Paypal Japan

[Coligny]

Seems we can't send a muney anymore :

Thank you for being a valued PayPal user.

We wish to inform you that effective 31 March 2010, you will not be able to send funds using the "Send Money" function for non-commercial transactions only, until further notice.

The changes to our personal payment services are necessary in order for us to comply with new regulatory requirements in Japan. This does not affect anyone outside of Japan sending money to any Japanese residents.

Please note that you will also continue to be able to shop online and use the PayPal services for the payment of goods and services as you normally would.

This restriction of services only applies to non-commercial transactions such as the sending of money to a family member for living allowance.

We deeply regret any inconvenience this temporary restriction of service may cause you.

We will update you as to when our personal payment services will be available again.


We thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely yours

PayPal

Didn't knew some rules changed...

[Mike Oxlong]

Yeah, just got that in my email, too. I guess I'll have to go back to plain brown envelopes to let Noriko know how she means...

[Behan]

A friend of mine got billed by Paypal for stuff he didn't buy. He called them up and told them and luckily they realized it was a scam. But they were the ones that forwarded the bill on.
On the bill were a bunch of items that were ordered and then cancelled but a couple weren't cancelled. I think the scammers were hoping that he wouldn't notice or care because it was only a couple of thousand of yen.
We both wondered what the point of using a company like Paypal is when you are getting ripped off through them. Defeats the purpose.

[Greji]

Yeah, just got that in my email, too. I guess I'll have to go back to plain brown envelopes to let Noriko know how she means...

You mean you been paying her too? Damn Noriko. Should have known....

[Mike Oxlong]

[canman]

How many FG are using Pay Pal these days. I tried to make a payment for textbooks I ordered, went to the Pay Pal site entered my info and got bounced. I only have a ¥100 000 limit. Tried to pay by credit card, which it seems to run through Pay Pal and was also rejected. Called the Paypal customer service number and was told I must submit a copy of my residence card as proof of identification.
Has anybody else done this? I don't feel comfortable sending copies of my personal info just so I can using f@$&ing Paypal!

[FG Lurker]

How many FG are using Pay Pal these days. I tried to make a payment for textbooks I ordered, went to the Pay Pal site entered my info and got bounced. I only have a ¥100 000 limit. Tried to pay by credit card, which it seems to run through Pay Pal and was also rejected. Called the Paypal customer service number and was told I must submit a copy of my residence card as proof of identification.
Has anybody else done this? I don't feel comfortable sending copies of my personal info just so I can using f@$&ing Paypal!

This actually isn't PayPal's fault, it's the Japanese government. They're forcing PayPal to collect ID in the same way that you can't send more than 100,000yen in cash via furikomi unless you use your bank account as the funding source. The same limit applies to paying bills with cash now too. So yeah, if you want to use PayPal for amounts of 100,000yen the J-gov't requires you to submit proof of identity to PayPal so they can confirm who you are.

It's going to get really interesting when the Japanese government wakes up to bitcoin...

[Coligny]

Always use paypal for dealextreme and ebay... never for big sums thought...

Just discovered that you can pay amazon from combini's gift cards... yay for untracability!!!

[wagyl]

Not Japan specific but I have seen a similar kind of gripe about Paypal on another forum. If they are the only method of payment available for the goods you seek, they have you over a barrel.

[canman]

So Lurker, does this just apply to foreigners or also Native Japanese? Is this to combat the new "Mom help me" scams? Also, I'm not familiar with the bit coin thing. What is the dealio?

[FG Lurker]

So Lurker, does this just apply to foreigners or also Native Japanese?

It applies to everyone using PayPal with an address in Japan. I'm sure it is driving PayPal absolutely insane as they are trying to build a base of users here and this really can't be helping.

Is this to combat the new "Mom help me" scams?

It's an anti-money-laundering and anti-organized-crime thing. The J-gov't wants to limit the ability of people to transfer large sums of cash without having to prove who they are.

Also, I'm not familiar with the bit coin thing. What is the dealio?

Bitcoin is a virtual currency. It would take hours to explain it in detail and even then it may not make sense. It's quite new, about 4 years old now I think. It's one of those things that if it takes off will be huge but could just as easily flop. It has already grown quite dramatically but there are some major stumbling blocks to overcome still, not the least of which being governments waking up to what it means with regards to their ability to control the flow of money. If you're interested you can read more here: http://bitcoin.org/en/

[GomiGirl]

I went through this over the New Year. I have a business account and they wanted the registration certificates, my alien card etc. Then they had to send out postcards to the registered addresses with codes that I needed to input. It was a complete PITA and I rang their support centre and lost my shit at them a few times as it was insanity.

But jumped through all the hoops and am now sorted but it really is a PITA.

[canman]

Ok, so I go to the bank, and use the Furicomi system to send Y312000 to the book wholesaler, with no problems. Didn't have to show any ID or anything. Did it all through the cash machine. Now I guess since I had to use my bank card, they could trace things back to me, but it seems that you could send off a good amount of money and disappear. My bank friend said you can send up to 1 million yen this way. Anyway, it seems like the gov't is taking a piss on paypal, if you asked me.

[GomiGirl]

You are paying a book publisher? To publish a book? Shouldn't they be paying you!!

[nikoneko]

Didn't see this mentioned, but got the email last week that now a new customer cannot just pay by credit card anymore. Now they have to register a new account "for their own safety/convenience/insert bs excuse here so paypal builds their database" our sales are so sporadic at the moment (as usual) so I can't tell if it has affected anything but I bet we lose at least one or two customers a week because of it. I've made my living through them for about 10 years now and put up with all their shit over and over but this one really pisses me off because there is no reason whatsoever for it other than datamining and inflated user numbers for their PR.

[Coligny]

Didn't knew youcould use paypal without registering...
Why don't you use another cc processor in this case ?

[nikoneko]

Yes they just changed this. It starts to get complicated at the point of finding CC processors here. The biggest "Merchant services" providers (had to google that word) are US based and our customer base is not, and they are not Euro-friendly to coin a term, which Paypal is. We have had it for a long time as them just handling all the transactions because they did it best for better or worse. If we go Japan for this the fees and etc. and them being 10 years behind suck, and OF COURSE their interface is complex and in Japanese and full of it. If we go US for it, need bank account (have), corp. registry (no), credit line, and tons of other stuff as well, and probably not great fees there either anyway. Paypal has been my happy medium for a long time. Like I say we'll take this one up the rear for now I guess again.

[matsuki]

I hate Paypal so I've always used a US based merchant account linked with my E*TRADE(Online) bank account and a registered agent that forwards US mail to me......as you pointed out, Jap merchant accounts are waaay behind the times and with Paypal, you are creating a PITA for customers and risking some A-hole hitting the pause button on your revenue if they dispute something paid for on there. US merchant account is definitely the way to go. Transaction fees are slightly higher for international cards but less risk/BS and with an online bank account, you can move the money quickly and easily.

[BigInJapan]

I have only used PayPal two or three times to receive payments from overseas (for small contracts).
Each time, I got a call from my bank asking what the payment was for. I told the bank it was for work, and that was it.
Question - does that information get relayed to the taxation office? And, is this something all banks do (Mizuho is the bank in question)?
Also, if you receive payment via PayPal for non work-related things (Ebay, kid's Xmas money, etc.), will that end up getting declared somewhere?

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Question - does that information get relayed to the taxation office? And, is this something all banks do (Mizuho is the bank in question)?
Also, if you receive payment via PayPal for non work-related things (Ebay, kid's Xmas money, etc.), will that end up getting declared somewhere?

1) No. They're pretty fucked over the information they can hand out...unless you're suspected of a crime.
2) Don't know, but if one's doing it, you can expect them all to be doing so.
3) Only if you declare it yourself.

[wagyl]

I have only used PayPal two or three times to receive payments from overseas (for small contracts).
Each time, I got a call from my bank asking what the payment was for. I told the bank it was for work, and that was it.
Question - does that information get relayed to the taxation office? And, is this something all banks do (Mizuho is the bank in question)?
Also, if you receive payment via PayPal for non work-related things (Ebay, kid's Xmas money, etc.), will that end up getting declared somewhere?

Just to confirm that for a number of years and from a variety of banks, I have received calls from the bank when there has been a deposit from overseas, and also asking what it is for. My understanding is that this is record keeping for tracking suspected money laundering, something they must do as part of being a financial institution and not tax related. I severely doubt that they will find money laundering as a result of any replies as to the purpose of the deposit, but I suppose they can use that as ammunition that you have made a false statement as well as money laundering, when they do end up catching you.