Anyone use Paypal for Pack/Troop Payments

[AlabamaDan]

We're thinking about using PayPal as a way for parents to pay dues, pay for outings, etc. It would be very convienient for the parents and maybe the treasurer. I'm not sure if we could do it without fees. Anyone else ever used it?

[mdlscouting]

Just an FYI: If you go that route, SOAR (http://www.soarol.com/) is a Scout specific website provider that has Paypal functionality built in.

 

From what I can tell, their stuff looks really solid. We went with a different solution for a website, but if you are going down the paypal road anyway, that might make it a bit easier.

[Pack212Scouter]

I set up paypal for our unit several years ago. It greatly helped with getting things paid on time. It was pretty straightforward, just remember if you set it up as a "charity" on their applications, they will require 501© paperwork. It is not necessary to set it up as such.

 

Additionally, your treasurer will need to transfer the funds to your unit account regularly, as it is not automatic.

 

As for fees. For most units, they will run 2.9% plus $.30 per transaction. We simply built the fees into the paypal price.

[packsaddle]

I would strongly advise against it. I have a PayPal account and have some first hand experience with theft of your identity, making fraudulent charges against your PayPal account.

PayPal says they will refund fraudulent charges. They do. What they don't tell you is the process for getting the refund.

 

1) First, you never know when someone will purchase something using your PayPal account until you either review the account or see an email notification of the fraudulent charges. You are the only fraud detection mechanism in place. I luckily saw the charges go through mine within minutes of the action. This did not help much because....

 

2) Paypal, even if you notify them immediately, will still take your money. If you have Paypal linked to your bank account (don't do this under ANY circumstance) the funds will be automatically transferred and you probably won't be able to stop it even if you go to your bank. At this point PayPal, in spite of having been notified of fraud, has just transferred your money to the crooks. It is now incumbent on YOU to present your claim of fraudulent payment so that PayPal can investigate. This is the way they dealt with me.

 

3) Now that you have gone through the PayPal fraudulent claim process, you wait. days. weeks. In my case a legitimate vendor sold their product to a crook using my account. PayPal will give you no information on whether the fraud originated with the vendor or a third party. You will be kept in the dark and you will not know what the investigation is doing, or WHETHER THEY WILL DECIDE TO GIVE YOU YOUR MONEY BACK OR NOT.

 

4) The waiting period could impact your ability to do business. You will not be able to delete your bank account from PayPal until the claims are resolved and your bank will be reluctant to take any action other than closing the bank account which will further complicate the matter. So you will wait for an indefinite time during which those stolen funds are no longer available.

 

5) IF you are successful, after a fairly long time you'll have the funds credited to your account. You'll quickly terminate the link to your bank or else you'll quickly terminate your PayPal account.

 

6) Try to find another way to do business.

Take it from someone who's been there, and done that.