Why people(gun owners or pro 2nd Amendment folks) keep using paypal??

[Darth-Vang]

There was a pro-gun payment company started back in the 2000s...can't remember the name. But it was mismanaged and wound up going under and screwing a lot of people in the process. Wish I could remember their name.

“Gun Pal” is what you’re thinking of.

 

[Capm_Spaulding]

We use it for the same reason that there’s currently an eBay ad dancing on the top of OSA’s home page despite their crack down on gun related items following the Virginia Tech shooting years ago.… convenience in most cases, necessity in some cases, and ultimately, you can still use it how you please, if you’re cunning enough.

All big companies donate millions to all sorts of things, some are public about it, some aren’t. You’d drive yourself crazy trying to track down the donations of every company you ever interact with, no since in dying on the hill of just one.

Not directed at the OP, but this reminds me of many moons ago when I worked at an auto parts shop and a grumpy old man came in cussing that he’d been to 3 other parts stores and couldn’t find the part he was looking for that was also made in the USA and went on this tangent about how him and his family only buys American… I didn’t have the heart to tell him his Silverado was made in Mexico and his Nike’s weren’t American either.

My long rambling point is this, do whatever you want, but it really doesn’t matter much. Not worth the worrying and stress.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

TLDR: As a merchant I pay a processing fee every time I accept a credit card on the payment of a service or goods. So, your cash back comes out of the fees merchants pay and every card can have a slightly different fee.


Yes, they are via the processing fees that the merchant pays on each credit card transaction which are passed on to you and everyone else.

Back in the day a merchant could charge a cash price and a higher credit card price on purchases. Until, the banks strong armed the merchants into not offering cash discounts if they wanted to be able to use the merchant credit card processing network. A few years ago, merchants won back the right to offer a discounted cash price.

And I'm sure you'd rather accept a credit card and get a sale than not get that sale. I know I felt that way when I had my business. It's just a cost you build in to the cost of your goods/services.

I'm not defending any company or any policy and you do what you (generic you) feel is right. But I don't pay interest to credit card companies. And if they want to pay me several hundred dollars per year to use their card, I'm OK with that.

And I agree that trying to keep track of which companies are anti-this and anti-that and woke and whatever they do that's bad...I'm tired of it. There are some companies I just won't deal with but the list is pretty short. Hell...some are gun companies.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

“Gun Pal” is what you’re thinking of.

Yep...that's it. They changed their name to "GPal". I think the found was a dude by the last name of Cannon. If I recall he got arrested for impersonating a police officer.

Turns out the whole thing evolved from a legitimate business to a big Ponzi scheme. What a mess it was. I remember reading hundreds of pages of horror stories on CalGuns and other websites about how many people lost a lot of money using them.

 

[dennishoddy]

This is the way . . . .

And credit cards with rewards are awesome if you pay them off each month.

Yep, we have never carried a balance over and have accumulated 554,000 air miles for free flights on American. Pretty good deal.

 

[HiredHand]

And I'm sure you'd rather accept a credit card and get a sale than not get that sale. I know I felt that way when I had my business. It's just a cost you build in to the cost of your goods/services.

I'm not defending any company or any policy and you do what you (generic you) feel is right. But I don't pay interest to credit card companies. And if they want to pay me several hundred dollars per year to use their card, I'm OK with that.

And I agree that trying to keep track of which companies are anti-this and anti-that and woke and whatever they do that's bad...I'm tired of it. There are some companies I just won't deal with but the list is pretty short. Hell...some are gun companies.

Hence, my original point which is that you aren’t getting anything back that you haven’t already paid in markup and processing fees built into the product or service, regardless of whether or not you pay interest on your card balance. You’re just playing along with their game which is to disincentivize paying for things in cash. Which really doesn’t matter to me, but nobody figured out some loophole to get something for free.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

Hence, my original point which is that you aren’t getting anything back that you haven’t already paid in markup and processing fees built into the product or service, regardless of whether or not you pay interest on your card balance. You’re just playing along with their game which is to disincentivize paying for things in cash. Which really doesn’t matter to me, but nobody figured out some loophole to get something for free.

I understand that. But I'm paying that fee either way, regardless of how I pay. So I might as well get a portion of it back.

And with online buying the way it is, it's very hard to pay for things in cash.

You can argue that some merchants offer a cash discount. But they're very few and far between and represent a very small percentage of those I deal with...like maybe 1%. And I suspect that's the case for the majority of people. So I'd rather just get 2% back, and in some cases even 5% back, from all of them I deal with.

 

[BobbyV]

TLDR: As a merchant I pay a processing fee every time I accept a credit card on the payment of a service or goods. So, your cash back comes out of the fees merchants pay and every card can have a slightly different fee.

I'm well aware that merchant accounts and fees exist . . . . I've had several over the years.

Yes, they are via the processing fees that the merchant pays on each credit card transaction which are passed on to you and everyone else.

Yep . . . most fees are passed on to the customer. So why not get some of it back?

You're also able to deduct those fees from your taxes every year as well . . . right?

Back in the day a merchant could charge a cash price and a higher credit card price on purchases. Until, the banks strong armed the merchants into not offering cash discounts if they wanted to be able to use the merchant credit card processing network. A few years ago, merchants won back the right to offer a discounted cash price.

Yet most still don't do that . . . some of the distribution companies I buy from will cut the price like 2% if I buy via ACH instead of card.

Regardless, if I'm not paying the credit card company any interest but get some back on every purchase it's not a bad thing for me.

 

[retrieverman]

In today’s world, if you “boycott” every business that’s anti gun or has anti gun tendencies, there aren’t many places to conduct the business of daily life. I’m more inclined to pay for guns and gun stuff with PayPal as a F U to their policies. The same with going in a business with a “no beretta” policy while carrying a Kimber K6.
I’m more likely to ”boycott” a business that forced their employees to take an experimental vaccine to keep their jobs, and if a business requires a mask to enter, I’m out.

 

[Beau B]

In today’s world, if you “boycott” every business that’s anti gun or has anti gun tendencies, there aren’t many places to conduct the business of daily life. I’m more inclined to pay for guns and gun stuff with PayPal as a F U to their policies. The same with going in a business with a “no beretta” policy while carrying a Kimber K6.
I’m more likely to ”boycott” a business that forced their employees to take an experimental vaccine to keep their jobs, and if a business requires a mask to enter, I’m out.

I’ve got a beretta now…it’s going to be a real PITA to run home and switch guns every time I see one of those signs. Should’ve thought of that!