Payments

[Elizabeth Ann West]

It would be very nice to have the ability to withdraw funds at our leisure once we get to a threshold. Waiting a month for a paycheck can be frustrating sometimes. Even if this feature isn't possible, maybe payments going out of the first and the fifteenth would be a good compromise. I think it will help some of the writers here have more consistent income streams, and I know I am never more motivated to write as when I just got paid! :)

Just a suggestion, and something that would make me thrilled! :)

Always Smiling,
Elizabeth

[Constant]

added to the list for sure. The method of paying the authors should definitely be reevaluated.

[beconrad]

It would also be nice to have the option of direct deposit to my bank account each month.

Bonnie

[Elizabeth Ann West]

Oh Amen... it's hard enough to accept 35% goes... on larger months the percentage Paypal takes can be considerable too, almost a whole article's worth of proceeds. For what? Paypal does essentially the same thing if you make $200 in a month, or $2,000. The difference is the fee is around $6-7 for the first, and $60-$70 for the other.

I would even be happy to have the option to have a paper check mailed to my house over paying Paypal their exorbitant fee.

[Celeste Stewart]

Yes, payments are a definite concern for both low and high income earners. I can see those who are below the threshold getting discouraged. After finally sellng a article, they may have to wait several months before going over $50. Yet, I can also understand that CC doesn't want to administer payments for hundreds of writers with just $5 in their accounts.

On the other extreme are those of us paying PalPal well over a hundred dollars a month just to get paid. I'd love to see direct deposit, PayPal echeck, or PayPal Mass Payments (I think that's an option) implemented. I can't imagine it being all that difficult. I'd even be willing to pay a small fee to CC in order to get a more affordable payday.

All of my checking and savings accounts are free but here I am giving PayPal hundreds of dollars. Grrrr. It's annoying.

[RFHarris]

When I work for off shore accounts who pay me via paypal I have to pay for the GBP or other currency transfer into USD....it winds up being a rather large sum. Paypal gets you at both ends, and they don't even buy you dinner! The problem is that my bank is stupid and to receive payments from another bank I have to have that bank fill out a form and send it to my bank. Yes I know there are other banks that would be much easier but dang it! Anyways, since we are complaining about paypal I thought I'd let the admins know that I totally feel your pain since Paypal has their nasty grubby paws in my pocket to.

[Gail Kavanagh]

As an Australian writer, I prefer Paypal. Our local banks charge even higher fees to process an overseas check and it takes six weeks, while Paypal is practically instantaneous (and give me money to blow on Ebay lol). So while it would be a good thing to have other options for writers who would prefer them, I hope Paypal stays.

[lissie]

I agree with Gail - I just banked a US check and the bank took $10 - which was over 10% and won't clear it for weeks! I don't see any extra fees wtih paypal - I pay the currency conversion - which I would anyway - and then when I hit the minimum level for a free withdraw to my bank a/c I do that - I don't leave any significant money in Paypal - I don't trust them

[Elizabeth Ann West]

The fee we are talking about is the 3% plus minimum amount I think $.30 depending on the threshold. For those making $100 from Constant-Content, Paypal takes between 3-5% depending on the type of account you have with them. As your paycheck improves, Paypal takes even more money, instead of a flat transaction fee as it did a few years ago. For a $2,000 monthly payday from C-C, which there are number of authors who make their living here, Paypal takes between $60-80, for what? In today's age of digital banking, there is nothing more done for $2,000 versus $100.

It may not sound like much, but over the course of a calendar year, close to $1,000 can be forfeited to Paypal very easily. Since C-C is already taking 35% to cover the costs of accounting, storage, editing services, and advertising, many of the authors here are also paying an additional 3-5% of their 65% for a subcontractor to send paychecks (Paypal). I know the cost of a stamp has gone up, but I don't think it would cost C-C $60-$80 to direct deposit or mail a paper check to U.S. based authors. I don't know all of the banking issues for the international authors, and I don't mean to sound like you don't matter, just that I am ignorant as to what your banking options are.

I know here in the states, my bank will send a paper check or direct deposit as long as I have as little as an address and name, and for direct deposit I only need a routing number and account number, but not access to that bank account. Also, since I bank with a credit union, this service is completely free. Perhaps there will need to be another threshold, or continual status as an earning author before it's cost effective for C-C to offer paper checks or direct deposit. All we're asking is for the payment method and frequency to be looked at in the grand overhaul of the C-C system. :)

Always Smiling,
Elizabeth

[lissie]

I just withdrew some cash out of paypal to my local bank - I double checked - I am paying no extra fee. The paypal amount is in US$ - when I withdrawal it gets converted to my local currency - using standard, not great , exchange rate - (which would be the same if I banked a US$ cheque) but there is definitely no fee associated as I withdrew the equivalent of more than NZ$150, if I had withdrawn less the few would have been NZ$1 about US0.77c In contrast when I send money from my Australian to my NZ account - or v.v. it costs about A$20 for the transaction (regardless of amount).

This is not cash from CC but from someone else who has paid me via paypal but I can't see the source would make a difference: in fact my paypal a/c says that they do free withdrawals to US bank accounts - so I am still confused.

Not only is paypal incredibly cheap for me to get money from it also means that when I am paid in US$ I can "hold" that amount and if I buy in US$ I can use the overseas funds I hold - that is a huge saving on exchange rate conversions and much much cheaper than running a foreign currency account via a bank in this part of the world.

[Ed]

For those who have been suggesting paper checks, let me remind why these are not practical. CC used them once, which resulted in frustration for everyone.

1)Many writers are based overseas. Checks can take ages to reach them.
2)Writers live in areas where the postal service is not reliable.
3)If a writer says that he or she has not received a mailed paper check, CC cannot easily verify this - especially if the writer is based in another country.
4)Writers cannot be paid on time in a reliable manner, which means a flood of complaints comes into Support for an issue that should be taken up with the postal service rather than CC.
5)Mail addresses change, resulting in lost paper checks and delays in payment.

Digital transactions are really the only practical, sensible way for CC to go, however it chooses to do so in the future.

Thanks,
Ed

[Elizabeth Ann West]

The fee isn't when you withdraw... it's when C-C deposits into the Paypal account.

[lissie]

Then it must be C-C charging the fee: I invoice an amount to my client's and they pay me the amount agreed into paypal.com.

[Elizabeth Ann West]

No, Paypal charges a feel of 2.9% - 3.9% + $0.30 for all transactions into a paypal account. When you look at your account activity on Paypal, it will have the name of the depositer, the original amount deposited, then a small amount subtracted labeled fee. I don't know how Paypal works for international users, I only know the U.S. policies and rules.

I was only raising the issue due to the fact that right now the site developers are reassessing all parts of the website, including payments. If it isn't something that can be addressed, that's fine I understand. I was just letting them know that perhaps there is a way to reward regular sellers on the site with a relief from this fee, such as direct deposits into bank accounts.

I also raised the issue of bimonthly or user generated payments. This is also just a dream idea ;) I know I am very motivated to write more right after I get paid for my hard work. With bimonthly payments, or user generated payments (meaning the process is automated, so when we want to withdraw money over the threshold, we just click to initiate a payment into our account). Bimonthly payments would also help those of us making a living or supporting our families with our writing proceeds to have a more normalized influx of resources into our monthly budget.

In turn, I think it would help increase productivity on C-C. The more authors are willing to write, the more selection there is for buyers.

:)

EAW

[JD]

I think EAW is referring to a premier/business account, to which PayPal applies fees. I have a personal account and don't pay any fees unless the amount I withdraw from PayPal is less than $150 Canadian dollars (something like that), then I pay 50 cents. Or at least that's how I understand it works.

Jane