Paypal launches UK version
Howard Lake | 16 October 2003 | News
PayPal UK
Online payment facility Paypal now has a full UK version, allowing individuals and organisations to make and more importantly receive payments and donations in a choice of currencies including pound sterling and euro.
Paypal is a popular online payment method in the USA and is used extensively by people in the UK who use online auction sites. As such it represents a useful additional method of accepting payments via the Web.
Indeed, the new UK version can allow charities or indeed anyone with an account to accept payment from a credit or debit card or bank account via the Web. As well as straight payments it includes the option of encouraging donations, as well as subscriptions or regular payments. It does not however include a Gift Aid reclaim option.
Paypal’s fees are fairly low. There is no charge to open an account, send money, or add funds to your account. Withdrawals of £50 or more are now free, and withdrawals of less than £50 cost 25p. Paypal’s standard rate for handling payments/donations is 3.4% plus 20p but if you qualify for a merchant rate this can drop to 2.7% plus 20p. If you receive a payment from a user in another country, an additional cross border fee will be charged.
Paypal’s UK operations include a new European customer service facility based in Dublin.
If you have not used Paypal before it is well worth exploring now it has a UK version. You can find out what it is like to make a donation online using the system by clicking on the button below. UK Fundraising will be testing accepting donations from users of this site and its e-mail newsletter who would like to express their gratitude for the free service we provide.
You too could add a donate button to your Web site like the one above, or include donate text or graphic links in your e-mail messages or e-mail newsletters.
First though you need to register with Paypal. Don’t be put off by the use of US dollar signs on the first page: you can sign up via this page for the UK programme.
Advertisement
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.