Choose Stripe, Avoid PayPal - Our Honest Take

One of the most common questions we get is: How do we collect payments from our bidders, and should we choose Stripe or PayPal?

After years of working with both payment processors, our answer is clear: Choose Stripe. Avoid PayPal.

Why Not PayPal?

The issues with PayPal are numerous, and the frustration it causes for us at BiddingOwl often extends to our customers, admins, and bidders. Not a day goes by without calls or emails about:

• Failed checkouts
• Declined cards
• General confusion over PayPal’s error messages

The Core Problem

PayPal’s error messages are vague and unhelpful. Instead of explaining why a payment failed or offering a solution, users are left guessing:

• Is there not enough money in my account?
• Did my bank block the transaction?
• Is my address information incorrect?

In most cases, the failure stems from one of three common issues:

1. The card being used is linked to an existing PayPal account.
2. The phone number is associated with a PayPal account.
3. The email address is tied to a PayPal account.

You might think PayPal would simply explain this and prompt the user to log into their account. But no—it just declines the payment without clarification, leaving frustrated bidders to contact us. Unfortunately, BiddingOwl cannot "fix" PayPal’s shortcomings. Our role is to facilitate transactions between customers and their chosen payment provider, not to process or handle funds directly.

Stripe: The Hassle-Free Solution

With Stripe, these headaches disappear. Here’s why we confidently recommend Stripe:

• Ease of Use: Setting up a Stripe account is simple, and funds are automatically transferred to your bank account.
• Reliability: Stripe payments just work. We rarely, if ever, receive complaints or requests for help with Stripe-related issues.
• Clear Communication: If something isn’t working, Stripe notifies you with actionable information.

Stripe streamlines the entire payment process for bidders and admins alike, making it a no-brainer choice for sanity and efficiency.

Conclusion: Why Choose Stripe?

We understand many of our customers already have a PayPal account, and that’s often why they stick with it. However, if you’re considering switching payment processors or starting fresh, do your organization a favor: choose Stripe.

The time and stress you save by avoiding PayPal will be well worth it. Ask us how we know...