I figured they did it to help absolve themselves of liability if they got hacked, since C&B would be the ones handling our financial info. That's my totally uneducated guess though. Them doing it for cost savings I don't doubt at all. I wonder if the problem they used to have with "double charging" and charge backs had something to do with it as well.

I'm definitely glad they brought back the direct payment method, and give them huge kudos (kupos?) for doing so. It's certainly more user friendly than going through a 3rd party, and paying should never be a hassle or a cause for concern. Thanks for making the change, SE! Even if they don't say so, I think many are grateful for this.