Our Pick: The #1 PayPal Alternative & 3 Runners Up

Remember, these are just our TOP PICKS. You can find a larger list of PayPal Alternatives HERE!

You many not agree as to what our top pick is -- you don't have to agree. Remember, what might not work for you, might work for somebody else and vice versa.

Picking what we think is the #1 PayPal alternative out there today was a very tough choice to make. The decision goes beyond what we liked and didn't like -- the decision is based on what we think users need in a service. That being said, we could only pick from a limited amount of products and services. While there are a lot of "PayPal alternatives" out there -- there are very few that are actually any good.

We had to take a close look at the ones that were good and put them to the test. Screw-PayPal.com has already gone on record saying there is no service out there today that can match PayPal. Why? The biggest reason is PayPal is allowed on eBay and many other good services are not. Since the majority of people who use PayPal in some way use it for eBay, they need a way to be able to accept online payments and send online payments. People also need a way to send and receive money to each other as well.

Therefore, we had to pick a service that was backed by a strong company, a service that could be used by as many persons as possible, have a strong brand name and brand recognition, a service that was flexible enough for users to customize it for their own purposes, a service that would allow sellers and buyers to receive and send online payments, and a service that would be able to expand its offerings and be a real viable competitor to PayPal. Current potential was taken into account as much as FUTURE POTENTIAL.

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While perhaps controversial, Screw-PayPal.com announces its Top Pick for the #1 PayPal alternative today:

Top Pick: The Best PayPal Alternative -- Merchantinc

**Runners Up CertaPay & Allpay & Escrow follows below as well**

Merchantinc.com -- Recommended for US and International Sellers

Merchantinc.com Provides eBay Compatible credit card processing services for US and International Sellers. This company has been in business for over 10 years and is a well-known provider of online payment processing solutions. After researching over 40 U.S. merchant account providers, we have chosen Merchantinc.com because of their no setup/no cancellation fees approach. Their monthly fees for website processing, along with eBay processing, is only $7.95, a far better value than most companies we researched. Additionally, their transaction fees are LOWER than PayPal. Included with their services is an eBay compatible shopping cart system, Secure Payment Gateway and Merchant Account. The application process takes about 5 minutes, is completely online, and most people are ready to begin accepting credit cards the same day. I have stressed before, the benefits of using a traditional merchant account over PayPal, for many reasons, among them, your funds are deposited directly into your bank account, NOT a PAYPAL ACCOUNT! This gives you far more control of your money and your business. Plus, with a merchant account, your funds are protected by federal banking regulations "Since your merchant account is provided by a real US bank". Unfortunately, PayPal is not considered a bank in the United States, and therefore it does not have to adhere to federal banking guidelines.

PROS: Reliable, Secure Payment processing solution. Accepted on Ebay. No setup fees. No cancellation fees. Very low rates. Easy to setup. Perfect for use on websites as well.

CONS: Only Compatible with eBay for US EBAYERS. International Merchants can still use the service to accept all major credit cards OUTSIDE OF EBAY.

OVERALL: Highly recommended as an alternative to PayPal and as an alternative to receiving online payments. This is one of my personal favorites. Sign up and take it for a test drive -- you won't be sorry!

LINK TO Merchantinc

RUNNER UP #1: CertaPay

CertaPay -- Recommended for CANADA Only

This service is approved by eBay -- however, it would seem that only eBay Canada would be the place where this payment service could be used. All other markets are not available because this service is only for persons with Canadian bank accounts. This service is used to send money to an email account using money from your bank account. CertaPay is owned by Acxsys Corporation. They are a financially solid and reputable company.

SCREEN SHOT for CertaPay HERE

THE SERVICE: A person can send money straight from their bank account to a person with an email account. To be able to send money, the user must have a Canadian bank account. To be able to receive money, the user must have an email address AND a Canadian bank account. The service can used to send money to friends and family, pay fees for services, make internet auction payments, make online payments to those who accept the service, and so on.

PROS: Can send money person-to-person, accept auction payments, make online purchases including those at auctions, offer it as a web payment solution for your online business and be protected by the best seller protection policy I have ever seen: once you get your money, there is no way for CertaPay to take it back -- the only way to get the money back is for the seller to give it back. In the demo copy this site was able to use (thanks to corporate relations at CertaPay), the user interface was easy to use and the whole thing was up and running in 15 minutes. Customer service is friendly and responsive. Finding their telephone number and email address for customer support was a breeze. Emails are answered usually within one business day. Customer friendly user agreement with no frozen or limited account clauses. Plus it is free to receive money with this service. A business person would not have to worry about fees eating away at profits.

CONS: This great service is ONLY AVAILABLE in Canada. It is not clear how much it costs to send money. Each bank that allows account holders to use this service charges different fees -- that is a con for people wanted to send money. The service does not allow Canadians to send or receive money to an international audience -- not even Canada's neighbor, the United States. Buyers who use this service must beware as they will have no protection once they send money to a seller. Once the money is sent, there is no way to get the money back unless the seller agrees to a refund.

OVERALL: Recommended for ALL Canadian residents. While this service offers a limited audience, a seller could make a good living with this or her online business catering only to other Canadians. A buyer could benefit from this service by using it to pay for auctions and other online businesses located in Canada. As a bonus, this service can be used to send money person-to-person. That makes sending money to friends and family really easy. It makes it easy to send money to anybody the user wants to do business with (again, as long as they have a Canadian bank account).

LINK TO CertaPay

RUNNER UP #2: Allpay

Allpay.net -- Recommended for U.K. Only

This payment service is approved for use on all eBay sites around the world including the United States and Europe. This company is based in the United Kingdom. It has a rock solid reputation (even collecting payments for various local and state governments) and a customer service that is fast, efficient and caring. This should be a top PayPal alternative to residents and citizens of the United Kingdom for use on eBay and for general use as well. While it is approved for us on eBay, the service is USELESS for residents of the United States and Canada. The service can be used in western Europe (Example: The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany)

THE SERVICE: Allpay.net is an umbrella company providing many e-commerce solutions. Users must sign up for services INDIVIDUALLY. The services offered include Swipe card payments, direct debit, internet payments, mobile phone payments, general bill payments and their online payment service Go&Pay. Go&Pay is what you would sign up for when you want to accept payments on eBay, make a payment on eBay or a general online payment that is non-eBay related.

SCREEN SHOT for Go&Pay HERE

PROS: Backed by a respected and well managed company, merchants can accept cash or debit card payments online, gives merchant's customers more online payment options, works seamlessly with other payment options offered by the company, gives consumers the option of paying for online purchases with cash or debit cards, consumers can make online credit card payments, buyers and sellers are protected from fraud, and is easy to use. Reasonable fees are a major plus.

CONS: Trying to figure out HOW to sign up can be confusing -- you really have to search. This system was not designed for use in major markets like the United States. They do not offer a FAQ on how to use their service. You have to learn or contact their customer service.

OVERALL: Excellent e-commerce solution for those who want to buy and sell on eBay, make general online payments and be able to accept online payments for their business -- if you are resident of the United Kingdom. NOT recommended for users of the United States, Canada, Australia, etc.

LINK TO Go&Pay

HONORABLE MENTION: Escrow

Escrow.com -- Recommended for Large, Single item transactions

Escrow.com is an online escrow service that significantly reduces the potential risk of fraud by acting as a trusted third party. They collect the purchase funds and hold them until both parties agree that the transaction has been completed to their satasfaction. I have personally used this service and can say that it has worked very well for me every single time. This service is not designed for high volume transactions, but rather, high ticket transactions, like selling a car or boat or website, etc.



PROS: This service is probably the safest way to conduct large transactions over the internet. They are a well-established company with a proven track record and excellent customer support.

CONS: Their fees can get pricey, so pay special attention to their fee schedule. Also, this service is not recommended as a replacement for a payment service like PayPal or a Merchant Account.

OVERALL: I highly recommend using Escrow.com for large online transactions.

Link to Escrow.com

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