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Paypal Alternative - Merchant inc?
 

Hey guys!

One of the recommendations that I've gotten from some people on how to avoid Paypal's SSN request is to simply avoid Paypal altogether and use a merchant account.

I'm wondering if anyone has experience with doing that. I was looking at one called Merchant Inc that supports eBay. It is only $7.95/month and the fees are only 1.99% + $0.25 (cheaper than PayPal).

Some questions:

- How easy is it to get eBay to let you use a merchant account in place of PayPal, especially for a brand new account?

- I could use my real name (new everything else) for the eBay account right?

- That being said, is it a requirement that the info on the merchant account matches the info on the eBay account, or can't eBay see that?

- How seamlessly does the merchant account connect to eBay? I do mostly Buy It Now, so will a person be able to click the "Buy It Now" button and be taken through the merchant account just like they normally would be through Paypal?

- Have you guys seen a measurable drop in sales by not accepting PayPal? I'm guessing there may be a trust factor involved even though the buyers can still use their credit card.

- Can you start with PayPal and then switch to a merchant account down the road when Papal asks for the SSN? Or does that risk the account?

- Overall, how recommeded is the merchant account option? And if it is a good path to take, is Merchant Inc a good choice?

Thanks!
Matt