I don't know if this is where this thread belongs but I didn't know where else to put it. Moderators feel free to move it if need be.

If I am selling something and want to receive payment through Paypal, how can I send an invoice / money request that requires the buyer to pay the Paypal fees? I was not able to find it as an option when I tried to send invoices to people in the past. Does the buyer automatically get the option of whether or not to pay Paypal fees when I send him/her an invoice?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

-Sid

Hi Sid,

I don't think it's possible, at least I haven't been able to figure it out, and Paypal seems to say you can't if I read their pages correctly.

What I generally do is just calculate, as close as I can, what the fees are, and tack them on when sending an invoice.

You can specify in your ad that payment should be by PayPal Non-Credit Card "Personal Transfer". If buyer wants to fund the PayPal transaction with a credit card or make a PayPal "Purchase", then buyer will have to pay the fees.

If the buyer generates fees for you, send him a polite note.

Edited by MikeMartin on 01/10/2010 12:26:56 MST.

I have never used Google Checkout as a seller, only as a buyer, but the website says the fees are 1.9% + $0.30.

Although, no fees via PayPal is better, this might be an option.

Are there any other alternatives to PayPal?

I recently sold a bunch of stuff and I ended up paying over $10 in Paypal fees. I will definitely be adding on Paypal fees to anything I sell from now on.

Actually I found a handy website:

http://www.rolbe.com/paypal.htm

It has a Paypal fee calculator. It's not very hard to figure out... 2.9% + $0.30

-Sid

Fee amounts can depend on whether or not you are personal or a business and how much you sell (merchant rates).

Instead of haggling over fees and being a PITA to the buyer, just work the fees in! If you know PP will take "x" amount, then include that.

Fees are the cost of doing business - not many of us would want to go back to the days of selling only locally or having to take a check/money order. Being able as personal seller to take credit cards is a boon really! It makes personal sales so much more appealing! The cost of taking credit cards isn't free by any means.

"It's not very hard to figure out... 2.9% + $0.30"

But ..... you have to figure in the total amount. For example, you're selling something for $100. You tell buyer they have to pay paypal fees. You do some quick multiplication/addition and come up with $3.20 as the paypal fee, and tell the buyer to send you $103.20. Paypal, however, now bases its fee on the 103.20, so your fees are now $3.29, and you end up with $99.91.

The great thing about the site you listed a link to is that you can do a reverse calc, you put in how much you want to end up with, and it calculates the proper amount for the person to send you.

Thanks for the link!