Using an alias or AKA for readings and staying anonymous

Hello all,
I know someone who has her own website and does psychic readings online. She uses her full name, and has her bio and a picture of herself on the site. It got me thinking.

I've been playing with the idea of doing readings online -- but I am someone who highly values my privacy. I know it would be easy enough to set up a website using an alias or "stage name" and having pictures where my face is obscured. But if payment is made through PayPal, the querents would see my name in their receipts, and I wouldn't want that. I just prefer to stay anonymous.

For anyone who does readings online:

• Do you reveal your full name and location?
• If you use an alias, how do you stay anonymous in the payment process?
• What services do you use to process transactions?
• In what format do you deliver readings?

I know there's a thread about the pros and cons of having one's pictures up, so I'd rather stick to the topic of how to remain anonymous rather than anything about whether a client would prefer to see one's face or not. Thanks in advance for your input!

geoxena said:

Hello all,
I know someone who has her own website and does psychic readings online. She uses her full name, and has her bio and a picture of herself on the site. It got me thinking.

I've been playing with the idea of doing readings online -- but I am someone who highly values my privacy. I know it would be easy enough to set up a website using an alias or "stage name" and having pictures where my face is obscured. But if payment is made through PayPal, the querents would see my name in their receipts, and I wouldn't want that. I just prefer to stay anonymous.

For anyone who does readings online:

• Do you reveal your full name and location?
• If you use an alias, how do you stay anonymous in the payment process?
• What services do you use to process transactions?
• In what format do you deliver readings?

I know there's a thread about the pros and cons of having one's pictures up, so I'd rather stick to the topic of how to remain anonymous rather than anything about whether a client would prefer to see one's face or not. Thanks in advance for your input!

Click to expand...

One time my wife was going to do some on-line work, and she investigated this. To do it anonymously, you would have to create a business identity like a "company name," and have that set up in PayPal. I don't know the details, but you would somehow have to arrange it so payment to the business would be translated into cash for you. There are probably people here who have already done that.

geoxena said:

For anyone who does readings online:

• Do you reveal your full name and location?
• If you use an alias, how do you stay anonymous in the payment process?
• What services do you use to process transactions?
• In what format do you deliver readings?

Click to expand...

I read for both a company and for myself. The company mandates that we have a photo, and so I've put one up. However, I read under a pseudonym there. I read under the same name on my own, but I've added "Reads Tarot" at the end of my name. I set up a merchant account with paypal (you can also make personalized urls and register them as anything that you want as long as they are not taken) so I use my pseudonym + Reads Tarot at the end of it for paypal.

I do email readings for both the company and for myself. Additionally I also do in-person readings, and I do it under the same name as my email business: pseudonym Reads Tarot. If you go this route you need to be very careful in choosing your name. "Tarotista" could work, but it's easier to keep a name that you can use as a name. The people who brand their business, such as Daily Tarot Girl, or the Tarot Lady, still have given names (Kate and Theresa, respectively) while Brigit at Biddy Tarot has talked about her regret over going with "Biddy" over "Brigit."

Thanks to both for good info...

I know what name I want to use already. It's a name that's been meaningful to me for many years. About the merchant account at PayPal - when PayPal notifies the client of their payment, they only see your business name and not your given name? I'll have to see if a Merchant account will work for me at Paypal or if I should use another payment processor.


I am now wondering if I need to get any sort of local business license to do biz online. I looked into it once but should revisit that research.