I'm glad to hear that because option 3 was concerning to me for all the reasons you took the time to write (and as always, thanks for your input). I agree, option 2 is the easiest for everyone involved.
when Epoch started processing paypal in the US I thought about it - a lot. I decided against it for a couple of reasons:
1) the payout percentage Epoch provides is quite low (85%). That's what the majority of LCMS listees currently receive, and I don't want to make it too easy for guys to use more expensive methods that end up costing listees money.
2) in the US most guys have credit cards. in some Euro nations cc's aren't quite as ubiquitous, however the new payment options will be attractive to them
3) Chargebacks. This is my primary factor in deciding against Epoch. When using an IPSP such as Epoch, CCBill or Verotel the merchant cannot challenge cb's. That's because the IPSP acts as an intermediary between the merchant and the bank, so they have to be careful to keep their cb ratio incredibly low. That means any client cb's are automatically granted.
With my own merchant account I can challenge cb's, and thus far I have, successfully. LCMS has thus far had two cb's, the first I challenged and got reversed (meaning the bank and cc company sided with me and the funds were returned) and with the second I've arranged a repayment plan with the client who initiated a friendly fraud cb. I can't do any of that with an IPSP, and Epoch doesn't cover chargebacks. My new payment option will be cb-proof (irreversible) so that won't be an issue there. While cb's are not a big concern in indy, at the volumes LCMS processes they will occur every now and then, and I want to be in a position to fight them.
4) Client trust. Most guys who are familiar with cams (esp indy) know that their credit card isn't going to get banged to kingdom come if they make a payment. I've always found that legit clients will always end up using a method I offer, even if they initially ask for paypal. For that reason I'm not sure the extra returns (if any) would be worth the hassle and cost of signing up.
One really odd thing I've noticed is that since starting LCMS is that a small handful of clients who flat out refused to book through my personal site (they always insisted on using a listing site, even though it cost them more) now have no issue with booking me (and others) through LCMS. I think that's because they consider LCMS to be a neutral, established site (even though it's still quite new) compared to my own site which is obviously run by me, the service provider. It's pretty funny in that I don't hide the fact that I own LCMS, but still psychologically they feel more comfortable booking there, and do so. Beyond that I always respond to LCMS client feedback and concerns promptly, and I find that goes a long way towards establishing trust that their personal info (and $$$$) will be protected.
I haven't made a definitive decision to never incorporate Epoch as an option, just at this point after thinking everything over I don't think the potential benefits outweigh the downsides. I want to make the site as client- and model-friendly as possible, and at this point I think using Epoch would skew that balance too far in the client's direction. Between my current cc processing and the new options I'll have client needs covered, arranged in a way that enables listees to receive the 80-85% payout percentage that attracted them to the site in the first place.
thanks for your question, if I ever change my mind down the road I will let everyone know asap.






I'm stuck on what to write lol

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