The Board of Directors has granted a one-time variance to the following Society Financial Policy, Section XII, B to allow the Barony of Gyldenholt, Caid to test the PayPal system for accepting credit cards at the Gyldenhold – Calafia Friendship Tournament on
March 9, 2013. The Society Exchequer is currently evaluating the feasibility of PayPal for future SCA usage at events using this event as a test. Please direct any questions to the Society Exchequer at exchequer@sca.org.
Comments are strongly encouraged and can be sent to:
SCA Inc.
Box 360789
Milpitas, CA 95036
You may also email comments@lists.sca.org.
This announcement is an official informational release by the Society for Creative Anachronism , Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce this announcement in its entirety in newsletters, websites and electronic mailing lists.
Please, heavens, yes.
I run an event in the real world which uses PayPal for preregistration and on-site registration using The Square. The process is so simple for everyone involved. Given that so many of us use wireless i-like devices it ought not be difficult for someone to have access to this technology. This investigation is ages and ages overdue! I hope that acceptance of this method is swift!
YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! Please oh please oh please YES!
We all love the old ways, but that doesn’t mean that as a modern organization, we shouldn’t make full use of the modern tools available to us that make it easier for people to participate.
YES! Please, please! Please!
YES!!! Please adopt it for the rest of the the kingdoms!!! This is one area the Society doesn’t need to keep in the dark ages.
What are the paybacks of going this route? What are the impacts to paperwork and tracking funds?
As I wrote on a FB comment – Paperwork and logistical NIGHTMARES await if you do this. Fraud, Chargebacks, fees. Need I go on? You want Credit Card Acceptance — USE ACCEPS which is in place for this very purpose (granted the $15.00 per event set up fee and the credit card fees to boot are carried by YOUR GROUP). Don’t get me wrong here I love Paypal for their Online paying things (ebay) but for events and pre-reg (especially pre-reg where cards are not swiped they are keyed [FRAUD ALERT]. Paypal even has reduced fees for non-profits but with the documentation you need to provide (Tax ID # for one] each GROUP would have to get their own. It’s bad enough now that we had to split some sates to subsidiaries due to IRS issues but for each GROUP, you are out of your minds!!! Now I use Square (http://squareup.com) and that may have a similar snag but unlike paypal, you buy a reader for $10 at a Staples or similar store, sign up for an account on their website, enter the code that came with your card reader and get your $10 back (reader is FREE) with paypal — download the PayAnywhere App from GPlay or IP Appstore Try to qualify for their program BEFORE you can do a DAMN thing [WASTE OF TIME]. As an exchequer I’d love for this to happen but I dont want an inbox imploding with 200 emails saying a purchase was made each time we have an event. Square is great for my other business but NEITHER would work for Anything that would have the ability to take money from a linked bank account (and it HAS to be linked for them to GET you your $$) in case of Fraud or Chargebacks. But just like normal I don’t expect many to take MY REAL experience concerns to mean muck at all. Godd Luck if this happens — NIGHTMARES IN PROGRESSS
Regardless of the method, having the ability to run cards or accept virtual payment at event doors would be fantastic. A lot of us young people don’t usually carry checks, and have to remember to bring one especially for events. If we could use virtual payment I know I would be able to impulse buy more things at events to support my shire/kingdom.