The PayPal Process… Broken Down
The PayPal Process… Broken Down
Part 1 – Getting PayPal Set Up For Your Event:
The Event Staff needs to ensure that there is an adequate amount of time before the event for the PayPal Team to assist you in utilizing PayPal for your event. Any requests coming in for the use of PayPal that are not at least 2 months prior to the date of the event will be denied in the future. This will cut down on some of the frustrations for the Event Team and the PayPal Team.
Think about your price structure. Be aware that the current NMR is $10 more for adults ONLY. We do not charge NMR on youths or children. Will you have a feast, dayboard or both? Is there a seat limit? Is the cost included in the price or will it be extra? Is there camping? Cabin rentals or merchant specific fees? Is the event collecting donations? The PayPal Team will need this information in order to set the event link and invoices up.
Remember PayPal charges us to use it. Plan for that in your pricing to avoid financial issues. card processing at 2.59% + $0.49
Think about cut off dates. The current PayPal Policy states that invoicing will stop 10 days prior to the event, but we are able to extend that a few more days and will ask you if you wish to do so as we get closer to the event. Is there an earlier cutoff date needed for feast, dayboard or even cabin/camping reservations?
The request to utilize PayPal should come through your branch Exchequer. They are responsible for the event report, money received for the event, etc., and will be the main contact receiving the Online Registration Spreadsheets produced by the PayPal Team. There can be other people who receive copies of the spreadsheets and spreadsheets are the Event Teams to use and share as necessary. We just ask that any emails left on the sheets be removed before use at Gate.
The form to request to use PayPal is available on the Kingdom Exchequer’s website on the forms page under the header Other Forms located here: https://exchequer.eastkingdom.org/resources2/forms/ It is currently labeled Request to Use PayPal Preregistration. The form will ask for the exchequer’s information, the event information and a contact person for reservations. The contact can be the autocrat or the head of Gate. We can also add people to the email correspondence once the PayPal Team starts contact the Event Team. The PayPal Team will compare the spreadsheet to the event webpage to ensure the numbers are correct and will contact you if there is a discrepancy before moving forward.
The PayPal Team has also handled payment only where the Event Team collects the attendee information and coordinates invoicing with the PayPal Team. There have also been events that are donation only. If you have an unusual idea or request, reach out to the PayPal Team (exchequer.paypal@eastkingdom.org) with your questions and we’ll try to accommodate you.
Part 2: The Magic Once a Request to Use PayPal is Received
Once the PayPal Team has reviewed the Request to Use PayPal form and the website for any discrepancies, a number of other things must occur. The PayPal Team checks that the Branch is up to date on non-member reporting and filing of any payments due. The PayPal Team checks with the Regional Exchequer to ensure that the Branch is up to date with quarterly reporting. Next the PayPal Team must create a survey for your event. Each survey is customized based on the event and the fee structures presented with questions and answers for the attendee(s) to fill out that wish to attend the event. Once the survey is created and tested, the link is sent to the Event Team to place within the event announcement on the East Kingdom Calendar website with the words “A PayPal invoice will be generated within 24 to 48 hours of the online preregistration information being submitted. Online preregistration is not complete until the PayPal invoice has been paid.” It is very important to include this additional wording with the link so that attendees utilizing the preregistration link understand it is not an automated system and they will not be getting an invoice immediately. There is no guarantee of how long the survey creation process will take, so please be patient and never EVER post on the event page that the link will be available by a certain day. The team does get them set up as fast as possible, but sometimes things happen to cause delays.
Once the PayPal link is posted on the event listing on the East Kingdom Calendar page, it is considered “official” and may be shared through social media and email to advertise the event.
The PayPal Team also sets up the event invoice in PayPal. While not as complicated as the survey itself, it is still tailored to the event fee structure for each event. Lastly the PayPal Team starts a spreadsheet to keep track for each Event the individual submissions of the invoice requests and payments. From this, the prepaid Gate sheet is made, and it is also used by the Branch’s Exchequer for the event report, processing the NMR check to the Kingdom and should be kept with their records.
The PayPal Team does not keep track of reservations made directly to the Event Team via check. It is suggested that you keep a separate list of these reservations.
The PayPal Team will generally send the Event Team an update about once a week until the event gets close or reservations with limits (feast, dayboard, cabins, etc.) are filling up. The spreadsheet will indicate who has paid and who has not.
Part 3: Attendees Utilizing PayPal for Preregistration
Attendees will utilize the PayPal link to fill out a survey specific to that event. Please fill out the form entirely – skipping things or filling it out in a hurry makes it harder for the PayPal Team. Name misspellings, nicknames, not using the name on your blue card can make it difficult to match members to their profiles on the membership lists provided to the PayPal Team.
Once the form comes into the PayPal Team, when the Team Member assigned to that event is available, they transfer the information provided on the invoice request to a PayPal invoice and to the Event spreadsheet for the Event Team. This is all done manually, by a volunteer staff, as they are available to work on it. After 48 hours, if you have not received an invoice and have checked your spam folder, contact the PayPal Team (exchequer.paypal@eastkingdom.org) and let us know what event you believe you registered for and when you submitted the invoice request. There is a known issue with Hotmail accounts so if you could use a different email to receive the invoice, that would be helpful. The email used to pay the invoice does not have to match the email to which the invoice was sent – it will be cross referenced by invoice number, amount and payee name.
When attendees receive their invoice, they should check that it is correct. It’s the right event, the right amount, etc. Once an invoice is paid, it cannot be corrected. If you feel an invoice might be wrong, you need to cancel an unpaid invoice, etc., PLEASE contact the PayPal Team (exchequer.paypal@eastkingdom.org) and let us know what event, the invoice number and what the issue is.
It is the attendee’s responsibility to pay the invoice in a reasonable amount of time. Payment is expected within 24 hours of the invoice being sent. PayPal automatically starts generating reminders 48 hours after the invoice is generated if payment is not received. Attempts will be made by Event Staff to reach out to those with open invoices after the survey link has been closed to ensure payment will be made. Invoices open after the survey has closed may be canceled so the preregistration list can be finalized. The only reservation is a paid reservation. Attendees can still pay at the door to attend events but must pay by cash or check.
When you get to Gate, be prepared to show your membership card. This proves who you are for the people working at gate and it can be helpful to show you have signed the electronic waiver. Many people do not sign the electronic waiver so be certain that you have signed your blue card or be prepared to do so at Gate. If you are from out of kingdom, we can not check your membership, so this becomes very important for gate. Also remember to check your membership date – preregistering before your card expires will not exclude you from having to pay the NMR fee at gate if your card has expired (or you can re-up your membership online and show it to Gate). Everyone must pay the NMR if they do not have proof of membership.
If you cannot attend the event after paying your invoice, please contact the exchequer of the hosting branch regarding a possible refund. Refunds are done by the hosting branch at their discretion – attendees will never receive a refund from or through PayPal.
Part 4: Once The Survey Closes – Final Payments and Reconciliation
The survey link will close at 11:59pm of the agreed upon date. The next morning (usually), the PayPal Team will send the preregistration spreadsheet to the Event Team. It is up to the Event Team to chase outstanding invoices (we suggest starting with anything over a week old). All outstanding invoices will be cancelled within the next 48 hours as agreed upon by the Event Team and the PayPal Team.
Once all invoices are paid or cancelled, the PayPal Team will reconcile the balances to PayPal and send the final spreadsheet to the Event Team. The final spreadsheet can be copied, sorted, enlarged or whatever is necessary for use by gate at this time.
The spreadsheet will show a total of the balance that will be mailed by check to the Branch Exchequer. The check can take 2-3 weeks to get two signatures and reach the Branch Exchequer.
The online reservation final spreadsheet is the Branch Exchequers “record” of who has paid through PayPal, the amount collected for paid online reservations and the fees collected by PayPal for the event report including the NMR. The Branch Exchequer will also need the final sheet in case they need to reimburse a reservation (minus the PayPal fees). The sheet(s) should be kept with the event report.