Taking Card Payment Over The Phone Via PayPal

[EViS]

We have an online store and use PayPal as our credit card payment processor. Every now and again, we receive calls from customers who would rather order over the phone and pay with their cards.

We go onto our website, add their item(s) to the basket, and checkout as they would but using the delivery/billing address and credit card details they give us on the telephone.

Is this safe and legal for us to do? We don't write their card details anywhere other than into the PayPal form.

The reason for the question is that PayPal also advertise 'virtual terminals' for a monthly fee, but why should we use one of these instead?

 

[S-Marketing]

We have an online store and use PayPal as our credit card payment processor. Every now and again, we receive calls from customers who would rather order over the phone and pay with their cards.

We go onto our website, add their item(s) to the basket, and checkout as they would but using the delivery/billing address and credit card details they give us on the telephone.

Is this safe and legal for us to do? We don't write their card details anywhere other than into the PayPal form.

The reason for the question is that PayPal also advertise 'virtual terminals' for a monthly fee, but why should we use one of these instead?

Having to go onto your site and pretend to be the customer seems a bit daft. What do you do when you get the 'verified by Visa' or other additional security come up? You can't ask the client for their password.

Paypal pro's virtual terminal is the legitimate way of doing what you are trying to do.

 

[Optegris]

Bear in mind that taking card details over the phone also increases the level of compliance you have to achieve regarding PCI guidelines.

Even though you say the details are not written down you are still coming into contact with the information
.

 

[EViS]

Around 1 in 20 orders are over the telephone, and as of yet we haven't come across the 'Verified by Visa' security box. Which does seem a bit odd in all fairness, why aren't PayPal utilising this additional security?

What additional PCI measures should we be undertaking?

Are we doing anything illegal or against PayPal's TOS taking payment in this way?

 

[makemoney]

Trouble is that you do not know that the caller is the cardholder, or if the person actually has a card at all, and that can make you an accessory to knowingly commit a fraud. But I bet this has been done a lot.

 

[cholland]

It's against Paypal terms and if caught you would get banned.

Bad thing about Paypal virtual terminals is that they usually hold onto a large percent for a silly amount of days!

 

[EViS]

Right, what's the best way for us to take the few telephone orders that we get without paying any monthly fees for the service?

 

[EViS]

How would PayPal find out that we have taken orders over the telephone already? And what are the chances of them finding out? If we get banned, will they retain all of our funds permanently? A bit worried you see!

 

[makemoney]

How would PayPal find out that we have taken orders over the telephone already? And what are the chances of them finding out? If we get banned, will they retain all of our funds permanently? A bit worried you see!

One way of paypal checking is to see what IP address the transactions are coming from. If they are all from the same IP with different cards that may set alarm bells ringing. I would just stop doing it. My guess is that they would want to stop it happening quickly, and would have suspended the account by now. Besides, I have not seen it documented anywhere (Ignorance works here)

 

[EViS]

What have you not seen documented anywhere?

Could all of the transactions not simply come from one office building (and therefore one IP) for example?

 

[makemoney]

Why would one person use several cards though paypal on the same computer? That would raise suspicion.

You can use an app called paypal here https://www.thepaypalblog.com/2012/03/paypal-here/, which may be what you need

 

[EViS]

Why would one person use several cards though paypal on the same computer? That would raise suspicion.

You can use an app called paypal here https://www.thepaypalblog.com/2012/03/paypal-here/, which may be what you need

The PayPal Here service only allows for customer's cards to be swiped, correct? So wouldn't be much use for taking orders over the telephone.

 

[makemoney]

The PayPal Here service only allows for customer's cards to be swiped, correct? So wouldn't be much use for taking orders over the telephone.

Have you read the "paypal here" Basics?

 

[EViS]

Have you read the "paypal here" Basics?

What 'basics' are you referring to? Apologies if I'm being slow on this.

 

[Ajnicho]

I'm also quite interested in finding this out.

Paypal here is not yet available in the UK. I'm trying to figure out the best way to take over the phone payments.

 

[360WebsiteReview]

We have an online store and use PayPal as our credit card payment processor. Every now and again, we receive calls from customers who would rather order over the phone and pay with their cards.

We go onto our website, add their item(s) to the basket, and checkout as they would but using the delivery/billing address and credit card details they give us on the telephone.

Is this safe and legal for us to do? We don't write their card details anywhere other than into the PayPal form.

The reason for the question is that PayPal also advertise 'virtual terminals' for a monthly fee, but why should we use one of these instead?

For the sake of £20 a month I would use PayPal's feature. Then, display on your website that you are happy to take telephone orders with call-to-action buttons... It will help you drive a couple more sales for sure.