Paypal as a Payment Option
PayPal is a common payment method around the world, and noted for its reliability and reach. Many users on The Forge prefer to use it over our default payment processor, Stripe.
However, PayPal does have some quirks that can sometimes result in a worsened user experience. We don’t want to dissuade our users from using PayPal- just warn them of potential issues they may face.
Authorization and Bank Charges
When users sign up for the first time on The Forge, they receive an automatic two-week free trial to our service. When users sign up using PayPal, they will receive an authorization on their payment method of choice. This is not an actual charge- it is merely establishing an agreement that you will purchase a subscription for “x price” in the future, if you do not unsubscribe before the end of the free trial.
However, some banks consider these PayPal authorizations as actual charges, even though there is technically no money being transferred yet- and will deduct the user’s existing balance accordingly.
Unfortunately, The Forge does not have any control over this- it is a necessary part of offering PayPal support on our platform. When signing up using PayPal, we recommend users ensure that there is enough existing balance on their account to cover the subscription cost because some banks will charge your account against this authorization. If this happens and you cancel your subscription before the end of your trial period, you will be refunded the full refund amount.
PayPal and Grace Periods
When users who pay via Stripe are late with their subscription payment, we allow a small grace period on their account. During this time, they can continue to access their content, and run games on The Forge. This does not relieve them of their ongoing debt or change the billing date for their account- it simply gives them additional time to pay for their current ongoing charge.
Due to complexities associated with PayPal, we cannot offer the same grace period automatically. Users may email us at [email protected] to request a similar grace period, to be granted manually. We cannot guarantee a timely response on this grace period, or that a grace period will even be granted.