Articles tagged ‘PayPal’

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Guest blog: Dan Wilson – eBay’s Big Ambitions for PayPal

Posted by Dan Wilson

7th April 2009 in Tradespace gossip

When people mention eBay it’s usually in the context of online auctions. But eBay Inc. isn’t just about bids for second-hand treasures, it’s a big, big portfolio of companies. In the UK, eBay owns classified site Gumtree.com for instance and internationally it’s sometimes forgotten that eBay also controls PayPal and Skype among many others.
eBay Inc. recently reported plans and progress to financial analysts and journalists, and one of the more interesting revelations was CEO John Donahoe’s expectation that the PayPal division of eBay would grow faster and become bigger and more profitable for the company than the ecommerce element of the business.

This is because they believe, quite correctly, that PayPal has an opportunity to plug into ecommerce all over the web and not just on the eBay site. It’s a bullish plan and one that anyone selling or trading online needs to be aware of. Basically, PayPal wants to be the standard means of paying online.

Google entered the space several years ago with their Google Checkout offering and whilst it has enjoyed some success it hasn’t managed to dent PayPal’s dominance in the UK. By surfing eBay’s success, PayPal has an astonishing 20m customers in Britain: that’s about a half of all adults. Increasingly however, PayPal has been powering payments for off-eBay businesses including Boots, BHS, Topshop, Monarch Airlines, BBC Shop and Stagecoach.

And that’s surely where PayPal will be looking to win more customers: big businesses, small businesses, retailers and service providers. Basically, people like you. If you want to take money online, they want to power it. It looks like we’re going to be hearing a lot more from PayPal over the next few years, so be warned.

Are you already using PayPal on your website or BT Tradespace? What have your experiences been? Is PayPal’s bid for more business a good thing? Let us know.

For more visit my blog

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A guide to shopping online on BT Tradespace

Posted by Bian Salins

10th February 2009 in Shopping guides

BT Tradespace isn’t just about businesses. It’s also a fantastic online marketplace in which you can shop in a safe and secure environment.

By becoming a member you will gain access to a vast range of products from the best businesses online.

So why shop on BT Tradespace?

Buy from people you trust - our website is all about enabling our businesses to showcase not just their products and/or services, but the people behind the business so shoppers like you can buy from people you like, know and trust.

Have your say plus make an informed buying decision – Once you’ve signed up, you can have your say by rating or reviewing a business, product and/or service, allowing you to tell it like it is plus read other shoppers comments to make an informed decision before spending all that cash!

Consult other shoppers – Shopping on our website isn’t just an impulsive decision (although it can be)… you can create or join other communities to suss out what people are buying and who from! To create a community, simply click on the ‘My Tradespace’ link once you’ve signed to go into your dashboard and click on the ‘My communities’ tab.

Is it safe to buy?

Absolutely.

If you have an Amazon account you can buy products from any BT Tradespace seller using your Amazon username and password. If you don’t already have an Amazon account you can sign up for one when you make your first purchase.

By using the robust and secure Amazon platform you can buy using your credit or debit card.

Of course when buying online it’s always best to be vigilant before buying. Here are a few pointers to remember:

Know your seller – if you are buying from someone for the first time, take a few minutes to check out their reviews. And don’t be afraid to ask questions, sellers love to hear from their customers and will only be too pleased to help.

Be extra safe – you know what they say, if it’s too good to be true it usually is. Check out all the information that’s available to you and contact the seller direct if you are still unsure. One word of warning, beware of sellers asking for forms of payment that may not be secure (e.g. direct credit to their bank account).

Secure checkout and payment process – when buying online always check to make sure the website is secure and encrypts any sensitive details. Look out for the padlock symbol at the bottom of the browser window. BT Tradespace uses the secure Amazon platform for all payments. Once you check out from a store, simply sign in using your Amazon username and password.

Unique is best – your password should be something that no one can guess. So try and avoid using family names, birthdays etc. A combination of letters and numbers make the strongest passwords and make sure you use a different password for every online account you have.

How to shop on BT Tradespace

You can shop in whichever way suits you.

Start at your homepage – if you want to keep track of what you’ve purchased on BT Tradespace and take advantage of features such as the communities, leaving testimonials for businesses you’re bought from, and becoming a fan of businesses you like, we recommend you sign into your BT Tradespace account before you make a purchase.

Search for what you want – you can also search for a product or service by typing in what you need in the search box at the top of the site. The search results will be a mixture of products, services, photos and blogs – any content that relates to your search term. All you have to do is filter through the results to find precisely what you need.

Once you’ve found what you were looking for, there are a couple of ways you can buy:

Buy online through your Amazon account – if the seller has a Tradespace Storefront, simply add your product to your shopping cart and click on the buy now button. You’ll then be taken to a screen requesting your Amazon username and password. Simply log in to your account and complete the purchase.

Call or email the seller – if there is no shop, simply use the seller’s contact details to call or email them about what you want. But whichever method you choose, remember to tell them you came from BT Tradespace!

That’s it – the easy-peasy guide to shopping on BT Tradespace! Happy shopping!

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How to sell safely online

Posted by Bian Salins

10th February 2009 in How to sell online

Selling on Tradespace is safe, simple and super quick! To help you get started we’ve listed below some tips on selling safely so you can make the most of your Tradespace.

Things to think about before you start selling:

  • It is your responsibility to make sure the item you are selling is not illegal. So before you begin selling, have a look at our terms .
  • Check the product description and images carefully before listing your items. Make sure what you say about a product is correct. This will not only reduce misunderstandings if a customer receives an item that is different from what was described, but good, relevant descriptions help increase your search engine ranking.
  • Only use brand names when you know your product is genuine.

Accepting Payments:

  • We provide you with Tradespace Storefront, which uses Amazons secure checkout service. But in order for them to buy online, you need to first ensure you’ve set up your shop on your Tradespace. To find out more see our how to guide
  • Buying via Amazon means consumer purchases are protected by Amazons A-Z guarantee

Closing the sale and after sales service:

Buyers have rights, but so do sellers. We understand that safety is a concern for everyone involved in the sale that’s why before you close the sale, here are a couple of things to consider.

  • If there is anything during the sales process that doesn’t seem right to you – ask the buyer questions and trust your instincts. Be cautious when sending overseas, especially where the delivery address details differ from the buyers credentials.
  • Always get in touch with the buyer when the item is sent, or after it should have arrived to ask them to come back to your Tradespace site and leave a review of your business and the product they purchased. Good service will be reflected in your reviews and that will help build trust with new buyers.

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UPDATED : Selling on BT Tradespace is – safe, simple and super quick!

Posted by Bian Salins

16th October 2008 in How to sell online

So you’ve been here and done that and know how BT Tradespace can help you can promote your business, but what about making money?

That’s where the selling bit comes in. The great thing about selling on BT Tradespace is that it’s for anyone. Whether you’re a one man band with a few items to flog, or a business that’s looking to make a profit margin – selling on BT Tradespace is easy.

There are some real benefits to selling on our website -

  • It’s free to list your products; you don’t have to pay to feature up to 50 products or services on your Tradespace and on our Marketplace! And there’s no catch to it!
  • Transactions are immediate with PayPal – a secure, well known and worldwide accepted method of payment online.
  • Update: You pay transactions fees to both BT and PayPal only when you receive payment. What’s more, if you’re a Contact customer then you have the added benefit of our 0% BT transaction fees till 29th September 2009*.

If you already have a PayPal account on eBay, then it takes just a few minutes to add the facility to your Tradespace. Alternatively, if you don’t have an existing PayPal account, you will need to set this up.

So you’ve decided you want to sell on your Tradespace, what do you do next?

It’s pretty simple really, once you’ve signed up to BT Tradespace and set up a PayPal account, you need to enable this facility using your Tradespace Manager. For every product you want to sell via your Tradespace, you add a ‘Buy now’ button – and that will give the customers using the Marketplace a chance to click on any item they desire and buy straight away! No hassle.

Go the whole way with our premium Contact package

Once you’ve joined and had a taste of the good life on BT Tradespace, you might want to upgrade to our paid-for package – BT Tradespace Contact which is designed to benefit sellers on BT Tradespace. Not only will you benefit from a 0% BT transaction fee till 29th September 2009* but there’s greater flexibility in what you can do with your Tradespace and you can increase your visibility on our website.

Here’s a snapshot of how our Contact package can benefit sellers:

  • As mentioned, you can enjoy a 0% BT transaction fee up to 29th September 2009*
  • You get more exposure with priority positioning on the site and a bold listing on search results pages.
  • You can post unlimited content to sell as many products as you want.
  • You can benefit from additional services that help your customers contact you. For example – customers can call you for free and also link through to your website to purchase products via ‘Buy from my site’ buttons.

The benefits of BT Tradespace are really down to you and what you want to achieve for your business. If you want the whole hog – then our Contact package is your thing but if you don’t want all of the above but still want to sell using your basic Tradespace, all you have to do is enable the PayPal functionality and bang – you’re ready to sell!

That’s it from us, now that you have the low-down on the what, why and how – get online and sell, sell, sell!

Our top tips for successful sales on BT Tradespace

Now that you’ve had a glimpse of why you should sell on BT Tradespace, the next step is to find out how. Some basic points for any seller to bear in mind are:
•Attract potential customers with a complete and appealing product description,
•Take a picture or make a video to engage your customer,
•If you handle deliveries, package it and weigh it to calculate delivery costs,
•Sell it on BT Tradespace by adding ‘Buy now’ buttons when listing your products or services. And don’t forget to mention conditions of delivery and state what is included in the price…
•Add an ‘Enquire now’ button to each featured product or service so people can contact you for this specific item,
•Set up your own blogs and community to engage in conversation and offer buyers some one to one customer service
•Make sure your customers leave a product review and rate your business! The more good reviews you get the more exposure you will get on the website plus it builds confidence with new customers.

Heard enough? Why not sign up now!

Already a member? Log in to start selling!

* We will not charge any commission on transactions that occur between 00:00:01 03rd November 2008 and 23:59:59 on 29th September 2009. PayPal charges will still apply. You must be a BT Tradespace Contact customer. We reserve the right to amend or withdraw this offer at any time. Terms and conditions as set out at and Paypal charges apply.

How to sell on BT Tradespace

In order to sell products on your Tradespace site using PayPal you must have access to a pay pal account. If you do not already have a PayPal account, the first step is to register with PayPal.

  • Once you have registered with PayPal you must complete the online payments form housed in the, ‘Account details section when you click on the ‘Manage my Tradespace’ link.
  • This form requires you to enter your PayPal e-mail address and your credit card details.
  • When you have completed the form please remember to accept the ‘ecommerce terms and conditions’ and select the ‘Sell with PayPal’ button to upload your details.
  • You will then need to add the ‘Buy Now’ buttons to your products. Go to the ‘Products and Services’ subtab under ‘Design and Content’ and in the Product or service price box tick the ‘Use PayPal to sell’ option.
  • Your customers will then see the ‘Buy now’ buttons next to each product you select.

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Featured Tradespacer: Aromabar

Posted by Bian Salins

10th October 2008 in Featured Tradespacers

Glaswegian Cathy Grant set up Aromabar six years ago, after her friend introduced her to aromatherapy. Last year, she was searching for ways to promote her company – and she received an email from BT recommending BT Tradespace.
“It was so easy to set up my free account, and being listed on BT Tradespace has really boosted the traffic going to my own website,” she said. “A small business network like BT Tradespace is ideal for those who want to get their brand out there.”

43-year-old Cathy has since taken full advantage of the services offered to her by BT Tradespace. She explained: “I use the blog to tell people about my products. Each new post attracts more traffic, and customers can buy directly from BT Tradespace through its PayPal capabilities.”

Cathy particularly likes the way, unlike other sites, she is not charged for listing her products, “with Tradespace being free to set up, it’s great for both promoting and selling my products. I also have Facebook, Bebo and MSN sites for the company, but none of those have increased traffic to my website like BT Tradespace has.”
Now Cathy, who also uses BT Tradespace to upload photographs and link to other companies, is encouraging more small businesses to join the network: “I’ve recommended BT Tradespace on various online forums, so people can benefit from it like I have.”

In the future, Cathy would like to produce wedding favour packages to sell, “I know they’ll get great promotion – and sales – through BT Tradespace.”

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