PayPal enables any consumer with an email address to securely, conveniently, and cost-effectively send and receive payments online. Their network builds on the existing financial infrastructure of bank accounts and credit cards to create a global, real-time payment solution. Quickly becoming the global standard for online payments, they offer their service to users in 190 countries/regions including the United States. They have over 100 million registered users, including more than 2.2 million business accounts.
They have become the leading payment network for online auction websites, including eBay, and are being increasingly used at other e-commerce sites, for the sale of goods such as electronics and household items, the sale of services such as web design and travel, and the sale of digital content.
PayPal's service, which lets users send payments for free, can be used from PCs or Web-enabled mobile phones. Your first use of PayPal will take a few minutes more than the typical credit card transaction if you establish an account with them. This, however, is completely optional. Once established, however, a PayPal account is equivalent to Amazon.com's one-click purchase mechanism. Just click once to buy and click again to confirm that you really want to make the purchase. They already know who you are and which device, credit card (Visa, M/C, Amex, Discover) or checking account, you want to use to pay for the product.
As far as communications between PayPal and merchants are concerned; we get an eMail notification of your purchase that provides us with what you bought along with your name and eMail address. Of course your address is included if it's an item to be mailed to you. Nothing else!
