Explore alternatives to PayPal

[ayoungethan]

Use of PayPal may conflict with the founding principles of OFS -- do alternatives exist that better support OFS principles as well as technical requirements?

[guising]

Without intending to lend support to PayPal, I wonder if you would clarify more specifically how you find it conflicting with OFS principles.

Otherwise, I have received requests to incorporate Dwolla into the software as a PayPal alternative. Since I just finished improving the PayPal interface, I am considering taking a stab at Dwolla soon.

[ayoungethan]

No worries. Here's what I'm thinking:

PayPal vs transactions based on open, transparent, ethical infrastructure. Factors to consider

1. Scale (EF Schumacher) -- “Small is Beautiful”
2. Open-source code base
3. Support of cooperative principles
4. Designed for/targeting local small businesses
5. Triple bottom line (environment, social, financial sustainability)
6. Where does Dwolla stand? Technology circumvents credit card corps. @guising will assess.

[ayoungethan]

Other alternatives to consider: http://growingyourbiz.co/alternatives-to-paypal http://frugalentrepreneur.com/2012/05/20-paypal-alternatives-for-small-business-owners-online-sellers-the-self-employed/ http://www.mainstreet.com/slideshow/7-great-alternatives-paypa

https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/PayPal-Forward/Life-Just-Got-a-Little-Better-for-Developers-Welcome-PayPal-s/ba-p/779045 PayPal's foray into open source development. The core of paypal is still closed/propietary.

[ayoungethan]

Did you roll your own shopping cart system? If so, why? I ask b/c it's related to supported payment gateways

[ayoungethan]

Proposed follow-up project after establishment of Federation:

1. Survey of all OFS users' customers to determine what percentage use credit unions or other alternative financial systems vs corporate banks. *maybe we can survey other cooperative businesses
2. Explore partnership with http://co-opcreditunions.org/ and/or individual CUs to create a cooperative payment gateway to link cooperative enterprises and credit unions and save customers/members of cooperative enterprises who are also CU members $$

[guising]

OFS has a custom shopping cart system. Mostly this is because that's how the software was configured when it was originally designed for OKFC. But, more importantly, the specific ability of the current system [probably] outstrips anything on the market today, at least for this particular purpose, because it handles atomization of the many-to-many relationships occurring in the process flow. That is, each item is transacted independently with regard to taxes, fees, or whatever. This could be looked at as either a flaw or a strength of the system. There is also a high degree of integration between product listings, shopping carts, and accounting.

[ayoungethan]

Makes sense, thank you! This is an important piece of documentation! :)

OFS has a custom shopping cart system. Mostly this is because that's how the software was configured when it was originally designed for OKFC. But, more importantly, the specific ability of the current system [probably] outstrips anything on the market today, at least for this particular purpose, because it handles atomization of the many-to-many relationships occurring in the process flow. That is, each item is transacted independently with regard to taxes, fees, or whatever. This could be looked at as either a flaw or a strength of the system. There is also a high degree of integration between product listings, shopping carts, and accounting.

— Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub https://github.com/openfoodsource/OFS_trunk/issues/7#issuecomment-62515177 .