Cristián just pointed me to this thread. Thanks Cristián.
Just to clarify.1.
PayPal Standard ( free )
- you only pay processing fees per transaction
- Customer checkout @ PayPal ( NOT on your site )
- "Buy Now" transactions do NOT require a Customer to have a PayPal account.
- Subscriptions "require" a Customer to have a PayPal account though ( always ).
2.
PayPal Standard + ERP ( Enhanced Recurring Payments ) = $19.99/mo.
- Same as PayPal Standard,
except...
Customers are NO longer required to have a PayPal account ( ever ), even for Subscriptions.
- Customer checkout @ PayPal ( NOT on your site )
3.
PayPal Pro ( $30/mo + Recurring Billing service ) = $60/mo total.
This allows you to keep Customers on your site throughout the entire checkout process. You can accept Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover, Maestro, Solo, and ALSO offer PayPal® as an "option".
( In the end, we highly recommend PayPal Pro. The features provided by this service far outweigh the price of the service, even for novice site owners. ) Increased conversion rates make a HUGE difference, and s2Member Pro running together with your PayPal Pro account will make that happen. PayPal® also has very competitive pricing, compared to other services of it's kind.
Incidentally, other services ( i.e. Authorize.net for instance ) would NOT include PayPal® in their list of options to you ( which is another great reason to choose PayPal® Pro ). It consolidates your financials into ONE account, rather than having a PayPal account, and ALSO another merchant bank account, and another gateway provider. Having a PayPal® Pro account keeps your transactions all in one system; for easier reporting and simplified customer service.
On most sites, conversion rates increase by over 20% - because you're accepting Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover, Maestro, and Solo ( directly on your site ) - AND also PayPal® as an "option". In other words, with PayPal Pro, you're keeping Customers on your site throughout the entire checkout process. You can control the surrounding elements on the page, the flow of events, and do a better job at building confidence in your products/services.
Even for a small site, if this means 3 extra sales per month,
that usually covers the cost of your PayPal® Pro account.VIDEO:
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For the benefit of other readers... If you are declined for PayPal Pro, or you simply cannot afford PayPal Pro ... ERP ( Enhanced Recurring Payments ) is a great alternative. This doesn't give you a completely seamless checkout experience, but at least your Customers won't be "forced" to have a PayPal account in order to pay you on a recurring basis. https://merchant.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/ ... p_overview