PayPal Alternatives: "Do You Have a Backup Plan?"

Many people think that in order to do business online

you need to have an expensive merchant account to

have the ability to take payments by credit card from

your customers. Nothing could be further from the

truth. Merchant accounts can be hard to get and the

monthly fees can really add up.

So what’s an honest Internet Entrepreneur to do?

The answer for most is Paypal.com. It’s easy to

set up an account, and fees are low and depend on

your monthly sales (for most it will be 2.9%

and .30 per transaction). You’ll find most Net

users trust and use PayPal for their everyday

purchases, so they won’t have a problem using

it on your website to purchase from you.

However, relying solely on PayPal.com for your

business can be risky. Should you ever lose

your PayPal account or you have it “frozen,”

your online income will come to a screeching halt.

You need a backup plan; another way to accept

payments — or you’ll have to close up shop.

This is the same thing as relying on one stream

of income. If you lose your job your only source

of revenue dries up as well. That’s why multiple

streams are best to keep you in the green.

So who are some of the others? I thought

you’d never ask:

1) Bidpay: http://www.BidPay.com

This service is available only for those who buy

and sell at online auctions. Buyers use their

credit or debit card to make their purchases

from you and BidPay sends you a Western Union

Money Order or the payment is directly deposited

into your checking account if you live in the

U.S.

2) CCNow: http://CCNow.com

A shopping cart solution that also allows

you to take all major credit cards without

a merchant account. They pay you your earnings

twice a month and while your money is sitting

on account it earns 1.5% APR.

3) DigiBuy: [http://www.DigiBuy.com]

For those who sell software. Puts you in

control of pricing, order forms, and delivery

options. Pricing varies with two service levels

to choose from. Your earnings are paid to you

monthly minus their 13.9% per transaction fee

($3.00 minimum). Digibuy allows you to accept

payments by Visa, MasterCard, Amex,Discover or

Diners Club.

4) Ikobo: http://www.IKobo.com

With merchant fees at $2.99 plus .29 per transaction,

and no extra fees for international transactions.

You can sell to buyers in 170 countries. Pay-

ments are deposited to your bank account or to

your Ikobo Visa debit card.

5) 2CheckOut: http://www.2CheckOut.com

It will run you $49.00 to open an account, then

it’s .45 per sale and 5.5% of the sales amount.

Includes free shopping cart and codes to add

to your website. Will also work with your existing

shopping cart if you just need a way to take credit

card payments. Can be used for tangible or digital

download products. With 2CheckOut, you can take

payment from all credit cards and even check and

debit card payments.

6) ClickBank: http://www.ClickBank.com

A great service which I’ve used for years.

Good for selling digital products and comes

with a built-in affiliate program. You’ll have

to pay a one time fee of $50.00, then it’s only

$1.00 plus 7.5% of each transaction. Allows you

to take payments from all credit card types.

7) ShareIt: http://www.ShareIt.com

For selling software and shareware online. Your

customers can pay by credit card or debit cards

even checks. Receive your money by check or

electronic transfer to your bank account. Fees

are based per transaction with no monthly charges.

8) ProPay: http://www.ProPay.com

Accept payments by credit card via the web or

even by phone. Funds are deposited into your

ProPay account. You can get a ProPay MasterCard

to access your funds or transfer your

earnings to your bank account. They have four

types of accounts to choose from: Basic, Premium,

Premium Plus, Platinum, with annual pricing

from $34.95 all the way up to $299.95, depending

on the features and type of account you need.

9) Ibill: http://tinyurl.com/3oc88

For businesses selling services and subscriptions.

Gives you the ability to accept payments by Visa,

MasterCard, Discover, JCB, Online Checks, even

by phone via a special 900 toll free number.

Fees vary, but if you reside in the U.S. and

your sales are from $0 to $9,999, the charge

is 15.19% in a billing period.

10) Money Bookers: http://moneybookers.com/app/

Money Bookers offers a merchant feature that allows

you to create order buttons for your website and

be paid by credit card. Fees range from 2% all

the way up to 8%, depending on how payments are

made. No setup or monthly fees. You can accept

payments from over 30 countries. Money can be

transferred instantly to your bank account.

Don’t wait for disaster to strike before opening

another web based payment account. Like a “good

scout,” you want to be prepared in the event you

need a backup. You never know what tomorrow will

bring so get your house in order now.

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