Advice: Paypal invoices. - "Artists Beware"

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Advice: Paypal invoices.

Mar. 30th, 2015 at 12:29 PM

artists_beware

Jane Vakarian

How do you prevent a client from marking the item as shipping needed, when its digital goods?
This never happened until recently, so I assume the invoices got somewhat of an up(down)grade.

Now, they want me to input tracking and shipping receipts.

Ive talked to the people who do mark it as needing to be shipped (or put in an address), and they said they dont realize thats what it is for.
I've been having to send them their money back and redoing the invoice, which honestly can take 1-2 times depending on if the client understands what they're doing.
I cant walk them through it since I haven't received an invoice recently to know what changed.

Will paypal be on my butt for not providing a tracking number?

EDIT: Thanks bros! So much useful advice.
I will check my preferences and settings since thats where the problems lay i guess. :)

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Comments

( 35 comments — Leave a comment )

exo_formicidae

Mar. 30th, 2015 10:18 am (UTC)

In my last invoice i recieved I had no option to choose "no shipping".
I asked the artist what to do but they wasn't sure either - so I sendt it as "no shipping required" in both the address field and in the field where you put a note for the seller. I haven't heard anything from them about it so I assume it went well

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ramthedragon

Mar. 30th, 2015 12:17 pm (UTC)

I do believe there is a way in your Paypal preferences to set that your services are digital and require no shipping.

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Mar. 30th, 2015 12:35 pm (UTC)

Yeah, with all the invoices I have gotten there is no option for no shipping. I have read something in a journal thought that you the seller can mark it yourself as no shipping required.

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honeynuggets

Mar. 30th, 2015 12:42 pm (UTC)

I've never had an option to select 'no shipping' on an invoice, but I send them pretty regularly.

I make sure to include in the terms and conditions section that the customer/client will be receiving a digital file, and once the file has been sent off I go into the 'add tracking information' section for the invoice and mark the transaction as 'order processed' which is what Paypal says to mark items that don't require shipping.

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greenreaper

Mar. 30th, 2015 02:38 pm (UTC)

Developers suggest that adding "&NOSHIPPING=1" or "&no_shipping=1" as part of the link you provide to users may do it. Give it a go and see what you get?

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Apr. 1st, 2015 12:22 pm (UTC)

When you send invoices you're not providing a link though? It sends the invoice to their email...

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(no subject) -

greenreaper - Apr. 1st, 2015 12:49 pm (UTC) - Expand

Mar. 30th, 2015 05:40 pm (UTC)

If you mark it as 'item shipped' you need to provide proof, yes.
If anyone does a chargeback you will automatically lose. If you tell paypal 'Well I didnt actually ship it, it's digital' you'll also get in trouble for lying/using the service incorrectly.

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Mar. 30th, 2015 06:47 pm (UTC)

Scroll down to 'Selling Tools' in and click seller preferences. From there, go to update your shipping preferences and then scroll all the way down to 'Display Ship Button'. Make sure all the boxes are unchecked (it seems like 'goods' is always checked by default). Save the settings and you should be golden!

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Mar. 31st, 2015 04:29 am (UTC)

Thank you ! I never knew about that and I fixed it ASAP. Now I shoudln't have any more issues.

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cat_flower - Mar. 31st, 2015 11:39 am (UTC) - Expand

Mar. 30th, 2015 07:35 pm (UTC)

Ive been trying to switch to doing more invoices, but people seem to have a hard time paying them. Ive had two people ive had to direct pay me because they couldnt process the invoice. I also dont see a place to mark for no shipping... I guess any tips or tricks to invoicing in general would be great for me.

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sangieredwolf

Mar. 30th, 2015 07:43 pm (UTC)

This is probably awful advice, but I say just have people send you money as friends and family. They can't contest this charge and no shipping address is ever added. I know there's a rumor accounts get closed down for personal payments, but I personally haven't seen it happen.

I only use services and goods if it's a physical item.

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Mar. 30th, 2015 08:20 pm (UTC)

This is horrible, horrible advice.
One, it's no rumor, quite a few artists had their accounts shut down. Two, this is like artists screaming 'Im a scammer'.

No one should ever pay via this method.

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celestinaketzia - Mar. 30th, 2015 08:26 pm (UTC) - Expand

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timelapsedecay - Mar. 30th, 2015 08:51 pm (UTC) - Expand

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cat_flower - Mar. 31st, 2015 11:31 am (UTC) - Expand

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dodger_greywing - Mar. 30th, 2015 08:55 pm (UTC) - Expand

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kestral_kitsune - Mar. 30th, 2015 09:52 pm (UTC) - Expand

Mar. 30th, 2015 08:42 pm (UTC)

I use invoices too, but haven't seen anything about disabling the shipping requirement. I just list the item as "Custom Digital Artwork" and hope that gets across, so far no problems. Thinking I might add "no shipping required" from what others have said, now...

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Mar. 31st, 2015 12:48 am (UTC)

Maybe I misunderstood it, but I never had a problem with the invoices and shipping. As I understood it, the shipping is just kind of there if you need to use it but otherwise I haven't had a problem processing any transactions. I also am able to pay invoices that ask for my shipping. Maybe there is only a problem when it might come to disputes? And if someone is disputing it and trying to exploit the shipping I think that might warrant a beware on them. D:

But I sure hope the shipping issue is not a problem because I prefer invoices. This stops people from sending me money as family and friends.

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ramthedragon

Mar. 31st, 2015 12:05 pm (UTC)

I checked the invoices I've done in the last 6 to 8 months and I never realized they all had a shipping address. And Paypal really never demanded anything from me? Maybe it's because I'm in Uruguay and they don't particularly care to enforce too much here, but still!

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wuvvumsoc - Mar. 31st, 2015 12:29 pm (UTC) - Expand

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sbneko - Mar. 31st, 2015 03:33 pm (UTC) - Expand

celestinaketzia

Mar. 31st, 2015 01:32 am (UTC)

You can disable the option all together. I just tested this with a friend to ensure it works, but folks are welcomed to fiddle with it.

Firstly, open your invoice template. It looks like so:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/76717253/screens/Edit_template_-_comm_template_-_PayPal_-_2015-03-30_20.17.50.png

Make sure the text box is unchecked as that's what collects client information, and you don't really need that. Then click on the link. It will take you to this page:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/76717253/screens/Recipient_information_-_PayPal_-_2015-03-30_20.18.38.png

Make sure "don't show shipping" is ticked. Now when a client receives an invoice they will not even be prompted to do anything with shipping.

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ramthedragon

Mar. 31st, 2015 12:04 pm (UTC)

This is really useful! Thank you!

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kattotang - Apr. 1st, 2015 12:37 pm (UTC) - Expand

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darnhyena - Sep. 23rd, 2016 01:43 pm (UTC) - Expand

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celestinaketzia - Sep. 23rd, 2016 06:12 pm (UTC) - Expand

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darnhyena - Sep. 24th, 2016 03:17 pm (UTC) - Expand

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darnhyena - Nov. 22nd, 2016 08:53 am (UTC) - Expand

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celestinaketzia - Nov. 22nd, 2016 06:53 pm (UTC) - Expand

Mar. 31st, 2015 11:44 am (UTC)

I think a journal I wrote can help with this.

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/6525198/

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thaily

Mar. 31st, 2015 06:41 pm (UTC)

In additional to all the excellent advice already posted, I like to add it to my item description, i.e. "Digital art, 2 characters, b/w lineart, digital files, no shipping".

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spartanwerewolf

Apr. 2nd, 2015 05:33 am (UTC)

From a commissioner's standpoint- when I get invoiced, and it asks for a shipping address, I'll click the shipping address (it doesn't give me the option to put "no shipping required" on my end) and put in the note to seller "No shipping required" just to cover both our asses.

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