Invoice yourself to process cards?

byronius maximus · #1 11-10-2017

I've seen a couple of threads that come close to what I'm looking for, but not quite.

Does anyone who has experience with doing this care to share?

If I have customers give me their card info over the phone, say, can I just send a PP invoice to an e-mail address I can access, and just pay as guest with my customer's card info?

The obvious paranoid assumption on my part is that PP will see the same IP/computer/e-mail address making orders with several different card numbers, but do they really?

phaz0rz · #2 11-10-2017

Quote:

The obvious paranoid assumption on my part is that PP will see the same IP/computer/e-mail address making orders with several different card numbers, but do they really?

Of course they do. They'll see your IP each time you complete a payment.

This plan is convoluted and doesn't make sense, IMO. Instead of taking all these crazy steps, just email the PP invoice directly to your customer and let THEM pay with their card. A person doesn't have to have a Paypal account to pay a Paypal invoice. They can pay the invoice directly from their email with a card.

byronius maximus · #3 11-10-2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

Of course they do. They'll see your IP each time you complete a payment.

Yeah, I should have clarified: Of course they'll "see" your ip, but how much of a problem is it, really? That's why I specifically asked for anyone who actually had experience doing this. Like, "Yeah, I did it and they limit your account if you do it more than X times in a month," or something.

And yes, of course I can just send invoices to the customer, I do/have done plenty of that. For whatever reason, I'm lucky if 50% of them actually pay them, even if I send them numerous reminders. So, silly me, I'm trying to recapture 50% of my lost business.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

This plan is convoluted and doesn't make sense, IMO.

Yes, I'm a silly and stupid person for thinking outside the box, I'll work on that.

rsot · #4 11-10-2017

@byronius, I have cashed out gift credit cards in this similar manner but making sure to follow all stealth steps

BaggaDonuts · #5 11-10-2017

If you can activate the Paypal Virtual Terminal, that is your best bet in the long-term for phoned in credit card orders. Outside of going with a standalone merchant account that is.

byronius maximus · #6 11-10-2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by BaggaDonuts

If you can activate the Paypal Virtual Terminal, that is your best bet in the long-term for phoned in credit card orders. Outside of going with a standalone merchant account that is.

Is that the PP merchant account? I assume anyone who has been banned from PP in the past (with their real name) will find it difficult to get a PP merchant account, but I haven't tried......I'm just operating under the assumption that stealth merchant accounts aren't doable, due to the extra scrutiny merch accts get, but I'll look into it more............

phaz0rz · #7 11-10-2017

For virtual terminal you need a premier or business Paypal account and then you have to apply, just like you would have to do with a regular merchant account. You wouldn't be able to complete the application if you've been banned.

Why not apply for a real merchant account since your customers are willing to give you their details over the phone? You would get better processing rates and a lot more control.

I don't have specific experience with what you asked but neither does anybody else here. I was just considering the scenario you proposed and applying logic to predict an outcome. I wasn't trying to offend you and I'm sorry that I did. Your plan genuinely seemed overly complicated to me. I think, but I can't state as a fact, you would run into problems after the first few orders because you'd be using different cards and addresses every time.

It's not very hard to get a merchant account. It would be illegal to apply for one with "stealth" info since you would be dealing directly with a financial institution, but there would be no need to use false info.

BaggaDonuts · #8 11-10-2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

It's not very hard to get a merchant account.

Depends on what you're selling. :P

nickopedia · #9 11-10-2017

Why invoice yourself to process other people CC's? Just send those invocies to your customer(s) and have them pay directly. That's not rocket science. Taking other people payment info over the phone or other insecure channel is likely to be problematic.

Get a merchant account unless as BaggaDonuts mentioned above, you are selling something they don't like.

ebaystealth1974 · #10 11-10-2017

Also be aware that PP doesn't offer Seller Protection if you use Virtual Terminal.

GreenBean · #11 11-10-2017

Paypal detecting other IPs with guest checkout raises flags.

Our group had an issue when we tried this. Account went down

byronius maximus · #12 11-10-2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenBean

Paypal detecting other IPs with guest checkout raises flags.

Our group had an issue when we tried this. Account went down

Thank you. I knew someone would have to have tried it....

For some reason, either my customers don't like PP or something, but, as mentioned earlier, if I'm lucky I get 50% of my PP invoices paid.....Better than nothing but maybe it's rocket science to get the other half to pay up.

And merchant accounts, sure, kind of harder to get them when you are on the MATCH/TMF list, maybe that's rocket science, too.

Anyway, whatever..........

GreenBean · #13 11-10-2017

Guest PayPal checkout can have problems.

I totally concede some may have tried and been OK.

We have tried over numerous accounts.

Our success rate was not high enough to consider playing with it as a method.

Like you, bryonius maximums (fantastic name btw), we want quick and easy methods to get our funds. No need for dramas from Queen PayPal.