# Is there an alternative to PayPal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2005, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-alternative-to-paypal/284671 "2005-01-14T05:28:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-alternative-to-paypal/284671/1 "2005-01-14T05:28:15Z")
I’m not too happy with them. It’s not worth getting into what the problems are here; they’re actually pretty boring. But I’m just wondering if there’s anyone else doing the same thing. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-alternative-to-paypal/284671/2 "2005-01-14T06:20:14Z")
The only two other ones I know of are FirePay and NETeller. However, they are not as common and cannot be used for eBay. ---
**Author:** ![akifani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ba0ec/32.png) [@akifani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akifani)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-alternative-to-paypal/284671/3 "2005-01-14T08:40:29Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > The only two other ones I know of are FirePay and NETeller. However, they are not as common and cannot be used for eBay. As far as I know, Bidpay is the most second most popular after paypal. It’s tied to Western Union somehow. [404 error](http://www.westernunion.com/info/osBidpay.asp?country=US) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-alternative-to-paypal/284671/4 "2005-01-14T09:26:20Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > The only two other ones I know of are FirePay and NETeller. However, they are not as common and cannot be used for eBay. When you say ‘cannot be used for ebay’, I suspect you probably mean that they cannot be easily integrated into the checkout process. AFAIK, you can specify any payment method you like (I suppose you could insist that the successful bidder could pay in equivalent value of live gerbils, if you made it clear in the auction details). Another online payment service is [Natwest FastPay](http://www.fastpay.com/) - mostly UK-oriented though, I think, but the fees are nice if you keep the money in the account - free to send payments, flat rate of 9 pence per transaction to receive payments, but (not so good) 2.9% to withdraw money. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-alternative-to-paypal/284671/5 "2005-01-14T12:18:24Z")
> [@](#): > > AFAIK, you can specify any payment method you like (I suppose you could insist that the successful bidder could pay in equivalent value of live gerbils, if you made it clear in the auction details). That’s true; the problem is that most eBay users are used to using PayPal, and if you specify an unfamiliar payment service, fewer people will bid. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-alternative-to-paypal/284671/6 "2005-01-14T16:02:29Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > When you say ‘cannot be used for ebay’, I suspect you probably mean that they cannot be easily integrated into the checkout process. AFAIK, you can specify any payment method you like (I suppose you could insist that the successful bidder could pay in equivalent value of live gerbils, if you made it clear in the auction details). Yes, that was what I meant. Really, I think it all depends on what **Plan B** is trying to do. If he’s just trying to move money between friends and family, then one of the others will work well, if he can get the rest to go along. Personally, I wouldn’t have a problem using one of the other methods to pay a seller (or get payment from a bidder), but I don’t know how many people would want to deal with it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-alternative-to-paypal/284671/7 "2005-01-14T16:43:25Z")
Does anyone happen to know if the seller can offer incentives for non-paypal transactions, for example “I’ll throw in a free snerd if you pay by GlickPay” - or is this considered the same as charging fees for PayPa?l (which is prohibited)