New, Lower PayPal Rate Available to ABA Members

The American Booksellers Association recently announced the availability of a special rate of 1.9 percent of sale and 30 cents per transaction for all member stores using PayPal.

Stores that already have a PayPal business account need only send an e-mail to Curtis Keierleber, ABA’s new PayPal representative, to request the special ABA member rate; no further action is required.

IndieCommerce stores that are new to PayPal should call Keierleber at (402) 935-2131 to set up an account. Once a PayPal account is activated, the store should send an e-mail to IndieCommerce staff that includes the e-mail address associated with their new account. The IndieCommerce team will then install and configure the PayPal module, confirm it is live, and ask the store to test it.

ABA members using other e-commerce solutions should review the integration options on the PayPal website and then call Keierleber to set up an account.

The benefits of using PayPal include:

• An added level of convenience to help maximize sales.
• Acceptance of payments in 24 currencies from 190 countries and markets around the globe.
• 24/7 customer service phone support from experts in online payments who will help resolve specific issues.
• Money deposits into PayPal business accounts quickly, which can then be transferred to a bank account, be spent through PayPal, or be used through the PayPal Debit MasterCard®.
• Fraud protection through PayPal’s Automatic Fraud Screening, included at no extra charge. 
• Easy mobile checkout with a customized screen and minimal data entry required.

In addition, IndieCommerce stores using PayPal can increase their margin of sale. For businesses currently using ABA’s shared Authorize.net account, transactions are subject to a 4.5 percent fee in addition to credit card charges. If a customer uses PayPal, the sales will be subject to a rate of just 1.9 percent of sale and 30 cents per transaction.

There are few important aspects of PayPal integration with IndieCommerce that booksellers should note, however:

• Orders paid through PayPal are not eligible for Ingram fulfillment.
• If a store receives a preorder or special order, the funds must be captured within 29 days; after 29 days, the store will not be able to reauthorize the card.
• Completing orders or issuing refunds will take place directly on PayPal’s interface.

Additional information about PayPal can be found here. Questions should be directed to IndieCommerce staff or directly to Curtis Keierleber.