New? Paypal payment option

[teresat]

Has anybody come across a Paypal payment option called "Pay after Delivery" when changing the payment options? Anybody use it or know more about it? It doesn't allow you to use a credit card and deducts the sale amount from your bank account once you receive the item.

I have randomly gotten this option recently. I am a Premier member with Paypal Advantage. (Not sure if this makes a difference too.)

Thanks!

edited for typos...

[hannaliten]

This is new to me, but here is some info

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/Marketing/general/PADLaunch-outside

[ponylady]

Here's what I found on E-Commerce Bytes regarding it.

Here's how it works.
1. Checkout as usual, but choose Pay After Delivery as your payment method. PayPal pays the seller upfront, so there's no delay in shipping and no money is deducted from your account.

2. Receive and verify your purchase. If you have any problems let us know in our Resolution Center.

3. If you're satisfied, that's it. We'll automatically withdraw the money from your bank account 14 days after your purchase."

To add Pay After Delivery as a payment method in your account, simply make a purchase using PayPal and accept the offer shown to you during checkout.

There are several benefits to PayPal in offering such a program. The first is to encourage top buyers to spend more. Psychologically, if they aren't paying when they purchase items, they may be inclined to spend more.

Secondly, PayPal moves the transaction to an ACH transaction, which cost PayPal much less than credit card processing. In addition, PayPal then has complete control over the dispute process. (When using credit cards as a funding source, buyers have the option of disputing transactions or filing chargebacks through the credit card companies. And since PayPal also offers seller protection, it wants to be the sole arbiter of disputes.)

PayPal is only offering the Pay After Delivery program to Top Buyers, people who spend thousands of dollars with the company each year, and it accesses their bank accounts to withdraw the money owed it.

Sellers are likely to be concerned upon hearing about the Pay After Delivery program.

1) Will sellers have to send items before being paid?

No - in the letter above, PayPal says it pays the sellers upfront.

2) Will buyers be more likely to return items since they haven't yet paid for them ("try it before you buy it"), and if so, will PayPal make it easy for them to change their minds about purchases?

This is a bit difficult to answer. However, PayPal already extended its buyer protection to all transactions on or off eBay last month, so sellers are already at risk if buyers express dissatisfaction (Item not Received or Significantly Not as Described).

Nevertheless, the fact that the seller or merchant has no control over the Pay After Delivery program may be disconcerting.

[saply]

At least PayPal pays the seller up front. At first I thought this was going to be another eBay-esque 29 day holding nightmare. x_x

[teresat]

Thanks for the detailed answer Ponylady.

<snip>

This is a bit difficult to answer. However, PayPal already extended its buyer protection to all transactions on or off eBay last month, so sellers are already at risk if buyers express dissatisfaction (Item not Received or Significantly Not as Described).

Nevertheless, the fact that the seller or merchant has no control over the Pay After Delivery program may be disconcerting.

I was concerned about this too. I do a lot of buying and selling with Paypal both ebay and not. I'm starting to see that sellers are losing what little protection they have.

Your mention of seller protection made me realize that the option was offered to me in sales with top sellers.

I do think sellers should be aware of this new option.

[ponylady]

I agree teresat, I about fell over when I started reading about it.  I did one of these  and then did one of these 

[RockinPrettyBeats]

I don't like this at all. Credit Cards are for the whole "Spend what you don't have" mentality. This is even a better way to give buyers the illusion that they have the right to try things out before paying for the item.

This is going to make returns even worse. And paypal won't care since it's all on the sellers dime.

[teresat]

Next time I get offered this option, I have to remember to copy the text. It's quite interesting what Paypal tells the buyer. I don't get offered this option very much but it pops up. Also interesting that the seller has no idea Paypal is offering this to their buyers.