Paying on the internet: what is possible?

Anyone who buys on the internet does not always have to pay immediately. There are still online stores that send customers an ‘old-fashioned’ giro card if they wish. Examples are Wehkamp and Bol.com (if you become a member first). The customer can then choose whether to pay for the giro collection form via internet banking or to send it to his bank in an envelope.

The advantages and disadvantages of the giro card:

+ safe
+ familiar
+ you only pay when you have received the product
+ if you decide to return the product, you don’t have to bother to get your money back

– you have to do an extra action afterwards
– sometimes you have to become a member first, which costs an amount per year

For people who use internet banking iDEAL the most convenient online payment method. Almost all Dutch online stores offer this method. After placing your order, choose iDEAL in the webshop. Then select your own bank. Choose whether you pay via the mobile app or your bank’s website.

After you have chosen your own bank, you will arrive at the login screen for internet banking at the relevant bank. You log in and the invoice that you have to pay will appear, complete with the amount and the account number of the webshop. You no longer need to enter a payment reference yourself. Sending the payment is done in the same way as other payments via internet banking, by entering a code. This is a code that you have set yourself in advance, which you receive via SMS or which you generate with a special device, depending on the bank where you do your online banking.

The advantages and disadvantages of iDEAL:

+ safe
+ trusted, because through your own bank
+ easy: you only need to enter login details and authorization code

– only available to online banking customers
– not possible for payments abroad
– if the product is not delivered or is damaged or if you return it, you are dependent on the webshop for refunding the purchase amount
– Pay attention: in principle, consumers do not have to pay to use iDEAL. Companies do. Some online stores pass these costs on to the customer. iDEAL is therefore not always free.

The credit card is widely used and widely accepted, both in the Netherlands and abroad. Payment is easy. In the webshop you choose the credit card as payment method (MasterCard or Visa, for example, depending on what your bank supports). Then you enter your name and some information that you can find on your credit card, such as the credit card number, the credit card company, the expiry date and a security code: the CVC code. You do not need your credit card PIN. So never give it on the internet, not even when asked. You may be asked for a password.

The advantages and disadvantages of the credit card:

+ safe
+ internationally accepted
+ deferred payment
+ disputed payments can be reversed
+ if the product is not delivered or is damaged, you can ask the bank to reverse your payment

– annual credit card fees
– who pays by credit card, actually borrows money. And interest is charged on that loan, no matter how small. You run the risk of a high interest amount if you do not pay off on time.

Additionally, some credit card providers offer promotional offers and rewards programs to enhance the cardholder’s experience. For example, you may come across “capital on tap promo” or other similar promotions that provide benefits such as cashback, travel rewards, or discounts on specific purchases.

PayPal is a way to pay with your credit card or bank account. For this you need to log in to paypal. You register your credit card details or bank account once and then you can pay to anyone who also uses PayPal. Also abroad. You just need to know the recipient’s email address! The handy thing is that you do not have to enter your details for every payment.

When you pay online with PayPal you have purchase protection. PayPal guarantees that you will get your payment back if the product does not arrive or arrives damaged.

The advantages and disadvantages of PayPal:

+ safe
+ Internationally accepted and pay in different currencies
+ exchanging data from your bank account is not necessary
+ buyer protection

– first register with PayPal and link your bank card is necessary
– not all online stores accept PayPal

Klarna is a fairly new player in the field of online payment. This is a Swedish company that specializes in post-payment. Whoever chooses this payment option provides name, address, telephone, e-mail and date of birth. After that, the customer has two weeks to pay the bill. Creating an account and using the app is possible, but not necessary. Without an account you will receive payment instructions by email. This way you can try a product without paying first. If you decide to return a product, the payment is no longer necessary. You can also pay directly via Klarna.

Note: It has been revealed that Klarna does not protect enough against identity theft. As a result, it is possible that a hacker orders something on your account. Read more about it at the Consumers’ Association.

The pros and cons of Klarna:

+ the payment system is safe (actual payment is made via iDEAL)
+ no hassle with requesting money back when you return a product
+ in case of problems, the payment will be paused
+ registering and downloading a separate app is not necessary (but is recommended)
+ it costs nothing extra

– delaying payments can make you lose track of your expenses
– anyone who forgets to pay will have to deal with a collection agency after a month
– Receiving an account via email is prone to phishing. If you want extra security, use the Klarna app.

Internet banking is relatively safe, but never one hundred percent safe. Banks try to make their apps or sites as secure as possible. For example, the traffic that goes through a bank’s app is encrypted. And almost always multiple codes are needed for a payment. That makes internet banking difficult to crack. Therefore, scammers usually try to steal passwords and other data through phishing. Or they try to get you to transfer money to them in all sorts of sophisticated ways, via e-mail, WhatsApp or SMS for example. But if you pay close attention, there is little danger.