Topic: Subscription Questions

No problem with the amount of the $3/month fee, just wondering about the mechanics of how it will work. I see we've got a secure company to handle the charges. Will it be an automatic charge to the card of $3 each month? I'm assuming so, wondering if there might be another method. I've had problems with recurring small charges in the past. Any chance of an annual pre-payment that would not automatically renew? Or any chance of payment with a "prepaid credit card" or gift card? No rush to answer, I know there's a heck of a lot going on, and I appreciate your amazing accomplishment.

Re: Subscription Questions

Yes, it will automatically charge until you stop the subscription.

We'll probably add longer-term subscriptions a bit down the line.

The #1 goal was to get the system up and available, even with some wet paint.

Re: Subscription Questions

Duane wrote:

even with some wet paint.

I do wish you'd mentioned that earlier, because I'm literally *COVERED* with paint smears.

Cleaning up any loose bits and bytes.

Re: Subscription Questions

So excited to have the Chumby back!

I have no problem with the $3.00/month fee, but would also love to have the option to do a yearly pre-payment or the like (don't really care for automatic deductions ...)

Thanks Duane!

Re: Subscription Questions

I signed up with a credit card, but a PayPal option would definitely be nice.

Welcome back!!!

Re: Subscription Questions

Yes, a PayPal option would be great!

Re: Subscription Questions

Just FYI, certainly no rush with this... I wrote to Stripe about payment methods:

>Re: payment methods

Eli Skipp <support@stripe.com>
Jul 2 (13 hours ago)
to xxx

Hi there,

Thanks for getting in touch with us. Overall, Stripe
offers the capability to accept prepaid cards and gift cards, but
whether or not you can pay with one depends on the merchant. You
should ask Chumby Blue Octy how they feel about prepaid cards and
gift cards: support@chumby.com

Thanks for working with us here at Stripe and let us
know if we can answer any more questions.

Best wishes,
-Eli

On Jul 2, 2014 at 6:44 PM xxxxx@operamail.com

Chumby Blue Octy has just started using Stripe for monthly
subscription payments. Can I pay with a prepaid credit card or
gift card?

Re: Subscription Questions

Hey Duane - I only found out about the relaunch because the clock had changed too.

Is there any way we can actually subscribe for a full year? Or could this be done using paypal? It's a slight PITA with monthly credit card charges and bank fees every month - I'd love to just pay for a year and forget it??

Thanks mate. Love your work!

Re: Subscription Questions

W6TT6GyA wrote:

Is there any way we can actually subscribe for a full year? Or could this be done using paypal? It's a slight PITA with monthly credit card charges and bank fees every month - I'd love to just pay for a year and forget it??

that will likely be an option soon, the basic idea was to get something up and working, and then build from there, assuming poeple didn't just run away screaming in droves smile

Cleaning up any loose bits and bytes.

Re: Subscription Questions

Hi, now that the launch is a couple of days old, is the response to the very reasonably priced subscription fee meeting expectations? I too have no problem with the more than fair-- $3/month fee

Re: Subscription Questions

in short, yes....  chumby's paying it's way now.   (at least, for this month) 

hopefully we'll be able to continue to provide value so everybody doesn't unsub next month smile

I know that cbreeze is working on fixing some of his widgets, and I believe he said he's got some ideas for new ones.

it's still very early days, but I'm *VERY* optimistic!

Cleaning up any loose bits and bytes.

Re: Subscription Questions

Only just found out about this myself -- my Chumby's been Zurked smile and I only come looking once in a while...

Anyway, also no problem with $3/month but I'm in the UK and if I try to use the available options for payment, I'll get hit with surcharges. PayPal would definitely be preferable -- and a yearly subscription option would probably also get my vote.

So I'm staying Zurked for the time being but will cheerfully commit to the subscription once you get PayPal available.

Oh, and I forgot to mention:

WELCOME BACK!! big_smile

Re: Subscription Questions

Need PayPal method for pay.
And may be some subscription discount for developers?

Re: Subscription Questions

DJArty wrote:

Need PayPal method for pay.
And may be some subscription discount for developers?

paypal looks really simple on the 'customer' end, but comes with a host of issues on the back end, including paypal's capricious vague rules, and their tendency to freeze accounts at a whim.  it's not as simple as it looks.

a software developer on another forum I frequent recently had his paypal donation account frozen because they decided he's not the right kind of registered charity (he never claimed to be, he's a software developer that accepts donations instead of charging for his work)... paypal is still letting people donate to it, but they won't let him take any money out.

if ten or twenty people want paypal, it's just not worth the hassle, if a thousand people want paypal, that would be different.

Here's a fairly recent article on Paypal vs Stripe, I thnk Duane made the right decision.

as to discounts for developers, I haven't heard.

Cleaning up any loose bits and bytes.

Re: Subscription Questions

I second that.  Paypal is a major pain to work with.  I was a merchant who got in the 'accept payments, but put a '45 day hold' on all money before release.  I used that for 2 months. 

They never removed the restriction, so I went elsewhere.

Re: Subscription Questions

diamaunt wrote:

as to discounts for developers, I haven't heard.

I'm talking about chumby subscription price.. for chumby widgets developers (not related with PayPal).

About PayPal - you lost many peoples if think so. You must thinking about "simple on the 'customer' end". Clients not must thinking about your problem with " money out" etc. 
"..if ten or twenty people want paypal.." - just do survey (ten peoples only on this forum ask about it, but many just dont ask).
And what problem if its just 10 peoples give you PayPal - use it on ebay if have a virtual problem with "money out".

Re: Subscription Questions

For a standard online business, competing with other businesses that provide the same or comparable products, then not offering PayPal is going to be a problem. It will, indeed, lose customers to competitors whose checkout is easier to use.
However, Chumby does not fit into this category. It is a monopoly, in that if a customer wants their Chumby to run online, then chumby.com is the only provider of this service. Furthermore, it is a monopoly without significant prospects for growth. There is a finite (and not especially large) number of Chumbys in the world, and the likelihood of more being manufactured in the immediate future is not great.
Therefore, it is quite possible (perhaps even quite likely) that the trouble involved in implementing PayPal will not be worth the additional revenue generated by offering it.

Re: Subscription Questions

keep an eye on your paypal transactions, according to this: http://seclists.org/bugtraq/2014/Jul/85 websites can charge whatever they want, no matter what you 'authorized' in a paypal transaction.

Cleaning up any loose bits and bytes.

Re: Subscription Questions

So PayPal still dont accepted?
How many new (fixed) widgets you got from side developers this year?