AMEX and PAYPAL.com
Apr 5, 2002, 7:28 am
#16
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Toronto, ON
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, AA Plat MM
Posts: 3,582
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Flyaway:
Steve M: So What happens at Walmart when the Amex being used is not U.S. issued? How is the transaction approved/ verified? Only U.S. cities/ towns have zip codes. </font>
Steve M: So What happens at Walmart when the Amex being used is not U.S. issued? How is the transaction approved/ verified? Only U.S. cities/ towns have zip codes. </font>
Apr 5, 2002, 10:06 am
#17
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: A Southern locale that ain't the South.
Programs: Bah, HUMBUG!
Posts: 8,014
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ILUVCITIBANK:
WHITEamex,
wrong, sadly.
Limits as recently as 3/19 are like this:
Corporate cards (green, gold, plat, and centurion, purple, orange) - $ 0, yes, that's ZERO per month.
OPTIMA-type cards, whether co-branded or not (ie Delta, Starwood, etc) - $1000/mo
As far as I can tell, now you cannot even get a manual pre-authorization to exceed this $1000/mo.
My wife spends more than this at walmart a month. Well, almost as much. Its a farce and a token IMO. just so they can claim affiliation with paypal (and it *is* an AMEX issue, not a paypal issue).
A real slap in the face to corporate cardholders.</font>
WHITEamex,
wrong, sadly.
Limits as recently as 3/19 are like this:
Corporate cards (green, gold, plat, and centurion, purple, orange) - $ 0, yes, that's ZERO per month.
OPTIMA-type cards, whether co-branded or not (ie Delta, Starwood, etc) - $1000/mo
As far as I can tell, now you cannot even get a manual pre-authorization to exceed this $1000/mo.
My wife spends more than this at walmart a month. Well, almost as much. Its a farce and a token IMO. just so they can claim affiliation with paypal (and it *is* an AMEX issue, not a paypal issue).
A real slap in the face to corporate cardholders.</font>
Apr 6, 2002, 7:55 am
#19
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: SWUSA / AA PLAT, SPG PLAT, AMEX CENTURION, HHONORS Diamond
Posts: 1,420
kanebear,
don't how that can be IF you are saying you were able to get AUTOMATED charges through on your corporate card (gold, plat)...IF OTOH you mean you had to call them in manually, then I am not surprised that you were able to still use your corporate card through the "black period"...I gave up on that antiquated way to charge after AMEX blocked automated corporate card charges some weeks ago.
I've personally spoken to AMEX and paypal repS (yes, more than one at each place, since I rarely have 100% confidence in a single conversation with either of these companies)...and over and over consistently heard that only the OPTIMA-type (co-branded cards included (ie Delta, Starwood)) were able to be used in the automated mode for up to $1000 per month (ie load the charge into paypal, using an OPTIMA card...charge up to $1K per mo, no problem)....and that AMEX corporate gold, plat, etc cards, were outright limited to zero, again via the AUTOMATED PROCESS.
Yes, I am aware there is always the possibility one can call AMEX, ask for an "authorizer" and manually get a charge through...I was able to do that early-on even as AMEX was closing the door on the automated, but not manual system, but then AMEX closed the door entirely FOR paypal-originated charges specificially (by name) and prevented their authorizers from allowing ALL CORPORATE CARD/paypalcharges, even manually. That was my experience at least.
Now - as I posted - something has definitely thawed out at AMEX as recently as this past week....OPTIMA charges (I use the starwood card mostly)....go through fine now...seems to now have a $1000 PER TRANSACTION limit, so I occasionally have to break charges down into multiple sub-$1000 charges...and I also was able to send through some sizeable ($3K+) charges on my Corporate Plat card this past week....though I had to call them in manually still.
Bottom line is I think paypal and AMEX have kissed and made up...w/ AMEX leaving tighter security controls in place than any other V or M/C I use...which is fine w/ me as long as, with appropriate credentials, I can still process my charge, even if manually, and not be blocked entirely.
don't how that can be IF you are saying you were able to get AUTOMATED charges through on your corporate card (gold, plat)...IF OTOH you mean you had to call them in manually, then I am not surprised that you were able to still use your corporate card through the "black period"...I gave up on that antiquated way to charge after AMEX blocked automated corporate card charges some weeks ago.
I've personally spoken to AMEX and paypal repS (yes, more than one at each place, since I rarely have 100% confidence in a single conversation with either of these companies)...and over and over consistently heard that only the OPTIMA-type (co-branded cards included (ie Delta, Starwood)) were able to be used in the automated mode for up to $1000 per month (ie load the charge into paypal, using an OPTIMA card...charge up to $1K per mo, no problem)....and that AMEX corporate gold, plat, etc cards, were outright limited to zero, again via the AUTOMATED PROCESS.
Yes, I am aware there is always the possibility one can call AMEX, ask for an "authorizer" and manually get a charge through...I was able to do that early-on even as AMEX was closing the door on the automated, but not manual system, but then AMEX closed the door entirely FOR paypal-originated charges specificially (by name) and prevented their authorizers from allowing ALL CORPORATE CARD/paypalcharges, even manually. That was my experience at least.
Now - as I posted - something has definitely thawed out at AMEX as recently as this past week....OPTIMA charges (I use the starwood card mostly)....go through fine now...seems to now have a $1000 PER TRANSACTION limit, so I occasionally have to break charges down into multiple sub-$1000 charges...and I also was able to send through some sizeable ($3K+) charges on my Corporate Plat card this past week....though I had to call them in manually still.
Bottom line is I think paypal and AMEX have kissed and made up...w/ AMEX leaving tighter security controls in place than any other V or M/C I use...which is fine w/ me as long as, with appropriate credentials, I can still process my charge, even if manually, and not be blocked entirely.
Apr 9, 2002, 7:36 am
#21
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: SWUSA / AA PLAT, SPG PLAT, AMEX CENTURION, HHONORS Diamond
Posts: 1,420
WhiteAMEX,
Just load your credit card in as one of your credit cards, and when you go to pay a bill, switch out of the default (paypal always wants you to use a brank draft, or better yet, funds maintained in their account, versus using a credit card, for several reasons I won't go into here).
Problem I still see for you here is, last time I tried using my corporate aamex card (last week)...you will need to call in your charges one by one and get them pre-authorized for paypal once you hit $1000/mo, that is for any amex product except the OPTIMA card(s) (ie co-branded starwood, hilton, delta, etc)...which seem now to have only a $1000 per transaction limit, but no aggregate limit per month except your loc itself. Catch 22 since you want to build your *colored* card volume, not any OPTIMA card volume if I recall.
IOW - for some unknown reason, AMEX thinks OPTIMA cardholders are more responsible than amex golds, plats and centurions (at least the corporate version of these "colored" cards)...isn't that special ? I've spoken with several amex folk in recent months...no, they can't explain this divergent approach to paypal b the OPTIMA side versus the "colored card" side either. Seems upper management can't even get the logic out to the organization. IMO of course.
[This message has been edited by ILUVCITIBANK (edited 04-09-2002).]
Just load your credit card in as one of your credit cards, and when you go to pay a bill, switch out of the default (paypal always wants you to use a brank draft, or better yet, funds maintained in their account, versus using a credit card, for several reasons I won't go into here).
Problem I still see for you here is, last time I tried using my corporate aamex card (last week)...you will need to call in your charges one by one and get them pre-authorized for paypal once you hit $1000/mo, that is for any amex product except the OPTIMA card(s) (ie co-branded starwood, hilton, delta, etc)...which seem now to have only a $1000 per transaction limit, but no aggregate limit per month except your loc itself. Catch 22 since you want to build your *colored* card volume, not any OPTIMA card volume if I recall.
IOW - for some unknown reason, AMEX thinks OPTIMA cardholders are more responsible than amex golds, plats and centurions (at least the corporate version of these "colored" cards)...isn't that special ? I've spoken with several amex folk in recent months...no, they can't explain this divergent approach to paypal b the OPTIMA side versus the "colored card" side either. Seems upper management can't even get the logic out to the organization. IMO of course.
[This message has been edited by ILUVCITIBANK (edited 04-09-2002).]
Apr 9, 2002, 4:11 pm
#23
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: A Southern locale that ain't the South.
Programs: Bah, HUMBUG!
Posts: 8,014
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ILUVCITIBANK:
kanebear,
don't how that can be IF you are saying you were able to get AUTOMATED charges through on your corporate card (gold, plat)...IF OTOH you mean you had to call them in manually, then I am not surprised that you were able to still use your corporate card through the "black period</font>
kanebear,
don't how that can be IF you are saying you were able to get AUTOMATED charges through on your corporate card (gold, plat)...IF OTOH you mean you had to call them in manually, then I am not surprised that you were able to still use your corporate card through the "black period</font>
They were automated transactions on my Corporate Platinum. After a certain amount (I can't remember exactly where the line was but it seemed to be around $1,000 a month IIRC) I'd have to call in to get charges authorized. It is a small business corporate (now OPEN, the small business network... oooooooh!) so perhaps that's handled differently.
Apr 9, 2002, 9:11 pm
#24
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: SWUSA / AA PLAT, SPG PLAT, AMEX CENTURION, HHONORS Diamond
Posts: 1,420
WhiteAMEX, what you just said would fly in the face of the very concept of what paypal exists for...not only to move MONEY around the world electronically...but to give the "little guy" the ability to receive CREDIT CARD payments. Not just merchants, but any person in the world who can qualify to get an account open, and then maintain it.
I truly believe you just haven't found the page on this increasingly complex web site. Try this:
Log in, choose PROFILE, then under FINANCIAL INFORMATION (center screen) select "CREDIT CARDS" , find the word "ADD" at the bottom of this fairly-intuitive page, and then start entering the cards you wish to use.
After you enter them, paypal will send two very small, random charges against your account..like $1.20 and $1.08 as examples...and then will ask you to respond back to a specific page in your account with the CHARGE AMOUNT and also the ENCODED TRANSACTION NUMBER of both charges....which of course you'll either have to get online in a few days after the two charges post...OR wait until your hard copy credit card statement arrives and read the TRANSACTION CODE off.
With the AMOUNT(s) and TRANSACTION CODE(s) for both tiny charges, you will be able to CONFIRM your credit card and then start using it. Can't use your credit card until then, however. Best case turn-around from the day you enter a credit card to being able to use it - about 3-5 days in my experience...ie however long it takes for the two charges to POST to your credit card and become available for ONLINE VIEWING. Took Citibank 3 days for me to see the two charges online and pull the critical TRANSACTION CODE NUMBERS and DOLLAR AMOUNTS from the day paypal charged them.
Worst case - however long it takes for your next cycle to END, and then you to get your HARD COPY STATEMENT, if you can't view it online. if your cycle just closed and your credit card doesn't ofer online viewing..ouch...can be 28-32 days away. No way to shorten the time as far as I know.
I find it very tough to believe that paypal will no longer accept new credit card registrations...I think you must not have discovered this part of the paypal site yet.
Hope this helps.
P.S. One thing you might immediately focus on and start making use of - under WHAT's NEW" on the left hand side of the home page...read up on the "BILLPAY" concept. This is an innovative program paypal is rolling out...where you can make numerous payments, especially recurring payments, to vendors all over the world that may not otherwise accept directed CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS, per se (some utilities come to mind)....and more sign up literally daily...I predict this will be a superb feature in next few quarters.
I truly believe you just haven't found the page on this increasingly complex web site. Try this:
Log in, choose PROFILE, then under FINANCIAL INFORMATION (center screen) select "CREDIT CARDS" , find the word "ADD" at the bottom of this fairly-intuitive page, and then start entering the cards you wish to use.
After you enter them, paypal will send two very small, random charges against your account..like $1.20 and $1.08 as examples...and then will ask you to respond back to a specific page in your account with the CHARGE AMOUNT and also the ENCODED TRANSACTION NUMBER of both charges....which of course you'll either have to get online in a few days after the two charges post...OR wait until your hard copy credit card statement arrives and read the TRANSACTION CODE off.
With the AMOUNT(s) and TRANSACTION CODE(s) for both tiny charges, you will be able to CONFIRM your credit card and then start using it. Can't use your credit card until then, however. Best case turn-around from the day you enter a credit card to being able to use it - about 3-5 days in my experience...ie however long it takes for the two charges to POST to your credit card and become available for ONLINE VIEWING. Took Citibank 3 days for me to see the two charges online and pull the critical TRANSACTION CODE NUMBERS and DOLLAR AMOUNTS from the day paypal charged them.
Worst case - however long it takes for your next cycle to END, and then you to get your HARD COPY STATEMENT, if you can't view it online. if your cycle just closed and your credit card doesn't ofer online viewing..ouch...can be 28-32 days away. No way to shorten the time as far as I know.
I find it very tough to believe that paypal will no longer accept new credit card registrations...I think you must not have discovered this part of the paypal site yet.
Hope this helps.
P.S. One thing you might immediately focus on and start making use of - under WHAT's NEW" on the left hand side of the home page...read up on the "BILLPAY" concept. This is an innovative program paypal is rolling out...where you can make numerous payments, especially recurring payments, to vendors all over the world that may not otherwise accept directed CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS, per se (some utilities come to mind)....and more sign up literally daily...I predict this will be a superb feature in next few quarters.
Apr 9, 2002, 10:12 pm
#25
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: A Southern locale that ain't the South.
Programs: Bah, HUMBUG!
Posts: 8,014
FWIW this process only needs to be completed for the first credit card. Paypal will only show the billing address of a credit card as a verified address but adding additional cards is a matter of putting in the credit card number and proper billing address.
Apr 9, 2002, 11:04 pm
#26
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: SWUSA / AA PLAT, SPG PLAT, AMEX CENTURION, HHONORS Diamond
Posts: 1,420
kane, true one can add 2nd and subsequent cards to one account, but there is still a verification process for each new card added; at least there was on my m/c when added about 45 days ago as the 3rd or 4th card to my account.
In fact, it was actually linked to a 2nd paypal account I used infrequently, so had to "de-link" it, then link it back to the more active account.
98% certain each and every card NOW has to be confirmed/verified through this 2x micro-charges process, or whatever term paypal calls it.
I do faintly recall last year...a person could just add a new card and start charging as long as one primary card was confirmed. Is this what you refer to ?
Not so any longer I don't believe. Could be wrong.
In fact, it was actually linked to a 2nd paypal account I used infrequently, so had to "de-link" it, then link it back to the more active account.
98% certain each and every card NOW has to be confirmed/verified through this 2x micro-charges process, or whatever term paypal calls it.
I do faintly recall last year...a person could just add a new card and start charging as long as one primary card was confirmed. Is this what you refer to ?
Not so any longer I don't believe. Could be wrong.
Apr 10, 2002, 8:20 am
#27
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 227
The problem is not with the credit card. It's when I go to send money: I enter the recipients email address, enter the dollar amount, and the type, and submit it. Then on the next screen it shows: "Source of Funds" and the primary source is my bank account, with the back-up being my credit card. I called PayPal and they said they have a new system; and some transactions can't be done with the credit card as the primary. It makes no sense to me. Help!!
Apr 10, 2002, 9:05 am
#28
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: SWUSA / AA PLAT, SPG PLAT, AMEX CENTURION, HHONORS Diamond
Posts: 1,420
WhiteAMEX,
only time I've ever seen something like this is in one of two circumstances: 1) when the RECIPIENT sets his preferences to only receive payments that are FUNDED by bank account or paypal on-hand funds AND/OR 2) when the recipient of you payment is still only signed up on paypal as a BASIC ACCOUNT, in which case paypal prevents them from receiving credit-card-funded payments specifically. This is one of the cute ways paypal essentially forces, over time, every single paypal user to UPGRADE to a higher level service...which I'm going to make a stab and say has a higher commission structure on the recipient's side.
I am not sure why a recipient would not be interested in receiving *any source of funded payment...since I think he/she will pay the 2.95% in-bound commission no matter source of funds...so its really only to paypal's benefit to shift charges from credit card funded to bank/account funded as I understand it.
When I run into A SCENARIO WHERE I CAN'T FUND MY PAYPAL PAYMENT VIA A CREDIT CARD, I will stop where I am, and email the recipient that he/she needs to go into paypal and either UPGRADE their account, or TOGGLE OFF any setting that prevents credit-card funded payments. Once that happens - all is well and I'm back to charging.
Have never been refused by a recipient to go into paypal and fix this, but I might see where a large institution has negotiated w/ paypal to receive payments, but *only if funded non-credit card* to reduce commission hit...which of course would be a bad omen for anyone desiring to use credit card.
I guess I equate paypal with the ability to use credit card in multiple scenarios...so anytime paypal sets hurdles to my use of a credit cad to fund payments, I am concerned. I asked paypal to stop making me have to toggle to a credit card from my bank account on every single payment transaction, and they acted dumb...which of course means they are sly like a fox and have this set up precisely to try to induce payments to be funded through non-credit card sources...because they have liability for chargeback, and also because they are paying a discount to handle that credit card, while a bank-funded transaction is pure (or primarily) profit to them.
Bottom line - you still have not given us enough info to understand what's going on. Who/what entity are you trying to pay va credit card funded payment ? Are you *sure* that recipient hasn't set up some preference setting to not receive credit card funde dpayments ? have you emailed that recipient to go into paypal and change their setting to allow for a credit-card funded payment ? Superficially, it seems still this is the recipient's issue and not a paypal issue, per se.
only time I've ever seen something like this is in one of two circumstances: 1) when the RECIPIENT sets his preferences to only receive payments that are FUNDED by bank account or paypal on-hand funds AND/OR 2) when the recipient of you payment is still only signed up on paypal as a BASIC ACCOUNT, in which case paypal prevents them from receiving credit-card-funded payments specifically. This is one of the cute ways paypal essentially forces, over time, every single paypal user to UPGRADE to a higher level service...which I'm going to make a stab and say has a higher commission structure on the recipient's side.
I am not sure why a recipient would not be interested in receiving *any source of funded payment...since I think he/she will pay the 2.95% in-bound commission no matter source of funds...so its really only to paypal's benefit to shift charges from credit card funded to bank/account funded as I understand it.
When I run into A SCENARIO WHERE I CAN'T FUND MY PAYPAL PAYMENT VIA A CREDIT CARD, I will stop where I am, and email the recipient that he/she needs to go into paypal and either UPGRADE their account, or TOGGLE OFF any setting that prevents credit-card funded payments. Once that happens - all is well and I'm back to charging.
Have never been refused by a recipient to go into paypal and fix this, but I might see where a large institution has negotiated w/ paypal to receive payments, but *only if funded non-credit card* to reduce commission hit...which of course would be a bad omen for anyone desiring to use credit card.
I guess I equate paypal with the ability to use credit card in multiple scenarios...so anytime paypal sets hurdles to my use of a credit cad to fund payments, I am concerned. I asked paypal to stop making me have to toggle to a credit card from my bank account on every single payment transaction, and they acted dumb...which of course means they are sly like a fox and have this set up precisely to try to induce payments to be funded through non-credit card sources...because they have liability for chargeback, and also because they are paying a discount to handle that credit card, while a bank-funded transaction is pure (or primarily) profit to them.
Bottom line - you still have not given us enough info to understand what's going on. Who/what entity are you trying to pay va credit card funded payment ? Are you *sure* that recipient hasn't set up some preference setting to not receive credit card funde dpayments ? have you emailed that recipient to go into paypal and change their setting to allow for a credit-card funded payment ? Superficially, it seems still this is the recipient's issue and not a paypal issue, per se.