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PAY PAL ACCOUNTS! READ THIS!!!

Forums: Questions and Answers About Building Your Site
Created on: 10/22/10 08:11 PM Views: 1826 Replies: 13
Friday, October 22, 2010 at 8:11 PM

Hey guys! I need some feedback! I am attempting to set up a PayPal account and I am being told that to have a "donate" button on my site I have to be able to "prove" I am a non-profit. Unless I am way out of the loop, most of the reunion committees are not set up with 501 C (3) status but they have "donate" buttons on their site.

Pay Pal is telling me I have to use a "shopping cart" button instead of a "donate" button. What the heck? They have their compliance dept. looking into this!

I have never pretended to be anything other than what we are, we do have a EIN number but we are not set up as a non-profit with by-laws, a constitution and Board of Directors.

I find this abominable!!!! What are others' experience with this. At the moment I am certainly ready to say to PayPal fugetaboutit!

What say ye?
Denise

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Edited 10/22/10 8:20 PM
Friday, October 22, 2010 at 8:23 PM - Response #1

Hi Denise,

You may have accidently choose the option for non-profit when you went to start the process. If you follow the link in the home page donation module that takes you to a business paypal account option they ask you the type of organization and you'll need to select one of the options. It is okay to select For Profit (which simply means you are not designated as a non-profit) and you should be able to open an account.

Although paypal is not always consistent with their responses to approvals they tyipcally don't request non-profit information unless somewhere in the application there has been an accidently selection for non-profit status.

Jessica
Class Creator Support


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Friday, October 22, 2010 at 8:31 PM - Response #2

Jessica,
Can I go back into PayPal without being involved with their compliance dept?

DKD

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Friday, October 22, 2010 at 8:43 PM - Response #3

Did you open a business account the first time? If not go back to the link under the donation module and you can apply for a new one there.

If you did open a business account the first time you can ask them to convert the account to for profit or ask if they can delete it so you can start over.

Jessica


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Friday, October 22, 2010 at 8:51 PM - Response #4

I am going to have to wait for their email because when I go in they will not delete it or I will not be able to open another account under the same name.

It is frustrating but I am way ahead on this and don't need it right away.

DKD

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Saturday, October 23, 2010 at 11:59 AM - Response #5

Denise,

I followed the instructions in the Donations module. However, I've had a Premier Account with PayPal for years. So, it was a breeze on my end. If you have an account, check to see what type of account it is.

By the way, I've not had a problem working with PayPal. I suggest you CALL them. It is much easier than the email routine. Finding a number to call, is key. Their system takes you to asking a question to look up in their help forum. You say NO it did not help, then you are given a code to use that expires within 24 hours (I think). You must have that code when you call. I believe it is a good way to weed out unnecessary calls.

My calls to PayPal were in setting up the buttons for my reunion before our class opened a checking account. Then I moved the payments to CC's setup.

It is good to get ahead. Great thinking!

Gwen


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Saturday, October 23, 2010 at 12:38 PM - Response #6

Gwen et al,
Your letter came in as I was on the phone with the compliance dept. of Pay Pal. They have restored my account and understand who I am and what I am trying to do. She did tell me that a "donate" button will not be used as we are not really asking people to "donate" (but they are, regardless of whether they get to a reunion or not!)

Not knowing exactly WHAT is going to show up when I do throw the switch, I am going to use my Class Creator verbiage to make it very clear what is going on. I will probably put a note on the home page. I will probably put a note on my "What's New Link" as sometimes people look at that first.

We have had accounts since 1980, two of them actually but only have one now and don't want to make any changes to that at present.

The great news is that I have received numerous requests TO donate. I have emailed persons and told them to send me checks. That hasn't happened but if this is there, who knows what will happen? When all is set up, I personally will test it with $5.00 and see if it goes.

I never thought it would be such a hassle, but as you say, talking with someone (and someone who would actually TALK with me, not like the person I talked with last night!) as in everything, makes all the difference.

I will return to this post when all is complete and working.

Denise

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Saturday, October 23, 2010 at 12:46 PM - Response #7

Denise,

If you have an account with PayPal, simply start with CC's Donate module and it will walk you through it. You want to do it that way... not PayPal's way.

When I look at my PayPal summary, it shows exactly what each amount is for: DONATION or what I named the reunion fees. I have downloaded it all into my Quicken program, too. It is great to have it right from the start and another timesaver.

The first 'help' I received from PayPal messed up my buttons. There are times their customer service does not understand .. as I believe you noted.

Good luck! It should be easy if you follow the CC way. Smile

Gwen


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Edited 10/23/10 12:49 PM
Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 9:47 PM - Response #8

Denise.

I'm trying to decide whether to use CC Reunion Planner and Payment Method which charges 4.9% or Paypal which charges 2.9% plus .30 per transaction. Essentially the difference for $100 item is $3.20 versus $4.90 ($1.70 difference) X 200 attendees = almost $300.

My sense is CC is better because it can capture all registration details and has reports.

Can you use both CC Planner and Paypal.

Or do you recommend the efficiency and costs of CC Reunion Planner.

I may have to persuade my reunion committee that 5% is worth the convenience.

Any bullet points you would suggest, if you do in fact recommend CC reunion planner and the CC payment method.

thanks

Philip

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Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 9:58 PM - Response #9

I am just getting started so I really can't answer for you. I opened the Pay Pal because people wanted to "donate" just "because" and I needed a way to facilitate that.

I think a better way to deal with registrations is to offer a "pay early" and build this and any fees into the costs. We have a specific budget and we also got a couple of good sized donations to give us a buffer so I am not worrying about it as much.

If I have to, I will enter registration information "on the back side", but I haven't come to that place yet. I plan to use the reunion planner for registration.

My reunion committee realizes that 5% is part of the process. It will make our job easier on the other end.

Hope I have helped.
Denise

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Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 11:10 PM - Response #10

Thanks so much Denise. Very helpful. I just posted it in a separate post for others to respond too. Phil

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Monday, December 13, 2010 at 7:58 AM - Response #11

That's probably a good idea. I hope I get those posts because I am still in process and may make changes! Or may use "both", one for the "extra donations" and the other for regular reunion registrations. That might be good. We have dozens of people who cannot come but for the first time seem to want to donate for all the mailings that have come to them etc. etc. and to keep the site up! I take all money!

DKD

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Friday, January 28, 2011 at 6:12 PM - Response #12

I followed the CC instructions for Donate button with PayPal. Got the obligatory "limited functionality" email from them. Called their customer service department and they took down the info. Their compliance department will look at the site and restore functionality within 48 hours.

PayPal cust service was helpful and the person I got gets these questions often and understood what was happening.

I have gotten a bunch of donations so far and everything went fine.

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Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 7:05 PM - Response #13

I did the same thing initially, accidentally hit the selection for Non Profit. Yes, it was a hassle, but within a couple weeks they fixed it just fine. No problems since. The Paypal stays active during their fairly length Compliace Process.

I found the better part of valor with them was to just state that I messed up and hit wrong link, and yes my classmates Donate to help me personally maintain the site.

Works great!

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