Need a new CC processor

[dogmom327]

Okay, I've had it with Paypal merchant services. Too many glitches resulting in lost sales. We are going to stop accepting Paypal accounts and stop using them to process credit cards.

I need to find a new processor--who's everyone liking these days? I don't mind paying what I'm paying now (I'd love to save money but that's secondary right now)--I just need a reliable service.

[Kristine233]

I use Paypal but I've heard people like the Google Checkout one? Not sure how it compares but I haven't heard any complaints from people who use it.

[dogmom327]

Thanks Kristine! I hadn't considered Google checkout. I'm nervous about that idea just because it hasn't been around very long but it's worth checking out.

[CawMama]

Do you have a Facebook page? I was thinking about adding Google checkout, and asked my customers on Facebook what they thought (i.e. if they had it, and if they did, do they like it). I didn't get very favorable responses. That's all I know personally about Google. More people said they were comfortable w/Paypal.

[Galatea]

I would not cancel regular PayPal. We still get a lot of payments that way. We went with Authorize.net through my bank and it is okay. Actually, we started with Authorize.net through Merchant Warehouse and had a bad experience. We called my bank to switch and didn't have to pay for a new gateway. Now I have a local rep who I can call when we have problems.

I ditched PayPal Pro b/c their fees were high, but we never had any problems with it not working. Now recently, regular PayPal has been having so many glitches that we actually had to make a payment method that says "PayPal is not working for me" and then we send them a request for payment through PayPal. Some customers said they tried to get PP to work 3 times and it never did, so they gave up and paid with credit card. So maybe if I were still using them for credit cards, we would be having the problems you are having.

Anyway, people do like to use regular old PP and I would not ditch it. Heck, i prefer to use it - saves me typing the numbers in.

[dogmom327]

Originally Posted by Galatea

I would not cancel regular PayPal. We still get a lot of payments that way. We went with Authorize.net through my bank and it is okay. Actually, we started with Authorize.net through Merchant Warehouse and had a bad experience. We called my bank to switch and didn't have to pay for a new gateway. Now I have a local rep who I can call when we have problems.

I ditched PayPal Pro b/c their fees were high, but we never had any problems with it not working. Now recently, regular PayPal has been having so many glitches that we actually had to make a payment method that says "PayPal is not working for me" and then we send them a request for payment through PayPal. Some customers said they tried to get PP to work 3 times and it never did, so they gave up and paid with credit card. So maybe if I were still using them for credit cards, we would be having the problems you are having.

Anyway, people do like to use regular old PP and I would not ditch it. Heck, i prefer to use it - saves me typing the numbers in.

Good to know about Authorize.net--that's one I'm considering.

I'm having a couple of issues with Paypal:
--About once a week (sometimes twice) someone will place on order--or at least think they did--and we never get it. The only thing I've come up with is that there must be some sort of Paypal error during the transaction and because there's no payment, our system doesn't register an order. The customer then contacts me usually two or three weeks later about why they haven't gotten their order. Big mess for me and no matter how nice I am, it's just bad customer service.
--There are some credit cards that Paypal doesn't like. I have yet to find any rhyme or reason to this but again, a couple times a week or so I have a customer who has their order repeatedly "declined". Usually they contact me and they insist they are typing their number in correctly but Paypal says the card number is invalid, doesn't match the type, etc. I've also spoken to a few of the customers over the phone and tried to enter it myself--no luck. But if they try another credit card it works fine. I finally had a customer tell me the other day that if a merchant is using Paypal to process, she has one card that will not go through.
--When a payment is declined (for the reason above), the decline e-mail comes from Paypal which confuses the heck out of people. I don't think most customers realize that PP processes credit cards and so I get panicked e-mails that they were trying to use a credit card, not PP, etc. There are enough PP horror stories (hacking and such) roaming around out there that quite a few people are terrified of PP.

So if I get rid of the CC processing, I would theoretically get rid of problems 2 & 3 but to get rid of the first one, I'd have to get rid of PP altogether. Granted this is 2-3% of my transactions but that still seems like a lot. At this point I'm not even worried about saving money, I'm okay paying the same price I pay PP but I need the service to work consistently.

I'm really wanting to switch to another CC processor and go to a system that would allow people to mail checks or money orders if they don't want to use a CC. Most large companies online don't accept Paypal but I know when you're dealing with a small business PP is nice---ugh...I don't know what to do.

I do have a FB page--maybe I should just ask them.

[Galatea]

Originally Posted by dogmom327

--About once a week (sometimes twice) someone will place on order--or at least think they did--and we never get it. The only thing I've come up with is that there must be some sort of Paypal error during the transaction and because there's no payment, our system doesn't register an order. The customer then contacts me usually two or three weeks later about why they haven't gotten their order. Big mess for me and no matter how nice I am, it's just bad customer service.

For these, does the payment show in PP but just not bounce to your cart? If so, it could be a problem with the API and worth re-setting that up.

[Kristine233]

Originally Posted by Galatea

For these, does the payment show in PP but just not bounce to your cart? If so, it could be a problem with the API and worth re-setting that up.

This is what I was thinking. Usually it means the customer isn't clicking through all the way and the payment isn't registering back to the cart. What cart system do you use?

For the paypal confusion, I don't have that because I don't use the pro (monthly charge) version, I use the premier business version. So customers know when they insert their CC info that its being processed by paypal.

ETA: has anyone had issues with Paypal holding payments? I don't have this issue but I was working with a client who said that when she went to sign up they wanted to do a hold on all incoming payments and do a rolling hold from there on out? I read up on it and it is really bizarre and random. I wonder how much it is affecting WAHMs. The client veto'd paypal and went with authorize instead

[dogmom327]

Originally Posted by Galatea

For these, does the payment show in PP but just not bounce to your cart? If so, it could be a problem with the API and worth re-setting that up.

No payment in Paypal (thankfully) or order in our system. We inevitably have them registered as a customer but no order. We did have an API issue awhile back but that got fixed. So the good news is that it's not like they are being charged and we just aren't sending out the order. They are never charged either. I'd say 75% of the customers do go back in and place their order again (successfully) but I still loose (and tick off) those other customers.

ETA: Never heard of holding payments--weird. I know Amazon.com does that. When you first start selling on there they keep the first X% in case of returns, complaints, etc.

[Kristine233]

Its a rolling reserve: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/websc...Policy-outside

I've heard reports of them holding like %30. I haven't been hit with this but if it ever happened I'd ditch Paypal in a heart beat.

[dogmom327]

Originally Posted by Kristine233

Its a rolling reserve: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/websc...Policy-outside

I've heard reports of them holding like %30. I haven't been hit with this but if it ever happened I'd ditch Paypal in a heart beat.

Maybe it's based on credit? I think I remember them checking my personal credit when I signed up for an account.

[Galatea]

Originally Posted by dogmom327

No payment in Paypal (thankfully) or order in our system. We inevitably have them registered as a customer but no order. We did have an API issue awhile back but that got fixed. So the good news is that it's not like they are being charged and we just aren't sending out the order. They are never charged either. I'd say 75% of the customers do go back in and place their order again (successfully) but I still loose (and tick off) those other customers.

Well, not to be harsh, but is this a customer comprehension problem? If they are not getting a confirmations screen, or a confirmation email, then wouldn't the think their order didn't go through? Do you have a lot of non-computer-savvy customers?

Originally Posted by dogmom327

Maybe it's based on credit? I think I remember them checking my personal credit when I signed up for an account.

I bet that is what it is. They checked my credit.

[dogmom327]

Originally Posted by Galatea

Well, not to be harsh, but is this a customer comprehension problem? If they are not getting a confirmations screen, or a confirmation email, then wouldn't the think their order didn't go through? Do you have a lot of non-computer-savvy customers?

I completely agree that ideally customers should notice pretty quickly that they didn't get a confirmation or charged for the order but then again, I feel like I need a system that actually works 100% of the time (or pretty darn close) so that this isn't even an issue. Part of it too is that since I don't offer another option at this point (mailing or calling in an order), I need my site to work for even the non-computer savvy--although that may be wishful thinking.