Question regarding using Paypal for gem purchase, etc.

[SteveMND.1754]

So, back before they revamped the way the purchases were done in-game, if you wanted to use your PayPal account to purchase gems, it would actually take you out of the game client and to the web browser, where you'd then login to your PayPal account to complete the transaction.  When making a purchase via PayPal from their website, if you had them, you could choose to use any accrued PayPal Points (kind of like a credit card's "cash back" feature) you had on you account to make the purchase with instead of whatever linked bank account/etc. PayPal was normally associated with.

However, with the new integrated system, it doesn't seem to have that option anymore.

Which is a kitten (EDIT: wow, really guys?  The stronger form of 'dang' is censored?) shame, because I used to buy things with my PayPal account as normal, accrue the points there, and then regularly  use those points to buy Gems when I got enough.  But now that doesn't seem to be an option, and so I won't be buying Gems anymore.  Am I missing something, or is there a way to have that option still available from the new setup?  or is it there, and I'm somehow just missing it?  Thanks in advance!

Edited July 28, 2022 by SteveMND.1754

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Maybe ask PayPal to change their requirements, as the new Pay Provider is a subsidiary of PayPal.  🤷‍♂️

[TheQuickFox.3826]

Either the new payment provider or ArenaNet set a required setting to remember payment information for future purchases with PayPal in the gem store. Because of this required setting you can no longer pay with PayPal sources that do not support repeated purchases. This includes PayPal balance. You can have a PayPal balance of $1000 but be unable to buy $20 worth of gems with it for this reason, unless you link a bank account or credit card to your PayPal.

 

Solution is to buy gems via an authorized retailer that supports PayPal instead. These all support one time purchases. The hard way solution is to convince ArenaNet to pick this issue up with their new payment provider but this will be challenge mode raid difficulty.

Edited July 30, 2022 by TheQuickFox.3826

[SoftFootpaws.9134]

1 hour ago, TheQuickFox.3826 said:

Either the new payment provider or ArenaNet set a required setting to remember payment information for future purchases with PayPal in the gem store. Because of this required setting you can no longer pay with PayPal sources that do not support repeated purchases. This includes PayPal balance. You can have a PayPal balance of $1000 but be unable to buy $20 worth of gems with it for this reason, unless you link a bank account or credit card to your PayPal.

 

Solution is to buy gems via an authorized retailer that supports PayPal instead. These all support one time purchases. The hard way solution is to convince ArenaNet to pick this issue up with their new payment provider but this will be challenge mode raid difficulty.

The payment provider is Braintree, which is literally PayPal and the restrictions are their own doing. There's little to nothing ArenaNet can do about these limitations.

Edited July 30, 2022 by Mariyuuna.6508

[TheQuickFox.3826]

1 minute ago, Mariyuuna.6508 said:

The payment provider is Braintree, which is literally PayPal and the restrictions are their own doing. There's little to nothing ArenaNet can do about these limitations.

 

How do you know this? Do you have insider information?

I don't know it but most often when you take a payment service with an online payment provider you also get a dashboard where you can change settings. For example to require a repeated payment method to be entered. If this is the case with Braintree, ArenaNet would be able to change the setting and allow players to make one-time payments with PayPal.

[SoftFootpaws.9134]

2 minutes ago, TheQuickFox.3826 said:

 

How do you know this? Do you have insider information?

I don't know it but most often when you take a payment service with an online payment provider you also get a dashboard where you can change settings. For example to require a repeated payment method to be entered. If this is the case with Braintree, ArenaNet would be able to change the setting and allow players to make one-time payments with PayPal.

They announced it last year (the linked article says its Braintree):

 

[TheQuickFox.3826]

2 minutes ago, Mariyuuna.6508 said:

They announced it last year (the linked article says its Braintree):

 

 

Yes, they announce that it is Braintree, not that they don't have a dashboard with settings to customize. And still. Even if Braintree does not give the setting to allow for one-time payments then ArenaNet can still contact Braintree as customer to try to get this working.

[Xerxez.7361]

16 minutes ago, TheQuickFox.3826 said:

 

Yes, they announce that it is Braintree, not that they don't have a dashboard with settings to customize. And still. Even if Braintree does not give the setting to allow for one-time payments then ArenaNet can still contact Braintree as customer to try to get this working.

 

So instead of complaining directly to Braintree you want to complain to Anet to complain to Braintree?

[TheQuickFox.3826]

4 hours ago, Xerxez.7361 said:

 

So instead of complaining directly to Braintree you want to complain to Anet to complain to Braintree?

 

If ArenaNet wants to allow their customers to use PayPal funds from non-recurring payment sources Yes!

 

Law is very simple. We the players are customer with ArenaNet and have to complain to ArenaNet if we want something. We the players are not customer to BrainTree Payments or any other service that ArenaNet uses in order to provide their gaming service.

For example: If a player has lag and it has to do with the servers, then the player can contact ArenaNet support and not AWS (Amazon cloud) who host the servers. Then if ArenaNet gets many customer complaints about server lag, they may need to pick this up with AWS or move to a different data center.

This is just general consumer law. At least in Europe. You complain where YOU are customer.

Edited July 30, 2022 by TheQuickFox.3826

[Luthan.5236]

From how I understand it: Some things are required for security reasons. For example in Germany I can't just pay with my linked bank account with PayPal for recurring payments if subscribing to an US based company.  (Here we technically can just if paypal wants to withdraw money from our linked bank account. PayPal would be at risk having to pay for the minimum duration of the contract at which the recurring payment runs - having to sue us for the money. Or the company offering the services where you want to subscribe to ... is at risk.) They require  a credit card then. (For German companies I think it works. But I barely used recurring payments/subscription - at PayPal.)

Points thing - never heard of this? I guess this also is only in certain countries. They probably limited this as well ... for "reasons". (Maybe they want to make more money from fees when having people pay directly - for stuff like game subscriptions or other online services - like the virtual currencey ... here gems? Since people probably are going to buy them anways - when addicted to the game. :D)

Paying with the normal balance (if you first add normal money - not points or something - to the paypal with bank transfer) should work though. Especially since this is only a 1-time payment. And depending on how you add the money to the Paypal account this should be "safe". (At least in my country if you use bank transfer ... you would have to sue the recipient - can't get it back manually. Pretty safe for PayPal since someone would have to sue them ... which they 'd lose actually if they normally transferred and wanted it they can't just say they want it back. Have to use PayPal options - as long as it is still there in the PayPal account - to transfer it back.)

And yes: You complain to where you are customer. That is a pretty normal thing. While it might work in other ways - the comany where you are customer ... has more incentive to listen. (Since they might not want to lose you as customer.)

Edited July 30, 2022 by Luthan.5236

[SteveMND.1754]

On 7/30/2022 at 9:25 AM, TheQuickFox.3826 said:

You can have a PayPal balance of $1000 but be unable to buy $20 worth of gems with it for this reason, unless you link a bank account or credit card to your PayPal.

 So, my PayPal account is already linked to a bank account, and I used to be able to do this before when the option was available, but it sounds like, according to the various responses here, the problem with the new setup Arenanet is using is that it's an issue with a service that can allow repeated subscription purchases (despite the fact that what I'd be using it for is by definition a one-time-purchase).

Which is a kitten shame, as I used to regularly (and almost exclusively) buy Gems with those bonus points, so I suppose I will no longer be making Gem purchases from Arenanet anymore.  Regardless, thanks for the assistance, guys.

Edited July 31, 2022 by SteveMND.1754