An unlikely friend in commerce: PayPal

For many years clients have been begging us to accept credit cards. But like many businesses, maintaining a merchant account for an occasional credit card payment can be costly once monthly service fees are factored in.

What do to, what to do...

Well, the answer comes from an unlikely partner for businesses: PayPal. Once relegated to the dark hallways of online auctions, PayPal is taking center stage as one of the most innovative ways to conduct business, both online and traditionally.

We've been testing PayPal's business account services now for the last two months to see how it worked for clients who'd like to take credit card payments but don't have the volume to make a traditional merchant account worthwhile.

Not only does is allow you to collect payments up front without the hassle of invoicing and waiting for payment, but is also provides a range of additional services, including tying the corporate account to a money market account and a corporate credit card.

Unlike traditional cards, the PayPal Mastercard doesn't charge interest either. Instead, it draws money from the corporate account, much like a debit card. You also have the option of adding additional funds at anytime through a simple fund transfer.

But the best part of the PayPal services is that you can accept immediate payments from anyone who has or is willing to set up a PayPal account. This not only expands client options for making payments, but it also allows your business to sell products and services in real time. An added bonus: You can become addicted to ebay.com just like everyone else, using the same PayPal account to make your purchases. :)

To learn more about PayPal's business services, click here!