Any idea why freebsd.org is using PayPal for donations ?

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

Manish Jain

2016-07-13 16:34:55 UTC

Hi,

I yesterday made a very small donation of USD 10 to FreeBSD via my
credit card. The amount is trifling, by all standards, but it made me
happy. But I was mighty unhappy that FreeBSD donations at freebsd.org
are now crafted by PayPal. In my opinion, PayPal is a bunch of thugs who
charge 2x for everything they do.

For making my donation, PayPal first set up a 'handshake' transaction of
USD 1. I had no option but to accept that transaction too. So I ended up
donating USD 10 to FreeBSD, and USD 1 to PayPal. As much as I want to
donate to FreeBSD, I also want that none of my money ends up as booty
with PayPal, a company I absolutely hate for its business model,
practice and internal work ethos (I have worked at PayPal for 6 months
to know how bad things are at PayPal).

The way the system works, I can't reclaim my USD 1 that now enriches
PayPal accounts.

--
Regards
Manish Jain

Matthew Seaman

2016-07-13 17:04:33 UTC

Permalink

Post by Manish Jain
Hi,
I yesterday made a very small donation of USD 10 to FreeBSD via my
credit card. The amount is trifling, by all standards, but it made me
happy. But I was mighty unhappy that FreeBSD donations at freebsd.org
are now crafted by PayPal. In my opinion, PayPal is a bunch of thugs who
charge 2x for everything they do.
For making my donation, PayPal first set up a 'handshake' transaction of
USD 1. I had no option but to accept that transaction too. So I ended up
donating USD 10 to FreeBSD, and USD 1 to PayPal. As much as I want to
donate to FreeBSD, I also want that none of my money ends up as booty
with PayPal, a company I absolutely hate for its business model,
practice and internal work ethos (I have worked at PayPal for 6 months
to know how bad things are at PayPal).
The way the system works, I can't reclaim my USD 1 that now enriches
PayPal accounts.

You will have donated via the FreeBSD Foundation as the legal entity
behind the project (ie. something that can run bank accounts and
disperse monies.) It's actually a Foundation webpage that you get to by
clicking on the 'Donate' button on www.freebsd.org.

Now, that donations page gives you 4 different ways to donate money to
the project, of which PayPal is only one alternative. 'Click & Pledge'
looks to me like pretty much like what you would have wanted instead of
PayPal. However, if you're unsure, why not ask the FF people? There's
a form here:

https://www.freebsdfoundation.org/about/contact-us/

or there's phone numbers and e-mail addresses on that page. Quite apart
from anything else, they will be very glad to get feedback on the
methods they provide for handling donations.

Cheers,

Matthew

Chad Leigh Shire.Net LLC

2016-07-13 17:20:33 UTC

Permalink

No. You get the $1 back. They don't complete or confirm or close it. It is just an authorization. They do it to make sure the card data is valid, for better or worse.

I don't like PP either, I agree with you there. But the $1 authorization will fall off your card eventually when the authorization expires.

Chad

Sent from my iPhone

Valeri Galtsev

2016-07-13 19:01:22 UTC

Permalink

Post by Chad Leigh Shire.Net LLC
No. You get the $1 back. They don't complete or confirm or close it. It
is just an authorization. They do it to make sure the card data is valid,
for better or worse.
I don't like PP either, I agree with you there. But the $1 authorization
will fall off your card eventually when the authorization expires.

It it were credit card, it would be listed as "pending" transaction, and
will eventually disappear as Chad says. Pretty much the same gasoline
dispensers do in US: before starting pump for you they do this $1
(unfinished) transaction from your credit card, and if you don't pour gas,
you will see this pending $1 transaction for some time, then it disappears
never actually hitting your account.

Valeri

Post by Chad Leigh Shire.Net LLC
Chad
Sent from my iPhone

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Ken Moffat

2016-07-14 00:03:26 UTC

Permalink

Post by Chad Leigh Shire.Net LLC
No. You get the $1 back. They don't complete or confirm or close it. It is just an authorization. They do it to make sure the card data is valid, for better or worse.
I don't like PP either, I agree with you there. But the $1 authorization will fall off your card eventually when the authorization expires.

It's been a while since I had to go through this process, but ISTR
that I got an email from paypal, and I then had to reply with the
reference which appeared on my bank statement, and then the nominal
amount was refunded. But the details might vary with different
types of accounts / different cards.

ĸen

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