PayPal Galactic Takes Online Commerce Into Space

[Andy Chalk]

PayPal Galactic Takes Online Commerce Into Space

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PayPal has teamed with the SETI Institute to make it easy to buy all the things you need on Risa and beyond!

So let's say you're in space, and suddenly you realize, whoa, I left my deodorant at home. You pull into Tau Ceti IV, grab some Speed Stick and hand the guy at the counter a 20 - but he tells you they only take buckazoids, and all the currency conversion places are closed because it's a holiday. What do you do?

Use PayPal, of course! Which you'll actually (maybe someday) be able to do thanks to a new program that I am totally not making up called PayPal Galactic, a collaboration between PayPal and the SETI Institute, the not-for-profit organization that's searching for extra-terrestrial intelligence.

"As space tourism programs are opening space travel to 'the rest of us,' this drives questions about the commercialization of space. We are launching PayPal Galactic, in conjunction with leaders in the scientific community, to increase public awareness of the important questions that need to be addressed," PayPal President David Marcus said. "We may not answer these questions today or even this year, but one thing is clear, we won't be using cash in space."

"Trips to Mars, the moon, even orbit will require we provide astronauts and astro-tourists with as many comforts from home as possible, including how to pay each other," added astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second human to walk on the moon. "I think humans will reach Mars, and I would like to see it happen in my lifetime. When that happens I won't be surprised if people use PayPal Galactic for the little things and the big ones."

PayPal has also launched a crowdfunding campaign for the SETI Institute called the Curiosity Movement [http://www.seti.org/curiositymovement], which will support "new ventures and projects that are beyond the domain or scale of the core federally funded research and education projects at the SETI Institute."

At this early stage, PayPal Galactic is just beginning to look at some of the questions involved in the commercialization of space, including the nature of a standard currency in a cash-free interplanetary society, the evolution of risk and fraud management systems, banking system adaptations and more. It sounds like an incredibly niche (and nerdy) sci-fi sub-genre but as a serious topic of conversation, it's actually quite fascinating, and while it's obviously very long term (barring the discovery of mass effect technology on Mars), it is something we'll have to deal with sooner or later.

Source: PayPal Galactic [https://www.paypal-galactic.com/]


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[Legion]

Well nobody can claim they are unprepared.

Although I worry that a superior life form will come along, hack Paypal and bankrupt us all. Think of how much that will suck when we are stuck on Mars with no money for a ride home.

As for why an alien species would want to hack Paypal and bankrupt us, if I have learnt anything from sci-fi it's that with any species willing to spend the time, energy and resources into travelling the galaxy, their highest priority is screwing us up.

Don't ask me why, I don't make the rules. You will just have to ask them when they get here.

 

[Daverson]

Can we do something about businesses claiming to be "Galactic" when they can't even claim to be interplanetary? I mean, "Virgin Galactic" aren't even orbital! It's like calling the bus route between your house and the corner shop "the world-wide express railroad". It's madness!

 

[Alar]

I think they're jumping the gun a little bit. They should probably wait another ten years before even trying this, possibly twenty if we continue moving at the glacial pace we seem to give to space exploration, travel, and so forth.

 

[Jman1236]

I think they're jumping the gun a little bit. They should probably wait another ten years before even trying this, possibly twenty if we continue moving at the glacial pace we seem to give to space exploration, travel, and so forth.

No try 100-1000 years too early.

Besides in Star Trek the idea of money doesn't exist in the federation of planets.

 

[Da Orky Man]

I think they're jumping the gun a little bit. They should probably wait another ten years before even trying this, possibly twenty if we continue moving at the glacial pace we seem to give to space exploration, travel, and so forth.

No try 100-1000 years too early.

Besides in Star Trek the idea of money doesn't exist in the federation of planets.

Money certainly does exist in the Federation, just not to the extent it does now.

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Money

Many other races still use currency to a similar extent as we do now. The Federation also requires currency in order to barter with other factions, purchase resources and services and such.

 

[Hawk of Battle]

Really, this is a thing people are wasting time (and presumably, money) on doing now? We haven't even been to the moon in decades and "space tourism" is a fucking joke. Who exactly are these "rest of us" that are apparantly now having this market opened up for? Cos I sure as hell don't know anyone booking trips into space.

This is the most pointless goddamn thing. Here's an idea guys; sort out actual, affordable space travel first, then set up some bases on the moon, maybe a couple more space stations, get a manned mission to Mars and THEN worry about how people in space are going to aquire money for things they can't use it for yet anyway. Oh, what's that? Space stations and off-world colonies are far too expensive, time consuming to build, and (colonies) have never even been built once yet and is a logistical nightmare with our current tech, and just getting off the ground costs billions in the first place? You don't say!

Guess you better rethink that Paypal service and put it on a back bench for a few decades/centuries then. Looks like you got other problems to work on first.

 

[Dagda Mor]

Really, this is a thing people are wasting time (and presumably, money) on doing now? We haven't even been to the moon in decades and "space tourism" is a fucking joke. Who exactly are these "rest of us" that are apparantly now having this market opened up for? Cos I sure as hell don't know anyone booking trips into space.

This is the most pointless goddamn thing. Here's an idea guys; sort out actual, affordable space travel first, then set up some bases on the moon, maybe a couple more space stations, get a manned mission to Mars and THEN worry about how people in space are going to aquire money for things they can't use it for yet anyway. Oh, what's that? Space stations and off-world colonies are far too expensive, time consuming to build, and (colonies) have never even been built once yet and is a logistical nightmare with our current tech, and just getting off the ground costs billions in the first place? You don't say!

Guess you better rethink that Paypal service and put it on a back bench for a few decades/centuries then. Looks like you got other problems to work on first.

Because we should never focus on something unless it's staring us right in the face.

 

[Syzygy23]

Alright, look, all Aliens have a particular Hat. Klingons wear the proud warrior race hat, Asari wear the Elf hat, etc.

I thought humans would end up wearing the mario hat like we always seem to do in fiction. If this picks of speed though, we're going to end up with the Volus hat.

 

[RicoADF]

I was under the impression that the federation was more of a barter economy when it came to other races. They dont have any solid currency but they deal with favors, information and resources with other faction sort of like Voyager does but on a much larger scale.

For the most part yes your correct, but it'd be likely that they'd have some gold for those races that want payment with a currency rather than dilithium or other commodities.

 

[Sonic Doctor]

I was under the impression that the federation was more of a barter economy when it came to other races. They dont have any solid currency but they deal with favors, information and resources with other faction sort of like Voyager does but on a much larger scale.

For the most part yes your correct, but it'd be likely that they'd have some gold for those races that want payment with a currency rather than dilithium or other commodities.

Not gold, gold is worthless! Now, Latinum, that is the good stuff.


Even Starfleet officers use the stuff when need be, so yes there is currency that has to be dealt with.

 

[Da Orky Man]

I think they're jumping the gun a little bit. They should probably wait another ten years before even trying this, possibly twenty if we continue moving at the glacial pace we seem to give to space exploration, travel, and so forth.

No try 100-1000 years too early.

Besides in Star Trek the idea of money doesn't exist in the federation of planets.

Money certainly does exist in the Federation, just not to the extent it does now.

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Money

Many other races still use currency to a similar extent as we do now. The Federation also requires currency in order to barter with other factions, purchase resources and services and such.

I was under the impression that the federation was more of a barter economy when it came to other races. They dont have any solid currency but they deal with favors, information and resources with other faction sort of like Voyager does but on a much larger scale.

The writers of Star Trek aren't exactly ones that are limited by rules and such that have been established before, so the canon is seriously messed up. There are multiple references to the use of currency, to a barter economy and of a communist-like without currency.