If you're like most online shoppers, your least favorite part of buying online is the payment process. But if you win an auction from a seller that accepts PayPal, paying the seller will be a breeze and will also be safer than haphazardly sending him your credit card information across the open plains of the Internet.
PayPal is more convenient than using a credit card. Compare a standard online credit card transaction with a PayPal transaction:
Let's assume you buy a book online and pay for it with a credit card. When you pay the bill in the checkout section of the Web site, you enter your credit card number, the card's expiration date, and finally the three- or four-digit security code number found on the back of the card. Next, you'll have to enter your billing address. With all the identity theft warnings floating around, it would seem the last thing you want to do is send both your credit card information and your home address across the Internet, secure connection or not. But you can't make the purchase without it, so online it goes.
On the other hand, if an eBay vendor accepts PayPal, and you have a PayPal account, paying for an item is a much less complicated process. Enter your PayPal ID (usually your email address) and then enter your password. That's it.
All the other information is already recorded and verified and safely stored in your PayPal account. The vendor gets his payment but no personal information from you at all. And you get the auction item you won.
But What Is PayPal?
PayPal started out as an independent transaction broker for Internet purchases. The service records your credit card and bank account data and other personal information. PayPal has become the darling of eBa....
