth.net which now takes care of our deposits and gift certificates.

I know I read something on this subject when first looking but now can not find it again. What I think I recall reading is that they do provide you the opportunity to share your info about the transaction, just as a merchant account does. But don't take my word for it, my memory is not what it was!

 

[ThuderingWind]

The one difference I like with this new PP option is that it can be added to a website. Square cannot at this time..

The one difference I like with this new PP option is that it can be added to a website. Square cannot at this time.

See that scares me, with all the PCI Compliance stuff I had to fill out they were adamant about all of that, but you must mean ADD A LINK to process it on the website? Right? Not really ON your website?
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The one difference I like with this new PP option is that it can be added to a website. Square cannot at this time.

See that scares me, with all the PCI Compliance stuff I had to fill out they were adamant about all of that, but you must mean ADD A LINK to process it on the website? Right? Not really ON your website?

You've been able to add a PP link to your website for many years, we use it. Plus PP has a payment notification system that can call your website back when the payment is complete. Our homegrown booking system uses it.
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Sorry for not being clear............I did know a PP link could be put on a website. Now it is more robust if you opt to select the merchant services package thus by using the reader on site and on-line you have your payment processing in on package.
Square does not have this (and told me they don't know if they will or when).
ResKey does not have an tie-in with the readers and PP/Square software yet to link the payments and information yet. So that means extra work on the office end to track the needed info for the financial software package used to manage the property.

 

[Arks]

My PayPal Here reader just arrived. No instructions in the box because none needed! Took the reader out of the box, plugged into my iPhone headphone jack. Started the Here app on the phone (you install it and set up your account, then they ship your reader), entered $1.00 as a charge and tapped the charge button. Swiped the card, it then had me sign with my finger, then it asked where I want my receipt sent. I put in my email address and tapped send. Done.
4 minutes later checked my PayPal account and it has 97 cents in it. Checked my email and there's a nice receipt from my guesthouse, including a Google map showing the location of the iPhone when the charge was made.
Nice!

 

[EmptyNest]

My PayPal Here reader just arrived. No instructions in the box because none needed! Took the reader out of the box, plugged into my iPhone headphone jack. Started the Here app on the phone (you install it and set up your account, then they ship your reader), entered $1.00 as a charge and tapped the charge button. Swiped the card, it then had me sign with my finger, then it asked where I want my receipt sent. I put in my email address and tapped send. Done.
4 minutes later checked my PayPal account and it has 97 cents in it. Checked my email and there's a nice receipt from my guesthouse, including a Google map showing the location of the iPhone when the charge was made.
Nice!.

I have encouraged several folks I know to get one.

 

[Copperhead]

My PayPal Here reader just arrived. No instructions in the box because none needed! Took the reader out of the box, plugged into my iPhone headphone jack. Started the Here app on the phone (you install it and set up your account, then they ship your reader), entered $1.00 as a charge and tapped the charge button. Swiped the card, it then had me sign with my finger, then it asked where I want my receipt sent. I put in my email address and tapped send. Done.
4 minutes later checked my PayPal account and it has 97 cents in it. Checked my email and there's a nice receipt from my guesthouse, including a Google map showing the location of the iPhone when the charge was made.
Nice!.

My PayPal Here reader just arrived. No instructions in the box because none needed! Took the reader out of the box, plugged into my iPhone headphone jack. Started the Here app on the phone (you install it and set up your account, then they ship your reader), entered $1.00 as a charge and tapped the charge button. Swiped the card, it then had me sign with my finger, then it asked where I want my receipt sent. I put in my email address and tapped send. Done.
4 minutes later checked my PayPal account and it has 97 cents in it. Checked my email and there's a nice receipt from my guesthouse, including a Google map showing the location of the iPhone when the charge was made.
Nice!

Sounds like it works just like Square...

 

[Arks]

My PayPal Here reader just arrived. No instructions in the box because none needed! Took the reader out of the box, plugged into my iPhone headphone jack. Started the Here app on the phone (you install it and set up your account, then they ship your reader), entered $1.00 as a charge and tapped the charge button. Swiped the card, it then had me sign with my finger, then it asked where I want my receipt sent. I put in my email address and tapped send. Done.
4 minutes later checked my PayPal account and it has 97 cents in it. Checked my email and there's a nice receipt from my guesthouse, including a Google map showing the location of the iPhone when the charge was made.
Nice!.

My PayPal Here reader just arrived. No instructions in the box because none needed! Took the reader out of the box, plugged into my iPhone headphone jack. Started the Here app on the phone (you install it and set up your account, then they ship your reader), entered $1.00 as a charge and tapped the charge button. Swiped the card, it then had me sign with my finger, then it asked where I want my receipt sent. I put in my email address and tapped send. Done.
4 minutes later checked my PayPal account and it has 97 cents in it. Checked my email and there's a nice receipt from my guesthouse, including a Google map showing the location of the iPhone when the charge was made.
Nice!

Sounds like it works just like Square...

.

Sounds like it works just like Square...

Except, if you're really in a hurry, the money's available pretty much instantly, if you use the PayPal debit card to spend it.

 

[Arks]

Update: Just got my sister an iPad to use PayPal Here at her store. She has poor vision and I knew she could never see it well enough to use on an iPhone or iPod Touch.
That's when I discovered that the while PayPal Here works on the iPad, it's the iPhone version running on the iPad, so it's the small iPhone version, just running out in the center of the iPad screen, not a full screen, enlarged version.
Luckily, the PayPal website says a native iPad version is coming soon. In the mean time, this tiny iPhone version is pretty much useless to her unless there's a way to enlarge it I don't know about (pinch and spread doesn't do anything).

 

[Highlands John]

Been reviewing my card processing costs of late, you might be interested in the following:-
Current machine fees for 2012 £524, rental of the machine £300, total for 2012 = £824
If I'd been with Pay Pal here: Standard transactions at 2.7% = £633, CNP transactions would be 3.4%= £116 total for 2012 = £749
That's not enough saving to make me jump from an industry standard desktop machine to a brand new technology, plus someone I know who uses the same processing bank say they are paying 1.2% (us 1.7%) and debit cards 15p (us 25p), so I think I need to phone the bank and threaten to jump.

 

[Arks]

Been reviewing my card processing costs of late, you might be interested in the following:-
Current machine fees for 2012 £524, rental of the machine £300, total for 2012 = £824
If I'd been with Pay Pal here: Standard transactions at 2.7% = £633, CNP transactions would be 3.4%= £116 total for 2012 = £749
That's not enough saving to make me jump from an industry standard desktop machine to a brand new technology, plus someone I know who uses the same processing bank say they are paying 1.2% (us 1.7%) and debit cards 15p (us 25p), so I think I need to phone the bank and threaten to jump..

...plus someone I know who uses the same processing bank say they are paying 1.2% (us 1.7%) and debit cards 15p (us 25p), so I think I need to phone the bank and threaten to jump.

I agree. Work to get a better deal on your standard system. The PayPal and Square systems are good for people who don't have as much income. They were designed so street vendors and other small time operators could take the cards, but whose small amount of sales couldn't justify a standard machine with all the fees.
You're just too successful for your own business ;-)

 

[Generic]

Been reviewing my card processing costs of late, you might be interested in the following:-
Current machine fees for 2012 £524, rental of the machine £300, total for 2012 = £824
If I'd been with Pay Pal here: Standard transactions at 2.7% = £633, CNP transactions would be 3.4%= £116 total for 2012 = £749
That's not enough saving to make me jump from an industry standard desktop machine to a brand new technology, plus someone I know who uses the same processing bank say they are paying 1.2% (us 1.7%) and debit cards 15p (us 25p), so I think I need to phone the bank and threaten to jump..

Take a look at iZettle, which has EMV already implemented.

 

[Highlands John]

Been reviewing my card processing costs of late, you might be interested in the following:-
Current machine fees for 2012 £524, rental of the machine £300, total for 2012 = £824
If I'd been with Pay Pal here: Standard transactions at 2.7% = £633, CNP transactions would be 3.4%= £116 total for 2012 = £749
That's not enough saving to make me jump from an industry standard desktop machine to a brand new technology, plus someone I know who uses the same processing bank say they are paying 1.2% (us 1.7%) and debit cards 15p (us 25p), so I think I need to phone the bank and threaten to jump..

Take a look at iZettle, which has EMV already implemented.
.

iZettle doesn't appear to allow "customer not present" transactions, which I do quite a few of, when I'm taking deposits for bookings over the phone, that was the same problem with Sumup.
Intuit does allow CNP, will look further.

 

[Highlands John]

Been reviewing my card processing costs of late, you might be interested in the following:-
Current machine fees for 2012 £524, rental of the machine £300, total for 2012 = £824
If I'd been with Pay Pal here: Standard transactions at 2.7% = £633, CNP transactions would be 3.4%= £116 total for 2012 = £749
That's not enough saving to make me jump from an industry standard desktop machine to a brand new technology, plus someone I know who uses the same processing bank say they are paying 1.2% (us 1.7%) and debit cards 15p (us 25p), so I think I need to phone the bank and threaten to jump..

By a strange coincidence I've received my annual statement from the holdings company that lease me my machine this morning.
What I hadn't taken into consideration is that I'm charged VAT on the machine rental. That changes the figures to:-
Current machine fees for 2012 £524, rental of the machine £360, total for 2012 = £884
If I'd been with Pay Pal here: Standard transactions at 2.7% = £633, CNP transactions would be 3.4%= £116 total for 2012 = £749
Pay Pal is becoming more attractive, not spoken to bank yet.

 

[JBloggs]

Been reviewing my card processing costs of late, you might be interested in the following:-
Current machine fees for 2012 £524, rental of the machine £300, total for 2012 = £824
If I'd been with Pay Pal here: Standard transactions at 2.7% = £633, CNP transactions would be 3.4%= £116 total for 2012 = £749
That's not enough saving to make me jump from an industry standard desktop machine to a brand new technology, plus someone I know who uses the same processing bank say they are paying 1.2% (us 1.7%) and debit cards 15p (us 25p), so I think I need to phone the bank and threaten to jump..

By a strange coincidence I've received my annual statement from the holdings company that lease me my machine this morning.
What I hadn't taken into consideration is that I'm charged VAT on the machine rental. That changes the figures to:-
Current machine fees for 2012 £524, rental of the machine £360, total for 2012 = £884
If I'd been with Pay Pal here: Standard transactions at 2.7% = £633, CNP transactions would be 3.4%= £116 total for 2012 = £749
Pay Pal is becoming more attractive, not spoken to bank yet.
.

By a strange coincidence I've received my annual statement from the holdings company that lease me my machine this morning.
What I hadn't taken into consideration is that I'm charged VAT on the machine rental. That changes the figures to:-
Current machine fees for 2012 £524, rental of the machine £360, total for 2012 = £884
If I'd been with Pay Pal here: Standard transactions at 2.7% = £633, CNP transactions would be 3.4%= £116 total for 2012 = £749
Pay Pal is becoming more attractive, not spoken to bank yet.

and that is why it made sense to me to buy an iPad or iPhone here. I know it is not the same there, but the small fees were killing us, points fees, across the border fees, international card fees, etc etc, besides the % to actually swipe the card.

 

[gillumhouse]

Been reviewing my card processing costs of late, you might be interested in the following:-
Current machine fees for 2012 £524, rental of the machine £300, total for 2012 = £824
If I'd been with Pay Pal here: Standard transactions at 2.7% = £633, CNP transactions would be 3.4%= £116 total for 2012 = £749
That's not enough saving to make me jump from an industry standard desktop machine to a brand new technology, plus someone I know who uses the same processing bank say they are paying 1.2% (us 1.7%) and debit cards 15p (us 25p), so I think I need to phone the bank and threaten to jump..

By a strange coincidence I've received my annual statement from the holdings company that lease me my machine this morning.
What I hadn't taken into consideration is that I'm charged VAT on the machine rental. That changes the figures to:-
Current machine fees for 2012 £524, rental of the machine £360, total for 2012 = £884
If I'd been with Pay Pal here: Standard transactions at 2.7% = £633, CNP transactions would be 3.4%= £116 total for 2012 = £749
Pay Pal is becoming more attractive, not spoken to bank yet.
.

By a strange coincidence I've received my annual statement from the holdings company that lease me my machine this morning.
What I hadn't taken into consideration is that I'm charged VAT on the machine rental. That changes the figures to:-
Current machine fees for 2012 £524, rental of the machine £360, total for 2012 = £884
If I'd been with Pay Pal here: Standard transactions at 2.7% = £633, CNP transactions would be 3.4%= £116 total for 2012 = £749
Pay Pal is becoming more attractive, not spoken to bank yet.

and that is why it made sense to me to buy an iPad or iPhone here. I know it is not the same there, but the small fees were killing us, points fees, across the border fees, international card fees, etc etc, besides the % to actually swipe the card.
.

By a strange coincidence I've received my annual statement from the holdings company that lease me my machine this morning.
What I hadn't taken into consideration is that I'm charged VAT on the machine rental. That changes the figures to:-
Current machine fees for 2012 £524, rental of the machine £360, total for 2012 = £884
If I'd been with Pay Pal here: Standard transactions at 2.7% = £633, CNP transactions would be 3.4%= £116 total for 2012 = £749
Pay Pal is becoming more attractive, not spoken to bank yet.

and that is why it made sense to me to buy an iPad or iPhone here. I know it is not the same there, but the small fees were killing us, points fees, across the border fees, international card fees, etc etc, besides the % to actually swipe the card.

Plus the non-qual this and non-qual that and the corporate rate this and rewads rate that AND the VS fee of $2.90 per month and the $5 per month for the statement..... By the time they added everything in, on a month with NO transactions I was charged $22.90 - and I did not have a fee for the machine as I had purchased it years ago privately. All that made Sq uar e look very good.