Saturday, September 4, 2010

PayPal Plug-in RIP

I want to share that if you're a PayPal user who uses the PayPal Plugin, which allows you to request a one or multi - use card number for online purchases, this option will end mid-September. I use this option all the time when I don't want the retailer to have my bank issued credit number.



For example, I use Virgin Mobile's Broadband2Go service which is pay as you go. I use a PayPal generated credit card number to add megabytes, when needed, to my account. Virgin Mobile processes my transaction as a credit card purchase and doesn't know any different. Yet, if this account should be hacked or Virgin Mobile should attempt to charge this account on a monthly basis they can't, because the funds are not available until I deposit them into my PayPal account.



The PayPal Plugin was also a wonderful option to use when signing up for trial memberships: audiobooks.com, music.com, NetFlix.com - services that you are literally trying for 14 days before deciding to join and committing to a monthly payment. I would request a one use credit card number from PayPal and sign up for the trial. If I didn't like it, no sweat, even if the service tried to charge my card after the 14 day trial nothing would happen because that card number would be dead.



It was so convenient when buying online because it kept my bank issued credit card safe from exposure to potential fraudsters and allowed me to pay online transactions with cash instead of accruing interest and having to write and snail mail a check or use an online bill pay service. I am really going to miss this PayPal option and hope this is a temporary change.


I want to share that if you're a PayPal user who uses the PayPal Plugin, which allows you to request a one or multi - use card number for online purchases, this option will end mid-September. I use this option all the time when I don't want the retailer to have my bank issued credit number.

For example, I use Virgin Mobile's Broadband2Go service which is pay as you go. I use a PayPal generated credit card number to add megabytes, when needed, to my account. Virgin Mobile processes my transaction as a credit card purchase and doesn't know any different. Yet, if this account should be hacked or Virgin Mobile should attempt to charge this account on a monthly basis they can't because the funds are not available until I deposit them into my PayPal account.
The PayPal Plugin was also a wonderful option to use when signing up for trial memberships: audiobooks.com, music.com, NetFlix.com - services that you are literally trying for 14 days before deciding to join and committing to a monthly payment. I would request a one use credit card number from PayPal and sign up for the trial. If I didn't like it, no sweat, even if the service tried to charge my card after the 14 day trial nothing would happen because that card number would be dead. It was so convenient when buying online because it kept my bank issued credit card safe from exposure to potential fraudsters and allowed me to pay online transactions with cash instead of accruing interest and having to write and snail mail a check or using an online bill pay service. I am really going to miss this PayPal option and hope this is a temporary change.

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