Originally Posted by
RAIST
A large sector of the FFXI playerbase (like the Oceana region) simply can't/won't pay without it. There are groups that can't get Crysta (SE doesn't offer it), or they can't use C&B (they don't support their region, or their banks flat out refused to process C&B transfers), for others the additional costs incurred to use one or the other was not acceptable. First, there was the issue of having to prebuy more crysta than needed per month--which they just now remedied. So, for those people, Crysta is more appealing (though, may still be a bit annoying for some becuase of the manual process vs. automated). Then there was the crowd that was getting hit additional fees incurred from using the CC via C&B--SE was supposed to work something out with C&B to prevent it, but it appears to still be happening to some, and they have to jump through the hoops to get them reversed each month.
In short...there were a lot of people who for years were paying automatically every month without fail, and now they get hit with a convaluted process that for some winds up costing them more money and/or time each month to manage--or they simple cannot pay in any way. If SE could bring back the direct billing like they had set up with POL, it is hoped that all those issues will be cleared up for this section of the playerbase so they can/will come back.