6 ms·

> and some don't have a credit card If your customers are from Europe, it's not some, but most customers that don't have a credit card. Credit cards are uncomm

by LeonM 7y ago

> and some don't have a credit card If your customers are from Europe, it's not some, but most customers that don't have a credit card. Credit cards are uncommon here (probably hard to imagine if you are from USA). Online payments are a fragmented mess in Europe. Most countries have their own preferred online payment method (like iDEAL or bancontact), Paypal is basically the only reliable method that works everywhere.

viraptor 7y ago
> If your customers are from Europe This is not a great approximation. In the UK you can assume almost every person has a payment card that works on the internet (debit and/or credit). In Poland on the other hand, the number of systems gets silly (https://m.lot.com/us/en/payment-methods-on-lotcom https://m.lot.com/us/en/payment-methods-on-lotcom)
- LeonM 7y ago
  I guess that I was trying to say is: don't assume that people have credit cards. In many countries credit cards are uncommon.
  - thedaemon 7y ago
    Credit / Debit cards are the same thing online. We, as is USA people, use the terms interchangeable often. I'm going to guess that most EU people have some form of banking card. So we will continue to assume that people have a form of payment other than cash.
    - eythian 7y ago
      This is not true. They are not always the same thing and assuming so is a bad idea. My debit card can't be used online except via iDeal, and only sites in this country (largely) support iDeal. I can, however, use it via paypal.
    - LeonM 7y ago
      > Credit / Debit cards are the same thing online. No, they are not. With a credit card you can pay by entering the card number, expiry date and CVC. With debit card you can't do that. The payment must go through your bank. It's a completely different payment flow.
      - rescbr 7y ago
        > With debit card you can't do that It depends on the debit card. I have both Visa Electron and Maestro, and they have 16 digits, CVV number and they behave like a credit card with 3D Secure when doing online purchases, while taking the money from the account right away. There's also multifunction credit and debit cards (Mastercard and Maestro, or the Visa equivalent). They are branded like credit cards with a tiny Maestro logo on their backside, so I had to explain and ask the cashier in a grocery store in Amsterdam to try it as it would magically work as a debit card.
      - thedaemon 7y ago
        No idea what you are talking about. I have a VISA debit card and I pay the same way that I pay with my credit card. It is not a different payment flow on my end.
    - urda 7y ago
      Hello HN readers arriving here: this is not true. Not only do both have completely different payment processing workflows, but there's another key takeaway: With a credit card the money going out is the issuer's. If you have a compliant or need to handle a charge, it's not your neck on the line. With debit? Once the cash is pulled it's pulled. Yes they have protections as well, but while you're fighting with your bank to get your money back it's gone.
- kuroguro 7y ago
  Same with the Baltic states - almost everyone here has a CC and there are no popular local payment systems AFAIK.
- TeMPOraL 7y ago
  In Poland you can assume almost everyone has a debit card that works on-line. WRT. your number of paying systems, note that there's exactly one Polish payment system there - DotPay. Every other system there is to support other countries (not surprising, given that you've picked up the site of the national airline).
- johnnycab 7y ago
  There are outliers with a strong preference for cash, despite either owning a card and/or having almost no restrictions on acquiring one e.g. Switzerland is neither an EU nor EEA member, but is part of the single market; the Swiss seem to prefer cash over cards primarily for privacy reasons. http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20190416-why-the-swiss-still-love-cash http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20190416-why-the-swiss-stil...
nolok 7y ago
... But they have a debit card that work on the internet (and probably with mandatory 3D secure to boot). 90% of users in France are like that. Paypal is because it's safe. I don't give that website I don't know anything, I give paypal a send order. Vastly different; I know paypal, I know they don't screw with the buyer in case an issue happen, and I know they're a bank here and can't drain my funds. I hate them when I'm the seller, but my personnal experience with them as a buyer makes it clear as day why I need to deal with them.

by LeonM 7y ago

viraptor 7y ago

> If your customers are from Europe This is not a great approximation. In the UK you can assume almost every person has a payment card that works on the internet (debit and/or credit). In Poland on the other hand, the number of systems gets silly (https://m.lot.com/us/en/payment-methods-on-lotcom https://m.lot.com/us/en/payment-methods-on-lotcom)

LeonM 7y ago
I guess that I was trying to say is: don't assume that people have credit cards. In many countries credit cards are uncommon.
- thedaemon 7y ago
  Credit / Debit cards are the same thing online. We, as is USA people, use the terms interchangeable often. I'm going to guess that most EU people have some form of banking card. So we will continue to assume that people have a form of payment other than cash.
  - eythian 7y ago
    This is not true. They are not always the same thing and assuming so is a bad idea. My debit card can't be used online except via iDeal, and only sites in this country (largely) support iDeal. I can, however, use it via paypal.
  - LeonM 7y ago
    > Credit / Debit cards are the same thing online. No, they are not. With a credit card you can pay by entering the card number, expiry date and CVC. With debit card you can't do that. The payment must go through your bank. It's a completely different payment flow.
    - rescbr 7y ago
      > With debit card you can't do that It depends on the debit card. I have both Visa Electron and Maestro, and they have 16 digits, CVV number and they behave like a credit card with 3D Secure when doing online purchases, while taking the money from the account right away. There's also multifunction credit and debit cards (Mastercard and Maestro, or the Visa equivalent). They are branded like credit cards with a tiny Maestro logo on their backside, so I had to explain and ask the cashier in a grocery store in Amsterdam to try it as it would magically work as a debit card.
    - thedaemon 7y ago
      No idea what you are talking about. I have a VISA debit card and I pay the same way that I pay with my credit card. It is not a different payment flow on my end.
  - urda 7y ago
    Hello HN readers arriving here: this is not true. Not only do both have completely different payment processing workflows, but there's another key takeaway: With a credit card the money going out is the issuer's. If you have a compliant or need to handle a charge, it's not your neck on the line. With debit? Once the cash is pulled it's pulled. Yes they have protections as well, but while you're fighting with your bank to get your money back it's gone.
kuroguro 7y ago
Same with the Baltic states - almost everyone here has a CC and there are no popular local payment systems AFAIK.
TeMPOraL 7y ago
In Poland you can assume almost everyone has a debit card that works on-line. WRT. your number of paying systems, note that there's exactly one Polish payment system there - DotPay. Every other system there is to support other countries (not surprising, given that you've picked up the site of the national airline).
johnnycab 7y ago
There are outliers with a strong preference for cash, despite either owning a card and/or having almost no restrictions on acquiring one e.g. Switzerland is neither an EU nor EEA member, but is part of the single market; the Swiss seem to prefer cash over cards primarily for privacy reasons. http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20190416-why-the-swiss-still-love-cash http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20190416-why-the-swiss-stil...

nolok 7y ago

... But they have a debit card that work on the internet (and probably with mandatory 3D secure to boot). 90% of users in France are like that. Paypal is because it's safe. I don't give that website I don't know anything, I give paypal a send order. Vastly different; I know paypal, I know they don't screw with the buyer in case an issue happen, and I know they're a bank here and can't drain my funds. I hate them when I'm the seller, but my personnal experience with them as a buyer makes it clear as day why I need to deal with them.