Greetings Blog Family,
I wanted to take a quick moment to share something with you that I discovered and had been trying to figure out for some time now. How to link from your WordPress blog to a PayPal payment option?
Why would you want to do this?
If you are actually asking this question, then making money with your blogging efforts might not be your main focus. And that is fine, but there are people out there that are interested in doing such a thing. These individuals might want to sell goods, products, ebooks, ideas, consulting, or even accept donations through their blog, but Paypal doesn’t work the regular way with WordPress.
Why not just use a plugin or a landing page?
Cause I am tired of loading 500 plugins to my sites and using one less will help with my sanity. Ok, maybe it isn’t that bad, but using less plugins than necessary couldn’t hurt. Besides, this method is actually easier than using the plugins that are available.
As for landing pages, well that is another possibility, but it also creates extra work as well. You have create, design, layout, and tweak the landing page to make sure that the branding is consistent with your blog and then upload the PayPal html to make the link work. What a hassle when you can just link directly from your WordPress blog and have all the branding and everything in tact already.
How to link to WordPress to a PayPal Payment.
First of all, go to PayPal and follow these instructions.
1 – Log in to your PayPal account
2 – Click Merchant Services
3 – Click Buy Now Button, or whatever is necessary
4 – Customize your purchase experience
5 – Click on Create Button
6 – THIS IS THE CRUX OF THE MATTER - You will have two options, one with HTML code for Websites & the second for links in email. Even though you are linking from your website, you want to use the Email option, believe it or not.
This is where my problem was in the past because I wanted to use the code for Websites. However, the code for websites is a form and you are not allowed to use these functions on WordPress. So, use the email link.
7 – Search for a PayPal button that you would like to use & upload to your WordPress blog
8 – Insert the PayPal button in the location you desire, switch to HTML view and create a link from that PayPal button to the email link that you generated from your PayPal account.
9 – Save and Publish!
10 - Smile because you just created a link to your PayPal payment from your WordPress blog and didn’t have to use a plugin or landing page.
Hope this tip is useful for you in the future. I know it is going to help me take my blogging, site flipping, and niche site building efforts to the next level by allowing me to link directly to my PayPal payment pages and not having to use plugins or landing pages.
Great tutorial. I am sure not everyone knows how to do this so awesome job. Keep up the great work.
Blog Guides last blog post..20 Factors to Better Google Rankings
Tee-hee… I’ve been doing that since I started cleaning out my house. If you click on the page “Shop The Vixen”, I list items that I can’t sell on Etsy and don’t think would do well on eBay. So far, no one’s bought, but I’m assuming it works!
WordVixens last blog post..When You’ve Lost Everything
I had created a gift certificate page on my father in laws restaurant website, and used Paypal buttons to do it.
But you know the second time i went to do it, i couldn’t figure it out to save my life. lol. I was missing a step somewhere. Needless to say i have since removed the gift certificate page, but i plan to sell various items on my blog.
So this tutorial is a must bookmark for me. Good stuff, Freddie.
P.S. I’m with you on the plugins, too many can and will overload your server. But dang they keep coming out with good ones all the time, don’t they.
Happy Friday!!!
Missy.
Missy (from G34 Media)s last blog post..I Won An iPod Nano!!!
@ Blog Guide – Thanks man. I know I didn’t know how to do it before yesterday, so figured someone could use it. That’s my plan, to just share my journey, have some fun, make some money, and help some people along the way.
@ Word Vixen – As long as it works and you keep driving that traffic, it will sell. Shoot, I should have asked you how to do this months ago. Oh well, I am resourceful.
@ Missy – Glad you liked and can use it. You are so right with the plugins. I had to enter plugin rehab to get help. I have this addiction under control now.
Hi Freddie, nice to land at your blog
I just know about this trick. Hmm… actually how much do we pay for this transaction? I wanna try it too. Oh thanks for your tips. Oya, I’ve followed you on twitter, my twitter ID is evytaar. Nice to be your network
@ Evyta – Thank you for visiting and glad you learned something. What are you trying to pay for? Also, thanks for the follow on Twitter. Let’s network!
That’s on your list, link to paypal payment. Do we need payment too for that? or it’s only adding the link without payment for this?
Evyta SEOs last blog post..Palestine – Magazine Blogger Template
@ Evyta – Ok, now I understand. You need a button image and the email link that you generate through your paypal account. You put this html code into your site.
The href is where your link is going. The email code generated by PayPal is the destination.
The
That code is taken from this site and page. It is a site flip I have listed for sale.
Natural Cures
Please ask for follow up if something isn’t clear.
I see, yes, it’s clear. I’ll try it. Thank you very much for your help
Evyta SEOs last blog post..Palestine – Magazine Blogger Template
Alright Evyta, glad to hear you got it. Good luck and let me know how that works out for you. I will do my best to share more with you as I pick it up. Got some good stuff for next week that I just learned yesterday.
Stay tuned!
Great blog. Just like to wish anyone who passes by lots of luck in 2009 as it is looking like it will be a tough year
@ Marie – Thanks for stopping by. Good luck to you as well in 2009. Get out ahead of your goals and get them done!
Yea I figured out you have to use the email one as well,but never understood the reason until now.
btw: Nice site.I’m glad I found you…but I just don’t remember where from?
@ Caleb – Thank you for joining the discussion and the kind words on the site.
Yeah, I am glad I figured it out as well. It is definitely going to be a great help in the future. Glad I could show you something as well.
Looking forward to building with you.
This is just what I had on ‘my mind’ today. I have come to realize once I put my mind on the resource I need, they make an appearance shortly after. It really does.
And your tip was revealed as a result of visiting Joe’s site for the very first time today.
Thanks a million!
Sunshines last blog post..How Any Woman Can Learn To Make Money On The Internet
@ Sunshine – That is awesome! I am glad to have been very useful for you today.
This is totally inline with my thinking that everything happens, “FIRST IN THE MIND, THEN IN REALITY!”
If your comment isn’t living proof of this being real, then I don’t know what is.
Have fun with it and hope to see you more often….join the conversation!
thanks for jumping on this. i found some plugin, the name of which i can’t remember, but haven’t tested it yet. i have to figure out how to sell books in about another month from now, so having the low-down on using paypal will really help. glad i have become a reader of your blog!
Matty Bylooss last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: 1.21.09
This certainly will come in handy for me on my next project. I’ve never attempted to create one though… Thanks for the tip, buddy. Good sharing!
Yan
Yans last blog post..How to Make Money Blogging with Blog Mastermind
Hi Freddy,
I just sent you an email request today for additional information on this process. Didn’t want to hog your blog with it:)
Cheers!
Sunshine
This is great info. I have been building an e-commerce site and I was looking for a way to take payments without using an expensive shopping cart service. Do you need to have a PayPal business account to be able to use this or will a personal account work?
djnuttals last blog post..Make Money Online with Niche Blogging Network
@ Matty – Glad I could be of use to you. This will definitely come in handy as I have been frustrated to no end trying to figure this out and got tired of creating bland landing pages to make the paypal connection happen. Enjoy and good luck!
@ Yan – I got a chance to show Yan the Man something? Awesome! It is a good tip to know as we all will need it from time to time. Thanks for all that you do, Yan.
@ Sunshine – I got your email and have tried to find a solution, but I think the person you send to Google docs must be logged in and have an account. Thanks for stopping by and hope to see more of you.
@ DjNuttal – Glad you dropped by. No, you don’t need a business account. Just follow the outlined steps with your PayPal personal account and you will be fine. If you have any trouble or get stuck, feel free to drop me an email using the contact form. Good luck with your venture!
Freddie Taylors last blog post..Value is the Key to Success in Your Business
Hmm, very cognitive post.
Is this theme good unough for the Digg?
Finaly someone posted a way to do it without installing yet another plugin. It seems that these days you need a separate plugin for every simple thing. It's silly.
Glad I could be of help to you.
It's amazing that it is so simple, yet people make it so difficult. I was very frustrated before I found this out.
Came back for a quick read, Freddie. Diggin the site re-design and re-focus. Watching the videos too, tonight. Real estate. Glad I passed on home ownership and kept my money elsewhere. Seems strangely smart, but tough to get over the American Dream aspect after it's drummed into all of us as the picture of true success. Finally got my book up for sale, and built out a landing page but remembered this page as an alternative method for integrating Paypal. May have to try this out on other pages! Thanks again, Matty B
Glad I could be of help to you, Matty. CONGRATS on the book! I am sure it is going to do very well for you. Those landing pages are important.
And yes, good decision on holding out on purchasing your property. Because now and for the next year or longer, you will be able to find great deals. Might be able to get your dream home for next to nothing as the market continues to panic and over sell.
Good luck and let me know if I can be of any assistance!
I see
Didn't know this until now -_- which is a bad thing for me
Not a bad thing because you got it now.
Thanks for dropping by!
Thanks for sharing such a great tip
thanks for the tip on how to put paypal in it
THANKS for the info! And for saving us from having to add another plug in. We appreciate the help Freddie
Great advice. You should point out that the buyer needs a PayPal account. I live in Denmark and not many have one.
Just thought I would mention it for non-american users