on Dec 8th, 2012 | in Editorial | 3 Comments

Back in June, Etsy released Direct Checkout – which allows shop owners to accept credit cards and Etsy gift cards directly through their shops rather than diverting to PayPal. I disregarded the notices that Etsy posted encouraging sellers to sign up – my son was born earlier this year, so it was easy to convince myself that I was too busy. Sleep deprivation and the annihilation of my spare time left me wary of trying new things and going through a cumbersome sign-up process.

The elephant remained in the room. As I started shopping on Etsy for my son’s first birthday, I was relieved to see how few sellers had signed up for Direct Checkout. Aha! I’m not the only one. There must be a fundamental flaw in the process. I hit the forums to revel in the complaints and misgivings about the new feature.

Instead of ranting, I found raving and testimonials from sellers already benefiting from Direct Checkout. The plot thickened. I decided it was time to bite the bullet and sign up. I waited for my son to take his long nap so I could dedicate the requisite hours filling out forms and setting up accounts.

Within fifteen minutes, I’d completed the totally painless process and felt a little sheepish. Months of skilled procrastination were wasted on something I could’ve done in the time it takes water to boil.

I’m now able to accept Etsy gift cards – a feature that’s included with Direct Checkout. I’m eager to reap the benefits after this holiday season, the first that Etsy gift cards have been available. Buyers previously turned off by a daunting PayPal checkout process can now seamlessly make purchases in my shop with a credit card.

Learn from me and stop making excuses – go sign up for Direct Checkout right now. It’s easy. I promise.

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