Would a Pay Pal account work?

Yes, it would work.

No there is no fee.

You might also look into popmoney (www.popmoney.com) – there is a small per-transaction fee, but it’s quick and effective. I have used it many times.

I use disposable (single use) numbers from my BoA Visa card. I can control the the amount, the expiration date, and make it single payer. It is a free service. Maybe your credit card has it too.

Are they set up to take paypal payments?

If not, aren’t you back to the same options you have with your bank account? Either giving them debit card information or a check?

I don’t want to do either, @funkdaddy. If they have my debit card # or my bank info, they’ll debit the full amount.

I don’t know if they’re set up for Paypal.

Looking at @LuckyGuy‘s and @elbanditoroso‘s answer me thinks I need to talk to my bank, see what options they have.

I’ll check out your link @elbanditoroso.

@Dutchess_III You can find it online when you go to your account. If I recall it is called “Shop Secure” or something like that. At least that is the name my bank uses. Lately I have been taking out numbers that are good for a year and are worth $99 max. I have it in my wallet so I can use it at a moment’s notice if I need to buy something from a questionable overseas vendor – like a display module from a place in Serbia, for example.
(They were legit by the way.)

Maybe step back for a second.

A check allows someone to withdraw exactly the amount the check is for. No more. Having your account number doesn’t somehow allow them access to further funds. The same with a debit card.

Unless you’re the IRS, or go through with a court order, you can’t just lock up funds in any amount that’s not given to you. The process to get an account locked up is pretty labor intensive and definitely not something anyone is going to go through for a few hundred dollars.

Is all the complication really necessary? I just hate seeing you waste all this time on something when you have plenty else to do.

They told me it would. She said, “Any financial information we have of yours will be used to settle the debt in full.”

They’re required by law to say that.

That doesn’t mean they can break the law to do it.

Hm. I’ll check with my lawyer.

Here

the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

and

CFPB Considers Debt Collection Rules which says that the company who originates the debt has to follow essentially the same guidelines as a third party collector. (CFPB Bulletin 2013–07 is the legal mumbo jumbo version)

Thanks. But even if they illegally did take funds, just what can I do? Spend thousands on an attorney? The debt is only $150.00.

I think we’re still missing each other, and that’s my fault, I got into the larger protections that consumers have.

If you give them a check, they can cash that check for the exact amount it’s written for, after the date of your choosing, but not do anything else with it. They can’t just write another check, or scribble out the amount and fill in something else. They can’t take it to your bank and say “and I’d also like another $100 from this account”... your bank won’t allow any of those things.

If you’re really worried about giving them anything, you can get a cashiers check or money order that isn’t even tied directly to your account. You can get them at banks, the post office, or 7–11.

But they could plug the routing and account numbers in and debit it that way. I pay lots of bills over the phone that way.

At any rate, I just contacted my attorney. He answers little questions like this for free.

Cashier’s check is a plan too.