Google Checkout vs. PayPal Which to choose?

How does Google Checkout compare to PayPal when it comes to payment processing? In a side by side comparison, this article will review the pros and cons of Google Checkout versus Paypal. This will help you choose your payment processing company.
When it comes to accepting payment online, you are probably looking for some sort of provider that offers ease of use and low prices. Both PayPal and Google Checkout fit that bill. Additionally, both are third party processors that shield customer information from retailers. Many online shoppers like the idea of using one payment system that allows them to avoid entering credit card numbers for every purchase made. However, there are some differences, and depending on your needs you might be better off with one than with another. Or, you could offer both, and let your customers decide.

Google Checkout is the brainchild of the online search engine giant Google. It allows you to basically buy items right from the search page. Businesses can use Google Checkout to process credit cards at a low cost to them, and as a way for customers to protect their information.

PayPal is owned by eBay. In spite of that fact, though, it is widely accepted as a third party payment provider. PayPal offers a full range of merchant services in addition to facilitating payment processing.

Basic overview of Google Checkout vs. PayPal

There are some areas that can be used to determine which payment processor is best for you. This is a comparison of how they stack up in Google Checkout vs. PayPal:

How customers can make payments. With Google Checkout, customers can only use the credit or debit card. It is possible for customers to store this information in order to avoid entering it every time. PayPal, on the other hand, allows for credit card payment or deduction from a bank account. eCheck capability is also available. In this way, PayPal is more diverse.
Rate merchant reliability. For many online shoppers, it is important to know that you are reputable. Both Google Checkout and PayPal rate merchants.
International shopping. PayPal has a definite edge in this area. Google Checkout is only available for U.S. purchases. PayPal, on the otherhand, is accepted in 55 countries. In addition to the U.S. dollar, PayPal also accepts the euro, the pound, the Canadian dollar, the yen and the Australian dollar. Currency exchange is also available (for a fee).
Security. Both Google Checkout and PayPal offer SSL security on the same level that banks do.
Fraud protection. PayPal only offers fraud protection for sales of more than $50. Google offers 100% refund, but you must report within 60 days. There have been complaints about PayPal's payment resolution process as well.
Fees for accepting payments on your business Web site. Depending on the level of you account with PayPal, you pay 1.9 percent to 2.9 percent of your sales, and sometimes you pay 30 cents per transaction. Google Checkout is 2% of sales, plus 20 cents per transaction. However, with Google, you can use your AdWords account to reduce the cost of your transaction fees. This arrangement does not exist with PayPal.
Customer service. It is worth noting that PayPal offers a customer service line with live people (you can call a phone number). It can be difficult to contact Google Checkout customer service in any way besides the forum provided or email.
One of the main advantages that Google Checkout has is its integration with AdWords. This means that you can get preferred pricing on a number of services – and even automatically pay transaction fees with earnings from your AdWord account. Additionally, when your ad is displayed on other Web pages and in search engine results, a shopping cart icon appears so that it is easy to see that you accept Google Checkout, offering a possible way to increase sales.

With PayPal business merchant account, a great many of the advantages come in the fact that more people use PayPal, and that there is a range of services and features available that include invoicing, statements, shipping and tax calculations and customer options.

You should carefully consider your needs before deciding on whether or not to go with Google Checkout or PayPal. How you run your business, and the kinds of features and services you want should be factors in which payment processor you use.

Wordpress or Blogger?

I use both Blogger and Wordpress and I am torn which I like the best.  

I'm curious which you like best?  Below I found a comparison chart between the two.

Please post your comments and thoughts!

Feature	Blogger.com	Wordpress.com
Dashboard	New: Updated dashboard design. More features, but is unusable without JavaScript. It's an Opt-in alternative for now.	The WP.com dashboard renders fast and dial-upusers can switch to the mobile interface to post an entry quickly.
Themes and customization	Blogger introduced a collection of easy-to-customize templates with mobile versions and Google Web Fonts. Earlier templates can still be edited, but without all the new features.	No template editing. Style sheet editing is only available as a paid upgrade. Most of the 100+ themes let you upload a header image. Many of them have additional options.
From a mobile	Blogger Help has a section with information about mobile blogging.	m.wordpress.com/Applications exist for a wide range of mobile devices
Visitor Stats	Built-in visitor stats.	Built-in visitor stats.
JavaScript	You can include third-party scripts.	No scripts allowed.
Domain names	Free domain name transfer	A paid upgrade is required to transfer an existing domain name.
AdSense(Google ads)	Option for shared revenue from ads. But it's hard to attract enough visitors to earn more than pennies.	No. But Wordpress.com often appends its own version to users' posts. Logged-in users don't see the ads
Import	Only from another BlogSpot blog. However, a third-party tool called Wordpress2blogger can convert up to 1 MB.	Import from Blogger, Yahoo! 360, Type·Pad, MovabIe·Type, Blogli, Israblog, Posterous, Vox.com, Live·JournaIor another WordPress blog.
Image storage	1 Gigabyte. There is no dashboard interface to browse through uploaded images, which get stored in Picasa Web Albums.	3 Gigabytes. Paid upgrades are available to add more space. You can also upload .ppt, .doc, .odt and .pdffiles (more file types with an upgrade).
Galleries	Slideshow widget (Picasa Web Albums or other external sources).	Simply add the tag [gallery] to any post or page
Static pages	Create up to 10 pages, but unlike WordPress no static front page.	Create posts or 'pages'. Static pages are listed in separate menus.
Categories	'Labels'.	'Categories'.
Share buttons	In the Navbar, plus a "Share" buttons option:	Configure any of your favorite "Share" buttons.
Post excerpts	Include Jump Breaks in your posts	Post excerpts with a "more" tag.
Post by email	Submit your posts by email. You can receive new posts by email too (helpful for team blogs).	Submit your posts by email. Images can be attached
Contact forms	Not available. You could add a third-party contact form, however.	Simply add the tag [contact-form] to any post or page or use advanced features.
Private blogs	You can restrict access to 100 invited Google account holders.	You can restrict access to 35 invited Wordpress account holders (no limit with a paid upgrade). Alternatively, individual posts can be password protected or Private.
Team blogs	Administrators and non-administrators only.	Administrator, Editors, Authors & Contributors. Option to receive post changes by email.
Comments	Visual confirmation, spam filtering and moderation options, but no editing of comments.	Moderation, comment editing and Akismet spam protection.
Feedback	Reactions.  A mini-poll option for reader ratings.	A "Like" button. Visitors can put a link to their Profile page in yourpost. Beware!