I buy my fair share of chips. Each week I mail out envelopes containing a check to fellow chippers for the chips I covet.

Now, I'm also an eBay user - I don't buy lots of chips via eBay due to the higher prices and S&H charges, but I buy a few. With eBay, almost every seller accepts PayPal, so I can make payment immediately after winning an auction, and the chip can go out the same day, or the next day at the latest.

I'm just curious as to why more chippers don't make more use of PayPal for our non-eBay transactions with each other. It's certainly faster and more simple than a check-in-the-mail, and in my opinion, it's safer as well. Despite most peoples' fear, it IS a secure, encrypted site, and the most dangerous thing you have to be afraid of is spam email trying to fool you into divulging your account name and password. Also, your payment can't get lost in the mail, nor can a PayPal transaction accidentally "bounce".

Do most of us not use it because we mis-trust online transactions and are afraid of getting ripped-off? Is it because most of us don't know about PayPal and that it's FREE (unless you upgrade to a Premier account which can accept credit card payments)? Is it another reason?

I realize that most of us trust each other and send out the goods before receiving payment, but it just seems like it would make life easier for us all if we could make instant payments to each other - plus you save about $.50 per payment by saving a check, stamp, and envelope (not to mention the hassle of running to the PO to mail it).

I've only met two other chippers who've happily accepted payment via PayPal, and I was just curious as to why more of us aren't taking advantage of this convenient service. Thoughts??