I pay a few companies by PayPal. I even switch to competitors if they are very similar (reputational-wise too) and one accepts PayPal while the other requires my credit card; but that doesn't happen very often.
The issue is that the credit card system is broken. PayPal is a bit less broken from the customer POV. (At least in my country, where if they just removed money from my bank account, I'd go to the police and somebody would likely be arrested - or rather, I'd report to my bank, confident they would go to the police.)
I have no good solution to this either. Fixing the credit card system requires replacing credit cards, and the US will be an enemy of anybody that tries that.
For me, it's the extra security and convenience. If the website doesn't use Shopify/PayPal, I'm trusting them with my credit card information and who knows how good their database security is.
It's the total lack of security. With the automatic consequence that all kinds security theater get imposed, stripping people of all kinds of rights, and solving none of the problems.
As a customer, I don't see the fees. But yes, by an eagle-eyes view the amount of inefficiency on the system is a problem too, as is the oligopolization. But those don't get in my mind when I make that kind of choice.
> It's the total lack of security. With the automatic consequence that all kinds security theater get imposed, stripping people of all kinds of rights, and solving none of the problems.
Not that I’m claiming that credit cards are a bastion of security, but could you be more specific?
What rights are you giving up? What inefficiencies do you see?
The issue is that the credit card system is broken. PayPal is a bit less broken from the customer POV. (At least in my country, where if they just removed money from my bank account, I'd go to the police and somebody would likely be arrested - or rather, I'd report to my bank, confident they would go to the police.)
I have no good solution to this either. Fixing the credit card system requires replacing credit cards, and the US will be an enemy of anybody that tries that.