Pocket PC Thoughts Now Accepts Credit Cards for Subscriber Services

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/subscribe.php' target='_blank'>http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/subscribe.php</a><br /><br /></div>Based on the volume of feedback I received when we launched our subscriber services, I've spent the past couple of months investigating credit card processing services, and I'm pleased to announce that you can now <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/subscribe.php">subscribe</a> to Pocket PC Thoughts' enhanced suite of services using any major credit card (VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, etc.). I hope that this will make it easy for everyone to support Pocket PC Thoughts without some of the potential hassles of using PayPal or sending in a money order. If you haven't heard about <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/subscribe.php">subscriber</a> services yet, <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?topic_id=14411">please give this a read.</a><br /><br />I'm paying a little more for the credit card processing than I am for using PayPal, but I've kept the subscriber pricing the same for everyone. I don't think it's fair to penalize anyone for using a credit card, so I'll eat the extra cost. But if you're trying to decide between a Lite or Full subscription, maybe this will nudge you towards a Full one. :wink:<br /><br />The service I've chosen to use is <a href="http://www.2checkout.com/cgi-bin/aff.2c?affid=81516">2Checkout.com</a>. That's an affiliate URL, and I signed up with them as an affiliate because I'm pretty darn impressed with how easy and fast their system is to use. :-) If you've ever wanted to accept credit cards on your Web site, I highly recommend them - I was amazed at how quickly I was able to get up and running (about 10 minutes total). It's so fast and easy to set up new items for sale that I'm also using their system for our online advertising, and for some upcoming Pocket PC Thoughts products (such as the coveted <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/subscribe/microlight.htm">Pocket PC Thoughts Elite Microlight</a>, and perhaps a few things you can wear!)<br /><br />I should note that when you subscribe with a credit card, I have to manually enable subscriber services on your account and send you a confirmation email, so it may take up to 48 hours for me to do so (I'll try to do it fast!). Also, if you're from a country with a high rate of credit card fraud, there will be a delay on enabling subscriber services while 2Checkout does several fraud detection tests. Once they tell me it's all clear, you'll be good to go. :way to go:

[berzins]

Was I number one? I subscribed today before you made the announcement not even realizing it. Hope I did not screw something up!

Dave...

[Jason Dunn]

Was I number one? I subscribed today before you made the announcement not even realizing it. Hope I did not screw something up!

Yes, you were the first! :way to go:

[Wuss912]

Was I number one? I subscribed today before you made the announcement not even realizing it. Hope I did not screw something up!

Dave...
ooh ooh i want to be number too!!!! :lol:

[petvas]

Jason that's great news. I have subscribed and paid with Paypal a few days ago but I must admit I wasn't comfortable with them...

[darrylb]

Thanks Jason, Another fine example of seeking customer satisfaction. The subscriber services are great and this is a great way to respond to feedback. 8)

[griph]

Nice one Jason - always a good idea to give customers as many ways to pay as possible - that way you are unlikely to loose one.

[Fzara]

Jason that's great news. I have subscribed and paid with Paypal a few days ago but I must admit I wasn't comfortable with them...

I suscribed as well. Within minutes I received an email from PayPal, but Janak told me not to send my password to the link within that email. Seems like its a fradulent email to new PayPal suscribers.

This is great news! I bit the bullet a couple weeks ago and used PayPal after finding no alternative to a direct way to buy in my suscription. I definitely think the direct credit card approach is much more professional than using PayPal IMHO.

[admdvs]

i also use 2checkout.com for my credit card processing.. they are GREAT !

http://otrland.com

..adam

[Janak Parekh]

(going slightly OT, apologies to Kati & Steve...)

I suscribed as well. Within minutes I received an email from PayPal, but Janak told me not to send my password to the link within that email. Seems like its a fradulent email to new PayPal suscribers.
Don't take my word for it ;) From this link (http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/policy_privacy-outside#security):

Any e-mail or other communication requesting your password, asking you to provide sensitive account information via email, or linking to a website with a URL that does not begin with https://www.paypal.com/ should be treated as unauthorized and suspicious and should be reported to PayPal immediately using this form . If you do share your PayPal password with a third party for any reason, including because the third party has promised to provide you additional services such as account aggregation, the third party will have access to your account and your personal information, and you may be responsible for actions taken using your password. If you believe someone else has obtained access to your password, please change it immediately by logging in to your account at www.paypal.com and changing your Profile settings, and also contact us right away as described in Section F below.

There might be instances where PayPal emails you and asks you to log in and change a setting, but be very careful about it. In most of those cases, I believe you can manually navigate to PayPal's site and log in and do what they ask you to do.

--janak

[karen]

..but it may be a violation of your merchant agreement to charge a higher price for the use of a credit card over other tenders...and no, you can't get around that by offering a discount for other tenders, either.

Great job taking this site to the next level. I'm going to have to set you up in quickbooks for all the things I hope you will be offering....

Karen

[maximus]

Jason, just curious, how do you link between the credit card payment, and the user ID ? 2checkout.com did not even ask thoughts' user ID. I imagined I have to do something else from my hotmail account, but I cannot access hotmail from work, since it is blocked by the company's proxy.

[Jason Dunn]

Jason, just curious, how do you link between the credit card payment, and the user ID?

I don't. :-) I have to reply to the processing email and get your user ID. Since we're not doing a form, we don't pull the user ID. I'll see if there's a way I can modify the 2Checkout form that you fill out in order to process the subscription.