# Renewing Charter Membership WITHOUT Paypal. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 23, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-charter-membership-without-paypal/686808 "2014-04-23T21:47:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-charter-membership-without-paypal/686808/21 "2014-05-15T17:33:46Z")
Perhaps there is another reason - 1. You used PayPal to pay your subscription in the past, and PayPal no longer offers any other option for payment. Because I am in the United States, and it did not offer the link to pay with a debit or credit card right at the beginning, before I entered any credit card number. > [@](#): > > We apologize for this inconvenience but there’s no way to fix this. > > Jenny Understood, and it is no more than an inconvenience. But just for the information of the boards, it appears from my experience that once you use PayPal, you can’t use anything else from now on. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![LionelHutz405](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lionelhutz405/32/536_2.png) [@LionelHutz405](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LionelHutz405)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-charter-membership-without-paypal/686808/22 "2014-05-15T18:10:26Z")
I don’t get the option not to use paypal even before I’ve specified a credit card. The only way I get that option is to change the county to United States, then the option appears. So it does seem that non-US subscribers have no choice anymore. I hate Paypal and refuse to create an account, so I guess that is that. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-charter-membership-without-paypal/686808/23 "2014-05-16T02:02:46Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Understood, and it is no more than an inconvenience. But just for the information of the boards, it appears from my experience that once you use PayPal, you can’t use anything else from now on. > > Regards, > Shodan So it’s still the same. I guess they’re like the Mafia – once you’re in, you’re in. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-charter-membership-without-paypal/686808/24 "2014-05-16T02:37:57Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Perhaps there is another reason - > > 1. You used PayPal to pay your subscription in the past, and PayPal no longer offers any other option for payment. > > Because I am in the United States, and it did not offer the link to pay with a debit or credit card right at the beginning, before I entered any credit card number. > > Understood, and it is no more than an inconvenience. But just for the information of the boards, it appears from my experience that once you use PayPal, you can’t use anything else from now on. > > Regards, > Shodan It is very easy to miss the credit car payment hyperlink – it is very small, while the “Use Paypal” option is very very large. You find the “use your credit card” option on the page AFTER the “Select Payment Method” window. It’s confusing because Paypal is the processing portal for all transactions, either paying with Paypal OR credit card. But if you get to that page and you see the button that says “Order Using PayPal” PRESS THAT BUTTON. Your next page will have a large portal at the top right that proclaims “PAY USING MY PAYPAL ACCOUNT!” At the bottom right is a much smaller hyperlink that says “Pay using a credit or debit card.” The little hyperlink at the bottom is where you want to be. BTW, if you use the Paypal “use my checking account” option, the processing of that transaction is not instant; PayPal takes 5-10 business days to hold checking account funds. (They make money off the float.) If your membership is going to expire in a couple of days do not use this option. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-charter-membership-without-paypal/686808/25 "2014-05-16T07:07:46Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > It is very easy to miss the credit car payment hyperlink – it is very small, while the “Use Paypal” option is very very large. > > You find the “use your credit card” option on the page AFTER the “Select Payment Method” window. It’s confusing because Paypal is the processing portal for all transactions, either paying with Paypal OR credit card. But if you get to that page and you see the button that says “Order Using PayPal” PRESS THAT BUTTON. > > Your next page will have a large portal at the top right that proclaims “PAY USING MY PAYPAL ACCOUNT!” At the bottom right is a much smaller hyperlink that says “Pay using a credit or debit card.” The little hyperlink at the bottom is where you want to be. > > BTW, if you use the Paypal “use my checking account” option, the processing of that transaction is not instant; PayPal takes 5-10 business days to hold checking account funds. (They make money off the float.) If your membership is going to expire in a couple of days do not use this option. > > Hope this helps. The problem I’m having is all of these processes go through PayPal. And PayPal is refusing to take my money. It’s refusing to accept my credit card - despite it being a valid credit card which it has always accepted in the past. I thought perhaps PayPal mistakenly thinks I have an account with them. But it has confirmed I do not. How do I get access to the “use my checking account” option you referred to? I’m not seeing it anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-charter-membership-without-paypal/686808/26 "2014-05-16T12:39:06Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > It is very easy to miss the credit car payment hyperlink – it is very small, while the “Use Paypal” option is very very large. > > You find the “use your credit card” option on the page AFTER the “Select Payment Method” window. There is no such option on the page after the ‘Select Payment Method’ window that I can discover. I don’t want to waste your time, and I understand that this is not something that you can fix. I have re-subscribed without any issue. Perhaps another Charter Member in the US can find the option and publish where I am missing it, but that seems to be how it works for me. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-charter-membership-without-paypal/686808/27 "2014-05-16T12:42:18Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The problem I’m having is all of these processes go through PayPal. And PayPal is refusing to take my money. > > It’s refusing to accept my credit card - despite it being a valid credit card which it has always accepted in the past. > > I thought perhaps PayPal mistakenly thinks I have an account with them. But it has confirmed I do not. > > How do I get access to the “use my checking account” option you referred to? I’m not seeing it anywhere. After you log in to PayPal using your checking account should be one of your options, if you set that up in PayPal. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-charter-membership-without-paypal/686808/28 "2014-05-17T01:22:04Z")
I don’t have access to any credit card. I can pay by check, however by then it will be too late. Is there a kind doper I can give my password to who can pay by credit card for me, I will then send a check or money order to you. Not asking for a gift. I just really don’t want to lose my Charter Member status. And before you say it, I am aware that I waited until the last minute. I would be so grateful. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-charter-membership-without-paypal/686808/29 "2014-05-17T01:24:42Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > There is no such option on the page after the ‘Select Payment Method’ window that I can discover. > > I don’t want to waste your time, and I understand that this is not something that you can fix. I have re-subscribed without any issue. Perhaps another Charter Member in the US can find the option and publish where I am missing it, but that seems to be how it works for me. > > Regards, > Shodan I saw no such option either. I then changed the country to something other than United States and the screen refreshed, then I changed it back to US and I can see the option of using another credit card. Very strange. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2014, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-charter-membership-without-paypal/686808/30 "2014-05-17T04:45:27Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > I don’t have access to any credit card. I can pay by check, however by then it will be too late. Is there a kind doper I can give my password to who can pay by credit card for me, I will then send a check or money order to you. Not asking for a gift. I just really don’t want to lose my Charter Member status. And before you say it, I am aware that I waited until the last minute. > > I would be so grateful. A wonderful Doper from Oz took care of this for me. Man I love this place. Such nice people. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renewing-charter-membership-without-paypal/686808.md?page=1)