Visa Jacks Rates 50% for Renewals

[AlexManifestMan]

So it is $500 a year for all of us HIGH RISK companies to accept Visa payments! I wonder if this is a cash grab on their part or if our continued tolerance of those sites that rip off the surfers has so increased chargebacks that we are now paying the price?

Happy New Year.

[Seth]

So it is $500 a year for all of us HIGH RISK companies to accept Visa payments! I wonder if this is a cash grab on their part or if our continued tolerance of those sites that rip off the surfers has so increased chargebacks that we are now paying the price?

Happy New Year.

I just paid a renewal of $375.

[AlexManifestMan]

The increase takes effect Jan 1 so we are getting lots of advance notice. If you chose to no longer accept VISA, all memberships using it will be canceled.

[camcruise]

And It was kind of them to let you know at closing time before the holiday. I called and the Visa guy at CCBILL will not be there till Monday.
Since my renewal date is Jan 4 thats Monday, not much notice.
I was told that I would be OK since I payed the $375 already.
But will call the visa guy at CCBILL on Monday to make sure.

[Paul]

So it is $500 a year for all of us HIGH RISK companies to accept Visa payments! I wonder if this is a cash grab on their part or if our continued tolerance of those sites that rip off the surfers has so increased chargebacks that we are now paying the price?

Happy New Year.

I was wondering the same thing.
There has to be a way to stick it back to these guys but with about 50% of sales from Visa I doubt if any group of webmasters is going to do anything about it.
Banks and insurance companies really have a way of pissing me off.

[MiamiBoyz]

Got that as well...

So happy Fucking Holidays and welcome to the New Fucking Year!

2010

Got to love it!

[Squirt]

Let's put things in perspective .... it's $42 a month basically, I paid more then that for lunch and movies today.

So for the cost of two $24.95 porn memberships you can process with Visa, not a bad deal.

[realmenrealhot]

We've got our first year opting not to pay the fee. So far, anyone who has expressed concern have found other ways around it through MS or check. Does anyone have stats on what % of their members are using VISA? Could be time for us to rethink things!

[AlexManifestMan]

Let's put things in perspective .... it's $42 a month basically, I paid more then that for lunch and movies today.

So for the cost of two $24.95 porn memberships you can process with Visa, not a bad deal.

I have to disagree. If I raised the price of our subscriptions from $29.95 to $44.95 would I be able to tell unhappy members that the increased cost was less then they would pay for a case of Fiji water so just shut up and pay it?

The point is that this is a huge increase and announcing it after hours on a holiday is not cool at all. I am a big CCBill fan but this is being handled very badly. I know that I am overly simplifying but doesn't this feel like another case of being fucked by a bank?

So to put it in perspective, exactly how many accounts do you think they process for world wide in adult? How many millions and millions of dollars more is this going to make for them with zero additional service being provided?

And if you work with affiliates it is 48 additional sales you must make each year to be in the same place you were before this happened.

[TropixxxMichael]

I have to disagree. If I raised the price of our subscriptions from $29.95 to $44.95 would I be able to tell unhappy members that the increased cost was less then they would pay for a case of Fiji water so just shut up and pay it?

The point is that this is a huge increase and announcing it after hours on a holiday is not cool at all. I am a big CCBill fan but this is being handled very badly. I know that I am overly simplifying but doesn't this feel like another case of being fucked by a bank?

So to put it in perspective, exactly how many accounts do you think they process for world wide in adult? How many millions and millions of dollars more is this going to make for them with zero additional service being provided?

And if you work with affiliates it is 48 additional sales you must make each year to be in the same place you were before this happened.

I could not agree more.

[TropixxxMichael]

But really, what can we do about it? Not much.
I do not have exact numbers, but I would guess 80% or more of my sales are Visa.

Does anyone know how to check that in CCBill? Is there a report we can run that shows type of payment?

[Squirt]

I know that I am overly simplifying but doesn't this feel like another case of being fucked by a bank?

Definitely. Banks are evil. I hate banks and credit card companies, they are evil! My bank rearranges my transactions not by date, but by highest to lowest, to increase the chance, and number, of $39 NSF fees they can charge. One of my credit cards changed their terms, upping the interest rates, annual fee, and started charging $10 to pay online and a $10 a month "processing fee". I paid off the account and closed it immediately.

Basically we have no real notice, at least I don't as my fee is due this month. We also have a take it or leave it ultimatum "do as we say or lose everything". CCBill is in a tough spot as they are Visa's whipping boy, they have no choice.


And if you work with affiliates it is 48 additional sales you must make each year to be in the same place you were before this happened.

Not sure where that math comes from. I'm not seeing having to make 48 new sales to cover a $125 a year fee increase.

Regardless, as shitty as it is, I'm not going to let myself get frustrated over $125 a year. I'm just not going to do it. It could be really, REALLY worse and I'm not going to mention how as I don't want to jinx anything.

NOTE: If you want to accept Visa and not pay the fee then switch to Verotel, they have a no annual fee Visa processing option. But I have to say I've never been happier then I am with CCBill right now.

[xenigo]

Does anyone have stats on what % of their members are using VISA? Could be time for us to rethink things!

Most people here have sales consisting of at least 80% VISA. Porn is often an impulse buy, and when potential buyers want to make a purchase, it's your job to make it as easy as possible. You will be doing yourself a huge disservice by doing away with VISA. $500 for renewal over the course of a year is nothing.

[Seth]

I agree it is a huge percentage increase but hardly worth stressing over and certainly not worth dropping Visa. That would be suicide. Anyone who does that might as well cancel their hosting account at the same time.

[AlexManifestMan]

Of course we have to keep processing using Visa. That is the only way they can get away with something like this. We need them and they don't need us and they will fuck us as hard as they can. Address the way it is handled and what will we get from any processor.."It is out of our hands".

I am actually very surprised that people do not seem to be a bit more concerned by the way in which this was handled. I wonder what the outcry will be when the costs of wire transfers or something that affects the affiliate base directly will be? Especially if it is announced less than 12 hours before it takes effect and with a very "take it or leave it" email from a department that can not be reached.

[Seth]

I definitely agree they should have handled it differently. However, I'm not the least bit surprised. Look how they're handling the whole WMS thing.

[Adam Mason]

Do you guys have "Verified by Visa" and "Mastercard Secure"? Here in the UK virtually every online purchase now requires you to go through an extra step at the checkout.

When Mastercard introduced here for their Maestro Debit card they changed the rules and said is had to be used for every single transaction. As a result, Epoch could not process rebills with that card type. Imagine if that gets rolled out further... it would change this business in a heartbeat...

Back to the main topic though. As an EU company I don't have to pay the annual Visa fee. However, for some reason CCBill processing fees are 1% higher for EU companies - I know which option I'd rather be on so quit complaining!!!

[AlexManifestMan]

And yet again, the point is missed. It isn't the money. It is the manner in which is has been handled.

Clearly I am not a writer since I am totally unable to make my point clear. But in any case, I have no plans to "quit complaining" when I see something that I consider to be unfair.

[zbuckz_lloyd]

It would be like my landlord going on vacation starting Dec 25 for two weeks and charging me a late fee when I dropped my rent under his door on Dec 31.