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Online Payment Alternatives to PayPal

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I’m a little more than a casual online shopper, so I make lots of electronic payments. I prefer to avoid stores, so I buy almost everything aside from food via the Internet. I frequently use eBay. I’m also something of an airline mileage fanatic, so I prefer to pay with a credit card that earns me miles and free upgrades.

PayPal is great but the various fees they charge you to receive payments are not so great. And if, like me, you prefer not to connect your PayPal account to your bank account, they certainly don’t make it easy for you.

You can link your PayPal account to a credit card, but once you’ve spent or received a total of $10,000, you are required to connect a bank account. PayPal will draw funds from that bank account from then on, which means no more credit card rewards. If you look closely, there is an option for PayPal to draw funds from your credit card instead, but it’s an obscure link that most people miss.

PayPal’s ubiquity makes it hard to avoid, but there are a few other options.

Amazon WebPay allows you to make online or mobile payments using your email address, just like PayPal. This is a no-brainer. There are no fees for sending or receiving money, and you can add funds with a bank account or credit card. Not everyone accepts Amazon WebPay, but I use it whenever it’s an option.

Square is an application for Android and iPhones. The app, along with Square’s external attachment, turns a mobile phone or tablet into a credit card terminal, allowing anyone to accept person-to-person payments. I use Square when someone owes me money after a night out. Instead of splitting a dinner check with a large group, I can pay with my card and everyone else can pay me. There is, however, a 2.75% fee per transaction.

Dwolla charges a 25-cent fee for each transaction, which can take place online or at a brick and mortar store. Their mobile application allows smartphone users to find nearby merchants that accept Dwolla.

Take five or ten minutes to investigate each of these options in order to determine which makes the most sense for your particular online payment needs.

Robert Siciliano, personal security expert contributor to Just Ask Gemalto, discusses hackers hacking hotels on CNBC. Disclosures

Myth: Apple Products Don’t Get Viruses

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Have you ever bitten into an apple and found a worm? I have, and it’s yummy! Anyway, how many times have you heard, or even said, “I won’t get that computer virus because I have a Mac”?  While Mac users tend to feel somewhat insulated from viruses, it’s time for anyone who owns an Apple computer, iPhone, iPad, or other Apple device to listen up.

The growing popularity of Apple products has inspired cybercriminals to create viruses that will harm Macs. Until now, Macs have been immune to these threats, but McAfee Labs is seeing the very first wave of fake programs targeted at Mac users. In other words, there are an increased number of programs known as “scareware,” which claim to protect users from viruses, but users who attempt to install the supposed antivirus software are actually downloading malicious software. This malware can damage the user’s computer or compromise personal information, including banking details.

Mac users are also equally susceptible to phishing and other social engineering scams, if not more so, since they may have an inflated sense of security that can lead to riskier behavior.

It’s important for Mac users to be aware of these emerging threats and take the appropriate precautions.

To avoid becoming a victim, download Mac updates as soon as they’re available, so you’re protected from these latest threats.

Never download or click on anything from an unknown source.

When searching the web, use the safe search tool, which tells you if a site is safe to click on or not, right in your search results.

Keep your computer safe by installing security software.

With more than 11 million victims just last year, identity theft is a serious concern. McAfee Identity Protection offers proactive identity surveillance, lost wallet protection, and alerts when suspicious activity is detected on your financial accounts. Educate and protect yourself by visiting CounterIdentityTheft.com.

Robert Siciliano is a McAfee consultant and identity theft expert. See him explain how to protect yourself from identity theft on CounterIdentityTheft.com. (Disclosures)

 

Skype App Adds Video Calling

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When traveling for business, I often use Skype to video chat with my family at home. This is a comforting way to connect while sitting in a hotel. I’ll even leave the call on for hours at a time, just to watch what they do and hear the homestead background noise, which often includes the screaming of little ones.

The coolest thing about the Skype application for my iPhone has always been the ability to make calls from other countries to any phone number the USA for a flat rate of $3 per month. Skype-to-Skype calls are free to and from anywhere in the world.

Skype now works on the 3G network, but you may not want to use another carrier’s network in another country, at a cost of a dollar or more per minute, plus connection fees of $20 or more in many cases.

The new Skype app for the iPhone allows users to make video calls to any Skype user. With the new app, you can make free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls over 3G and Wi-Fi, share your Skype video calls with users on iPhones, PCs, and Macs, and you can talk face-to-face or display what you’re seeing with the iPhone’s front and rear-facing cameras.

Share that spectacular sight…show off those new shoes…include others in the big event…speak to clients face-to-face… Now Skype for iPhone lets you get more out of any moment with friends, family, and colleagues.

CNET reports, “Skype for iPhone will work for anyone on Skype’s network, be they desktop or mobile users. While you can only broadcast video on on Apple devices with rear-facing or front-facing cameras–namely the iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4, and iPhone 3GS, you can also receive incoming video broadcasts on the iPad and third-generation iPod Touch. As an extra bonus, desktop Skype users (Windows|Mac) can share a view of their computer screen with Skype users on iPhone.”

If you haven’t used Skype for video calling, give it a try. In my home we use it almost daily. I have an in-law in Australia, and she and my family talk via Skype all the time. The connection is nearly perfect, and best of all, it’s free!

Robert Siciliano, personal security expert contributor to Just Ask Gemalto, discusses sharing too much information on the Internet on Fox News. Disclosures