Paypal Tip Jars

[k_a_webb]

I'm not certain if anyone else has seen it, but when I edited my tip jar today I saw this: Note: This button is intended for fundraising. If you are not raising money for a cause, please choose another option. Not-for-profit organisations must verify their status to withdraw the donations they receive. Users that are not verified not-for-profit organisations must demonstrate how their donations will be used, once they raise more than $10,000 USD.

Maybe it's time for them to create a crowdfunding button, for those of us who do use them, because there is no other option for permitting people to give what they want. Fortunately I think it's going to be a very long time before I reach it - I just know there are other people who might much quicker than I do, so I wanted to warn everyone, as I don't remember seeing anything about this here.

Comments

[aldersprig]

This has come up a few times before. I'm thinking that we need a petition, honestly.

[k_a_webb]

Would they bother to listen. They must know, by now, how many crowdfunders do use it. Some of us don't make a lot, but I was checking how long Elizabeth's fishbowl had been going and she's been doing it since 2010, so I can't help wondering how close she is to that $10,000 limit.

Then I have to take into consideration conversion. I'm in the UK, so $10,000, for me, is £6,296. I doubt I'm going to make that much any time soon, but it's really not that much in the grand scheme of things.

Yes...

[ysabetwordsmith]

A petition would be a good idea.

Well...

[ysabetwordsmith]

The issue has been raised before, and PayPal has hassled one or two people, but usually they don't.

Ideally the functionality of the payment button should be the free choice of the service users. There is a massive problem endemic to most or all online money-handlers: they think they can tell other people what to do with their money. What we really need is a co-op style money-handler rather than the bank-like ones, so it would listen to user needs.

Co-op payment service

[zeeth_kyrah]

That'd be awesome. A co-op escrow and micro-loan service (essentially a credit union) would make an excellent service worldwide. Micro-loans tend to get great return on investment as long as due diligence is done, and escrow services generally make money off investments and interest using the money in their holdings. By combining them, you'd get a cooperative business that eventually shouldn't need external funding to operate.

I have no idea exactly how credit unions work within the banking system, but I'd look forward to a trustworthy alternative to PayPal.

Re: Well...

[clare_dragonfly]

That would be really awesome. I've never liked PayPal, but I use it because there doesn't seem to be a useful alternative.

[chordatesrock]

Their pay now buttons can allow buyers to choose their own price; just don't fill in that field yourself and it has the same functionality as a donate button.

[itsamellama]

Curious, how do you find the pay now button that allows you to set a price? :o

[chordatesrock]

Any pay now button will work that way. When you're creating it, just don't set a price. See where it gives you the choice to give the price of the item you're selling? Do nothing with that.

[itsamellama]

I... did not know this! I think I will play with this soonish. Thank you!