Had to choose between PayPal and Wave for invoicing, picked wrong

When I started freelancing in February, I went with PayPal because everyone uses it. Figured it would be simplest. But after 4 months of losing 3% on every single payment, I ran the numbers and realized I gave up about $340 just in fees. Switched to Wave last month and the savings are immediate, but now two clients are complaining about the new checkout link. Anyone else deal with pushback after switching payment platforms?

3 comments

3 Comments

noahwood17d ago

I picked wrong" - nah, you picked right for your business. What good is saving on fees if you're losing clients over it? Those two people complaining now are probably just the start. If they're grumbling about clickin a different link, imagine how they'll feel when something actually breaks. PayPal's fees might hurt, but I'd rather pay 3% than deal with a client ghosting me because Wave glitched out on their payment.

fionanguyen16d ago

Oh man, "I'd rather pay 3% than deal with a client ghosting me" - that hit me HARD. I went through this exact thing last year when I switched from PayPal to Stripe. Lost one regular client who just flat out refused to use the new system no matter how much I explained it. It sucks because you think you're making a smart financial move and then reality hits you with human nature. Those two clients complaining now might be the tip of the iceberg, but honestly, you did the math and the savings matter for YOUR business too.

faithpatel15d ago

340 dollars is a lot of milk and diapers, no joke. @fionanguyen nailed it about human nature being the real wildcard. It's like trying to get your kids to switch from one brand of cereal to another, even if the new one is cheaper and tastes the same.