Using Paypal at CPA

Paypal provides both shopping cart and checkout/payment services for tens of thousands of merchants worldwide, and has hundreds of millions of user accounts. Paypal is a division of eBay and has a good track record in handling sensitive customer information such as your credit card number(s). 

For nonprofit corporations like CPA, Paypal has the additional benefits of zero monthly charge and very low rates for handling credit card transactions.   In addition, Paypal has made it easy for our limited volunteer staff to install e-commerce features to our website without the need for custom (and expensive) website development and maintenance.

In the future, CPA may have more financial resrources and be in a position to implement an open/custom shopping basket and payment gateway without using Paypal.  But for now, we must live with Paypal. The limitations of Paypal can be minimized using the recommendations below.

Paypal's Drawbacks

In exchange for providing the free services mentioned above, Paypal desires to sign up new Paypal Accounts.  The methods used by Paypal to "encourage" you, the buyer (or donor), to sign up for a Paypal Account are not the most user-friendly.  However, with knowledge the buyer can navigate satisfactorily as described below.

Paypal  uses two methods to complete a web sale:  first, they can pass the sale through your credit card.  In this case, both Paypal and your credit card-issuing bank split approximately 3% of the value of the sale to compensate them for the costs involved in making the transaction. 

Second, Paypal also has the ability, upon your approval, of linking one of your bank accounts to Paypal; if  you select this type of payment the transaction is made through your bank and the credit card-issuing bank is not involved; thus, Paypal collects the entire transaction fee of approximately 3%.  Your bank account is immediately debited; your payment does not pass through a credit card bank first.  This second method is, of course, favored by Paypal. You can avoid this payment path if desired.

If you desire to check out "off line" without providing your credit card information to Paypal

CPA is happy to directly accept your payment, either by personal check, cash, or credit card,   Please call our  office at (831) 625-5181 during business hours to make arrangements.  Credit card transactions can be handled over the phone. 

If you do wish to shop and check out on-line please read futher.  There are two cases:

First Case:  You do not currently have a Paypal Account

If you do not have a paypal account, you can complete transactions through Paypal without being required to sign up for a Paypal Account.

As you check out, you will come to a screen that requests your credit card information.  Fill in this screen, and complete the payment.  At this point you will come to another screen which states that you have completed your purchase and requests you to enter your email and password in order to set up a Paypal Account. You do not need to do this.  Do not make entries into this screen.  However, to  return to the CPA site you may need to navigate back to CPA yourself, i.e. manually enter www.photography.org into your browser URL window.

At some point, you may be required to sign up for a Paypal Account. In this case, feel free to do so because you will need to enter only your preferred email address and your chosen password; your credit card has already been entered (to make the sale).  Immediately, you have a new Paypal Account and Paypal will retain your credit card information. You do NOT need to enter your bank account information for a direct bank debit. The only way you can make purchases through this new Paypal Account is via your Credit Card.

Second Case:  You already have a Paypal Account

If you already have a paypal account, you have the option of paying for your purchases with either a credit card or directly from your Paypal-linked bank account. You are not forced to use your bank account for direct debit.

Typically, Paypal will recognize your computer or your credit card number or your email and will ask if you wish to log into your Paypal account. At this point, click the "continue without log in" and you can pay with your credit card withou logging in.

If for some reason you actually log into your Paypal account, you will be directed to another screen which "assumes" you don't want to use your credit card after all, but do want to do a direct bank debit!  This may be, incorrect.  Therefore, at this point click the button at the bottom marked "continue without logging in". Paypal will ask you again if this is what you want, and please continue to say yes.  At this point, Paypal will allow you to complete your transaction using your credit card and without logging into Paypal.

 Thank you for your interest in buying or donating at CPA.  If you have further questions about shopping or donating online, please feel free to call us at (831) 625-5181.