Having to 'apply' for PayPal merchant fee rates is bordering on a scam.

[Anonymous]

PayPal's computer system can add up our monthly sales figures

so WHY do we have to apply for discounted rates based on monthly turnover ???

Our PayPal fee rate should be automatically calculated by PayPal.

In my case I have never given it a second thought until I noticed the fees

on a neat $100.00 sale

I chased the merchant rate down via profile and found that I have been

paying the maximum rate since forever.

Naturally, I then applied for the merchant rate but my question is

"Why did I have to ??"

Call me a cynic but this appears to be a deliberate ommission of

action on PayPal's part. 

[fmurphy2005]

Same here, I only found out by this discounted rate about a year and a half ago, maybe two years.  Before then I thought the rate was the same for everyone.  I think I shared it here in this forum when I discovered it, I was quite excited!

It does seem silly that we have to manually apply for it but PayPal are a business and they would want to do it the best way for them.  I guess it gives them leverage, like how you might want to leave a utility company and then they offer you a discounted rate to stay.  Can't help but feel we were getting ripped off the past X years!

[Anonymous]

Just over the last 12 months I lost $400....grrr. Essentially my fault for thinking PayPal

kept tabs.

[digital*ghost]

Possibly because transaction value isn't the only eligibility requirement. You never know, there may also be reasons why someone would want to be on the standard rates, too (by which I mean perhaps it's less an "application" and more an indication of permission. I can't really think of any reasons why someone wouldn't want to save a bit on the fees, but that doesn't mean there aren't any). 

The application process (such as it is) isn't really an issue, I suspect it's more that they (PP) don't exactly announce when you qualify as far as transaction value goes, nor send out invitations / offers to apply when you're eligible.

They keep tabs and adjust the rate once you're on merhcant rates, at least. 

[Anonymous]

Yes I applied and the process was easy but I still feel that an 'offer' from PayPal

would have been ethically correct but it's business I guess.

Makes me curious how many extra millions PP have made by being backward

in coming forward.

[davewil1964]

How often does your bank or utility company ring you and offer, unsolicited, to charge you less?

[lm-entertainment]

thanks for bringing this to my attention. never even knew it was a "thing." have applied, which was a basic process and over time, should save quite a bit of money.

[Anonymous]

Yes, when my electricity provider found out I had moved to another provider.

[davewil1964]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Yes, when my electricity provider found out I had moved to another provider.

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Indeed.