Transfer Money Through Moneybookers

[elina]

Thank you for your helpful guides, Flameproof.

Now I think we have to add PayPal online payment again to our site, and temporarily cancel Moneybookers. See the following:

http://www.lovemandarin.com/help.asp?id=4#subject3

(1). Paypal Online Payment:

we will add 8% to the grand total amount of your order

(2). Other payment methods:

Please pay the handling charge when remitting, which is about 10%-15% that is different from country to country, from bank to bank, from amount to amount.

So I think we still do not break the PayPal policy of “(in other words, the handling fee for transactions paid through PayPal may not be higher than the handling fee for transactions paid through other payment methods)”, right?

Because our PayPal account is under investigation, we have faxed PayPal our confirmation emails to our customers, in which we made the link of the payment method on our site. So now we cannot list the Moneybookers as a payment method on our site at the same time, because the handling charge for Moneybookers is cheaper than PayPal. Although I quite doubt if the PayPal clerk will carefully check the documents faxed.

[elina]

But it’s a hassle, if our customers want to pay by PayPal when placing their orders at present, we will tell them we cannot receive PayPal payment, although it’s listed there.

Personally, I don’t like the idea of “If trouble, seller loses”, from the information we got in the internet, PayPal always protects the benefit of the buyers and PayPal itself, mostly having the trend to be unfair to the sellers. I think we will definitely consider the possibility of “首信易支付”, after our website server’s issue is fixed.

[flameproof]

I typically would not buy anything when I get charged extra for using my card. I take it for granted that I pay the normal price.

I think by adding a fee you turn off many customers. It simply looks bad.

I would just raise the price, or the shipping cost to overseas, and offer cheaper for local buyers. Then it looks more reasonable.

[elina]

I would just raise the price, or the shipping cost to overseas, and offer cheaper for local buyers. Then it looks more reasonable.

Ok, that sounds logical, we may consider merging the cost of the payment transmission into the shipping cost for the customers outside Beijing, after this PayPal investigation.

[cdn_in_bj]

I noticed on your webpage you still have the following regarding PayPal transactions:

In our email requesting your payment, we will add 8% to the grand total amount of your order as the handling charge for the following 3 procedures:

(a) We use a PayPal Premier Account to achieve advanced features, so we will be charged the first transaction fee by PayPal when receiving payment, which is not free like using a PayPal Personal Account.

(B) When withdrawing the money from our PayPal account, we will be charged the second transaction fee by PayPal.

(c) When depositing the check provided by PayPal into our Chinese bank account, we will be charged the third transaction fee by the Chinese bank.

If PayPal does decide to check, I think they will take exception to the above. I think it would be best for you to just get rid of the PayPal handling charge, and instead add a straight 8% handling charge for all payment methods, on top of the overseas shipping charge.

[elina]

Thank you very much for your advice and concern, cdn_in_bj!

The problem is that we have faxed PayPal our confirmation emails to our customers, including the following content:

And the payment method:

http://www.lovemandarin.com/help.asp?id=4#subject3

If you use PayPal Online Payment, the grand total of your order:

$aaa.aa x 1.08=$bbb.bb

Please carefully check this letter, especially your detailed receiving address, including receiver’s name, street address, city, country, post code, your telephone number, etc. And then answer this email, make sure at the beginning in your email, you leave your words something like “Now I confirm my order as follows: ” with my original message still reserved below. We will strictly perform according to the email. If you want to do some changing in your order, never mind, I will discuss with you and send you a new email titled with “Confirm Your Order” again for you to confirm.

After receiving your confirmation email, we will send you a letter requesting your payment through our PayPal account. Then you could pay us through your PayPal account.

So I think maybe we should still leave the handling charge of 8% for PayPal, but it’s lower than the handling charge for:

“(2). Other payment methods:

Please pay the handling charge when remitting, which is about 10%-15% that is different from country to country, from bank to bank, from amount to amount.”

Then it shows that we have not broken the PayPal policy of this description:

“(in other words, the handling fee for transactions paid through PayPal may not be higher than the handling fee for transactions paid through other payment methods)”

But we don’t know if we have made a right decision.

[elina]

and instead add a straight 8% handling charge for all payment methods, on top of the overseas shipping charge.

I just understand your meaning. This should be a very good idea. But concerning the other payment methods, such as Western Union, and MoneyGram, see the following:

http://www.lovemandarin.com/help.asp?id=4#subject3

There is a strict regulation that the receiver must provide Money Transfer Control Number and the EXACT amount of the Remittance, if one of them is wrong, the receiver cannot collect the money.

“the EXACT amount of the Remittance” means the amount that is remained for us to collect, after deducting the handling charge, but the handling charge is VERY different from country to country, from bank to bank, from amount to amount. If we “add a straight 8% handling charge for all payment methods, on top of the overseas shipping charge”, that means:

1. after paying the price for the products including shipping fee, plus 8% handling charge, our every customer who uses Western Union or MoneyGram will have the hassle to calculate the actual money we will receive in fact, after minus the actual handling charge that is not 8%.

2. we’ll lose some money for the handling charge, especially for small amounts, i.e. if a customer wants to use Western Union or MoneyGram to pay us, for example, about USD 30.00 or 40.00, the handling charge can be 50-100% or so. From what we know, Western Union or MoneyGram is cheaper for large amounts above USD 200.00 around, which maybe 5% or a flat fee in some countries, but for small amounts, PayPal or Moneybookers is cheaper.

I’m sorry, my English is not very good, I don’t know if I express myself well.