iDEAL
iDEAL is a widely used online payment method in the Netherlands. You pay directly through your own bank. For example, when you buy something in a webshop, you choose your own bank at checkout, after which you can log in and pay through your online banking environment or via the online banking app on your mobile.
Is iDEAL ideal? Not entirely, because you have to pay in advance before you receive your purchase, while webshops are actually not allowed by law to require full prepayment from the customer. Webshops must also always offer alternative payment methods where you only have to pay after receiving your order. Nevertheless, iDEAL is still often used, also to be able to pay afterwards. You will then receive an invoice afterwards that you can pay with iDEAL. Furthermore, you also do not get purchase protection when you use iDEAL. So if you are scammed by a fake webshop and you never received your order, you can forget about your money with iDEAL.
Credit Card
Credit cards are often used to make online payments on foreign webshops. Credit cards use so-called chargebacks. You can invoke a chargeback in the following cases:
- Your order was not delivered.
- You received a damaged product.
- You received the wrong product.
As a buyer, you are extra protected in this way, because the burden of proof lies with the seller. A seller who cannot prove that he delivered a certain product to you is at a disadvantage, because the consumer will always get his money back in that case. Credit card companies reclaim the money from the seller in a chargeback and return this amount to you (the cardholder). PayPal (mentioned below) works in a similar way. Purchases you made with your credit card or with PayPal are also insured against loss, theft, or damage of packages.
Paysafecard
With a Paysafecard, you can pay online and anonymously. It is actually a type of prepaid card and it is available at kiosks, gas stations, bookstores, and supermarkets. The Paysafecard has a 16-digit PIN code that you use to pay. The purchase and use of a Paysafecard has no age limit and a card can hold a maximum amount of €100. If there is still a certain amount on the Paysafecard after a year? Then administrative costs will be deducted from the remaining amount.
PayPal
PayPal is a popular way to check out online and is used on auction sites like eBay. Unlike iDEAL, PayPal offers purchase protection. In that respect, you can compare PayPal to a credit card. If you made a purchase with PayPal but did not receive the product? Then PayPal ensures that you get your money back. Additionally, you also get your money back if your order was damaged during shipping or if the product significantly deviates from the advertisement or product page. To get this money back, you need to file a claim, and then PayPal decides whether you are right.
Afterpay
At some webshops, you can pay afterwards with AfterPay. After confirming your order, you will receive an invoice that you can pay via iDEAL or bank transfer. In principle, you have two weeks to pay this amount. If you have returned your order (partially) during this period? Then you can inform Afterpay via the app, and Afterpay will wait until your return is processed. Furthermore, Afterpay does not interfere with the delivery of your order.
At some webshops, you have to pay extra to use AfterPay. The webshop is not allowed to profit from this, and therefore the costs for using Afterpay should never be higher than the actual costs incurred by the webshop. Also, keep in mind that you cannot order endlessly with Afterpay, as you are registered from your first purchase and there is also a maximum order amount.
