PAYPAL: No more need to expose your credit card or banking details

BUYING and selling goods and services online is fast becoming the preferred way to shop and conduct business this century, and it recently became easier with the introduction of PayPal to South Africa.

This enables South Africans to buy from and sell to PayPal’s global customer base of more than 81 million active accounts in 190 markets around the world in 21 different currencies. South Africa is the 190th country to get access
to PayPal accounts and it’s about damn time too!

What is PayPal?

To put it simply, PayPal is a safe and easy way to perform online transactions without exposing your credit card or bank account number. It can be thought of as an extension of your bank account that allows you to send and receive money globally 24/7.

It has always been possible to make foreign payments, but now South Africans are getting a chance to cash in by being able to sell goods themselves within the global eCommerce marketplace. There are currently 200 million people that use PayPal to send and receive money today and for good reason.

You can use a PayPal account to:

• Receive payments in 190 countries.
• Checkout quickly at hundreds of online stores.
• Shop at online merchants or shops in 67 countries.
• Make or receive payments for goods and services online.
• Pay for things and send money without sharing your financial information.

How do I get a PayPal account?

To open a South African PayPal account, visit www.paypal.com and follow the instructions provided. You’ll be asked to fill in your details and link your credit or cheque card to your new PayPal account.

A small charge ($1,95) will then be debited from your account, which will be refunded (in two to three days) once you supply a four-digit reference number that is provided with this transaction to PayPal. This verification method is a security precaution that ensures that only you can access your PayPal account.

FNB’s Top Up and Withdraw service

Currently PayPal is exclusive to First National Bank customers, but no doubt it will soon be offered by other major banks as well. It is also likely that other PayPal options and services will become available once more South Africans get on board and become comfortable with using PayPal.

One particular offering is FNB’s exclusive Top Up and Withdraw service, which allows FNB customers to top up and withdraw funds from a PayPal account via a qualifying FNB account. FNB Customers can simply open a PayPal account and link it to a qualified FNB account and receive PayPal payments in 21 different currencies. FNB will then convert the currency to South African rands once the money is transferred into their accounts. No more lost cheques in the post.

How do I register for this?

To register for such PayPal services you’ll need a South African PayPal account, a qualifying FNB bank account and access to FNB Online Banking. (The following steps are specific to FNB and may differ for other banks offering PayPal services).

Step by step, you will need to:

1. Have a qualifying FNB bank account (FNB cheque, savings or transmission acc).
2. Have an FNB Online Banking profile.
3. Register a South African PayPal account on www.paypal.com
4. Verify your PayPal account on www.paypal.com
5. Login to your FNB Online Banking profile; register for this service and link your PayPal account to your FNB Online Banking profile.

Qualifying FNB accounts include most FNB savings, cheque and transmission accounts. When completing a FNB Top Up or Withdraw with PayPal, a list of all your qualifying FNB accounts that can be used for this service will be displayed.

Remember that they will have to be linked to your FNB Online Banking profile in order for them to be displayed. Also note that a credit card account is not a qualifying account for this service.

How do I withdraw and transfer money into my PayPal account?

FNB’s Top Up and Withdraw services allow you to transfer or withdraw funds from a qualifying FNB bank account into your PayPal account. To do this, simply login to FNB Online Banking and select the “PayPal Services” menu option.

Once you have registered for the service, you can transfer funds (in rands) from your qualifying FNB account into your PayPal account in United States dollars, which can then be used to make purchases from PayPal merchants worldwide.

Note that when completing the FNB Top Up service you will be required to disclose the purpose of your transaction and provide contact information to ensure that you comply with all South African Reserve Bank regulations. A Top Up of funds from FNB to a PayPal account may only be used for the specified reason.

It is also important to remember that according to South African Reserve Bank exchange-control regulations, all funds received into your PayPal account must be withdrawn within 30 days of receipt.

Fees: what does it cost?

FNB charges a transaction commission of 1,5% for each Top Up or Withdraw transaction using a PayPal account. This commission is calculated on the rand equivalent of the U.S. dollar amount requested.

An exchange rate is quoted by FNB on all rand/U.S. dollar transactions and may vary for Top Up and Withdraw transactions.

Certain PayPal transactions may also attract certain fees. Visit www.paypal.com for more information regarding any hidden costs.

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CAMPAIGN: Wired comedian to live in Connect Box for 10 weeks

THROUGH the launch of its In the Connect Box concept, FNB Connect has challenged one man to live his life inside a glass box for 10 weeks using only FNB Connect’s Surf (data) and Talk (voice) product offerings.

Voted as “best Internet service provider for customer service as well as billing” in the 2009 MyBroadband survey, FNB Connect aims to use its digital platform to showcase inventive ways for FNB clients to save on costs in today’s highly competitive broadband and telecommunications market.

“The aim is to prove that through FNB Connect you can live your whole life digitally and at the same time do it for a lot cheaper compared with most other ISPs. We wanted to do this in a fun and dynamic manner by developing a campaign that embraces the digital world in keeping with our status as a virtual Internet service provider,” said Zanele Hadebe, marketing head for FNB Connect.

The FNB Glass House

FNB has created a see-through state-of-the-art glass house that consists of a tastefully decorated sitting room, bedroom, kitchen (kitted with the latest appliances) and obviously a bathroom which will not be visible to the public.

The portable home is moving from shopping mall to shopping mall nationally and will allow Thomas Gumede to do live interactions with the general public online and by use of a cellphone and using Internet software.

Live interactions will demonstrate how effective, user-friendly and cost effective three online FNB products are. Anyone who happens to be in the vicinity of the house (which will be moved to various shopping malls during the 10-week period) will see the Gumede’s every move, except (of course) for his bathroom and shower breaks.

The benefit of Gumede living in the house in public spaces will enable folk to physically see how the products are used as well and mingle cyberly with this young celebrity.

The concept, which went live on October 14, is one of the most effective ways live or on a television screen to show physically how online products work. Once the 10 weeks are over, the general public will get an opportunity to win the plentiful new-age appliances occupying the glass house.

The man inside the glass box

Travelling with the Connect Box is up-and-coming comedian Thomas Gumede. He will live his life in the box, which started in Jo'burg on October 14, making his final exit on December 20 in Cape Town.

Gumede is a young actor and comedian who originally hails from Tongaat in KwaZulu-Natal. He has acted in major South African television drama series, including Rhythm City and A Place Called Home. He is currently on our screens as the presenter for a reality series called So You Think You’re Funny and has released a stand-up comedy DVD, Thomas Gumede Live.

The FNB Connect Challenge

Gumede’s challenge is to exhibit what can be done using FNB Connect online. His aim is to prove that you can do anything, anywhere, anytime for less using only the Internet.

Through Facebook, Twitter and his personal website and blog at www.intheconnectbox.co.za, Gumede will be set daily tasks that he will need to undertake using only Cell Pay Point, eBucks, an FNB credit card and FNB Connect Surf (data) and Talk (voice).

Members of the public will be encouraged to assist him in delivering on his tasks or even create tasks for him to undertake. The public will also be able to communicate with Gumede throughout the campaign.

Thomas will live in the house all by himself for 10 weeks, without any visitors from family, friends or colleagues. He will not be allowed to leave the house unless compromising circumstances arise — for instance if the house gets flooded in a freak plumbing accident.

The young comedian will live his life vicariously through three FNB on-line products, which have been designed to make using the Internet much easier, faster and more cost effective. The benefits of these services will be fully demonstrated by Gumede — educating the public on how the products work.

“We are really excited to have Thomas involved in this groundbreaking campaign as he brings huge value to the campaign. Our aim is to showcase to our clients that through our innovative data and voice product offering, FNB clients can save substantially with FNB Connect,” said Hadebe.

Connect Box dates around the country:

• Johannesburg: Cresta Shopping Mall: 14-18 October, East Rand Mall: 21-25 October, 2009, Clearwater Mall: 28 October – 1 November and the FNB Whiskey Live Festival at Sandton Convention Centre: 11-14 Nov
• Durban: Gateway Shopping Mall: 18 – 28 November
• Cape Town: Canal Walk: 1- 6 December, Cape Gate Centre: 8 – 13 December and V&A Waterfront: 15 – 20 December

FNB Connect is a virtual internet service provider, providing:

• FNB Connect Surf: a prepaid ADSL data solution that offers clients unshaped data that makes it ideal to surf the web, conduct online activities such as gaming, downloading of big files and making internet calls. There are no caps, no contracts and a 12 month data carry over.
• FNB Connect Talk: a voice offering that can save FNB clients up to 50% on their phone bill using an existing internet connection to make calls from their PC, compatible cellphone or landline. Free calls can also be made when calling other FNB Connect Talk users.

For more information on the FNB Connect campaign, please visit the In the Connect Box website at www.intheconnectbox.co.za or to learn more about FNB Connect please visit www.fnbconnect.co.za

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MONEY: Earn a sizeable bounty for your creative ideas with Idea Bounty

HAVE you ever experienced one of those moments when you, a friend, or a family-member comes up with some really good idea during conversation when someone says: "That’s brilliant! You really should patent that idea!" Most people have, yet while we may dwell in the flattery of such words, very few naturally-gifted think tanks ever get off their behinds and actually do something with such ‘million-dollar ideas’.

Of course the market for ideas is a competitive one; people are trying to sell ideas every day. It’s also not easy pitching unique ideas to different individuals and trying to get them to see your vision. If, on the other hand, you decide to implement a practical idea yourself, you may find that you lack motivation or the resources to do so.

Sometimes you just want to get an idea written down and put out there and hope to the powers that be that it somehow gets discovered and praised. But why not get paid for it too?

If you’re bursting with business ideas, but perhaps lacks the motivation to implement them yourself, there is the perfect platform for you.

Idea Bounty is an online service that operates within the market for ideas. Businesses or clients sign up and submit a brief for something they want — such as ideas for an advert. Users or creatives are then invited to submit their ideas for that brief. A sizeable bounty is offered by the client beforehand and it is bestowed upon the person who submits the best idea. In other words, the best idea is chosen by, and sold to, the client or business.

The Idea Bounty website is now one year old with more than 7 500 registered creatives. Among the clients served so far are FNB, Castle­ Lager, BMW and Red Bull, with the biggest bounty to date being a whopping $10 000. Here’s a little more from the Idea Bounty team ...

• What is Idea Bounty?
Well the simple answer is that for clients, Idea Bounty is the simplest way to hire thousands of creatives and only pay for the ideas you want. For creatives, it’s an amazing platform that allows you to pitch on various briefs. The bottom line: clients get the best ideas and creatives get paid for those ideas.

• How does this social think tank operate?
Idea Bounty is a social think tank that provides a secure channel for the world wide creative community to offer solutions to creative briefs. A reward or ‘bounty’ is offered for the idea that best answers the brief and the contributor of the winning idea gets the cash.

• What’s the catch?
There is none! We want to facilitate the exchange of ideas based on an open economy. The value of the reward will dictate the quality of the ideas competing for the bounty. Creatives: The idea belongs to you until you get paid. Clients: You only pay for what you like. You use it, you buy it.

• What’s in it for clients?
The traditional model for purchasing creative output (in the form of creative expertise, ideas and ultimately communication platforms) has dictated that the client (the person with the problem) pay based on how many people and hours have been used in creating the end product. So it’s rare that a budget allows more than two or three resources to be allocated to solving a brief.

If you truly wanted to inject the energy and diverse thinking (ideas) of hundreds of hungry experts, the costs would grow exponentially as new individuals lend their expertise... enter Idea Bounty. Here you have access to all the ideas and brains behind your brief but you only have to pay for what you like.

• What’s in it for creatives?
Are you a ‘great ideas scribbled on the back of a napkin’ type of person, the type who keeps a notebook next to their bed so when they wake up they can jot down the most insanely inspired dream-time Ideas?

So you’re über creative and ideas pop into your head at a rate of knots, but why would you need Idea Bounty?

The world’s creative industries are competitive by nature and driven by accolades and rewards. Unfortunately these don’t always carry any financial benefit ... enter Idea Bounty.

• What’s the deal between clients and creatives?
The ideas you submit will only be visible to you and the client so you don’t have to fret about anyone ‘borrowing’ your brilliant ideas. If your idea is used by one of our clients you will receive the cash reward (Bounty) on offer.

We will of course let everyone know whether their ideas have been rewarded, and in the case where the client would like you to continue working on the project we will gladly put you in touch with one another.

• The team behind Idea Bounty

“Idea Bounty was started by a guy who saw the light and a guy who was frantically waving a torch."

"The Idea Bounty team boasts a collective 16 years experience in the worlds of traditional advertising and online marketing. Above-the-line, through-the-line, below-the-line... any bloody line - you name it we’ve done it.

In short - we know how to find creative solutions to business problems and ensure that finding these creative solutions is a smooth process. Idea Bounty is the social think tank that is going to inject some real inspiration into your business.”

There you have it – the perfect platform to get those creative juices flowing and perhaps earn a pretty penny in the process.

That’s www.ideabounty.com

• Click here to sign up and get cracking!

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