It can be difficult to buy the goods you like in America because of the discrepancies between the payment methods accepted by the seller of the goods and the payment methods available to the buyer. There are different payment methods for online purchases, let’s look at the main ones in more detail.
PayPal. The payment system PayPal is the largest electronic payment system in the world. To date, it is the most popular system used to pay for the purchases on the online auction eBay. This payment system is owned by eBay, which had purchased PayPal in 2002.
PayPal is recognized as one of the most reliable payment systems. PayPal payments are “instantaneous” and easy to track and trace. The sender of the payment does not have to pay any commissions to the system; you can top up your PayPal account directly from your plastic card. The features listed above make PayPal a very attractive way to pay for online purchases.
Bank credit/debit cards. Residents of various countries can purchase goods in America by paying with a bank credit card. Payment by bank cards is the second most popular way of payment after PayPal. It is also very fast, the commission is not charged from the sender of the payment. Payment can be tracked, withdrawn in case of fraud attempts.
However, payment by bank card has a number of disadvantages. The main drawback is the reluctance of many sellers to accept this method of payment.
Direct bank transfer – Wire Transfer. Direct Bank Transfer allows you to buy goods in America and pay for them quickly, with few fees. You can pay for your purchases in the USA using this method yourself. However the essential disadvantage of the direct bank transfer is its insufficient reliability – in case of problems the money can be returned only by good will of the payment recipient, it is difficult to check the fact of money receipt.
Money Order. Money Order – it is a postal money order, the way of payment for purchases in online stores, which is very popular in America. It is enough to know the recipient’s mailing address to send him data on the payment. Money Order recipient will exchange it for cash at a local bank branch.
This method of payment is inexpensive, but you can buy goods in America and pay for Money Order only through an intermediary – domestic banks do not provide this service.
Money Order payment can be withdrawn while it is not yet cashed, there is an opportunity to track the payment, as well as to provide the recipient with proof of sending the payment. However, the recipient must wait a few days for the payment, then go through the cash-out procedure, paying a fee. Payment insurance is not provided, refunds depend on the recipient’s wish.
Webmoney. Not all online stores use this method of payment directly, in particular, this type of payment is not accepted at eBay. However, you can pay for your purchases in America using Webmoney by using the services of an intermediary – if necessary, they will accept Webmoney payment and then pay for the goods to the buyer in a convenient way for the seller.