@Danimarion: The more I've studied e-commerce, the more it feels like everything is Multi-Level Marketing. Turns out you can't even reinvest your Paytreon balance straight into other creators—you need to fork over credit credentials as a separate transaction. 
RIP the artists I thought I could finally underwrite.
@Thorvald || Journal Entry
El Thorvaldo Moderator
Now on Ko-Fi!
05 May 2024, 09:35 PM
tl;dr: I have a Ko-Fi account.
I might have had one sooner, but that I've tried to avoid PayPal for personal and professional reasons. Last year, however, the payment platform I'd been using for Patreon (Payoneer) changed its policy to charge an annual fee on balances below a $2000 USD minimum. Since I haven't even grossed $2K in the account's lifetime, a continued presence would incur a net loss. I am also extremely peeved that this change was only announced via on-site messaging, and no direct e-mail contact was made, which has torpedoed my trust. Since Patreon still won't accept Stripe outside the US, PayPal is the only recourse.
The upshot is, Ko-Fi is now viable, and likely more practical for what's currently a glorified tip-jar: even when garnishing earnings, its rates are better than Patreon's, both as a supporter and creator. There is one monthly subscription tier, though as with Patreon it's entirely voluntary and does not supply special privileges. So, if you've got money to burn and wish I uploaded more often, feel free to toss a coin: it'll help me buy the time and resources to focus on my myriad projects (including my staff duties here, though first priority is always Side 7's official account).
Comments (10)
Posted: Monday, 06 May, 2024 @ 07:50 PM
Posted: Monday, 06 May, 2024 @ 10:55 PM
@Thorvald: How else are we to make payments on the terms of the megacorps, thor??
Posted: Tuesday, 07 May, 2024 @ 05:50 PM
@Danimarion: something something Mandabi.
Posted: Tuesday, 07 May, 2024 @ 06:41 PM
@IvanTDN: Besides the 2022 data breach, it's riddled with transactional fees including a markup on international currency conversion that render it a demonstrably worse option than other (albeit more obscure) services.
On the conscientious side, I have major ethical qualms with several members of the "PayPal Mafia", specifically Musk, Thiel, and David Sacks.
Posted: Tuesday, 07 May, 2024 @ 01:38 PM
I wish there were more options for creators, especially a more 'private' way for artists to be paid or people to buy art since it shows a legal name. Unless you are selling physical goods, I don't see why other people need to know your full legal name out the gate, especially during these times. I know that the banks do need to know, and that's understandable, it's just I don't see why the process between buyer and seller can't be anonymous online? It is also important for artists and streamers to be anonymous online, in my opinion. Some can develop stalkers, so showing their full legal name for a commission or donation is a sure fire way to do so. I know there is a business account you can make to try to hide that but I hear it can pretty complicated and not at all consistent. Also, I hear paypal may keep what you earn as an artist so people militantly transfer their money straight into their bank account.
Posted: Tuesday, 07 May, 2024 @ 07:36 PM
@lua0: I dragged my heels for several years precisely due to anxieties over bulkheading everything to protect against a data breach. Ironically, I learned via a Wired article that there actually was an anonymous digital currency in limited use back in the Nineties. Unlike Bitcoin and its ilk, which are pseudonymous at best and literally destroy the planet just to validate the ledger, ecash actually functioned as the Internet equivalent of paying out of pocket, and was even endorsed by Deutsche Bank.
GNU Taler is a spiritual successor of the ecash protocol; while it doesn't obfuscate the payee, it's still a damn sight safer than every other electronic payment system I know of. Given all the scandals with the coinbros, hopefully this earns more traction as an actual means of facilitating commerce.
Also, I hear paypal may keep what you earn as an artist so people militantly transfer their money straight into their bank account.
I do know PayPal will charge an inactivity fee, though unlike Payoneer that's cleared simply by logging in (and will not compound a 0- or negative balance). It's always safest to get the money out; the trouble is when these platforms charge a fixed fee for withdrawal, which disincentivizes multiple small withdrawals since that will eat up your final earnings.
Life really has been rough on smaller creators lately. Especially with how antagonistic our direct means of trade are towards us...