Hello all

[Bob]

PayPal is not recommendable in my mind (bad press, privacy issues, also got negative feedback from some of my clients having tried to work with them), but well if it works for you...

Really? I've been using them for years without troubles, since way back in my ebay store days. And they customer service has always been good and fast. But if they are not good I'd rather not use them.

[marc77]

If you are satisfied with PayPal (as many others are), no matter. It's just the situation in Germany I can speak about and here PayPal has few friends when it comes to professional payment processing.

According my personal experience, PayPal is much more expensive than a "normal" merchant account is and the conditions for the dealer are quite rigorous (and they are still strict at most payment processors when dealing with credit card payments over the Internet).

I haven't had a look at the merchant contracts PayPal does since some time, but from what I know as we thought about to deal with them, PayPal reserves the right to process chargebacks without stating a reason and even is able to hold back any already done payments in case of suspects.

Furthermore for years, PayPal acted like a bank without having a valid bank license; since some time they have one (a British one, as far as I'm informed without the need for participating at a deposit protection fund).

All in all they appear not really reputable to me, but maybe I'm a bit old fashioned ;-)

As for all situations: Read a contract carefully before signing it and await always the worst (it will happen).