Alex O'Brien
Technology

Why you should use PayPal for online shopping

Lisa Du is director of ReadyTechGo, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology.

Who loves online shopping as much as I do?

I love the convenience of being able to make a purchase online. I can get the same shopper’s thrill from buying a dress online that I would if I were to get in my car, make the trip to my local shopping centre, and buy it in person - except I have the added benefit of doing it from the comfort of my own home.

With every perk, however, there is a risk. In the case of online shopping, there are several:

Every online shopping site will have its own return policy. Some can be very lenient, and allow full refunds for returns. Others are very strict, and may not allow returns or exchanges at all.

However, there is a way for you to insure that all of the above risks are covered for you, regardless of the vendor’s policies: PayPal.

Here's why

PayPal protects you from all of the aforementioned risks. How?

Well, if you’ve purchased an item that does not arrive, or arrives looking significantly different to how it was described, you have the right as a buyer to file a dispute within 180 days of the payment. You will then be able to make a claim for a refund within 20 days of filing this dispute, and PayPal will protect you for the full price (plus shipping costs) with a ceiling of $20,000 per item.

This does not extend only to tangible products. PayPal also protects you if, for instance, your hotel double-booked, the event you bought tickets for was cancelled, or the download you paid for did not download.

How to get a PayPal account

To use PayPal, you will need to have your own PayPal account. This is simply a matter of going onto the PayPal website and creating an account for free (click here).

Follow the prompts, and you will be able to link your bank account to your PayPal account. Now, whenever you make a purchase under PayPal, all it takes is entering your PayPal login details. Then voilà! The purchase is made.

If you’re worried about PayPal storing your bank account details, don’t be. PayPal makes great efforts to keep your information secure and safe from fraud, identity theft, and hackers.

The PayPal way of paying incurs no extra costs and no downsides. It is faster, safer, and protects you from the risks of online shopping. It is also a great way to pay for flight tickets when you’re travelling overseas!

Now you can enjoy all the benefits of shopping and booking online with the confidence that you will not be wronged!

Related links:

14 tricks that will change how you use your iPad

The best technology for keeping in touch

5 hints for using Gmail

Tags:
security, online, money, shopping, paypal