Using PayPal for deposits and payments

I was having a hard time deciding how to best use PayPal to give the credit card option to clients. It would be easy if it was just for a deposit but don't I want to give them the option to pay the whole thing with PayPal?

It would be nice if they could just enter the amount in a blank box and then hit pay. That way they could pay a deposit two weeks before and then go back and pay the rest the day of.

So...has anyone set it up yet so I can take a look at how it works?

D.

I work for paypal so any questions on this matter and I am glad to help!
I love it as an option and the business version you can send invoices very easily and set the due date. Plus it is a secure site and they don't have to have an account to get your invoice just an email. They can then sign up for one or just pay you in a different way.

Mine is set up so they can put the amount in, I just used the 'donation button' and changed the name of it....

www.suzysparkles.org (paypal link on right, check it out)

I have it set up so they can enter the amount. I called someone there and they helped me with that.

I just ask them for the retainer...

Thanks for the info. I just received payment on my first invoice! I like it because you can put the disclaimers about refunds and I also reiterate the details of the event (date, time, amount attenting, theme) in the notes.

Love it! I also like that you can change the amount for a bigger event. That's what I was having problems with with the paypal button method.

D.

We use the PayPal for about half of our transactions....but, I have had a few issues when companies making larger purchases don't have their cards set up to make online purchases with business debit cards. It will not allow them to pay. I had to go pick up a large check today because of that. PayPal informed me to have them call their financial institution and verbally acknowledge that it was a verified on line transaction, but, in this case I guess the secretary had permission to use the card to pay but not permission with the bank to process that way or lift any limits.

I had never had a problem and then last week and this week, I like using PayPal because it verifies the funds and is safe and immediate. I was bummed out. So, any advice on this would help me out? I thought of adding Pro Pay so that I could process regular credit cards but it does have an annual fee.

Sara...since you work at PayPal what would you recommend in that weirdo situation? I have had it happen twice in two weeks, but, only those two times in all the years I have had PayPal? The PayPal rep yesterday told me that it was because of the increase in theft and that a lot of banks are starting to do that.....