Re: [AISdiscuss] PayPal Web Page Keeping it simple

[Robt R Pries <rpries@sbcglobal.net>]

At convention there was general agreement from all
sections and cooperating societies that they would
like to be included in the AIS Paypal. They already
recieve payments via the MemSec. It seems to me adding
a surcharge for expenses simply complicates this step.
As of the moment there really is no reason for any of
the sections or societies to have to debate this if we
continue with our present policy. How we got the
payment is really irrelevant. Since every day we miss
having the PayPal option in place is another day lost
for getting new spontaneous members, I think getting
something in place is more important than debating
policy. It appears from the actual data presented by
the MemSec that we are really talking rather
infintessimal amounts while in the mean time we are
not getting those members for AIS. The suggestion for
a JOIN button came out of the discussion over a year
ago of how to stem the membership loss. It seems to me
that THAT is what we should be concentrating on and
not the few cents that will go one direction or the
other. Those questions can be debated ad-finitum
later. Lets keep it simple and get something
accomplished. We don't need discusion from every
section in order to implement what we already are
doing.

--- AIS Membership Secretary <aismemsec@earthlink.net>
wrote:

> Let me make sure I have this straight, the "On Line
> Join" option is designed, to facilitate an increase
> in memberships (and renewals) to AIS and as a
> courtesy to the Sections, facilitate their
> memberships.
>  
> If this is the case then let's just KIS-keep it
> simple!  We are making this much more complicated
> than it needs to be. 
>  
> AIS has never charged extra for credit card
> processing and we know that costs too.  The only
> "policy" I had to work from on credit card
> acceptance came from Anner Whitehead's very thorough
> MemSec Procedure Manual.  I checked with all Board
> members a couple of years ago that the wording of
> this policy was still acceptable and have sent the
> information (which was in a  previous e-mail
> titled:)
> 
> "THE AMERICAN IRIS SOCIETY CURRENT AIS MEMBERSHIP
> OFFICE POLICY CONCERNING ACCEPTING DUES FOR SECTIONS
> AND COOPERATING SOCIETIES MARCH, 2002b 
> 
> to all the Sections for their publications and they
> regularly publish that statement.
> 
> In the last 12 month period I have processed 44
> Section and 2 Storefront credit card charges that
> given the 2.9% + .30 would have equaled $47.53.
> Other than the ASI all sections have been involved,
> some more, some less. For arguments sake letbs say
> the bJoin Buttonb tripled credit card membership
> payments to the Sections were still talking under
> $150.00/yr., hardly the stuff of budget busting
> proportions.
> 
> 1)	AIS raised dues recently to more accurately
> reflect the cost of doing business which included
> Bulletin and renewal mailing and processing.
> 
> 2)	In the business world, even Commercial Iris
> Firms, no one charges extra for payments received by
> CC as opposed to Check or cash.
> 
> 3)	If we are not charging our consumer for this
> service, neither should we be charging the Sections
> or Cooperating Societies.  Or, if the Board thinks
> it is necessary, they might consider charging the
> Sections an Annual Processing fee for the CC charges
> and MemSecbs time to keep records and monthly
> processing to the Sections (I do not recommend this
> but state it as an option.)
> 
> 4)	 I have no real objection (at this time) to an
> added amount of work for the MemSec office but we
> really need to keep it simple for the consumer.
> 
> Lastly, and I donbt know this for certain but I
> believe the credit card companies have a line of
> boilerplate in their merchant contracts that
> prohibit sellers from charging extra for credit card
> purchases. Does this apply to PayPal also or are
> they a third party/facilitator in all of this and
> not bound by usury laws?
> 
> Tom Gormley
> 
> 
> Tom Gormley
> AIS Membership Secretary
> P. O. Box 28
> Cedar Hill, MO 63016-0028
> 636-274-6149
> 
>
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