Comments on: Outsource Your Subscription Billing http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/05/21/outsource-your-subscription-billing/ Rebooting the workforce Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:25:51 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Michael Hale http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/05/21/outsource-your-subscription-billing/#comment-296889 Michael Hale Fri, 13 Jun 2008 01:01:22 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-296889 <p>Check out spreedly for an agile alternative: http://spreedly.com/</p> Check out spreedly for an agile alternative: http://spreedly.com/

]]> By: Scott http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/05/21/outsource-your-subscription-billing/#comment-295348 Scott Fri, 23 May 2008 04:32:14 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-295348 <p>re my comment above...</p> <p>I don't know where 2% comes into play. I asked them directly if they charge as a % of billing so that my costs can go up in lock-step with revenue. They told me that ~$2000/month is entry level, so there is definitely some kind of floor.</p> <p>As of now, the app is merely a manager of invoices that include complex pricing models. Actually, collecting on the invoice is handled outside the system. They tell me they are working on accepting credit cards by end of summer.</p> re my comment above…

I don’t know where 2% comes into play. I asked them directly if they charge as a % of billing so that my costs can go up in lock-step with revenue. They told me that ~$2000/month is entry level, so there is definitely some kind of floor.

As of now, the app is merely a manager of invoices that include complex pricing models. Actually, collecting on the invoice is handled outside the system. They tell me they are working on accepting credit cards by end of summer.

]]> By: Scott http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/05/21/outsource-your-subscription-billing/#comment-295347 Scott Fri, 23 May 2008 04:26:17 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-295347 <p>I contacted them and the price STARTS at $2000/month. A bit steep for a web worker.</p> <p>Also, the system does not accept credit cards.</p> I contacted them and the price STARTS at $2000/month. A bit steep for a web worker.

Also, the system does not accept credit cards.

]]> By: David Lowenfels http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/05/21/outsource-your-subscription-billing/#comment-295336 David Lowenfels Thu, 22 May 2008 18:44:40 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-295336 <p>@sun kist: I've used AuthorizeNet Automated Recurring Billing ARB (with their provided Ruby API which smells like Java), and would NOT use it again. It's crap IMHO. They send all subscription update info by email, and it's not XML so you have to write code to parse the emails, which they don't even provide good examples of.</p> @sun kist: I’ve used AuthorizeNet Automated Recurring Billing ARB (with their provided Ruby API which smells like Java), and would NOT use it again. It’s crap IMHO. They send all subscription update info by email, and it’s not XML so you have to write code to parse the emails, which they don’t even provide good examples of.

]]> By: Amie Gillingham http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/05/21/outsource-your-subscription-billing/#comment-295317 Amie Gillingham Thu, 22 May 2008 14:50:19 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-295317 <p>@Mike: thanks for the clarification!</p> @Mike: thanks for the clarification!

]]> By: sun kist http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/05/21/outsource-your-subscription-billing/#comment-295294 sun kist Thu, 22 May 2008 00:42:07 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-295294 <p>The service sounds useful for an ISP and/or web host that could charge based on metered usage of bandwidth. Or number of hours used on a software-as-a-service.</p> <p>Considering 2.0% is the fee, it doesn't sound like payment gateway is included. Even card present retailers pay more than 2.0% on average for transaction processing. To me, this sounds like a revenue share arrangement. Sorry, but I'm not paying you to run a bunch of web servers after the initial code development.</p> <p>Other competitors are:</p> <p>Paypal Google Checkout AuthorizeNet (Automated Recurring Billing ARB)</p> The service sounds useful for an ISP and/or web host that could charge based on metered usage of bandwidth. Or number of hours used on a software-as-a-service.

Considering 2.0% is the fee, it doesn’t sound like payment gateway is included. Even card present retailers pay more than 2.0% on average for transaction processing. To me, this sounds like a revenue share arrangement. Sorry, but I’m not paying you to run a bunch of web servers after the initial code development.

Other competitors are:

Paypal Google Checkout AuthorizeNet (Automated Recurring Billing ARB)

]]> By: Mike Gunderloy http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/05/21/outsource-your-subscription-billing/#comment-295289 Mike Gunderloy Thu, 22 May 2008 00:03:20 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-295289 <p>I wouldn't consider Z-billing to be an alternative to PayPal. Their target is to take care of a fairly complex piece of development that is not the core competence of many application developers. They're hoping people would rather buy a fullblown system off the shelf, than try to grow something organic starting from minimal features.</p> I wouldn’t consider Z-billing to be an alternative to PayPal. Their target is to take care of a fairly complex piece of development that is not the core competence of many application developers. They’re hoping people would rather buy a fullblown system off the shelf, than try to grow something organic starting from minimal features.

]]> By: Amie Gillingham http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/05/21/outsource-your-subscription-billing/#comment-295287 Amie Gillingham Wed, 21 May 2008 23:39:32 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-295287 <p>@Jeffrey: I see it does a few things PayPal subscriptions currently don't, like the ability to restart a subscription, changing rate plans, etc. And as someone who has used PayPal subscriptions for our business since 2002, I can tell you their product (and customer service) have some serious failings. That being said, I still don't really get what z-billing does, whether they're a payment gateway, etc? I agree with J Lane that their site doesn't exactly explain the service well.</p> <p>I'd love to know if this is any good--there really isn't another realistic competitor to PayPal out there and I wouldn't mind considering another option for our business, particularly given the problems we've experienced with PayPal this week alone!</p> @Jeffrey: I see it does a few things PayPal subscriptions currently don’t, like the ability to restart a subscription, changing rate plans, etc. And as someone who has used PayPal subscriptions for our business since 2002, I can tell you their product (and customer service) have some serious failings. That being said, I still don’t really get what z-billing does, whether they’re a payment gateway, etc? I agree with J Lane that their site doesn’t exactly explain the service well.

I’d love to know if this is any good–there really isn’t another realistic competitor to PayPal out there and I wouldn’t mind considering another option for our business, particularly given the problems we’ve experienced with PayPal this week alone!

]]> By: Nimish Mehta http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/05/21/outsource-your-subscription-billing/#comment-295286 Nimish Mehta Wed, 21 May 2008 23:35:55 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-295286 <p>I don't get it. What exactly does this give me that a credit-card based or paypal based payment approach doesn't?</p> <p>Why would I pay 2% to these fellows to collect money for a service that a) I sell, b) I create and maintain, and c) I deliver?</p> <p>Nimish Mehta</p> I don’t get it. What exactly does this give me that a credit-card based or paypal based payment approach doesn’t?

Why would I pay 2% to these fellows to collect money for a service that a) I sell, b) I create and maintain, and c) I deliver?

Nimish Mehta

]]> By: Tony Wright http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/05/21/outsource-your-subscription-billing/#comment-295285 Tony Wright Wed, 21 May 2008 23:11:17 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-295285 <p>If you have a rails site, would like a bit more control than this, and would prefer a front-loaded fixed price rather than giving up 2%, you should look at RailsKits:</p> <p>http://railskits.com/saas/</p> If you have a rails site, would like a bit more control than this, and would prefer a front-loaded fixed price rather than giving up 2%, you should look at RailsKits:

http://railskits.com/saas/

]]> By: J Lane http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/05/21/outsource-your-subscription-billing/#comment-295284 J Lane Wed, 21 May 2008 22:51:26 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-295284 <p>I'm confused, does this actually accept payment (gateway), or is it just to "manage" accounts. The web site really doesn't provide a clear description of what this service offers.</p> I’m confused, does this actually accept payment (gateway), or is it just to “manage” accounts. The web site really doesn’t provide a clear description of what this service offers.

]]> By: Jeffrey McManus http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/05/21/outsource-your-subscription-billing/#comment-295279 Jeffrey McManus Wed, 21 May 2008 22:14:58 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-295279 <p>Why would you use this instead of PayPal?</p> Why would you use this instead of PayPal?

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