dues

Emmie Fisher · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2006 11:02 pm

Hold it! Hold it!

There's actually a *real* reason we aren't using PayPal for membership payments --YET. Bowie contacted me to discuss this possibility, like, 2 years ago, I think it was. Folks wanted it & Bowie was for it. The current *real* problem is that we don't have a good way to (1) definitely identify the person paying for a membership via PayPal & (2) get the payment info & membership info to Bowie at the same time.

I've had an online form partially worked up for 6 mos or so. At some point (i.e., when he gets time), Carl will try (if you want to volunteer here, raise your hand) to mesh the data from that form with the PayPal payment & get both pieces of data to Bowie simultaneously. As I was working up the online form, I calculated in the PayPal fee to be added to the regular membership dues. If you want the convenience of online membership payment, you probably won't mind the buck or 2 extra to have it (I've forgotten off the top of my head what that worked out to, but it wasn't much).

BUT, most folks don't know their member #s -- YET (it'll be on your 2006 membership card) & it'd be a *lot* easier for Bowie to be certain who is renewing if the person(s) was able to definitely identify him/her/themselves to Bowie with his/her/their member #(s). You might think this sounds silly, but if you work with this type of information, I'm sure you know *exactly* what I'm talking about -- "But how could you *not* know we call ourselves Flopsy, Mopsy, & Cottontail??" & "Oh, yes, I *am* paying for a Family Membership this year. I just forgot you wouldn't know my wife's name is Miss Piggy." For the most part, renewals probably wouldn't be *quite* as bad as new mems for identification purposes; but having folks enter the mem #s they are renewing would definitely reduce Bowie's head-scratching time.

So, personally, I think it's a great idea to offer online membership payments, but there *are* a few identification details that still need to be ironed out to make it go smoothly for Bowie.

The web folks are up for helping hands on this project if y'all wanna go forward with it & wanna go forward "in a hurry". If anybody wants to **really** volunteer, please send Carl & me an email via webmaster@thscc.com.

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