Just setup Watchtower and I'm very impressed.
I wanted to buy the creator a few coffees but was asked to give my phone number and email. I don't really want to do that. Is there another way to donate?
You could set up an alternate email address for uses such as this. Also, it is the author that wants these, or the donation platform? With so much fraud going on, there does need to be ways to verify that a donor is legitimate.
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Do you have any Instant Payment functionality already set up (e.g. Zelle, Venmo, PayPal)?
If so, you could just ask (PM) @dandanache if he's able accept that. If not, just ask him if he's OK with whatever other method you may be thinking of using.
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Why would someone donating money need to be "legitimate"?
If one/both parties can't somehow be verified, how would you envision the payment working?
If the person donating uses their credit/debit card or PayPal and the funds are transferred why should they need to "prove" anything? It shouldn't require my email and certainly not my phone number.
I"m not interested in continuing down this rabbit hole. If you can work out some manner of alternate payment with Dan, that's great. If you can't, it's no skin off my back.
If some stranger walks up to me and hands me a $50 bill, I'm not going to ask any questions.
Yes, if a payment processing system is involved, the donor's method of payment needs to work (e.g., the credit card transaction works), but not seeing how an email address is involved.
My response was more or less a provoked thought from the statement that because of fraud, it is important to make sure the donor is legitimate. How does one commit fraud by giving someone else money?
Not sure how exactly the OP has tried, but Iām able to make a donation (from a mobile browser on my iPhone) with Apple Pay, or with a credit card.
Nice thing about ApplePay is that none of my info goes directly to the payment processing site.
Email is required to get a receipt for a credit card payment, which is pretty normal. No phone # required in either case.
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I'll have to look for another way. I'm not with Apple and while my paying format was similar to yours mine required, email, post code (UK) and phone number.
I don't know UK rules so I can't address that. Let's say you wanted to purchase program xyz. You make a donation for it, and then the program does not show up or does not work. You decide you are better off getting your money back. How is the seller/donation recipient going to know who you are unless you provide some identifying information? Or, you were happy, but someone claiming to be you pressed for a refund in a case of identity fraud. You would want some way to verify identity.
The amount may be small, but there does need to be ways of identifying. I've made donations where I had to identify myself, but was able to request that the donation be listed as anonymous. I still had to identify myself.
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You're correct in that many purchases need identification but this particular one doesn't. It's after the fact, I already have the program and like it. There's no need for this additional information about me. Nevertheless it is what it is so I'll look for another way to show my appreciation.
The author of the program may not need or want your information, but the donation platform may want that. Why? so they can sell your contact information to other companies who will then start spamming you . That seems to be the way things go these days.
Meantime, I think we've beaten this dead horse enough, so I will stop.
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I agree with you.
Thanks.
