[Foundation-l] Alternative to paypal

[Delirium]

Ben Yates wrote:
> The new amazon payment API looks really good.  Support for micropayments, etc.
>
> http://paulstamatiou.com/2007/08/04/why-you-shouldnt-ignore-amazons-new-fps/
>
>   
If I recall correctly, when proposals like this come up, the canned 
reply from foundation-type people (if a reply comes at all) is that at 
the moment the benefits of adding another option outweight the negatives 
of having to manage yet another account---between Paypal, moneybookers, 
direct bank transfers in both Germany and the US, and mailed checks, 
most people are able to donate with reasonable ease, a large number of 
currencies are covered, and the fees aren't *too* unreasonable. At 
least, that was the reply to previous suggestions that we add support 
for e-gold and for Google's payment system.

Perhaps at some point in the future they'll do a reevaluation and choose 
a new set of two online payment systems (maybe moneybookers is no longer 
the best 2nd choice?), but I don't think it's likely that Wikimedia will 
ever want the hassle of simultaneously supporting a large number of them,

Of course, I speak as someone with no particular knowledge of the 
foundation's inner workings; these are just my observations of past 
practice.

-Mark