For years I’ve longed for a financial institution-delivered browser plugin that would help manage receipts, verify available funds, complete online forms, and provide secure payment options at legitimate ecommerce sites. The PayPal browser plugin, launched less than three years ago, offered most of that, in theory. 

I used it successfully a few times, but too often it popped up offering assistance when I didn’t need it. So I disabled it. Evidently, I wasn’t the only one who found it not worth the hassle (for more insight into the problems, read the comment thread and updates to the original announcement post). The company is pulling the plug on the service next month.

Now that PayPal’s plugin is off my computer, it’s time to give Billeo’s another try. I used previous versions in the past, but hadn’t given it a thorough test since I moved to a Mac for most Internet browsing.

PayPal login splash screen (link, 9 August 2010)

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Note: We wrote about plugins, toolbars, and tools in Online Banking Report: Grabbing Desktop Mindshare (published Aug. 2002).