PAYPAL FAQ

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WHY DO I HAVE TO USE PAYPAL TO PAY?

We use PayPal as our payment processor rather than using other credit card processing companies. This allows us to use one payment method whether you choose to pay with PayPal, or use your credit card. The region saves money by not having to pay for another credit card processing service, which typically have higher fees. In fact, we get reduced processing fees from PayPal due to our Non-Profit Status.

So, if you have a PayPal account, you can use that to pay. But for those that want to pay with Credit Card, you can do that, also.

HOW DO I PAY WITH A CREDIT CARD ON THE PAYPAL SITE?

Once you get redirected to PayPal, just do as follows:

1. MAKE SURE THE "PAY WITH A CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD" OPTION IS SELECTED
   
   If your PayPal page looks as follows, just click on "Pay with a credit or debit card".
   
2. ENTER YOUR CREDIT CARD INFO

   Address, email & phone number may also be requested depending on your country. When you are done, click on "Review and Continue".

   
3. CLICK ON "PAY NOW"
   
   

PAYPAL WON'T ACCEPT MY CREDIT CARD

If your credit/debit card is being rejected by PayPal with the message "The card you entered cannot be used for this payment. Please enter a different credit or debit card number." it might be due to one of the following reasons:

1. Your card is associated with a specific PayPal account, and you're not logging in with that particular account.
2. Your card was associated with a PayPal account that has since been closed.
3. You've linked the card to a PayPal account, but have not yet confirmed it.
4. You've exceeded your card limit with the PayPal system.
5. Your email address is raising a red flag in PayPal's system.
6. Your browser is not accepting cookies. You should clear any existing cookies and try again.

IS PAYPAL SAFE TO USE?

PayPal has a number of security and privacy precautions to safeguard against issues such as fraudulent transactions and identity theft.

1. Buyer and seller protection
   Firstly, PayPal offers a protection program for both buyers and sellers on its platform. If you purchase physical goods online, PayPal will fully reimburse you (plus postage) if it doesn't arrive or doesn't match the seller's posted description. For sellers, PayPal will ensure you receive full eligible payments in the case of an unauthorized payment or if a buyer says she never received their purchase. Both programs have some eligibility requirements.
2. Encryption
   PayPal utilizes end-to-end encryption in all of its transactions and outlines some of the techniques it employs on its website, which helps keep all of the details for your transactions secure. These include using a TLS connection (a secure connection over HTTPS), key pinning (which ensures you only connect to a legitimate PayPal server for transactions), and following data security standards such as PCI-DSS (the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard).
3. Additional security options
   Whenever you send or receive a payment, PayPal will email you a confirmation -- a good way to know your transaction was successful, or alert you if something is amiss. PayPal offers a form of two-factor authentication it calls the PayPal Security Key. With this enabled, you're sent a one-time PIN for each log-in via SMS.

As long as you hold your PayPal log-in credentials close, don't reuse passwords, and enable two-factor authentication, using PayPal shouldn't be any more risky than using any other payment app out there -- or a credit card, for that matter. Compared to other forms of payment, PayPal does offer more guarantees in case you get ripped off, as long as you qualify. And PayPal has years of experience that have helped forge its current security practices. If you're savvy about spotting spam emails (or at least not clicking on their links), you shouldn't have any major issues using PayPal.