PayPal Brings Mobile Payments To U.S. 130
An anonymous reader writes "PayPal is bringing the eastern use of the cellphone as a payment method to the United States. The company's mobile service aims to use secure text messages as a payment method for direct-marketing initiatives and other 'on-the-spot' mercantile opportunities." From the article: "To the extent that digital money doesn't feel like real money, it may increase spontaneous purchasing ... " This story offers more details on a discussion we had last month.
Oh good! (Score:5, Funny)
PayPal sucks (Score:2, Informative)
What do I need to know about PayPal and what about the lawsuit?
http://www.paypalsucks.com/ [paypalsucks.com]
1. According to PayPal accepting their ToS (Terms of Service) in effect means you waive your rights to credit card consumer protection laws if you want to use their service, and that you may not issue a chargeback for unauthorized use of your credit card and PayPal account, or if you do, then they have the right to limit your account. Is this legal? We don't know. But it's how Paypal operat
Re:PayPal sucks (Score:2, Interesting)
Alternatively, pester your elected representatives for some legislation compatible with the relevant EU stuff. Get some proper Data Protection laws while you're at it.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:PayPal sucks (Score:1)
how are those viagra sales doing?
seriously I don't trust followup issues from merchants with a good rating if they limit to a non-disputable pay. You really must have a perfect 0 complaints or really undersale your potential customer base.
Re: (Score:1)
Re:PayPal sucks (Score:1, Funny)
Re:PayPal sucks (Score:1)
Re:PayPal sucks (Score:1)
My American bank charges $25 per transfer to do this, dumbass. It's not crippled and uncommon, it's expensive . That's why people don't do bank transfers in the USA.
Re:PayPal sucks (Score:2)
It isn't like I'm gonna stop carrying a wallet any time soon....gotta have my drivers license with me and other important cards.
I usually have cash (1st choice), Amex (2nd choice), or a Visa card for when Amex isn't taken...
Now, why do I need to add the complexity of PayPal and a cell phone for normal every day transactions? Sure, PayPal is handy for eBay, but, that's about a
Re:PayPal sucks (Score:1)
Great (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Great (Score:4, Informative)
Whether the fees charged by credit card gateways are too much is another matter, and seems like it might be the case. I seem to recall class-action suits being brought against Mastercard by merchants because they felt the fees they charged were unjustified.
The fact of the matter though, is that although as a consumer you generally don't realize it, merchants always take a hit on credit sales and it's not always small. There are plenty of legitimate complaints about paypal and I don't see this as being one.
Re:Great (Score:1)
The parents shouldn't be flame bait (Score:2, Interesting)
Since here (in Israel) the credit cards are the same as in any other part of the world (Visa , MC , AMex , Diners) I don't see why should small merchants pay the
Re:The parents shouldn't be flame bait (Score:2)
Re:The parents shouldn't be flame bait (Score:1)
Specially considering the fact that there are more CC clearing companies in the US than here . Logic says US merchants should enjoy lower rates , don't you think ?
Re:The parents shouldn't be flame bait (Score:2)
Logical (Score:4, Insightful)
Paypal has diversified into many diferent branches and while this new mobile payment may be subject to some criticism and a degree of scepticism it is likely that this will come to be as pervasive as credit cards.
Even more logical (Score:2)
Then you could transfer funds without paying cellphone fees.
For example, you could make payments over the infrared interface of a PDA. You could even "beam" someone money to settle a restuarant bill.
This would also be possible with 1999 techology.
In fact it was done, and this is one of the key PayPal features from their launch. It got quietly dropped on the floor a few years later.
Re:Even more logical (Score:2)
Re:Even more logical (Score:1)
http://www.billmonk.com/ [billmonk.com]
BillMonk vs. PayPal Mobile (Score:2)
I can see the two complementing each other, though. In fact, I think it is BillMonk's goal to partner up with services like PayPal.
I love BillMonk, by the way.
Re:Even more logical (Score:2)
What we are talking about here (and what most people need) is a system that makes transferring small amounts of money as simple as it is with old-fashioned paper and metal currency. That's what the defunct PayPal program did.
Re:Logical (Score:1)
Re:Logical (Score:2)
Is it? Why? And omnipresent means PayPal is already everywhere... how can that be increasing?
Paypal has diversified into many diferent branches
What branches? Online payments and debit/credit cards come to mind. That's two.
Anything new might be subject to criticism and skepticism. You could say that about cops walking the
What I want... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:What I want... (Score:5, Insightful)
uh... (Score:2)
Re: What I want... (Score:1)
You can also scan barcodes with Barcode/13 [treoware.com] and look them up yourself. Hold down a button for a while and Barcode/13 "scans" and copies the barcode to the Palm clipboard. Unfortunately, the pictures that my Treo 600 takes are too saturated for it to work. I've heard that it works really well with the 650's camera, though.
An ounce of prevention... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:An ounce of prevention... (Score:2)
Same as prepaid charge card, paypal damage is limited to the credit backing it. (link it to your bank account, bad, link it to the same charge cards they already carry, no change.)
as others have said, your recourse may be a bit more questionable through paypal. (but have you read your credit cards policy? most have in home state, and extreme time limits, and a mulit page dispute form that must be mailed within a short period o
Re:An ounce of prevention... (Score:1)
The perfect model (Score:4, Insightful)
1) Act and charge like a real bank, but don't say you're one.
2) Offer no real customer service, treat customers like thieves, offer no financial protection, unlike a real bank don't be forced to implement security and continity controls
3) Profit!
What parent poster is talking about (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:What parent poster is talking about (Score:1, Troll)
They are not a bank: dont use them as a bank.
Re:The perfect model (Score:2)
"Troll" is wrong. Mod parent up to 2, pls (Score:2)
Moreover, the parent post did not go into much detail. So I can even see where an ignorant modder might think that the post is a troll.
However, there have been *tons* of people cheated by Paypal in combination with real thieves. I am one of them. That is, Paypal showed that they have no incentive to either use the insurance that they advertised they had; and they showed that they had
Re:"Troll" is wrong. Mod parent up to 2, pls (Score:2)
Short and sharp was my motto, and it will probably be my undoing.
Appreciate the added commentary surrounding my post. For right or for wrong, I can see around 50% believe it's troll and the other 50% believe its informative.
Good day!
The Original Concept (Score:2, Informative)
Maybe their original idea was simply ahead of its time.
TextPayMe already does this (Score:4, Informative)
I'm confused (Score:2)
SIM cards & phones can be cloned. IIRC, the text messaging network is susceptible to a DOS. Your cellphone isn't a credit card... you can't exactly charge back someone else's impulse buy.
Re:I'm confused (Score:3, Funny)
</cynicism>
Re:I'm confused (Score:2)
So you use something else and write software for the phones to handle it - most phones can run java applications these days and I've heard of RSA authentication even being used on the humble Z80 processor (and phones have faster processors than that). A couple of years ago software and back end hardware for this task was developed by a small company in a provincial city in Australia to be used in fuel stations in Italy. Surely a very large US company
Re:I'm confused (Score:1)
Nothing logical about this (Score:5, Interesting)
if i want music, i want it now, so if i'm shopping i will buy it at the campus music store, or if i am home i will buy it on itunes. the only time i buy cd's online at all are when they are not on itunes or at the cd store.
there's still hope though!
what if i could buy my movie tickets on my phone instead of waiting in line at the theater? that would actually be cool.
Re:Nothing logical about this (Score:2)
Re:Nothing logical about this (Score:2)
You meant fandango, not handango, right? handango.com sells Palm OS apps. fandango.com sells movie tickets.
(I don't know how that's supposed to work on your phone, though. On your computer, it generates a ticket to print out and take with you. Most cell phones, last time I checked, don't have built-in printers.)
Re:Nothing logical about this (Score:2)
Re:Nothing logical about this (Score:2)
Re:Nothing logical about this (Score:2)
All the more reason... (Score:2)
Nice... (Score:5, Funny)
We'll call it Pay4Pal.
Re:Nice... (Score:2)
And when the phone is stolen? (Score:1)
Re:And when the phone is stolen? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:And when the phone is stolen? (Score:2)
Re:And when the phone is stolen? (Score:2)
Re:And when the phone is stolen? (Score:2)
Yes, I should understand how the PayPal service works [paypalsucks.com].
"Stop being just another /. PayPal troll."
Thank you, Anonymous Coward, for your helpful advice on Slashdot trolling.
"unless you write down on your phone that #1 you linked it to a PayPal account, and #2 your PIN, then you should be fine."
I've known Muslim women who were more streetwise than you.
Here's a tip. Next time you're out in a public place, and you us
Re:And when the phone is stolen? (Score:1)
Vending machines, ticket wickets and even some bullet trains now have the IC proximity sensors to detect a nearby phone. This technology is espeically prevelant in train stations throughout the Tokyo area. With the ticket wickets, you just pass your phone over the sensor and you are charged, no confirmation or PIN required. According to the Doco [nttdocomo.co.jp]
Good Idea Gone Horribly Wrong (Score:4, Insightful)
A tangentially related way to see how abusive things are in the association world is Walmart wants to open a "bank" so they can keep a piece of the Visa/MC Association rent.
The way this will be implemented will be the same old very inefficient way of processing payments with each company in the "chain" demanding their pound of flesh along the way.
This idea is DOA.
You definitely need centralization... (Score:3, Insightful)
Of course it needs a centralized network. Otherwise, what's to prevent me from hacking my phone and changing the amount of money that I have?
I understand what you're saying, in a sense: the transaction processing does not have to be centralized but it definitely must be authoritative. Without an authority, you must trust the phone
Re:Yes and No (Score:2)
"Bad" phones have their key revoked.
This mentality is exactly why the Association gets to abuse individuals.
Re:Good Idea Gone Horribly Wrong (Score:2)
You said the problem has been solved before, I'd like to know what that solution is. I am skeptical as it would seem that the cell network providers would want a hefty piece of the action, these are the bastards that charge $3 for a 3 month expiring 100x100 wallpaper.
Re: U.S. Navy (Score:2)
Practically all the cash aboard U.S. Navy ships is replaced with an electronic purse. Authorization is handled between the terminal and the card. No network required.
And, yes, the wireless providers are their own worst enemy in this situation. They definitely can't see the forest through the trees. Which is why they'll probably be the last ones to do it.
PayPal International Support (Score:5, Interesting)
Every time I see a PayPal donate / purchase button I'm automatically filtered out since they just don't support my country and declineto accept my credit cards if I try to sign up.
For what is considered the most popular micropayments system in the world, they'd do better to hurry up and actually support the world..
Pfff, I don't even have a credit card (Score:2)
Wich means shopping outside my own country is out of the question.
I only care for MMO games especially since the answer exists. Just look at Sony. They use a company called GlobalCollect who make it their business to have payment system everywhere.
Sadly most companies online are american and they can't understand the concept of not having a credit card.
Oh well. Less chance of me wasting my money I suppose. Like on that oblivion horse armour. Credit card only you say? Oh well, wonder if someone already po
Re:PayPal International Support (Score:2)
I don't expect them to particularly care about anything seeing how abysmal is the tech support and service for their already existing customers.
Re:PayPal International Support (Score:5, Informative)
Thanks for standing behind an old stereotype that offers quick answers. However you may notice that "fraudsters" script kiddies can obtain US credit card numbers and then sign up without problems for PayPal.
It's guys like me who want to sign up with their own credit card that have the problem. The credit card operators in Bulgaria are the same as those well known internationally (MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club etc.).
And to bust another stereotype, it's not "most other financial institutions" that don't support Eastern Europe, from the big payment processing companies, the problem is specifically with PayPal.
Re:PayPal International Support (Score:3, Informative)
Re:PayPal International Support (Score:2)
True crime... (Score:2)
Re:True crime... (Score:2)
Sadly there's too much worry about everything here to adopt any new technology -- so we'll always be 5-10 years behind the rest of t
Re:True crime... (Score:2)
Where another person picks it up, says, "Hey, cool! It's got a couple hundred bucks still on it!" and proceeds to buy something else, and then leaves it in the back of a cab, where somebody else finds it and
So I'm on the street in new york.. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re:So I'm on the street in new york.. (Score:1)
Reviews of people who've done offers like this: http://www.ratetheoffers.com/ [ratetheoffers.com]
Besides. My sig is irrelevent to the point of my post. I was posting concerning the security of paypal's new service, not anything to do with the offer I have in my sig.
Re:So I'm on the street in new york.. (Score:1)
You: "Sure, what's the number?"
Guy: "Um..."
There you go, problem solved.
Re:So I'm on the street in new york.. (Score:2)
Guy: "Hi, sir, Could you help a poor man out and let me borrow your cell phone for a quick moment to call my family? I'm going to be late for my daughter's birthday."
Me: "Sure. Just put this bluetooth headset on
Guy: "Uh, I have a meeting to get to
Donate NOW! (Score:2, Insightful)
Nice, no more silly receipts (Score:2)
Re:Nice, no more silly receipts (Score:2)
Honestly, having your local MegaStores not having an eight-fo
correction (Score:1, Interesting)
1) Your kids can't spend your money. You still need a paypal account to buy things, which they don't have.
2) Your money can't be stolen. You text the request for money to be sent, and they CALL YOU BACK, asking for your PIN number. If you are the only one who knows your PIN, no unauthorized transactions can go through.
3) this service can be convient for magazine and catalog shopping. No need to call in, or go to a computer.
Re: (Score:2)
PayPal is hardware? (Score:2)
Re:PayPal is hardware? (Score:1)
If they were going to include the story, they had to put it somewhere ! Where would you put it - under "games" ?
Re:PayPal is hardware? (Score:1)
Sorry about that, folks. Forgot to use the preview button !
"Your account access has been limited" (Score:2)
Fantastic (Score:3, Funny)
Secure? Yeah right. (Score:2)
Will they allow phones that do not suport this level of security? I would guess yes they will, because I dont think it will be secure in anyway.
Re:Secure? Yeah right. (Score:1)
Security and usage (Score:2)
What's a 'secure' text message?
Also as 'in USA nobody uses text messaging [slashdot.org]' who is going to use it?
People actually have to pay to receive texts in the US (utterly idiotic at best) - is this how they are going to generate (even more) revenue from users? Will we see tiered text pricing from operators as they are able to effectively tax users?
Re:Security and usage (Score:2)
Yes, or if not that then something equally ridiculous.
Vending Machines (Score:2)
But it is ideal for vending machines. How often have you wanted something from a vending machine but had no change or cash on hand? Being able to text a message to a vending machine to pay for an ideam would be extremely handy.
I am sure that I have read elsewhere that a system like this was already in use in Europe or Japan. Can anyone comment?
Taxis too... (Score:2)
Spontaneous spending = disaster (Score:2)
Yeah, this is what we need in the U.S.: more consumers spending money at random.
We already have a negative savings rate [msn.com] combined with large amounts of consumer debt (for some of us at least). Thrown in the continuing increases in government borrowing [kansascity.com] and you have a royal, financial mess.
I've said it for well over a decade (maybe 2 decades) that the only reason this country keeps running
paypal sucks, dont let your CC expire (Score:1)
Re:Great (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Great (Score:2)
Yes, but this increase in choice could be used to add "extremely unique" financial management tomes to that American's personal space to enhance their pecuniary experiences.
Consumerism? (Score:1)
Though this is consumerism at its worst, and the same people who can't resist wasting all their money on internet poker, waste their money on those SMS services. However the e