Do you use paypal?

[Josiah VE]

Hi everyone.
For all you fellow artists out there, just curious what's your preferred medium of payment for commisions. Over the years my go-to has been paypal but just curious about other people's experiences and preferences.

[Kellerica]

Paypal for me, which I am aware is probably not the best solution long-term. I've been meaning to work out a better way to invoice people for ages, but keep putting it off...

[MistyBeee]

I tend to avoid Paypal if possible, mostly because of the fees.
Most of the time, I prefer direct bank transfers, or TransferWise for clients reluctant to use their bank, or who have high fees with international payments.

[Josiah VE]

Paypal for me, which I am aware is probably not the best solution long-term. I've been meaning to work out a better way to invoice people for ages, but keep putting it off...

Yeah I've used it for a long time and it has been mostly fine but I had a bit of a poor experience once, plus the fees. I think paypal is good because its pretty universal, but like you I'm curious if there's a better option.

I tend to avoid Paypal if possible, mostly because of the fees.
Most of the time, I prefer direct bank transfers, or TransferWise for clients reluctant to use their bank, or who have high fees with international payments.

Thanks for the input. I've done a few direct etransfers which has worked alright but I'll have to look into the international side of it more.
I'll look into transferwise as another option. Does the client have to make an account for that then, do you find it is an inconvenience for the client?

[MistyBeee]

Thanks for the input. I've done a few direct etransfers which has worked alright but I'll have to look into the international side of it more.
I'll look into transferwise as another option. Does the client have to make an account for that then, do you find it is an inconvenience for the client?

As far as I know, they need an account, yes. TransferWise is just one of the options I suggest to my clients. After that, it's their choice, depending on their country, personal preference, etc. I don't have to interfer, and I never discuss about why they decided to choose this or that payment method. However, I noticed clients from Australia and New Zealand often choose TransferWise, European and Asian often prefer direct bank transfer, US either accept bank transfer or insist for Paypal. I suspect those trends are linked to the international fees. From what my US clients told me, those fees for international transfer can vary a lot depending on what bank they have.
Another difference between those options is time. TransferWise is by far the fastest : I can get the payment on my bank account in just 1 or 2 hours, while Paypal can need 1 to 3 days, and bank transfer 2 to 7 days. It can matter in some specific situations.
Hope it helps !

[Gamerprinter]

I usually use Paypal for all payments to me, unless the pay is particular high, and the fees would be exhorbitant, then I have the payment snail mailed to me as a physical check. I've done that for some products I sell on DrivethruRPG - when something sells really well, I have them pay me with a check. It's only happened twice through DriventhruRPG. I did a commission of 13 maps for Brady Games, for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Strategy Guide, and the payment was in the thousands of dollars, so I insisted on being paid by check for that as well. But for most monthly sales income of $250 or less, I just download via Paypal.

[ChickPea]

I don't do commissions, so I'm not offering any insights on that, but we've used TransferWise at work, and it's great and very easy to use. We had to send money to a European government agency, and their site rejected two different credit cards and a debit card. God knows what the problem was. The payment went through in seconds with TransferWise, and the whole process was simple. So, just another thumbs up for them.

(I sound like an advert, so usual disclaimer that I'm not affiliated with them etc etc...!)

[Wingshaw]

Yep, I second Misty and CP here. I have had too many bad experiences with PayPal (some genuinely dreadful ones!), so I avoid it like the plague. Sometimes it's unavoidable, and I think, like Misty says, Americans and Canadians seem to prefer it. But Transferwise has been reliable, fast, easy and relatively low fees for me for several years. It is also helpful, I think, that Transferwise lets me have actual bank details in several countries, which is useful since I spend so much time travelling.

Just my two cents

Wingshaw

[DrWho42]

ya! paypal works best for me.

[Josiah VE]

Thanks for adding to the discussion everyone. I also wouldn't mind moving away from paypal if possible. I'll definitely look into direct bank transfers when the opportunity allows it and look into Transferwise as another alternative.