I really don't get or see how Stripe is different?
Why would I use it instead of PayPal, 2CheckOut, e-junkie, etc?
As a seller of software myself (http://www.devside.net/server/webdeveloper), I can tell you that "API is cleaner" and "lower fees than 2CO" don't do anything for me at all.
Huh. If you don't care about bad APIs or high fees, what do you care about? You don't give any clues.
I sell software and subscriptions online; I'm working on the switch over the Stripe because I really appreciated their cleaner API and low fees.
I've been using PayPal because it's cheap and easy, but they screw up many foreign payments (that have worked fine when run through Stripe), the whole "eCheck" thing confuses the hell out of people, and that whole "no, you don't have to create a PayPal account" thing. It's just unprofessional.
I can set up Stripe to handle processing for me completely transparently, and still without passing credit card data through my servers.
My point is that to switch from PayPal and 2CO (which is what I use now + as is working just fine for me) I need more benefits then..
1) Getting to set up and manage another new account.
2) The pleasure of getting to rewrite (and test + debug) my backend payment process.
3) Getting a slightly cleaner API (that I'm never going to see after I implement it).
4) Saving an extra dollar on every transaction (of a $125 sale).
5) Working with a relatively new, and in that effect, inexperienced payment processor.
1 and 2 are not benefits to me at all.
3 and 4 I don't care about because they are marginal at best.
5 is a killer.
So why would I use Stripe?
> I can set up Stripe to handle processing for me completely transparently, and still without passing credit card data through my servers.
Same as it is now.
> I've been using PayPal because it's cheap and easy, but they screw up many foreign payments (that have worked fine when run through Stripe), the whole "eCheck" thing confuses the hell out of people, and that whole "no, you don't have to create a PayPal account" thing. It's just unprofessional.
Without experience, Stripe will screw up even more. If not on this part, then definitely on other parts. It's just the way it works.
Nothing differentiates Stripe for me from the rest of the bunch and I'm not going to fall over backwards putting in more work to switch to Stripe just because someone says the API is cleaner.
Though it's hard to tell if this is just part of the sarcasm, or a legitimate concern, let me clear it up: you can sell things anywhere in the world with Stripe, you simply need to sell them from a US business entity.
Why would I use it instead of PayPal, 2CheckOut, e-junkie, etc?
As a seller of software myself (http://www.devside.net/server/webdeveloper), I can tell you that "API is cleaner" and "lower fees than 2CO" don't do anything for me at all.