Choosing an Online Payment Service:
Google Checkout vs. PayPal

If you've ever purchased anything online, chances are you've used an online payment service. These services, like PayPal, let small retailers and individuals accept credit card payments for the items they sell. The buyer pays the online payment service directly, typically via credit card; the service then processes the credit card payment and passes the funds on to the seller, typically via an electronic deposit in the seller's ban k account.

For small sellers, online payment services are a necessary part of doing business online. For buyers, they're simply the way to pay for goods and services offered at many websites and via online auction.

The most popular online payment service today is PayPal, which is owned by eBay and used in millions of eBay auctions. But there's a new competitor in the market, in the form of Google Checkout, which promises to give PayPal a run for the (electronic) money.

Which of these two services should you use? Both PayPal and Google Checkout have their pros and cons, so choosing one over the other depends on your own personal and/or business needs.

Choosing an Online Payment Service: Google Checkout vs. PayPal covers all aspects of using both online payment services, for both buyers and sellers. Buyers will learn which of the two payment systems, Google Checkout or PayPal, should be used, when given a choice. Sellers will learn which payment system is best to use for their online auctions and merchant websites.

Table of Contents

1. Buying and Selling Electronically: How Online Payment Services Work. A general discussion on how PayPal, Google Checkout, and similar online payment services work

2. Using PayPal: For Buyers. A detailed discussion on how to use PayPal to purchase items online

3. Using Google Checkout: For Buyers. A detailed discussion on how to use Google Checkout to purchase items online

4. Buyer's Choice: PayPal or Google Checkout? A comparison of Google Checkout with PayPal for online purchasers; also covers other payment systems an online shopper might encounter

5. Using PayPal: For Sellers. A detailed discussion on how to add PayPal to your merchant website and eBay auctions and use the service to manage customer payments

6. Using Google Checkout: For Sellers. A detailed discussion on how to add Google Checkout to your merchant website and use the service to manage customer payments

7. Seller's Choice: PayPal or Google Checkout? A comparison of Google Checkout with PayPal for online sellers; also covers other alternatives, such as Amazon Payments