PayPal Alternatives: For General Use

PayPal Alternatives are divided into TWO groups: (1) those you can use with eBay and (2) those you cannot use with eBay. Some of the PayPal Alternatives that you can use with eBay, can also be used for general purposes. That means, you can use them for your online business or to send money person-to-person. The problem is, eBay has limited what payments services you can use on its website. The services they allow may not be everything that you are looking for. So, you must consider all the other viable PayPal alternatives out there to meeting your specific needs.

In this section, we will be covering many PayPal alternatives that do what PayPal does, but normally CANNOT be used in conjunction with your eBay activities (you can complain directly to eBay).

This website is full of good reasons as to why you should not use PayPal. If you have found this website, chances are you already have PayPal problems and have seen first hand the devastating effects PayPal can have on your business and your finances in general. PayPal is a company that you cannot rely on. This website -- as with any anti-PayPal website -- would be making a grave error in not offering alternatives to its visitors. Why? Because life goes on -- you go on. You still have to sell stuff or buy stuff on eBay, you still have to make a living and be able to send and receive money easily without a lot of hassles. You have to do all of these things -- without PayPal. Screw-PayPal.com is pleased to present you with numerous general alternatives to PayPal. You don't have to spend hours or days searching for a way to replace PayPal in your life. This website has done it all for you!

**If there is a service or product out there that you think SHOULD BE ADDED TO THIS LIST, CONTACT US with your information and we will review your pick. If your pick meets certain standards, we will list it here**

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PayPal Alternatives: For General Use

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

FirePay -- Not Recommended

This service is available to residents of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The FirePay service is run by a reputable British company licensed by the Financial Services Authority (that is good). FirePay allows users to make online payments -- it offers sellers the chance to accept online payments. The service is very fraud oriented with many features designed to beat scam artists -- and many ways for the innocent to become entrapped as well. FirePay, a division of SureFire Commerce, has the complaints to prove it.

THE SERVICE: The service is available to residents of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Buyers signup for the service and fund their FirePay account with money from their bank account (credit cards are not allowed). From there, buyers are able to make online payments only to merchants that also have a FirePay account. Sellers can use this service to receive payments from other FirePay account holders only.

SCREEN SHOT for FirePay

PROS: Very security oriented -- this is due to the signup process and other features. If a user doesn't mind having a very limited audience to do business with, this service is okay.

CONS: Not available to a wide audience -- in fact even though it is offered in three major markets, your potential for buying or making a sale is limited by how many people are signed up with FirePay (1.2 million right now). Complicated signup process. In the middle of signing up, you get an automated call to the telephone number you give and must put in a code you are given during signup to verify your phone. Then, based on your social security number (or state ID number), FirePay checks your credit report -- and based on that report asks three questions that only you would know (previous address, how much you financed your car for, credit limit, etc.). Then, FirePay will take an amount of money out of your bank account (they do not tell you how much) in order to verify the account is yours. If you do not have enough money in your bank account to cover the withdrawal, FirePay charges you $25 US as a penalty. Sellers have it even worse: you have send your contact information to them. Somebody will personally get back to you to sign you up for this service. Too much trouble given the limited benefits of using this service. Users must pay 2 Dollars US each time they fund their accounts using their bank account (credit and debit cards are NOT allowed). Customer service is by email only and the user interface doesn't really inspire confidence. Fairly high seller fees as well. Using the service, reading the user agreement and bouncing from this warning to the next (with penalties listed) reeks to much of PayPal.

OVERALL: Not recommended for anybody to use. The service has limited benefits, is complicated and long to signup with and users must put up with fees at every corner. This service is PayPal's ugly 2nd cousin.

LINK TO FirePay

Neteller -- Recommended for ALL

Neteller is another United Kingdom based service owed by the NETELLER Group. This company is licensed and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. The Neteller service is available to an international audience. With this service, you can send money person-to-person or make online purchases. Sellers can accept online payments with this service through auction websites that accept Neteller or off a website.

SCREEN SHOT for Neteller HERE

THE SERVICE: This company -- traded on the London Stock Exchange -- offers an okay package of features. Users can signup to get their "e-wallet account" and start buying online. You can fund your account multiple ways and start buying from online sellers who accept the service. Second, you can send money person-to-person through the service. For sellers, if you are approved, you can start accepting online payments from those with Neteller accounts. Funds can be retrieved from your account three ways: by check, direct deposit to your bank account or a MasterCard provided to you by Neteller. Very practical.

PROS: The service is offered by a solid company that is publicly traded. The service offers users a lot of flexibility to get money in and out of the system. The MasterCard is a great way to be able to have access to what is in your e-wallet all of the time. Fees all around the board are reasonable and low. You can tell they are trying to make money by volume and not hitting a few customers with high fees to make money. Customer service is easy to find via email or telephone. Buyer and seller protection is strong and reasonable -- not obtrusive -- security is a strong point with this company. The service supports multiple currencies and multiple countries. The user agreement clearly spells out what your rights are and what the company's obligations are. No hidden or complicated clauses that could come back and haunt you later.

CONS: Not available on eBay. Telephone support is hard to get if you live anywhere but in the United Kingdom (who wants to pay international rates?). The service is limited by the number of members that it has -- if buyers could use the service without being an account holder, a seller would then have a truly international audience. The website was lacking in functionability -- it could be organized a little better.

OVERALL: Not a bad service to use -- but with all the other choices out there, this would not be my first pick. However, if for whatever reason you want to use this service, it can meet your needs. For these reasons, we can recommend this service for all to use.

LINK TO Neteller

Ikobo -- Recommended for SOME

Ikobo is a U.S. based company out of Atlanta, Georgia. They are a solid company that has been around since 2001. The focus of this service is international person-to-person money transfer. This service is NOT an ecommerce solution -- in other words, you don't want to sign up for this service to be able to receive money for online payments. If one is clever, you could use it for this purpose. However, with other services out there, there is no need to do this.

THE SERVICE: Ikobo is an interesting service. It is not your traditional "PayPal" like company nor your traditional "Western Union" like company either. A user will sign up for a free Ikobo account. You can fund your account with a credit card or with your bank account. If you want to send money to somebody, you can sent it to their email address (similar system to PayPal) or, if they already have an Ikobo account, directly to their account. If you are receiving your FIRST PAYMENT ever with Ikobo, the person sending you the money will also pay a $2 US charge to send you an Ikobo MasterCard. From that point on, you will be able to access the money from your Ikobo account via your Ikobo MasterCard. That means your money is available to you 24 hours per day. You can use your card like any other credit card. All Ikobo customers end up with a card. A user could use the service to accept donations or light volume payments from his or her website. High volume will not work with this service.

SCREEN SHOT for Ikobo

PROS: Run by a solid company. The MasterCard gives one a very convenient way to access the money in their account. You can send money to somebody even if they do not have an Ikobo account. You can send money to somebody even if the do not have an account. A clever system for sending money all over the globe person-to-person. Well designed website with a customer friendly user interface. Signup is easy and quick -- you won't run into any complications. Once signed up, sending and receiving money was easy to do. Withdrawals and payments received were made without any account limitations or security warnings. The service was able to be used to collect light donation volumes and light payment volumes for online sales (even though the service was not designed with that in mind). The Ikobo MasterCard fees are low, low, low (only a .99 cents US monthly administrative fee -- every other use of the card is FREE).

CONS: Not a great PayPal alternative for most people. If you want to transfer money to somebody, the fees can be rather high (example: send $100 for an $8 fee). That is why this service cannot be recommended to most people. Not an online ecommerce solution for sellers. Customer service was responsive but could improve.

OVERALL: We recommend this service for SOME because of its limited uses in receiving online business payments. We know that there are people out there who are looking for an alternative to places like Western Union. When you want to send money to somebody, and be able to receive money, Ikobo is a great way to go. Finally, it is rumored that Ikobo is going to be expanding its business towards a more "PayPal" like system -- allowing users to accept online payments, payment buttons, etc. A system change like that would do away with the kind of fees they are charging right now. This company is a diamond in the rough.

LINK TO Ikobo

2Checkout -- Not Recommended

2Checkout is an Ohio, United States based business. This company is solid and have been around since 1991 offer various ecommerce solutions to online retailers and offline retailers. This is an ecommerce solution with a twist: you have to sell the items they want you to sell. In other words, you sign up with them for a merchant account (you can accept online payments), then you must pick from a long list of suppliers (that they supply) and you sell it for them. The additional twist here is while you get out there and sell the products, they handle the rest. You must operate your website, collect payments and then send your orders to them. They will then ship the item for you (minus all of their fees for the merchant account and for the actual product).

THE SERVICE: You sign up for your merchant account and wait for approval. When you are approved, you get to pick the products that you want to sell from their supplier list. They help you every step of the way: from selecting your products, to setting up your website all the way to when the product reaches your customer's door. You are allowed sell your own personal services and products as well -- as long as they are not on their restricted list.

SCREEN SHOT for 2Checkout

PROS: A solid company that has been around for a long time. A great way to start a business if this is your first time attempting it. Very low merchant fees -- much lower than your traditional merchant account. Outstanding customer support that will help you through every step of the process and beyond. Customer support is available by telephone, chat, or email 24 hours per day. Money is deposited straight into your bank account. Excellent fraud protection. Huge product list and supplier list. Your control panel and user interface is packed with features and are easy to use. The service is available to international users.

CONS: Not at all a viable PayPal alternative. This service is not for your average user. There is a $49 US one time signup fee. The user agreement reads like an encyclopedia. The whole system appears complicated until you take the time to learn it. You cannot send money person-to-person. You must apply for the service to use it -- you can either be accepted or denied (good credit is a requirement).

OVERALL: We cannot flat out recommend this service. The service being offered is so specialized that is appeal will only generate to a very limited and specific audience. That audience probably does not include you. However, for the money that you end up paying, it is a good opportunity to get your feet wet in the online business world. Good place to go to startup an online business.

LINK TO 2Checkout

StormPay -- Not Recommended to ANYBODY for ANY REASON

NOTE: Due to the fact that StormPay was NOT taking new members at the time of this review, Screw-PayPal.com did not receive the opportunity to fully review this service by trying it out. Second, our emails and phone calls to StormPay were not returned when we informed them of our intentions to review their service. Therefore, this review is based on information we were able to find through our own means. To ensure fairness, we reviewed as much information as possible before making our final recommendation.

StormPay is a Tennessee, United States based company. The company started operations in 2002 by a man who first used the service for an illegal ponzi/pyramid scheme. He was ordered to cease and desist by state authorities. The company itself is unstable with questionable financial resources and questionable accounting. The service does not accept credit cards because of massive billing disputes and chargebacks it had received in the recent past. Additionally, the company frozen huge numbers of accounts and did not give users their money back after the 180 day period outlined in their user agreement -- because the company did not actually have the money to pay back. StormPay is accused of spending the money on its Tennessee race track that it heavily promotes. The company has also recently ran into the trouble with the American Securities and Exchange Commission as well as holding the honor of receiving the most Better Business Bureau complaints for the entire state of Tennessee. The service is used for transferring money person-to-person and as the sole payment processor for its online auction site StormPay Auctions.

THE SERVICE: Currently, this service is available to allow anybody with an email address to buy or sell online auction items (at StormPay Auctions). Users sign up for a free account in order to set the service up for themselves.

SCREEN SHOT for StormPay

SCREEN SHOT for StormPay Auction Site

PROS: There are none -- unless you are a scam artist. For scam artists, StormPay is perfect: their user agreement offers NO buyer protection at all. Since credit cards are NOT accepted, buyers have no way of getting their money back.

CONS: Not only is the service StormPay offers practically useless to the general public, the service is backed by a company so shady and unstable, I would not be surprised if it were found out the company was run by hamsters. Credit cards are not accepted. StormPay only allows their own service on the auction site. No buyer or seller protection at all. Fees associated with using the StormPay system are beyond outrageous. Once you put your money into the service, StormPay, like PayPal can freeze your account at anytime and for any reason per the user agreement. However, unlike PayPal, there is a good chance that once your account is frozen, you will not be able to get your money back out. To date, thousands of customers who have had their accounts frozen were not given their money back after the 180 day period.

OVERALL: While this service may have its uses, the company's shady past, current business practices, unstable business model and numerous customer complaints make this a company to stay far, far, far away from. We cannot recommend this service to anyone.

LINK to StormPay

AuctionChex -- Not Recommended

This is a company based out of the United Kingdom. It has been around since 2000 dabbling in the auction market. What is most disturbing about this company is that eBay is mentioned at every corner, however this service is not available for use on eBay. The whole thing makes one think of a desperate groupee trying to please an idol that cares nothing for it. Either way, the whole site is geared towards processing auction payments for both buyers and sellers. It also has an escrow service and other auction tools to make listing auctions easier. However, remember, this service is NOT available for eBay which limits the use of the service severely.

THE SERVICE: Sellers can process auction payments through the service. Buyers can send their auction payments through the service. The company also features an escrow service for expensive items. Also, the company offers several buyer and seller tools that can be used with eBay -- like a search feature, price search, and other tools.

SCREEN SHOT AuctionChex

PROS: The company's heart seems to be in the right place. Fees are low to use the service and foreign currency exchange rates are competitive.

CONS: Not something for the average user looking for a true PayPal alternative. The system is somewhat complicated to learn and the uses of this service are limited to auctions. With the major auction market being the United States, there is no reason to use a British company as an escrow service. Plus there are numerous broken links on the website which does not inspire confidence -- if they cannot get such a simple thing right, what attention to detail will they use with your transactions? The auction tools that they offer are free to download at almost any free software download site. They are not really offering something special. The service accepts PayPal as a funding option.

OVERALL: The fact that there are so many easier services out there easier to learn and use, and coupled with the fact that this service is so auction oriented yet not offered on Ebay, makes this service one could skip easily. Not even close to being a viable alternative to PayPal. For those reasons, we cannot recommend this service to anyone.

LINK TO AuctionChex

Not Recommended for Anybody

e-gold is a Delaware, United States registred corporation with ties to the West Indies. It has been around in some form since 1996. Given the long history of this company, one has to wonder why the concept has not caught fire by now. Good ideas are picked up by the general public very fast -- then there are ideas that appeal only to a limited group of people. e-gold is one of those services that only a small amount of persons find useful. Instead of paying people with "real" money, the money you use to fund your account is exchanged into increments of real gold (e-gold). The idea is, the money you put in is backed by real physical gold. You then go around trading your e-gold for products and services that you want.

THE SERVICE: Users can signup for an e-gold account free. After you have funded your account, your balance is displayed in increments of gold -- you could have one ounce of gold in your account for example (worth whatever the market value is at the moment). Then buyers and sellers online can make and receive payments of e-gold. Later, if you want to cash out, you can get your money back in the gold equavilent.

SCREEN SHOT E-Gold

PROS: It takes you back when the United States used to back up all of its currency with real gold (the Gold Standard). Great fun for those interested in gold and bullion in general. Ideal for secret and off the book transactions.

CONS: Funding your account can be a hassle. You canot fund your acount directly at the e-gold site. You must pick from a long list of unknown companies from around the world that you send your real money to. They, in turn, fund your account (minus a fee). Fees at every point are high. Your nice bar of gold quickly turns to gold dust -- because that is all you have left after all the fees you have to pay here and there. Getting your money out can be a hassle. If the rent is due, and you have money in your e-gold account, you are going to have to wait a while to get the gold in your account and then turn the gold into cash somewhere (local coin store or pawn shop maybe -- yet more fees to pay). The service has been around since 1996 -- it should have caught on by now if it were really a great idea.

OVERALL: This service does serve a portion of the general public that wants a service like this. e-gold has its uses -- however, as is, the service is not a viable PayPal alternative. It is not something the majority of the online public can understand nor use with ease. For those reasons, we cannot recommend this service to anybody.

LINK TO E-Gold

GreenZap -- Not Recommended for Anybody

GreenZap started operations in early 2005 marketing itself as a viable PayPal alternative. The service allows its users to send money online person-to-person through an email address. Regardless of what service this company offers, the company itself appears to be an unstable, secret company. It turns out that Daniel Westmoreland is a principle partner in Greenzap - and his record online is less than glowing, with his being responsible for previous pyramid schemes, such as Payline.com, which were eventually closed down. Also, the company is not registered to even conduct business in the state of California where it claims to be based. The mailing address for this company is a postal box located within a grocery store -- and the company's phone number is a mobile phone number. The Better Business Bureau has given this company an "unsatisfactory rating" because of numerous customer complaints claiming false advertising and unauthorized withdrawals from their accounts. Because of this information, Screw-PayPal.com did not sign up with this company to test their services. We felt the risk of revealing private financial information to them was too great. We tried to phone GreenZap with no success. We contacted GreenZap through the mail declaring our intent to reveiw the site and requesting comment on the company's background and business operations. GreenZap did not reply.

THE SERVICE: GreenZap allows its users to signup for a free account. With this account users can send and receive money via their email address. GreenZap also offers a merchant account with low fees attached to its use. For a fee, funds can be deposited from your GreenZap account into your bank account.

SCREEN SHOT GreenZap

PROS: The website is more than decent in terms of design. You can send money person-to-person through an email address. Sellers can use this service to recieve online payments through GreenZap's merchant account.

CONS: GreenZap charges a $100 US to get the merchant account. GreenZap charges fees for just about anything you want to do with the service. The company has only been around since 2005. In that short time, GreenZap has developed a very bad reputation. The company from start to now takes great pains to hide ownership of the company and has been involved in some very shady activites. This is not a company you can trust with your money.

OVERALL: With so many other services offering a better service than what GreenZap can offer, and with so many other companies out there having a better reputation than GreenZap, Screw-PayPal.com cannot recommend this site to anybody. The company just cannot be trusted with your private information -- nor your money. With ownership of the company so well hidden, your money and your private information would be in great danger should the company decide to defraud its members and close shop.

LINK TO GreenZap

MoneyGram -- Recommended for SOME

MoneyGram International, Inc. (MoneyGram) is a global payment services company. Its business is conducted through its wholly owned subsidiary, Travelers Express Company, Inc. (Travelers). MoneyGram operates its business in two segments: Global Funds Transfer and Payment Systems. Global Funds Transfer segment provides money transfer services, money orders and bill payment services to consumers. The Company's Payment Systems segment provides financial institutions with payment processing services, primarily official check outsourcing services and money orders for sale to their customers. In May 2006, MoneyGram acquired Money Express S.r.l., a former super agent of the Company in Italy. During the year ended December 31, 2006, the Company's international operations generated 21% the Company's total revenue and 29% of the Global Funds Transfer segment revenue. The Company provides Global Funds Transfer products and services utilizing a range of point-of-sale platforms.



THE SERVICE: MoneyGram International provides money transfer services, money orders, and bill payment services to consumers. Another segment of MoneyGram International provides financial institutions with payment processing services, primarily of official check outsourcing services and money orders for sale to their customers. The company is more along the lines with Western Union than with PayPal. Users and non-account holders can log on and send money to any person anywhere in the world. Payment can be picked up or can be sent in the mail as a money order that can be cashed later.

SCREEN SHOT MoneyGram

PROS: A safe way to send money to somebody. The service provides senders and recipients a world wide method of sending and receiving money. Multiple ways to fund your transaction. The website is simple and easy to use. Sending money takes no time at all.

CONS: The fees are high -- as is the case with most of these services. It is easy to use this service to commit acts of fraud -- once the money is sent, the money is gone. There is no way to get it back if you sent money and did not get what you wanted in return. The service is useless for online businesses and auction sites. Sellers will have to go elsewhere to be able to accept online payments.

OVERALL: This service is not a viable PayPal alternative -- and it does not market itself as such. This service is around to compete with the likes of Western Union and other traditional online money transfer business. Because we understand there is a need for this service, and because this service is backed by a rock solid company, we can recommend this service to SOME -- but not all persons.

LINK TO MoneyGram

PayKo -- Recommended for SOME

PayKo has been a around as a company since mid 2001. PayKo is also a company that is in bed with PayPal -- and remains so inspite of running into big problems with PayPal in 2005 (PayPal froze their account and forced them to comply with policies that were favorable towards PayPal). If a person wants to use this service to its fullest, one must have a working PayPal account. However, the crux of their service is the ability to send money orders to anybody "with a mailing address."



THE SERVICE: You can get a Payko account for free. First, with the account sellers can accept payments for their online goods when buyers send them a money order through the service. There is no fee for the seller to receive money. Payko also offers money order service that allows you to pay with your PayPal account. Payko give the sender the ability to send payments to people who don't normally accept credit cards, to people who don't have access to a computer, and to people who don't accept PayPal.



SCREEN SHOT PayKo

PROS: Fees to use the service are reasonable. If you have a working PayPal account, and want to buy something from a seller that doesn't accept PayPal, this service allows you to use your PayPal account to send a money order to your seller (you pay PayKo for the service by giveing them money from your PayPal account). This can work with online sellers who don't or can't accept PayPal payments from customers with PayPal accounts. Sellers get their money without a fee.

CONS: The company is basically allowed to operate at the whim of PayPal -- there is nothing stopping PayPal from freezing PayKo's accounts again or causing other unforseen problems. That means you have to cross your fingers with every transaction your make. That is a little too much risk when there are other services out there without this kind of baggage. We did not make use of the PayPal options, however we did find it easy to send a money order from Point A to Point B. It was fast, hassle free and cheap. Sellers could use this service on their website to accept online payments (even though it would be a lot more work to run to the mail box everyday and keep track of all the payments on a paper basis).

OVERALL: This service has its uses. However, it is so specialized with the niche it has carved out for itself, it cannot truly be considered a PayPal alternative -- in fact PayKo NEEDS PayPal in order to operate the majority of their business. While the dependence on PayPal makes us nervous, we have to be fair and say that SOME persons might like this service. Second, the service does allow sellers a great way to get more payments from their online business. It would not hurt to put a PayKo button on your website -- therefore we can recommend this service for SOME, but NOT all persons.

LINK TO PayKo

CCAvenue -- Recommended for India and SOME OTHERS

CCAvenue is a company that was started in 2001. Interestingly, this company has its headquarters in India. The company is large and stable enough to have satalite offices in both the United States and China. The company's services are divided into two major programs: merchant accounts for Indians and merchant accounts for the rest of the world. The service allows sellers from around the world to be able to accept online payments -- in any currency -- for their online business or auction listing (not eBay). Buyers, of course, just have to pick out what they want to buy and process their payment through the CCAvenue system. I was however worried by the fact that they were telling me how high-tech and innovative they were -- while I was being stared back point-blank-in-the-face by a huge broken link. The system does allow you to accept online transactions WITHOUT having a merchant account -- however those fees might irk some people.

THE SERVICE: CCAVenue offers a very good merchant program for residents of India -- with the lack of a unified financial infrastructure hindering the country's ability to allow its citizens to sell items internationally, CCAvenue offers a specialzied program that fits the needs of most Indian business persons. For the rest of us, CCAvenue also offers an international merchant account that allows us to place payment buttons on our websites or auction listings and accept payments. You can do this with or without a merchant program from them. You have to pick the service -- and the prices -- that most fit what you are looking for.



SCREEN SHOT CCAvenue

PROS: Solid company around since 2001. Perfect for Indian merchants who want to have a global payment solution customized for their specific needs. The service is available to an international audience. Most major currencies are supported by the service with the ability to convert foreign payments into your local currency. Sellers would find this service okay for expanding their business base. Customer support can be reached easily by email or telephone (India, America). Emails were answered in under 48 hours.

CONS: The website could use some work -- the user interface for account holders was complicated and written in British English (this could confuse some American and Canadian customers). It takes about two day of complete attention to the service to get a total grasp on how to use it. There are easier payment solutions out there that are faster and easier to learn and yield the same results. It's hard to keep track of all the fees. Calculating your business expenses using CCAvenue could be difficult.

OVERALL: CCAvenue is something that residents of India should consider using. For the rest of us, I think there are far more easier services out there to use than this one. With all the choices we have, there is no reason to pick this service. However, the service works and does everything as advertised. Aside from some minor issues, a seller could make a living using this payment processor -- although by trial and error. Therefore, we can recommend this service to residents of India and SOME others who might interested in what this service has to offer.

LINK TO CCAvenue

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

MORE PayPal Alternatives HERE!

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