website paymentsstandard_integrationguide

Website Payments
Standard Integration
Guide

Last updated: September 2008

PayPal Website Payments Standard Integration Guide

Document Number: 100000.en_US-200809

© 2008 PayPal, Inc. All rights reserved. PayPal is a registered trademark of PayPal, Inc. The PayPal logo is a trademark of PayPal, Inc. Other
trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.
The information in this document belongs to PayPal, Inc. It may not be used, reproduced or disclosed without the written approval of PayPal, Inc.
Copyright © PayPal. All rights reserved. PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. et Cie., S.C.A., Société en Commandite par Actions. Registered office: 22-24 Boulevard
Royal, L-2449, Luxembourg, R.C.S. Luxembourg B 118 349.
Consumer advisory: The PayPal™ payment service is regarded as a stored value facility under Singapore law. As such, it does not require the approval
of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. You are advised to read the terms and conditions carefully.

Notice of non-liability:
PayPal, Inc. is providing the information in this document to you “AS-IS” with all faults. PayPal, Inc. makes no warranties of any kind (whether express,
implied or statutory) with respect to the information contained herein. PayPal, Inc. assumes no liability for damages (whether direct or indirect), caused
by errors or omissions, or resulting from the use of this document or the information contained in this document or resulting from the application or use
of the product or service described herein. PayPal, Inc. reserves the right to make changes to any information herein without further notice.

Contents

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
About This Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Where to Go for More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Documentation Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Chapter 1 Single-Item Payments – Buy Now Buttons . . . . . . . . . 17
Getting Started With Buy Now Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Buy Now Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Creating Basic Buy Now Buttons With JavaScript Disabled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Creating Buy Now Buttons Before You Create Your PayPal Account . . . . . . . . . . 22
The Checkout Experience With Buy Now Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Begin – Buyers are Ready to Purchase Your Item on Your Website . . . . . . . . . . 26
1 – Buyers Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In to PayPal . . . . . . . . . . 27
2 – Buyers Confirm Their Transaction Details Before Paying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3 – Buyers View and Print Their PayPal Payment Confirmations . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
End – Buyers Receive Payment Authorization Notices by Email . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Enhancing the Checkout Experience With Buy Now Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Managing Buy Now Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Using Email Notices to Track Buy Now Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Using Recent Activity to Track Buy Now Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Using Transaction History to Track Buy Now Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Using Downloadable History Logs to Track Buy Now Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Using Instant Payment Notification to Track Buy Now Transactions . . . . . . . . . . 36
Advanced Features of Buy Now Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Offering Product Options With Buy Now Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Prompting for Item Quantities With Buy Now Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Creating Advanced Buy Now Buttons on the PayPal Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Generating Code for Payment Buttons and Email Payment Links . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Protecting HTML Code for Payment Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Using the Button Creation Tool for Advanced Buy Now Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Creating Advanced Buy Now Buttons With JavaScript Disabled . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Website Payments Standard Integration Guide September 2008 3

Contents

Avoiding Problems With Pasted HTML Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Sample HTML Code for Buy Now Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Sample HTML Code for a Basic Buy Now Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Sample HTML Code for Buy Now Buttons With Product Options . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Sample HTML Code for a Buy Now Button that Prompts for Quantities. . . . . . . . . 66
Sample URL Code for a Buy Now Email Payment Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Chapter 2 Contribution Payments – Donate Buttons . . . . . . . . . . 69
Getting Started With Donate Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Donate Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Creating Basic Donate Buttons With JavaScript Disabled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Creating Donate Buttons Before You Create Your PayPal Account . . . . . . . . . . . 74
The Checkout Experience With Donate Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Begin – Donors are Ready to Contribute on Your Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
1 – Donors Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In to PayPal . . . . . . . . . . 78
2 – Donors Confirm Their Contribution Details Before Paying. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
3 – Donors View and Print Their PayPal Contribution Confirmations . . . . . . . . . . 81
End – Donors Receive Contribution Authorization Notices by Email . . . . . . . . . . 82
Enhancing the Checkout Experience With Donate Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Managing Contributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Using Email Notices to Track Donate Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Using Recent Activity to Track Donate Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Using Transaction History to Track Donate Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Using Downloadable History Logs to Track Donate Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Using Instant Payment Notification to Track Donate Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Creating Advanced Donate Buttons on the PayPal Website. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Generating Code for Payment Buttons and Email Payment Links . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Protecting HTML Code for Payment Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Using the Button Creation Tool for Advanced Donate Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Creating Advanced Donate Buttons With JavaScript Disabled . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Avoiding Problems With Pasted HTML Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Sample HTML Code for Donate Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Sample HTML Code for a Basic Donate Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
Sample HTML Code for a Donate Button With a Fixed Contribution Amount . . . . . .105

4 September 2008 Website Payments Standard Integration Guide

Contents

Chapter 3 Recurring Payments – Subscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . 107
Getting Started With Subscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Subscribe Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Creating Basic Subscribe Buttons With JavaScript Disabled . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Creating Subscribe Buttons Before You Create Your PayPal Account . . . . . . . . . 112
The Checkout Experience With Subscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Begin – Subscribers Are Ready to Sign Up on Your Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
1 – Subscribers Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In to PayPal . . . . . . . . 116
2 – Subscribers Confirm Their Subscription Details Before Signing Up . . . . . . . . . 119
3 – Subscribers View and Print Their Subscription Confirmations. . . . . . . . . . . .120
End – Subscribers Receive Subscription Authorization Notices by Email . . . . . . . .121
Enhancing the Checkout Experience With Subscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Managing Subscriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Tracking Subscription Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
How Billing Cycles and Recurring Payments Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
Downloading Subscriber Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
Canceling Individual Subscriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
Canceling Multiple Subscriptions at One Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
End of Term Messages Sent Through Instant Payment Notification. . . . . . . . . . .131
Advanced Features of Subscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
Offering Trial Periods and Introductory Rates With Subscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . .132
Limiting the Number of Billing Cycles With Subscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Offering Product Options With Subscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Working With Modify Subscription Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Working With Unsubscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Generating Usernames and Passwords With Subscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . .139
Reattempting Failed Recurring Payments With Subscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . . . .141
Creating Advanced Subscribe Buttons on the PayPal Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
Generating Code for Payment Buttons and Email Payment Links . . . . . . . . . . .142
Protecting HTML Code for Payment Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
Using the Button Creation Tool for Advanced Subscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . .142
Creating Advanced Subscribe Buttons With JavaScript Disabled . . . . . . . . . . . .155
Sample HTML Code for Subscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Sample HTML Code for a Basic Subscribe Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button With Trial Periods . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button With Limits on Billing Cycles . . . . . . .167
Sample HTML Code for Subscribe Buttons With Product Options . . . . . . . . . . .168
Sample HTML Code for a Modify Subscription Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170


Contents

Sample HTML Code for an Unsubscribe Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button With Password Management . . . . . . .172
Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button That Reattempts Payments . . . . . . . .172
Sample URL Code for Subscribe Email Payment Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

Chapter 4 The PayPal Shopping Cart – Add to Cart and View Cart
Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Getting Started With The PayPal Shopping Cart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176
Getting Started With Add To Cart Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176
Getting Started With View Cart Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
The Checkout Experience With the PayPal Shopping Cart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191
Begin – Buyers Add Your Items to the PayPal Shopping Cart. . . . . . . . . . . . . .193
1 – Buyers Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In To PayPal . . . . . . . . . .194
2 – Buyers Confirm Their Transaction Details Before Paying . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196
3 – Buyers View and Print Their PayPal Payment Confirmations . . . . . . . . . . . .197
End – Buyers Receive Payment Authorization Notices by Email . . . . . . . . . . . .198
Enhancing the Checkout Experience With Add to Cart Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . .200
Managing PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201
Using Email Notices to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions . . . . . . . . . . .201
Using Recent Activity to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions . . . . . . . . . .202
Using Transaction History to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions . . . . . . . .202
Using Downloadable History Logs to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions . . . .203
Using Instant Payment Notification to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions . . .203
Advanced Features of Add to Cart Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203
Offering Product Options With Add to Cart Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203
Creating Advanced PayPal Shopping Cart Buttons on the PayPal Website . . . . . . . . .204
Generating Code for Payment Buttons and Email Payment Links . . . . . . . . . . .204
Protecting HTML Code for Payment Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204
Pricing Items in Multiple Currencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205
Working with View Cart Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205
Using the Button Creation Tool for Advanced Add to Cart Buttons . . . . . . . . . . .205
Creating Advanced Add to Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled . . . . . . . . . . .220
Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228
Sample HTML Code for a Basic Add to Cart Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons With Product Options. . . . . . . . . . .229
Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons that Open the Shopping Cart in the Merchant
Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233
Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons that Continue Shopping on the Current
Merchant Webpage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236


Contents

Sample HTML Code for View Cart Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238
Sample HTML Code for a View Cart Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
Sample HTML Code for a View Cart Button That Opens the Shopping Cart in the Merchant
Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
Sample HTML Code for View Cart Buttons that Continue Shopping on the Current
Merchant Webpage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240

Chapter 5 Third-Party Shopping Carts – The Cart Upload Command 243
How A Third Party Shopping Cart Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243
What The Buyer Sees With Third Party Shopping Carts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243
What Merchants See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248
Integrating PayPal with Third Party Shopping Carts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
Required Third Party Shopping Cart Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
Passing Individual Item Details to PayPal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
Setting the Tax for the Entire Cart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Setting the Shipping Charge for the Entire Cart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Setting the Weight for the Entire Cart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Passing the Aggregate Shopping Cart Amount to PayPal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Securing Your Shopping Cart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251

Chapter 6 Securing Your Website Payments Standard Buttons . . . 253
Creating Protected Payment Buttons on the PayPal Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254
How Protected Payment Buttons Help Prevent Fraudulent Payments . . . . . . . . .254
Using the Button Creation Tool to Create a Protected Payment Button . . . . . . . . .254
Creating a Protected Payment Button with JavaScript Disabled . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Saving Payment Buttons in Your PayPal Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256
Reconciling Payments Manually Through Transaction History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257
Reconciling Payments Through Instant Payment Notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258
Protecting Payment Buttons by Using Encrypted Website Payments . . . . . . . . . . . .258
How Encrypted Website Payments Helps Prevent Fraudulent Payments . . . . . . . .258
Public Key Encryption Used by Encrypted Website Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . .259
Setting Up Certificates Before Using Encrypted Website Payments . . . . . . . . . .260
Using Encrypted Website Payments to Protect Your Payment Buttons . . . . . . . . .262
Blocking Unprotected and Non-encrypted Website Payments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264


Contents

Chapter 7 Using Your PayPal Account Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
The Account Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265
Account Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265
Financial Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265
Selling Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266
Correspondence Between Profile Settings and HTML Variables . . . . . . . . . . . .266
Co-Branding the PayPal Checkout Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267
Working With Custom Payment Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .268
Adding or Editing a Page Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269
Making a Page Style Primary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270
Overriding Page Styles On Individual Payment Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270
Overriding Co-Branding Options on Individual Payment Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . .271
Tailoring the Checkout Experience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .271
Auto Return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .271
Getting Contact Telephone Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .274
PayPal Account Optional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .276
Automatic Calculation of Sales Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285
Displaying the Sales Tax that PayPal Calculates During Checkout . . . . . . . . . . .286
Accessing Your Sales Tax Rates in Your Account Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286
Setting Up Domestic Sales Tax Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .287
Setting Up International Sales Tax Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .289
Resolving Overlapping Sales Tax Rates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .289
Editing or Deleting Sales Tax Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .290
Overriding Sales Tax Calculations on Individual Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . .290
Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (U.S. Merchants Only) . . . . . . . . . . . .290
Displaying the Shipping Charges that PayPal Calculates During Checkout. . . . . . .291
Shipping Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293
Shipping Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294
Shipping Rate Bases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294
Shipping Rate Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294
Shipping Rates and Currencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295
Adding Shipping Rates for the First Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295
Adding Shipping Methods by Using a Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .296
Viewing, Editing, and Adding Shipping Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .298
Viewing the Configuration of an Existing Shipping Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .300
Editing the Configuration Settings of an Existing Shipping Method . . . . . . . . . . .300
Deleting Shipping Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301
Examples of Rate Bases and Shipping Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .302
Overriding Shipping Calculations on Individual Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .303


Contents

Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (non-U.S. Merchants Only) . . . . . . . . . .304
Examples of Cost Methods and Shipping Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .305
Overriding Shipping Calculation on Individual Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .306
Blocking Certain Kinds of Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .307
Accessing Your Payment Receiving Preferences to Block Payments . . . . . . . . . .307
Blocking Payments From U.S. Payers Without a Confirmed Address. . . . . . . . . .308
Blocking Payments in Currencies That You Do Not Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .309
Blocking Payments from Payers With Non-U.S. PayPal Accounts . . . . . . . . . . .309
Blocking Payments Initiated Through the Pay Anyone Subtab . . . . . . . . . . . . .310
Blocking Payments by Credit Card Instead of Bank Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . .310
Blocking Payments Funded With eChecks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .310
Adding Your Credit Card Statement Name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .310
Allowing Multiple Users to Access Your PayPal Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .312
Adding a User Login to Your Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .312
Changing the Privileges for a User Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .313
Resetting the Password for a User Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .314
Removing a User Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315
Handling Multiple Currencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315
Managing Currency Balances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .316
Accepting or Denying Cross-Currency Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .317
Language Encoding Your Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .317
About Language Encoding for Exchanging Data With PayPal . . . . . . . . . . . . .318
Changing Your Default Language Encoding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .318

Chapter 8 Using Authorization & Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Basic Authorization Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .321
Honor Period and Authorization Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .321
Basic Authorization & Capture Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .322
Capturing A Single Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323
Batch Capturing Multiple Authorizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323
Voiding an Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .324
Capture Within 3 Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .325
Capture From 4 - 29 Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .325
One Authorization, Multiple Captures, and a Refund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326
Lower Capture Amount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .327
Capture Up to 115% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .328
Authorization Expires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .329
Void . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .330
Reattempted Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .331


Contents

Recommendations for Best Use of Authorization & Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .332
Capturing Funds on Basic Authorizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .332
Buyer Approval for Basic Authorizations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .332
Voiding Basic Authorizations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .332

Chapter 9 Issuing Refunds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Refunding Within 60 Days of Payment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333
Refunding After 60 Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333

Chapter 10 Testing Payment Buttons in the PayPal Sandbox . . . . . 335

Chapter 11 HTML Form Basics for Website Payments Standard . . . 337
Form Attributes – ACTION and METHOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .337
Hidden Input Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .337
Specifying the Kind of Payment Button – cmd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .338
Variations on Basic Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .338
Record Keeping with Passthrough Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .338
Setting the Character Set – charset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .339
Setting The Return URL on Individual Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .339
Desired Currency on Individual Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .340
Using HTML Variables With Saved Payment Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .340
Prepopulating FORMs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .341
Sample HTML for FORM Prepopulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .341
Overriding Addresses Stored With PayPal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .342
Sample HTML for Overriding Addresses Stored With PayPal . . . . . . . . . . . . . .342
Instant Payment Notification – notify_url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .343

Appendix A HTML Variables for Website Payments Standard . . . . . 345
Technical HTML Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .345
HTML Variables for Individual Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .347
HTML Variables for Payment Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .351
HTML Variables for Shopping Carts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .353
HTML Variables for Subscribe Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356
HTML Variables for Displaying PayPal Checkout Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .358
HTML Variables for Prepopulating PayPal Checkout Pages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .361


Contents

Appendix B Address Handling (U.S. Merchants Only) . . . . . . . . . 363
Address Handling With PayPal Account Optional Turned On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .364
Endpoint A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .364
Endpoints B, C, and D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365
Endpoint E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365
Endpoints F and H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365
Endpoint G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365
Endpoint I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365
Endpoints J and L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .366
Endpoint K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .366
Address Handling With PayPal Account Optional Turned Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .366
Endpoint A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .366
Endpoints B, C, and D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .366
Endpoint E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .366
Endpoints F and H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367
Endpoints G and K. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367
Endpoint I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367
Endpoints J and L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367

Appendix C Country Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381


Contents


P Preface

About This Guide
The Website Payments Standard Integration Guide describes how to integrate your website
with PayPal by using HTML buttons and forms. Website Payments Standard lets you accept
payments for:
Single-item purchases with Buy Now buttons – Sell from websites that offer single or
mutually exclusive products.
Contribution payments with Donate buttons – Raise financial support for any cause.
Recurring bills with Subscribe buttons – Collect membership dues, set up installment
plans, and offer other subscription services.
Multiple-item purchases with Add to Cart and View Cart buttons – Sell from online
stores with catalogs and shopping carts.
The following table summarizes the contents of this guide.

TABLE P.1 Summary of the Contents of This Guide

Feature Description See
Buy Now Buttons Accept payments for single items at one time. Chapter 1, “Single-Item
Payments – Buy Now
Buttons”
Donate Buttons Accept payments for donation and contributions. Chapter 2, “Contribution
Payments – Donate Buttons”
Subscribe Buttons Accept recurring payments for membership dues, Chapter 3, “Recurring
installment plans, and other subscription services. Payments – Subscribe
Buttons”
The PayPal Shopping Accept payments for multiple items at one time. Chapter 4, “The PayPal
Cart Shopping Cart – Add to Cart
and View Cart Buttons”
Third-Party Shopping Develop a third-party shopping cart that is Chapter 5, “Third-Party
Carts compatible with PayPal and Website Payments Shopping Carts – The Cart
Standard. Upload Command”
Button Protection and Protect against fraudulent payments by protecting Chapter 6, “Securing Your
Encrypted Website the code in your payment buttons with the Website Payments Standard
Payments encryption setting when you create buttons on the Buttons”
PayPal website or with Encrypted Website
Payments when you write or generate payment
buttons yourself.


Preface
P
About This Guide

TABLE P.1 Summary of the Contents of This Guide

Feature Description See
Automatic Calculation Specify tax rates that PayPal uses to calculate taxes “Automatic Calculation of
of Sales Tax automatically. Sales Tax” on page 285
Automatic Calculation Specify shipping rates that PayPal uses to calculate “Automatic Calculation of
of Shipping Charges shipping charges automatically. Shipping Charges (U.S.
Merchants Only)” on
page 290
– or –
“Automatic Calculation of
Shipping Charges (non-U.S.
Merchants Only)” on
page 304
Custom Payment Pages Brand the PayPal checkout pages with your own “Co-Branding the PayPal
logo and colors. Checkout Pages” on page 267
PayPal Account Let people pay by credit card without having to “PayPal Account Optional”
Optional sign up for a PayPal account. on page 276
Auto Return Redirect people to your website automatically after “Auto Return” on page 271
they pay you on PayPal.
Payer Contact Prompt people for their contact telephone numbers “Getting Contact Telephone
Telephone when they pay you on Paypal. Numbers” on page 274
Multi-User Access Create separate user names for your account with “Allowing Multiple Users to
different permission levels. Access Your PayPal Account”
on page 312
Authorization & Authorize payments during checkout, and capture Chapter 8, “Using
Capture payment amounts or portions of them later. Authorization & Capture”
Refunds Refund entire payments or portions of them. Chapter 9, “Issuing Refunds”


Preface
P
Intended Audience

Intended Audience
This guide is for:
Merchants and developers who want to understand:
– The checkout experiences that people go through when they make payments with
Website Payments Standard payment buttons
– How account profile settings affect the way that Website Payments Standard works
Developers who want to learn how to implement Website Payments Standard

Revision History
The following table lists the revisions made to the Website Payments Standard Integration
Guide.

TABLE P.2 Revision History for This Guide

Date Published Description

September 2008 Revised information on creating payment buttons on the PayPal website,
including saving buttons in your PayPal account and tracking inventory; see
button -specific chapters for details.
Added sample code for Add to Cart buttons that open the PayPal Shopping Cart
in the same window as the merchant website and how to use the shopping_url
variable to control which merchant page buyers return to when they click the
Continue Shopping button; see “Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart
Buttons” on page 228.
June 2008 Added chapter on Subscribe buttons; see Chapter 3, “Recurring Payments –
Subscribe Buttons.” Added chapter on Third-Party Shopping Carts; see
Chapter 5, “Third-Party Shopping Carts – The Cart Upload Command.”
March 2008 Changes to definition of authorization honor periods; see “Honor Period and
Authorization Period” on page 321.”
January 2008 Separate checkout experience and command for Donate buttons; see Chapter 2,
“Contribution Payments – Donate Buttons.”
August 2007 Shipping calculations with tiered rates in different destination regions; see
“Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (U.S. Merchants Only)” on
page 290.
May 2007 Added information on securing buttons; see Chapter 6, “Securing Your
Website Payments Standard Buttons.”
April 2007 Added Appendix B, “Address Handling (U.S. Merchants Only).”

October 2006 Minor clarifications.


Preface
P
Where to Go for More Information

TABLE P.2 Revision History for This Guide

Date Published Description

August 2006 New PayPal Shopping Cart variable, shopping_url
The value _ext-enter of the cmd variable for FORM prepoulation is now no
longer necessary.
Clarification of values for the rm variable – 0, 1, or 2; not the strings "GET" or
"POST".

July 2006 Added information on how to use PayPal Authorization & Capture with Website
Payments Standard, including how to capture multiple authorizations in batches
on the PayPal website; see Chapter 8, “Using Authorization & Capture.”

March 2006 Miscellaneous minor corrections.
Expanded description of creating Encrypted Website Payments buttons.

Where to Go for More Information
Merchant Gift Certificates Guide
Order Management Integration Guide
Sandbox User Guide
Password Management Installation Guide

Documentation Feedback
Help us improve this guide by sending feedback to:
documentationfeedback@paypal.com


1 Single-Item Payments – Buy Now
Buttons

Use Buy Now buttons to accept single-item purchase payments. A Buy Now button can sell
one or more units of a single item. Make additional Buy Now buttons for additional items that
you want to sell.

You can create Buy Now buttons that you add to your website by using a tool on the PayPal
website, or you can write the HTML code for Buy Now buttons manually. You can create
buttons with limited functionality before you create your PayPal account or with JavaScript
disabled in your browser.
Read the following topics to learn more about Buy Now buttons:
“Getting Started With Buy Now Buttons” on page 18
“The Checkout Experience With Buy Now Buttons” on page 25
“Managing Buy Now Transactions” on page 34
“Advanced Features of Buy Now Buttons” on page 36
“Creating Advanced Buy Now Buttons on the PayPal Website” on page 37
“Sample HTML Code for Buy Now Buttons” on page 61
“Sample URL Code for a Buy Now Email Payment Link” on page 67


Single-Item Payments – Buy Now Buttons
1
Getting Started With Buy Now Buttons

The easiest way to add a Buy Now button to your website is by using the button creation tool
on the PayPal website. As soon as you add the button, you can begin accepting payments on
your website.

Follow one of these procedures to get started creating your own Buy Now buttons:
“Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Buy Now Button” on page 18
“Creating Basic Buy Now Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 19
“Creating Buy Now Buttons Before You Create Your PayPal Account” on page 22
N O T E : For
more detailed instructions, see “Creating Advanced Buy Now Buttons on the
PayPal Website” on page 37.

Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Buy Now Button
To use the button creation tool for a basic Buy Now button:
1. Log in to your PayPal Premier or Business account at https://www.paypal.com.
The My Account Overview page opens.
2. Click the Profile subtab.
The Profile Summary page opens.
3. Under the Selling Preferences heading, click the Create new button link.
The Create PayPal payment button page opens.
4. In the Accept payments for dropdown menu, select “Products” or “Services”.
5. Select the No; create a “Buy Now” button radio button.
6. Enter the payment details of your item.
– Item name – Enter the name of the item or service that you wish to sell.
– Price – Enter the price of your item.


1

7. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the Create Button button.
The You are viewing your button code page opens.
8. Click the Select Code button on the Websites tab to select all of the generated HTML
code.
9. Copy the text that you selected to the clipboard, by:
– pressing Ctrl+C.
– or –
– right-clicking your mouse, and selecting Copy.
10.In your web editing tool, open the webpage where you want the button to be seen.

IMPO RTANT: Be sure that your tool is ready for you to paste HTML code, such as by
switching to an HTML view from a design view of your webpage.
11. Paste the text that you copied from the clipboard onto your webpage where you want the
button to appear, by:
– pressing Ctrl+V.
– or –
– right-clicking your mouse, and selecting Paste.

Creating Basic Buy Now Buttons With JavaScript Disabled
The button creation tool for Buy Now buttons, described above, requires JavaScript. If
JavaScript is disabled in your browser, PayPal automatically offers you an alternative button
creation tool that does not require JavaScript.
Read these topics to learn more about creating Buy Now buttons with JavaScript disabled:
“Limitations When Creating Payment Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 19
“Creating a Basic Buy Now Button With JavaScript Disabled” on page 20
“Enabling JavaScript in Your Browser” on page 21
Limitations When Creating Payment Buttons With JavaScript Disabled
The alternative tool that works with JavaScript disabled lets you create Buy Now buttons on
the PayPal website. However, the following features are not supported by the alternative tool:
Saving your buttons in your PayPal account
Tracking inventory
Product options with separate pricing
Language choices for button images
Creating payment buttons before you create your PayPal account
To use any of the above features when creating payment buttons on the PayPal website, you
must enable JavaScript in your browser.


1

For more information, see “Enabling JavaScript in Your Browser” on page 21.
Creating a Basic Buy Now Button With JavaScript Disabled
To create a basic Buy Now button for your website with JavaScript disabled:
2. Click the Edit Profile link.
3. Under the Selling Preferences heading, click the Create New Button link.
4. Click the Buy Now link.

The Buy Now buttons page opens.
5. Enter the details of your item.
– Item name/service – Enter the name of the item or service that you wish to sell.
– Price – (optional) Enter a fixed price for your item. If you leave the field blank, buyers
“name their own price” after they click the Buy Now button.

IMPO RTANT: PayPal recommends that you enter a price so that you collect an
appropriate amount for the item.
6. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the Create Button Now button.
The Add a Buy Now button to your website page displays the generated code.
7. Click the HTML code for Websites text box to select all of the generated HTML code.
– or –
9. In your web editing tool, open the webpage where you want the button to be seen.


1

10.Paste the text that you copied from the clipboard onto your webpage where you want the
– or –
Enabling JavaScript in Your Browser
PayPal recommends that you keep JavaScript enabled at all times. Many features of the PayPal
website require that JavaScript be enabled in your browser.
Read one of the following topics to learn how to enable JavaScript in your browser.
“Enabling JavaScript in Internet Explorer” on page 21
“Enabling JavaScript in FireFox” on page 22
After you enable JavaScript in your browser, you can create a basic Buy Now button by
following the instructions for “Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Buy Now Button”
on page 18

Enabling JavaScript in Internet Explorer. To enable JavaScript in Internet Explorer:
1. Select Tools > Internet Options… from the menu bar.
The Internet Options dialog box opens.
2. Click the Security tab.
3. Select the Trusted sites icon in the box of Web content zones.
4. Click the Custom level… button.
The Security Settings dialog box opens.


1

5. Scroll down to the Scripting section, and then select the Enable radio button as the option
for active scripting.

6. Click the OK button to dismiss the Security Settings dialog box.
A Warning message box asks if you are sure you want to change the security settings.
7. Click the Yes button to dismiss the message box.
8. Click the OK button to dismiss the Internet Options dialog box.

Enabling JavaScript in FireFox. To enable JavaScript in Firefox.
1. Select Tools > Options… from the menu bar.
The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select the Content icon at the top of the dialog box.
3. Select the Enable JavaScript checkbox.
4. Click the OK button.

Creating Buy Now Buttons Before You Create Your PayPal Account
You can create basic Buy Now buttons, add them to your website, and begin accepting
payments before you sign up for your PayPal account. Read the following topics to learn more
about creating Buy Now buttons before you create your PayPal account.


1

“Limitations of Buy Now Buttons Created Without a PayPal Account” on page 23
“Unclaimed Payments From Buttons Created Without a PayPal Account” on page 23
“Creating a Basic Buy Now Button Without a PayPal Account” on page 24
Limitations of Buy Now Buttons Created Without a PayPal Account
Consider the following limitations of payment buttons that you create and add to your website
before you sign up for your PayPal account.
You cannot claim the payments that people authorize during checkout. PayPal collects and
holds the payments as unclaimed until you sign up for your PayPal account.
Buyers must have a PayPal account to pay you. Any ability to pay by credit card is
disabled.
PayPal limits the features that you can specify with the button creation tool, such as:
– Saving your buttons in your PayPal account
– Tracking inventory
N O T E : Youcannot create payment buttons without a PayPal account if Javascript is disabled
in your browser.
Unclaimed Payments From Buttons Created Without a PayPal Account
For buttons that you create without a PayPal account, payments that buyers authorize are held
as unclaimed by PayPal until you sign up. PayPal holds your unclaimed payments under the
email address that you specify when you create the buttons. Make sure to use the same email
address when you sign up for your account. Otherwise PayPal cannot transfer your unclaimed
payments to your PayPal account balance.
In their PayPal accounts, buyers see unclaimed payments that they made to you from Buy
Now buttons that you created without a PayPal account. Such unclaimed payments are
displayed in their recent account activity and in their transaction history. Until you finish
signing up for your PayPal account, buyers can cancel your unclaimed payments and recover
their funds.


1

FIGURE 1.1 Unclaimed Payments From Buttons Created Without a PayPal Account

Creating a Basic Buy Now Button Without a PayPal Account
To create a basic Buy Now button without a PayPal account:
1. Visit the PayPal website at https://www.paypal.com.
2. Click the Business tab.
3. Under the Need to accept credit cards? heading, click the On your website link.
The Choose a payment solution page opens.
4. Under the Website Payments Standard heading, click the Learn more link.
The PayPal Website Payments Standard: Overview page opens.
5. Under the Sell single items heading, click the Create payment button link.
– Email address to receive payments– Enter the email address that you will use when you
sign up for your PayPal account.
9. Click the Create Button button.
The PayPal account required for this button type message box appears.


1
The Checkout Experience With Buy Now Buttons

10.Click the close icon in the upper right corner of the message box to proceed.

The You’ve created your button page opens.
code.
12.Copy the text that you selected to the clipboard, by:
– or –

– or –

This section demonstrates the PayPal checkout experience for people who click Buy Now
buttons on your website. The following diagram illustrates the steps.


1

FIGURE 1.2 The Checkout Experience with Buy Now Buttons

Read these topics to better understand the checkout experience with Buy Now buttons:
“Begin – Buyers are Ready to Purchase Your Item on Your Website” on page 26
“1 – Buyers Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In to PayPal” on page 27
“2 – Buyers Confirm Their Transaction Details Before Paying” on page 29
“3 – Buyers View and Print Their PayPal Payment Confirmations” on page 30
“End – Buyers Receive Payment Authorization Notices by Email” on page 31
“Enhancing the Checkout Experience With Buy Now Buttons” on page 32

Begin – Buyers are Ready to Purchase Your Item on Your Website
The basic checkout experience with Buy Now begins when someone on your website is ready
to purchase your item.


1

FIGURE 1.3 Buyers Begin on Your Website When They Are Ready To Buy Your Item

In this example, Steve begins on Herschel’s Hot Sauce website and decides to try a bottle. He
clicks the Buy Now button for a single 12 oz. bottle to check out.

1 – Buyers Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In to PayPal
PayPal displays a billing information/log-in page, which lets buyers enter their credit card
information or log in to PayPal to pay.


1

FIGURE 1.4 Buyers Enter Their Billinng information or Log In to PayPal

For Buy Now buttons, the PayPal billing information/log-in page shows transaction details
near the top, such as item name and transaction subtotal.
If buyers are satisfied with the details, they do one of the following to select a payment
method:
To pay with a credit card – Buyers enter their billing information. They also enter their
contact information – email address and home phone number– so that PayPal can send
them their PayPal transaction receipts and can contact them if necessary to complete the
transaction. Then, they click the Review Order and Continue button.
To pay with a PayPal account – Buyers enter their PayPal credentials and click the Log in
button.


1

In this case, Steve is satisfied with the total transaction amount of $5.95 USD. He doesn’t have
a PayPal account. Instead, he enters his billing and contact information, and then he clicks the
Review Order and Continue button.

2 – Buyers Confirm Their Transaction Details Before Paying
PayPal displays a transaction confirmation page to let buyers confirm the details before they
complete their transactions and authorize their payments.

FIGURE 1.5 Buyers Confirm Their Payment Details Before Paying

In this case, Steve reviews the transaction details and clicks the Pay $5.95 Now button to
complete the transaction and make his payment.


1

3 – Buyers View and Print Their PayPal Payment Confirmations
PayPal displays a payment confirmation page after buyers pay to let them know that they have
completed their transactions and authorized their payments successfully.

FIGURE 1.6 Buyers View Their Payment Confirmations

From the payment confirmation page, buyers can:
View the PayPal Receipt ID – the transaction ID – to reconcile their payments.
Click the View Printable Receipt link to print receipts for their records.


1

FIGURE 1.7 Buyers Print Their PayPal Payment Receipts

In this case, Steve prints the PayPal payment receipt for his records.

End – Buyers Receive Payment Authorization Notices by Email
PayPal sends buyers a payment authorization notice by email to confirm the transaction that
they made with the merchant.


1

FIGURE 1.8 Buyers Receive Payment Authorization Notices by Email

In this case, PayPal sends Steve an email message notifying him of his transaction with
Herschel’s Hot Sauce and his authorization for payment of $5.95 USD.

Enhancing the Checkout Experience With Buy Now Buttons
Website Payments Standard offers these features to enhance the basic checkout experience for
your buyers:


1

Calculating Tax and Shipping Amounts
Co-Branding the Checkout Pages with Your Logo and Colors
Prepopulating the Checkout Pages With Billing and Shipping Addresses
Returning People to Your Website After They Check Out
The basic checkout experience handles tax and shipping, if you provide the information.You
can enhance the checkout experience by specifying tax and shipping rates in your account
profile. PayPal calculates the charges automatically for each transaction. In addition, you can
specify tax and shipping charges individually for items in the payment buttons that you create.
For more information, see:
“Automatic Calculation of Sales Tax” on page 285
“Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (U.S. Merchants Only)” on page 290
“Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (non-U.S. Merchants Only)” on page 304
The basic checkout experience displays your email address or your business name in the upper
left corner of the checkout pages. You can enhance the checkout experience by setting up
custom page payments in your account profile to specify logos and colors that match the style
of your website. PayPal uses the logo and colors to display the checkout pages. In addition,
you can specify logos and colors with advanced HTML variables that you add to the code of
your button.
“Co-Branding the PayPal Checkout Pages” on page 267
“HTML Variables for Displaying PayPal Checkout Pages” on page 358
The basic checkout experience has forms for filling in billing and shipping information. You
can enhance the checkout experience by prepopulating the forms with information that you
have on your website about the buyer.
To learn more, see “HTML Variables for Prepopulating PayPal Checkout Pages” on page 361.
The basic checkout experience leaves people on the PayPal website after they check out. Use
one of the following techniques to enhance the checkout experience so that people return to
your website, instead.
Return URL – Let people return to a page on your website if they click a return link or
button on the PayPal payment confirmation page.
To learn more, see Step 5 of “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Buy Now
Button” on page 47 or “HTML Variables for Displaying PayPal Checkout Pages” on
page 358.
Auto Return – Have PayPal return people automatically to a page on your website.


1
Managing Buy Now Transactions

IMPO RTANT: PayPal recommends that you turn Payment Data Transfer on when you
turn Auto Return on. With Auto Return on, PayPal redirects people to your
website from an alternative PayPal payment confirmation page that does
not display a View Printable Receipt link, so people cannot print PayPal
payment receipts. Payment Data Transfer provides the transaction
information that you need to let people print receipts from your website.
To learn more, see “Auto Return” on page 271.
Payment Data Transfer – PayPal includes information about the completed transaction
when you use a return URL or Auto Return to send people back to your website. Use the
information that Payment Data Transfer provides to display a “thank you, print your
receipt” page on your website.
To learn more, see the Order Management Integration Guide.

Read the following topics to learn how PayPal helps you manage Buy Now transactions:
Using Email Notices to Track Buy Now Transactions
Using Recent Activity to Track Buy Now Transactions
Using Transaction History to Track Buy Now Transactions
Using Downloadable History Logs to Track Buy Now Transactions
Using Instant Payment Notification to Track Buy Now Transactions

Using Email Notices to Track Buy Now Transactions
PayPal sends you email notices when:
Payments are made.
Payments are pending.
Payments are canceled.
Generally, PayPal sends email notices to the primary email address of your account.
PayPal can send email notices to an alternate email address, such as to someone in your
organization who handles order processing or accounting. Add the additional email address to
your account profile. Then, use that email address as the one to receive payments when you
use the button creation tool on the PayPal website. Specify the alternate email address as the
value for the business HTML variable when you write the HTML code yourself.
For more information, see Step 10 in the instructions for “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features
of Your Buy Now Button” on page 40, or Appendix A, “HTML Variables for Website
Payments Standard.”


1

Using Recent Activity to Track Buy Now Transactions
PayPal displays Buy Now transactions in your recent activity, soon after buyers complete their
transactions by clicking Buy Now buttons on your website.

FIGURE 1.9 Using Recent Activity to Track Buy Now Transactions

To view your recent history:
1. Log in to you PayPal account.
2. Navigate to My Account > Overview.
The My Account Overview opens.
3. Scroll down to the Recent Activity table near the bottom of the page.

Using Transaction History to Track Buy Now Transactions
PayPal lets you search for Buy Now transactions on the History page. The status of payments
found there can be:
Completed – Transactions were successful, and funds were credited to your account
Cleared – Payments cleared senders’ accounts, and funds were credited to your account
Uncleared – Payments have not cleared sender’s accounts, and funds were not credited
To learn how to work with transaction history, see the Order Management Integration Guide.

Using Downloadable History Logs to Track Buy Now Transactions
PayPal lets you download your Buy Now transactions to your computer from the History page.
You can specify a date range for the transactions and the file format of the download file.
To learn how to work with downloadable history logs, see the Order Management Integration
Guide.


1
Advanced Features of Buy Now Buttons

Using Instant Payment Notification to Track Buy Now Transactions
PayPal lets your web server receive messages about Buy Now transactions and payment
activity on your account. If you activate Instant Payment Notification, PayPal sends messages
when:
Payments are first made, with a status of completed or pending.
Payments clear, fail, or are denied, if the initial status was pending.
To learn more about Instant Payment Notification, see “Instant Payment Notification –
notify_url” on page 343 and the Order Management Integration Guide.

Advanced Features of Buy Now Buttons
Read the following topics to learn about these advanced features of Buy Now buttons:
“Offering Product Options With Buy Now Buttons” on page 36
“Prompting for Item Quantities With Buy Now Buttons” on page 37

Offering Product Options With Buy Now Buttons
Prompt buyers for product options, such as size or color. You can prompt buyers for their
option selections with dropdown menus or with text boxes. PayPal limits you to 7 product
options on a single payment button. Up to 5 options can prompt for selections with dropdown
menus, and up to 2 options can prompt for selections with text boxes.

With Buy Now buttons, you can offer a product option that has separate prices for each
selection by using 1 of the 5 allowable dropdown menus.
Specifying Product Options With Buy Now Buttons
Do one of the following to create Buy Now buttons that offer product options:
Specify the product options when you create your Buy Now buttons by using the creation
tool on the PayPal website.
See Step 7 of “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Buy Now Button” on page 40.
Specify the product options in the HTML button code that you write manually.
See “Sample HTML Code for Buy Now Buttons With Product Options” on page 62.


1
Creating Advanced Buy Now Buttons on the PayPal Website

Prompting for Item Quantities With Buy Now Buttons
By default, PayPal allows buyers to purchase single quantities of your product items with Buy
Now buttons. You can have PayPal prompt buyers for item quantities, instead.

Do one of the following to create Buy Now buttons that prompt for item quantities:
Select the Yes radio button for prompting buyers for item quantities when you create Buy
Now buttons by using the creation tool on the PayPal website.
See Step 1 of “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Buy Now Button” on page 47.
Specify that you want PayPal to prompt buyers for item quantities in the HTML button
code that you write manually.
See “Sample HTML Code for a Buy Now Button that Prompts for Quantities” on page 66.

Read the following topics to learn more about creating Buy Now buttons on the PayPal
website:
“Generating Code for Payment Buttons and Email Payment Links” on page 37
“Protecting HTML Code for Payment Buttons” on page 38
“Using the Button Creation Tool for Advanced Buy Now Buttons” on page 38
“Creating Advanced Buy Now Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 52

Generating Code for Payment Buttons and Email Payment Links
When you create Buy Now buttons with tools on the PayPal website, PayPal generates HTML
code for website payment buttons. Then, you copy and paste the HTML code onto the pages of
your website.


1

In addition to HTML code, PayPal generates URL code for email payment links. Use email
payment links to add Buy Now functionality to your email messages. If your web editing tool
or your service provider does not allow you to paste HTML code onto your webpages, you
may be able to paste the URL code for email payment links onto your webpages instead.

Protecting HTML Code for Payment Buttons
When you create Buy Now code with tools on the PayPal website, PayPal lets your protect the
HTML button code that it generates by encrypting part of it. Protecting the HTML code of
your payment buttons helps protect against malicious tampering and fraudulent payments.

IMPO RTANT: Merchants with significant payment volume are required to take precautions
on securing Website Payments Standard buttons.
For more information, see Chapter 6, “Securing Your Website Payments Standard Buttons

Using the Button Creation Tool for Advanced Buy Now Buttons
Read the following topics to learn how to use the button creation tool for Buy Now buttons:
“The Basic Steps for Using the Tool With Buy Now Buttons” on page 38
“Saving Buy Now Buttons in Your PayPal Account” on page 39
“Tracking Inventory” on page 39
“Adding Advanced Features to Buy Now Buttons With HTML Variables” on page 40
“Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Buy Now Button” on page 40
“Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Buy Now Button” on page 44
“Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Buy Now Button” on page 47
“Copying and Pasting the Buy Now Code” on page 50
N O T E : If JavaScript is disabled in your browser, PayPal provides an alternative tool described
in “Creating Advanced Buy Now Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 52.
The Basic Steps for Using the Tool With Buy Now Buttons
The button creation tool for Buy Now buttons is a single webpage with three sections:
Step 1 – Choose button type and enter payment details – This section lets you specify
the details of your Buy Now button. You can specify product options that buyers can
choose, and you can specify item-specific charges for shipping and tax.
Step 2 – Track inventory (optional) – This section lets you control whether to save your
button in your PayPal account. If you save your button, you can enter information that
PayPal uses to track inventory on the item.
Step 3 – Customize advanced features (optional) – This section lets you work with
advanced features of Buy Now buttons, including letting buyers change item quantities. If
you are familiar with HTML programming and the advanced HTML variables supported
by Website Payments Standard buttons, you can enter them here.


1

One section at a time is open for you to work with. To work with another section, click its step
bar to expand it.

You can switch between the sections as often as you like, until you click the Create Button
button at the bottom of the page. Then, PayPal generates the code for your button and displays
it on the You are viewing your button code page. Copy the code and paste it onto your
webpage, and your payment button is complete.
Saving Buy Now Buttons in Your PayPal Account
By default, the button creation tool saves payment buttons in your PayPal account. The tool
saves your button and generates the code when you click the Create Button. You must copy
and paste the generated code onto your webpages, whether or not you save your button at
PayPal. The generated code is shorter for saved buttons, because PayPal keeps most of the
information about your button in your account, instead of placing it in the code that you add to
your website.
Saving your payment buttons in your PayPal account has these benefits:
Your payment buttons are more secure, because the generated code that add to your website
contains no information that can be tampered with to produce fraudulent payments.
You can edit the details and options for your payment buttons in your PayPal account,
without changing the button code that you added to your website.
N O T E : If
you change product options, you must copy and paste the code newly generated
by PayPal to replace the code that you pasted previously.
You can track inventory.
Use the Step 2 section of the button creation tool to control whether your button is saved in
your PayPal account. You can have a maximum of 1,000 saved buttons in your PayPal
account.
Tracking Inventory
PayPal can track inventory for items that you sell with Buy Now buttons if you save them in
your PayPal account. You can track inventory for the item itself or by its product options.


1

If you track inventory, PayPal helps you avoid oversold situations. PayPal sends you an alert
by email when your inventory on hand falls to or below the alert level you specify. You have
the option to let oversold transactions go through or to warn buyers and prevent them from
buying more than your quantity on hand.
Use the Step 2 section of the button creation tool to specify the information that PayPal uses to
track inventory.
Adding Advanced Features to Buy Now Buttons With HTML Variables
Some advanced features of payment buttons can be specified only with HTML variables. If
you are familiar with HTML programming and the advanced HTML variables supported by
Website Payments Standard payment buttons, you can enter them in the button creation tool
before the button code is generated.
Use the Step 3 section of the button creation tool to enter advanced HTML variables that you
want to include in your payment button.
For more information, see Step 6 of “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Buy Now
Button” on page 47.
Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Buy Now Button
To begin using the button creation tool for Buy Now buttons:
3. Under the Selling Preferences heading, do one of the following:


1

– Click the My Saved Buttons link, and then click the Create new button link in the
upper right of the page, if you previously saved payment buttons in your PayPal account.
To create a new button that is similar to a button that you saved, find the saved button in
the list. Then, click the Action dropdown menu at the right and click the Create similar
button link.

– Click the Create New Button link, if you have no buttons saved in your PayPal account.
– Item ID – (optional) Enter the inventory ID or tracking number of your item, if you
assign such IDs to your products.
If you want to set up your item so that PayPal tracks inventory levels, enter a value that
is unique among all the items that you sell and want PayPal to track. For more
information, see “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Buy Now Button” on page 44.
If you want to add product options with different prices for each option that buyers can
select, do not enter a price here. For more information, see Step 7 below.
– Currency – Select the currency in which you priced the item; the dropdown menu
automatically selects the currency of your primary balance.
If you want to customize the country and language of the button, make sure that you
select an appropriate currency here. For more information, see Step 8 below.
7. Customize your button with product options (optional).
Do any of the following:


1

– Add dropdown menu with price/option – Select this checkbox to add a dropdown
menu of product options, with a separate price for each option.
Enter a name for the dropdown menu, such as “Color”. For each menu option, enter a
name, such as “Red”, “Blue”, or “Green”, and the price you want buyers to pay. Select
the currency for your prices from the dropdown menu. You can add a maximum of 10
priced options to the menu.
Click the Done button to preview the effect in the Buyer’s View pane.
Click the Edit link to change the name and options of your dropdown menu. To remove
an option, clear the menu option name and price, and then click the Done button.
Click the Delete link to remove the dropdown menu from your button.
– Add dropdown menu without prices – Select this checkbox to add a dropdown menu
of product options, without separate prices.
Enter a name for the dropdown menu, such as “Size”. For each menu option, enter a
name, such as “Small”, “Medium”, or “Large”.
an option, clear the menu option name and click the Done button.
Click the Add another dropdown menu link to open a set of fields for another
dropdown menu of options without prices. You can add a maximum of 4 dropdown
menus, with a maximum of 10 options per menu.
– Add text field – Select this checkbox to add a text box in which buyers can enter option
information.
Enter a name for the text box, such as “Enter the text you want engraved”.
Click the Edit link to change the name of the text field.
Click the Delete link to remove the text box from your button.
Click the Add another text box link to open a a field for the name of another text box.
You can add a maximum of 2 text boxes.
For more information, see “Offering Product Options With Buy Now Buttons” on page 36.
8. Customize the appearance and the language of your button (optional).
Click the Customize appearance link and select one of the following:
– PayPal button – Select this radio button to use a button image that is hosted by PayPal.
You can configure the size of the button, whether the button displays payment card logos,
and the country and language for the button text.
If you change the country, ensure the currency that you selected in Step 6 above is
appropriate.
– Use your own button – Select this radio button to specify the URL of your own button
image that is not hosted by PayPal. Use your own button image if the buttons hosted by
PayPal do not fit the look of your website.
If your image is hosted securely, change the text box to begin with https//.


1

9. Add shipping charges and tax rates to your item (optional).
You can add shipping charges and tax rates for your item here. They override the tax and
shipping rates that PayPal calculates automatically based on rates that you specify in your
account profile.
– Shipping – Enter a specific amount to charge for shipping this item.
The currency for the amount is the same as the currency for the item. Enter zero (0.00)
for items that do not incur shipping charges. The amount you enter here overrides the
automatic calculation of shipping charges on the item.
N O T E : Before
you can accept payments from Buy Now buttons with specific shipping
costs entered here, you must enable the override of shipping methods in the
Shipping Calculations section of your account profile. You can create your button
successfully, but you cannot accept payments from your button until you enable
shipping cost overrides. Ensure that you enable shipping cost overrides for all the
shipping methods that you set up for your account. For more information, see
or “Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (non-U.S. Merchants Only)” on
page 304.
– Tax – Enter a percentage to calculate the tax on this item, regardless of quantity.
The currency for the calculated tax will be the same as the currency for the item. Enter
zero (0.000) for non-taxable items to override automatic sales tax calculation on the
item.
10.Choose between your merchant ID and your email address.
Select one of the following radio buttons to associate transactions from your button with
your PayPal account.
– Secure merchant account ID – Select this radio button to associate your button with
your PayPal account by using your merchant ID. PayPal assigns a unique merchant ID
to your account and includes it automatically in the code for your button.
Your merchant ID is a more secure way to associate your button with your account than
using your email address. Only PayPal can match your merchant ID and PayPal
account, and your PayPal email address is never exposed in the HTML button code of
your webpages.
– Plain text email – Select this radio button to associate your button with your PayPal
account by using your email address. Select from the email addresses in your PayPal
account. For example, you might select the email address of the person in your
organization who handles order fulfillment or accounting. All payments are deposited to
your PayPal account balance, regardless of which email address receives payments from
this button. Only confirmed email addresses can be used to receive payments.

IMPO RTANT: Your email address is a less secure way to associate your button with your
PayPal account than by using your merchant ID. Your email address is
exposed on webpages wherever you paste the HTML code for your button.


1

11. Do one of the following:

– Click the Create Button button if you specified all the features for your button.
Follow the instructions for “Copying and Pasting the Buy Now Code” on page 50.
– Click the Step 2 bar if you want PayPal to track inventory levels for your item or if you
do not want to save your button in your PayPal account.
Follow the instructions for “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Buy Now Button”
on page 44.
– Click the Step 3 bar if you want to specify advanced features for your button, such as
prompting buyers for item quantities.
Follow the instructions for “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Buy Now
Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Buy Now Button
Use the Step 2 section of the button creation tool to control whether to save the important
details your button in your PayPal account and to provide inventory tracking information for
your item.
For more information, see “Tracking Inventory” on page 39.
1. Select the Save button at PayPal checkbox to save your button in your PayPal account
and to enable your ability to track inventory for your item.
2. Select the Track inventory checkbox to enable entering information that PayPal uses to
track inventory for your item. Then, do one of the following:
– By Item – Select this radio button if you want to track inventory regardless of product
options selected by buyers.
Enter the quantity that you currently have in stock and an alert level. PayPal sends you
an alert by email when your inventory on hand falls to or below the alert level.
– By Option – Select this radio button if want to track inventory by product options that
you specified during Step 7 of “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Buy Now


1

Button” on page 40. If you set up product options with prices, the radio button is selected
automatically.
For each option listed, enter a unique item ID, the quantity that you currently have in
stock, and an alert level. PayPal sends you an alert by email when your inventory on
hand for any option falls to or below its alert level.
Under the Can customers buy an item when it is sold out? heading, do one of the
following:
– Yes – Select this radio button to let buyers checkout and authorize their payments, even
when inventory tracking shows that your item would become oversold. Buyers are not
informed of oversold or out-of-stock situations nor that their items will be on back order
after they complete their transactions.
– No – Select this radio button to prevent buyers from checking out and authorizing their
payments when inventory tracking shows that your item would become oversold. In the
text box, enter the URL of a page on your website where you want PayPal to send buyers


1

of out of stock items. When PayPal detects an oversold situation, PayPal lets buyers
know that the item is out of stock.
If there are some items in stock, but not enough to fulfill a buyer’s request, PayPal
proposes the amount currently available.

Buyers can adjust their request to match the quantity on hand. Otherwise, they cannot
check out.
If there are no items in stock, PayPal lets buyers know that the item is completely sold
out.

Buyers click the Continue Shopping button to return to the webpage at the URL that
you specified.
.”No” is the default choice for this feature.


1


Follow the instructions for “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Buy Now
– Scroll to the top of the page and click the Step 1 bar if you want to adjust the basic
features of your button.
Follow the instructions for “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Buy Now
Button” on page 40, beginning with Step 6.
Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Buy Now Button
Use the Step 3 section of the button creation tool to specify advanced features of your button.
1. Do you want to let buyers change order quantities (optional)?


1

– Yes – Select this radio button to prompt buyers for item quantities. PayPal prompts
buyers for quantities after they click your Buy Now button.

Use this feature cautiously, because buyers could specify quantities greater than you
could fulfill.
If you save your button in your PayPal account and you set up inventory tracking for
your item in “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Buy Now Button” on page 44,
PayPal can help prevent buyers from purchasing more items than you can fulfill.
– No – Select this radio button to let buyers purchase only one item at a time. “No” is the
default choice for this advanced feature.
2. Can your buyers add special instructions in a message to you (optional)?
– Yes – Select this radio button to let buyers add special instructions to you during
checkout. In the Name of message box text box, enter the text that you want displayed


1

for the text box in which buyers enter there special instructions; the default value is “Add
special instructions to merchant”.

“Yes” is the default choice for this feature.
– No – Select this radio button if you do not want a text box for special instructions.
3. Do you need your buyers’ shipping addresses (optional)?
– Yes – Select this radio button to prompt buyers to select or enter shipping addresses
during checkout.
– No – Select this radio button if you do not want to prompt buyers for shipping addresses.
Select this option for items that do not require shipping, such as digital goods that buyers
download, or if the item is a service that does not require on-site delivery.
4. Take buyers to a specific webpage (URL) after checkout cancellation (optional)?
Select the checkbox and enter a URL in the text box if you have a special page on your
website where you want buyers to return if they cancel their checkouts before completing
their transactions.
5. Take buyers to a specific webpage (URL) after successful checkout (optional)?
website where you want buyers to return after they complete their checkouts successfully.
N O T E : If you have a special webpage for buyers who return to your website after checking
out successfully, consider implementing Payment Data Transfer so that you can
display information about the completed transactions. For more information, see the
Order Management Integration Guide.


1

6. Add advanced variables to the HTML code of your payment button (optional).
If you are familiar with the HTML programming and the advanced HTML variables
supported by Website Payments Standard payment buttons, you can enter them here. Select
the checkbox, and then enter the variables in the text box below it.
Enter any advanced HTML variables in the following, name/value-pair format:
variableName=allowableValue
For example, if you want to handle purchases as orders rather than as final sales, use the
HTML variable paymentaction with the value order. If you were to include the
variable in HTML code that you write manually, you would use the standard HTML
format:
<input type="hidden" name="paymentaction" value="order">
Enter the variables in the text box using the shortened, name/value-pair format, instead:
paymentaction=order
Do not enclose values in quotes, even if values contain spaces. PayPal surrounds the value
from the equal sign (=) to the end of the line with quotes in the generated HTML code.
For more information, see Chapter 11, “HTML Form Basics for Website Payments
Standard.”
Follow the instructions for “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Buy Now
– Scroll to the top of the page and click the Step 2 bar if you want to adjust information
that PayPal uses to track inventory levels or if you do not want to save your button in
Follow the instructions for “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Buy Now Button”
on page 44.
Copying and Pasting the Buy Now Code
After you click the Create Button button, PayPal displays the You are viewing your button
code page. The page contains tabs with Buy Now code for specific situations:
Website – Copy and paste the HTML button code on this tab onto the pages of your
website.
Email – Copy and paste the URL email payment link code on this tab into email templates
and messages, or paste it onto webpages if your hosting provider does not allow you to
paste HTML code.
Regardless of saving your buttons in your PayPal account, you must copy and paste the code
that PayPal generates onto your own webpages and into email templates and messages.


1

Copying and Pasting the HTML Code for the Buy Now Button. The Website tab on the
You are viewing your button code page contains the generated HTML code for your Buy
Now payment button.
If in “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Buy Now Button” on page 44 you specified that
you do not want to save your button in your Paypal account, PayPal protects the generated
HTML button code with encryption. Protected HTML code helps secure your buttons against
malicious tampering and fraudulent payments.
You can the expose the code of your payment button by clicking the Remove code protection
link at the upper right of text box. For example, you might remove protection so that you can
edit the code later to change the item price. If you remove code protection, you must use other
methods that PayPal recommends to secure your payment button. Click the Protect code link
to restore the button protection that you removed.

on securing Website Payment Standard buttons. For more information,
Chapter 6, “Securing Your Website Payments Standard Buttons.”
To copy and paste the HTML code for your Buy Now payment button:
code.
– or –

– or –

Copying and Pasting the Code for the Buy Now Email Payment Link. The Email tab on
the You are viewing your button code page contains the generated URL code for your Buy
Now email payment link.
N O T E : PayPal cannot protect the URL code for email payment links. Secure the payments you
receive from email payment links by using an alternative method that does not involve
encryption, as described in Chapter 6, “Securing Your Website Payments Standard
Buttons.”
To copy and paste the URL code for your Buy Now email payment link:


1

1. Click the Select Code button on the Email tab to select all of the generated URL code.
– or –
3. Open the email template or message that you want to send.
4. Paste the text that you copied from the clipboard into your email, by:
– or –

Creating Advanced Buy Now Buttons With JavaScript Disabled
The button creation tool for Buy Now buttons, described above, requires JavaScript. If
Read the following topics to learn how to create Buy Now buttons with JavaScript disabled.
“The Pages in the Button Creation Tool for Buy Now Buttons” on page 52
“Page 1 – Specifying the Basic Features of the Buy Now Button” on page 52
“Page 2 – Specifying Advanced Features of Your Buy Now Button” on page 56
“Copying and Pasting the Buy Now Code With JavaScript Disabled” on page 59
N O T E : The alternative tool lets you create Buy Now buttons on the PayPal website, but it does
not allow you to save your buttons in your PayPal account.
The Pages in the Button Creation Tool for Buy Now Buttons
The button creation tool for Buy Now buttons with JavaScript disabled has three pages:
Buy Now buttons – the initial page to specify the required and most often used optional
features
Buy Now buttons – Page 2 – an optional page to specify additional, advanced features
Add a Buy Now button to your website – the final page that has the generated code for
your payment button
You can switch between the first and second pages until you click the Create Button Now
button to display the third page that has the generated code.
Page 1 – Specifying the Basic Features of the Buy Now Button
To create code for a Buy Now button or email payment link by using a tool on the PayPal
website with JavaScript disabled:
1. Log in to your PayPal account at https://www.paypal.com.


1

4. Under the Create button without JavaScript enabled heading, click the Buy Now link.

The Buy Now buttons page opens.
– Item name/service – (optional) Enter the name of the item or service that you wish to
sell. If you do not enter anything in this field, buyers can fill it in at the time of purchase.
PayPal recommends entering an item name to make it easier for you to ship the order.
– Item ID/number – (optional) Enter the inventory ID or tracking number of your item.
The value that you enter is displayed to buyers at the time of payment, and it is displayed
in the transaction details that both by merchants and buyers can view on the PayPal
website.
– Price – (optional) Enter a fixed price for your item. If you leave the field blank, buyers
“name their own price” after they click the Buy Now button.

IMPO RTANT: PayPal recommends that you enter an a price so that you collect an
appropriate amount for the item.
– Currency – From the dropdown menu, select the currency in which you priced the item
or in which you want the prices that buyers name to be denominated. The dropdown
menu automatically selects the currency of your primary balance.
– Buyer’s default country – From the dropdown menu, select a country for the PayPal
log-in or sign-up page that buyers see when they click the button. The content on the page
will be appropriate for the country you select. Buyers can change the country that you
select, after the log-in or sign-up page appears.
6. Choose a button style for your Buy Now button.
Select the radio button next to the image that you want to use, if you are going to be
accepting payments from your website instead of using an email payment link. Button
images that read “Pay Now” are suitable if you accept payments for single services instead
of single goods. The image that you select is hosted by PayPal.


1

To display your own image that is hosted on your website:
– Click the Use your own button image link.
An additional radio button and text box appear.
– In the Button Image URL text box, enter the URL of your button image.
If your image is hosted securely, change the entry to begin with https//.
Use your own button image if the buttons hosted by PayPal do not fit the look of your
website.
7. Specify whether to use button encryption.
– Select the Yes radio button to encrypt the generated code for the payment button.
– or –
– Select the No radio button to leave the generated code for the payment button and the
email payment link as clear text.
PayPal highly recommends that you use button encryption to protect the HTML code of
your payment button. Encryption protects payment details from fraudulent alteration by
third parties, thus increasing the security of the payments you accept. However, consider
the limitations that encryption imposes:
– Encrypted HTML code does not support option fields, which you can specify on the Buy
Now buttons – Page 2 page.
Select the No radio button if you want to add option fields to your Buy Now button.
– Encrypted HTML code cannot be edited.
Select the No radio button if you want to edit the HTML code for your button after the
code is generated.


1

– Encrypted HTML code cannot be used for email payment links.
Select the No radio button if you want to create an email payment link instead of or in
addition to your button.
If you select the No radio button for any reason, use an alternative strategy described in
Chapter 6, “Securing Your Website Payments Standard Buttons” to secure the payments
you receive from the payment button or the email payment link.

IMPO RTANT: Merchants with significant payment volume are required to take
precautions on securing Website Payment Standard buttons.
8. Specify a shipping method option.
– Select the Use my shipping calculations radio button if you set up shipping rates for
your account and you want the shipping charges for the item to be calculated
automatically.
– or –
– Select the Use a flat rate amount radio button if you have not set up shipping rates for
your account or you want to exclude the item from automatic calculation of shipping
charges.
In the text box, enter a fixed amount that will be added to the shipping charges for
purchases that include the item. Enter zero (0.00) for items that do not incur shipping
charges. The currency for the amount that you enter is the same as the currency for the
item.
For more information, see “Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (U.S. Merchants
Only)” on page 290 or “Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (non-U.S. Merchants
Only)” on page 304.
9. Specify a sales tax option.
– Select the Use my sales tax calculations radio button if you set up tax rates for your
account and you want taxes on the item to be calculated automatically.
– or –
– Select the Use a flat rate amount radio button if you have not set up sales tax
calculations for your account or you want to exclude the item from automatic calculation
of taxes.
In the text box, enter a fixed amount that will be added to the taxes for purchases that
include the item. Enter zero (0.00) for non-taxable items. The currency for the amount
that you enter is the same as the currency for the item.

IMPO RTANT: If you specify that buyers can purchase quantities of your item, in Step 4
of “Select your quantity and shipping preferences.” on page 58, do not
specify a flat rate amount for sales tax. PayPal applies the flat rate amount
as the tax for the item, regardless of the quantity that the buyer selects.
For more information, see “Automatic Calculation of Sales Tax” on page 285.
10.If you have additional details to specify for your button, such as option fields or a custom
payment page style that has your own logo and colors, click the Add More Options button


1

and follow the instructions for “Page 2 – Specifying Advanced Features of Your Buy Now
– or –
If you entered all the basic and advanced features for your button, go to “Copying and
Pasting the Buy Now Code With JavaScript Disabled” on page 59.
Page 2 – Specifying Advanced Features of Your Buy Now Button
Use the Buy Now buttons – Page 2 page to specify advanced features of your button with
JavaScript disabled.
1. Add option fields to your button.
Option fields lets buyers select or specify options when they purchase the item, such as
color or size. Options must not change the price of the item.
Buy Now buttons can have one or two option fields. You can use a dropdown menu, with
choices that you specify, or a text box, in which buyers type their option choice.
– Option Field Type – Select either “drop-down menu” or “text box” as the type of option
field.
– Option Name – Enter the name of your option, for example, “Size” or “Color”. Enter no
more than 60 characters.
– Drop-Down Menu Choices – (if applicable) If you selected “drop-down menu” as the
type of option field, enter the menu choices. Choices cannot exceed 30 characters. Use a
carriage return (press ENTER) to separate choices. Enter no more than 10 choices.

IMPO RTANT: Option fields cannot be used if you are creating an email payment link. To
include Buy Now links in email messages for items with options, either
send HTML emails with links to Buy Now buttons on your website that
have option fields, or ask buyers to enter the option information in the Note
field.
2. Customize your payment pages.
Use these settings to give donors a visually seamless payment experience by customizing
the PayPal payment pages to match the visual style of your website.
– Primary Page Style – (display only) The payment pages that your donors see are
displayed with the page style that is specified here, unless you select a different custom
payment page style below.
– Custom Payment Page Style – (optional) If you already added Custom Payment Page
Styles in your account profile, they are listed here. Choose the page style that you would
like to appear when buyers click your Buy Now button.
To learn more about creating page styles, see “Co-Branding the PayPal Checkout
Pages” on page 267.
– Preview – Click the Preview button to see a mock-up of the payment page style that
donors see when they click your Buy Now button.


1

3. Customize your buyer’s experience.
Use these settings to give buyers a payment experience that is easy to navigate.

– Successful Payment URL – (optional) Do one of the following:
Enter the URL of a page on your website that you want buyers redirected to after they
complete their payments. The URL that you enter is used by this payment button only.
Click the Edit button to change the return URL that this button and all your other
payment buttons use to redirect buyers to your website after they complete their
payments. For more information, see “Auto Return” on page 271.
– Payment Data Transfer – Click the Edit button to turn Payment Data Transfer on or off
for all your payment buttons.
For more information about Payment Data Transfer, see the Order Management
Integration Guide.
– Cancel Payment URL – (optional) Enter the URL for the page on your website that you
want buyers redirected to if they cancel their payments at any point before completing
the checkout. If you do not enter a URL, buyers who cancel are taken to a PayPal
webpage. The URL that you enter is used by this payment button only.


1

4. Select your quantity and shipping preferences.
Use these settings to control how many units of the item you want to let buyers purchase
and how you collect their shipping addresses.

– Select the Yes radio button to let buyers purchase more than one unit of the item or
service when they click the Buy Now button that you are creating.

IMPO RTANT: If you allow buyers to purchase more than one unit of your item, do not
specify a flat rate amount as your tax option in Step 9of “Page 1 –
Specifying the Basic Features of the Buy Now Button” on page 52.”
PayPal applies the flat rate amount as the tax for the item, regardless of the
quantity that the buyer selects.
If you leave the No radio button selected, buyers can purchase only a single unit of the
item when they click the Buy Now button.
– Select the radio button that matches your need to collect shipping addresses from buyers:
Make shipping optional – Select this radio button if you want to prompt buyers to
enter their shipping addresses as an option.
– or –
Yes, require shipping – Select this radio button if you want to require buyers to enter
their shipping addresses.
– or –
No shipping needed – Select this radio button if the product does not require shipping,
such as a digital good that buyers download, or if the item is a service that does not
require on-site delivery.


1

5. Collect customer notes and special instructions from buyers.
Use these settings to prompt buyers to enter notes or special handling instructions.

– Select the Yes radio button if you want buyers to enter notes to you when they make their
payments. If you leave the No radio button selected, buyers cannot include notes.
– Note Title – If you selected the Yes radio button, change the default value for the field
label to prompt buyers for specific information, such as their customer IDs or special
handling instructions. Enter no more than 30 characters.
6. Select an email address to receive payment.
(optional) In the Email Address dropdown menu, select the email address through which
you want to receive payments when people click the payment button that you are creating.
The dropdown menu selects your primary email address by default. You might select the
email address of the person in your organization who handles order fulfillment or
accounting. All payments are deposited to your PayPal account balance, regardless of
which email addresses receive particular payments. Only confirmed email addresses can be
used to receive payments.
7. If you want to change any of the details that you entered on the previous page, click the
Edit button and follow the instructions for “Page 1 – Specifying the Basic Features of the
Buy Now Button” on page 52, beginning with Step 5.
– or –
If you have entered all the details and options for your button, go to “Copying and Pasting
the Buy Now Code With JavaScript Disabled” on page 59.
Copying and Pasting the Buy Now Code With JavaScript Disabled
After you enter the basic and advanced features that you want for your Buy Now button, click
the Create Button Now button. PayPal generates Buy Now code for:
a payment button, which you can paste onto your website
an email payment link, which you can paste into email
The Add a Buy Now button to your website page displays the generated code.


1

Copying and Pasting the HTML Code for the Buy Now Button With JavaScript
Disabled. To copy and paste the HTML code for the Buy Now payment button:
– or –
– or –

Copying and Pasting the Code for the Buy Now Email Payment Link With JavaScript
Disabled. PayPal does not generate code for email payment links if you select the Yes radio
button in the Button Encryption section on the first page of the button creation tool. To turn
button encryption off, return to the first page and click the No radio button in the Button
Encryption section. Then click the Create Button Now button again.
N O T E : Youcannot use Encrypted Website Payments to encrypt the code for email payment
links. Secure the payments you receive from email payment links by using an
alternative method that does not involve encryption, as described in Chapter 6,
“Securing Your Website Payments Standard Buttons.”
To copy and paste the code for the Buy Now email payment link:
1. Click the Link for Emails text box to select all of the generated URL code.
– or –
– or –

Creating More Buy Now Buttons With JavaScript Disabled. After you copy and paste the
Buy Now code, you can create another Buy Now button for a different item. Scroll to the


1
Sample HTML Code for Buy Now Buttons

bottom of the Add a Buy Now button to your website page and click the Create Another
Button button. Then follow the instructions for “Page 1 – Specifying the Basic Features of the
Buy Now Button” on page 52, beginning with Step 5. The pages of the button creation tool
retain the options that you previously specified.

Avoiding Problems With Pasted HTML Code
After you paste the code onto your webpage or into your email, ensure that it matches exactly
the code that you copied from PayPal. Pasted code may not match the generated code for the
following reasons:
You did not copy all of the generated code.
Your editing tool may have special areas for pasting HTML code and other areas for
pasting URLs and display text. Be sure you paste the generated code into a field that
accepts HTML code or URLs.
Your editing tool might change some characters in the pasted code.

The sample HTML code in this section demonstrates various features of Buy Now buttons:
“Sample HTML Code for a Basic Buy Now Button” on page 61
“Sample HTML Code for Buy Now Buttons With Product Options” on page 62
“Sample HTML Code for a Buy Now Button that Prompts for Quantities” on page 66
To protect against malicious users tampering with the HTML code for your Buy Now buttons
and submitting fraudulent contributions, see Chapter 6, “Securing Your Website Payments
Standard Buttons.”

IMPO RTANT: Organizations with significant payment volume are required to take

Sample HTML Code for a Basic Buy Now Button
The sample HTML code below illustrates a basic Buy Now button with these features:
An item named “Hot Sauce–12 oz. Bottle”.
An item price of $5.95 USD.
PayPal calculates tax and shipping based on rates that you set up in your PayPal account.
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">


<input type="hidden" name="business" value="herschelgomez@xyzzyu.com">

1


<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_xclick">


<input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="Hot Sauce-12 oz. Bottle">
<input type="hidden" name="amount" value="5.95">
<input type="hidden" name="currency_code" value="USD">


<input type="image" name="submit" border="0"
src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_buynow_LG.gif"
alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online">
<img alt="" border="0" width="1" height="1"
src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" >
</form>

Sample HTML Code for Buy Now Buttons With Product Options
When you add production options to your Buy Now buttons with HTML code that you write
yourself, you can have a maximum of ten product options, each with their own sets of choices.
The options can be either dropdown menus or text boxes. Only one of the dropdown menu
options can have options with prices.
Read the following topics for sample code that illustrates various ways to add product options
to Buy Now buttons.
“Sample Code for a Buy Now Button With Product Options” on page 62
“Sample Code for a Buy Now Button With Product Options With Prices” on page 63
“Sample Code for a Buy Now Button With Product Options as a Text Box” on page 65
For more information, see “Offering Product Options With Buy Now Buttons” on page 36.
Sample Code for a Buy Now Button With Product Options
The sample code below illustrates a basic Buy Now button with a dropdown menu of product
options.
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr"
method="post">

1


<input type="hidden" name="on0" value="Type">Type of sauce <br />
<select name="os0">
<option value="Select a type">-- Select a type --</option>
<option value="Red">Red sauce</option>
<option value="Green">Green sauce</option>
</select> <br />

</form>
The sample code above produces the following result on your webpage:

Paste the code onto your webpage below an image or a text description of the item.
Sample Code for a Buy Now Button With Product Options With Prices
The sample code below illustrates a basic Buy Now button with a dropdown menu of product
options that have separate prices for each option. Only one of the dropdown menus in the set
product options that your Buy Now button offers can have prices.
Product options with prices specify the prices in two places:
The dropdown menu displays the prices for each option – buyers see the prices they pay for
each option.
A list of hidden HTML variables repeats the prices for each option – PayPal uses these
prices to charge buyers for the options they choose.
Dropdown menus with option prices use the following variables:
currency_code – sets the currency for option prices
item_index – identifies which dropdown menu of product option has prices
option_select* and option_amount* – repeats the prices for each option
N O T E : Youcannot specify item IDs for production options with prices to have PayPal track
inventory for your item. PayPal can track inventory by product option only for buttons
that you save in your PayPal account.
method="post">

1



<input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="Hot Sauce">

<input type="hidden" name="on0" value="Type">Type of sauce <br />
<select name="os0">
<option value="Select a type">-- Select a type --</option>
<option value="Red">Red sauce</option>
<option value="Green">Green sauce</option>
</select> <br />


<input type="hidden" name="on1" value="Size">Size <br />
<select name="os1">
<option value="06oz">6 oz. bottle - $5.95 USD</option>
<option value="12oz">12 oz. bottle - $9.95 USD</option>
<option value="36oz">3 12 oz. bottles - $19.95 USD</option>
</select> <br />


<input type="hidden" name="option_index" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="option_select0" value="06oz">
<input type="hidden" name="option_amount0" value="5.95">

</form>

1


Sample Code for a Buy Now Button With Product Options as a Text Box
The sample code below illustrates a basic Buy Now button with a text box for entering product
options.
method="post">





<input type="hidden" name="on0"
value="Size">Enter your size (S, M, L, X, XX) <br />
<input type="text" name="os0" maxlength="60"> <br />

</form>

1


Sample HTML Code for a Buy Now Button that Prompts for Quantities
The sample HTML code below illustrates a basic Buy Now button that prompts buyers to
specify item quantities. Use this feature cautiously, because buyers could specify quantities
greater than you could fulfill.





<input type="hidden" name="undefined_quantity" value="1">

</form>
The sample code above produces the following result during checkout.

1
Sample URL Code for a Buy Now Email Payment Link

Use this feature cautiously, because buyers could specify quantities greater than you could
fulfill.
If you save your button in your PayPal account and you set up inventory tracking for your item
in “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Buy Now Button” on page 44, PayPal can help
prevent buyers from purchasing more items than you can fulfill.
For more information, see “Prompting for Item Quantities With Buy Now Buttons” on
page 37.

You can write your own URL code for Buy Now email payment links.
The same variables and values that you include in HTML code for Buy Now buttons can be
used in Buy Now email payment links. Separate the variables and their values from each other
with ampersands (&). Do not enclose values in quotation marks; use plus signs (+) as
substitutes for spaces in values, if needed.
N O T E : You cannot include variables for product options in email payment links.
You can use the following URL as a starting point for writing your own URL for Buy Now
email payment links.The value for the business variable must match a confirmed email
address on file with your PayPal account. You can change the values for other variables, with
the exception of _xclick.

EXAMPLE 1.1 URL for a Buy Now Email Payment Link
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-
bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&business=herschelgomez@xyzzyu.com&item_name=Hot
Sauce-12+oz.+Bottle&item_number=12345&amount=5%2e95&currency_code=USD


1


2 Contribution Payments – Donate
Buttons

Use Donate buttons to collect contribution payments. Donate buttons let you collect pre-
determined amounts or amounts entered by donors.

You can create Donate buttons that you add to your website by using a tool on the PayPal
website, or you can write the HTML code for Donate buttons manually. You can create buttons
with limited functionality before you create your PayPal account or with JavaScript disabled
in your browser.
Read the following topics to learn more about Donate buttons:
“Getting Started With Donate Buttons” on page 69
“The Checkout Experience With Donate Buttons” on page 76
“Managing Contributions” on page 85
“Creating Advanced Donate Buttons on the PayPal Website” on page 87
“Sample HTML Code for Donate Buttons” on page 104

Getting Started With Donate Buttons
The easiest way to add a Donate button to your website is by using the button creation tool on
the PayPal website. As soon as you add the button, you can begin accepting contribution
payments on your website.

Follow one of these procedures to get started creating your own Donate buttons:


Contribution Payments – Donate Buttons
2

“Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Donate Button” on page 70
“Creating Basic Donate Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 71
“Creating Donate Buttons Before You Create Your PayPal Account” on page 74
N O T E : For
more detailed instructions, see “Creating Advanced Donate Buttons on the PayPal
Website” on page 87.

Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Donate Button
To use the button creation tool for a basic Donate button:
4. In the Accept payments for dropdown menu, select “Donations”.
5. (optional) In the Organization name/service text box, enter the purpose for the donation
or the name of your organization. If you do not enter anything in this field, your donors can
complete this field during checkout.
code.
– or –

– or –


2


Creating Basic Donate Buttons With JavaScript Disabled
The button creation tool for Donate buttons, described above, requires JavaScript. If
Read these topics to learn more about creating Donate buttons with JavaScript disabled:
“Creating a Basic Donate Button With JavaScript Disabled” on page 71
The alternative tool that works with JavaScript disabled lets you create Donate buttons on the
PayPal website. However, the following features are not supported by the alternative tool:
Creating a Basic Donate Button With JavaScript Disabled
To create a basic Donate button for your website with JavaScript disabled:


2

4. Click the Donate link.

The Donations page opens.
5. Enter the donation details of your button.
– Donation name/service – Enter the reason for the donation or the name of your
organization. If you do not enter anything in this field, your donors can complete this
field during checkout.
The Add a Donate button to your website page displays the generated code.
– or –

– or –


2

After you enable JavaScript in your browser, you can create a basic Donate button by
following the instructions for “Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Donate Button” on
page 70





2


Creating Donate Buttons Before You Create Your PayPal Account
You can create basic Donate buttons, add them to your website, and begin accepting
contributions before you sign up for your PayPal account. Read the following topics to learn
more about creating Donate buttons before you create your PayPal account.
“Limitations of Donate Buttons Created Without a PayPal Account” on page 74
“Creating a Basic Donate Button Without a PayPal Account” on page 75
Limitations of Donate Buttons Created Without a PayPal Account
Consider the following limitations of payment buttons that you create and add to your website
before you sign up for your PayPal account.
Donors must have a PayPal account to pay you. Any ability to pay by credit card is
disabled.
PayPal limits the features that you can specify with the button creation tool, such as saving
your buttons in your PayPal account:
in your browser.
Unclaimed Payments From Buttons Created Without a PayPal Account
For buttons that you create without a PayPal account, payments that donors authorize are held
as unclaimed by PayPal until you sign up. PayPal holds your unclaimed payments under the
In their PayPal accounts, donors see unclaimed payments that they made to you from Donate
buttons that you created without a PayPal account. Such unclaimed payments are displayed in
their recent account activity and in their transaction history. Until you finish signing up for
your PayPal account, donors can cancel your unclaimed payments and recover their funds.


2


Creating a Basic Donate Button Without a PayPal Account
To create a basic Donate button without a PayPal account:
5. About half way down the page, click the accept donations link.
7. Enter the payment details for your Donate button.
– Organization name/service – Enter the purpose for the donation or the name of your


2
The Checkout Experience With Donate Buttons

9. Click the close icon in the upper right corner of the message box to proceed.

10.Click the Select Code button on the Websites tab to select all of the generated HTML
code.
– or –

– or –

This section demonstrates the PayPal checkout experience for people who click Donate


2

FIGURE 2.2 The Checkout Experience with Donate Buttons

Read these topics to better understand the checkout experience with Donate buttons:
“Begin – Donors are Ready to Contribute on Your Website” on page 77
“1 – Donors Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In to PayPal” on page 78
“2 – Donors Confirm Their Contribution Details Before Paying” on page 80
“3 – Donors View and Print Their PayPal Contribution Confirmations” on page 81
“End – Donors Receive Contribution Authorization Notices by Email” on page 82
“Enhancing the Checkout Experience With Donate Buttons” on page 83

Begin – Donors are Ready to Contribute on Your Website
The basic checkout experience with Donate buttons begins when someone on your website is
ready to contribute.


2

FIGURE 2.3 Donors Begin on Your Website When They Are Ready to Contribute

In this example, Mary begins on the website of her favorite cause and wants to contribute to
the Fall Cleanup Campaign. Mary clicks the Donate button to check out.

1 – Donors Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In to PayPal
PayPal displays a billing information/log-in page, which lets donors enter their credit card


2

FIGURE 2.4 Donors Enter Their Billinng information or Log In to PayPal

For Donate buttons, the PayPal billing information/log-in page shows transaction details near
the top, such as the name of the contribution and the contribution total.
If donors are satisfied with the details, they do one of the following to select a payment
method:
To pay with a credit card – Donors enter their billing information. They also enter their


2

To pay with a PayPal account – Donors enter their PayPal credentials and click the Log
in button.
In this case, Mary is satisfied with her contribution to Friends of the Park in the amount of
$25.00 USD. She enters her billing and contact information, and then she clicks the Review
Order and Continue button.

2 – Donors Confirm Their Contribution Details Before Paying
PayPal displays a transaction confirmation page to let donors confirm the details before they

FIGURE 2.5 Donors Confirm Their Contribution Details Before Paying

In this case, Mary reviews the transaction details clicks the Donate $25.00 USD Now button
to complete the transaction and make her payment.


2

3 – Donors View and Print Their PayPal Contribution Confirmations
PayPal displays a payment confirmation page after donors pay to let them know that they have
made their contributions successfully.

FIGURE 2.6 Donors View Their Donation Confirmations

From the payment confirmation page, donors can:
View the PayPal Confirmation number – the transaction ID – to reconcile their payments.


2

FIGURE 2.7 Donors Print Their PayPal Contribution Receipts

In this case, Mary prints the PayPal contribution receipt for her records.

End – Donors Receive Contribution Authorization Notices by Email
PayPal sends donors a contribution authorization notice by email to confirm the transaction
that they made with the contribution coordinator.


2

FIGURE 2.8 Donors Receive Payment Authorization Notices by Email

In this case, PayPal sends Mary an email message notifying her of her transaction with Friends
of the Park and her authorization for payment of $25.00 USD.

Enhancing the Checkout Experience With Donate Buttons
your donors:


2

Prepopulating the Checkout Pages With Billing Addresses
your button.
The basic checkout experience has forms for filling in billing addresses. You can enhance the
checkout experience by prepopulating the forms with information that you have on your
website about the donor.
To learn more, see Step 2 of “Page 2 – Specifying Advanced Features of Your Donate
page 358.



2
Managing Contributions

Read the following topics to learn how PayPal helps you manage Donate transactions.
Using Email Notices to Track Donate Transactions
Using Recent Activity to Track Donate Transactions
Using Transaction History to Track Donate Transactions
Using Downloadable History Logs to Track Donate Transactions
Using Instant Payment Notification to Track Donate Transactions

Using Email Notices to Track Donate Transactions
Payments are made.
organization who handles accounting. Add the additional email address to your account
profile. Then, use that email address as the one to receive payments when you use the button
creation tool on the PayPal website. Specify the alternate email address as the value for the
business HTML variable when you write the HTML code yourself.
For more information, see Step 5 in the instructions for “Page 2 – Specifying Advanced
Features of Your Donate Button” on page 100, or Appendix A, “HTML Variables for Website

Using Recent Activity to Track Donate Transactions
PayPal displays Donate transactions in your recent activity, soon after donors complete their
transactions by clicking Donate buttons on your website.


2

FIGURE 2.9 Using Recent Activity to Track Donate Transactions


Using Transaction History to Track Donate Transactions
PayPal lets you search for Donate transactions on the History page. The status of payments
found there can be:

Using Downloadable History Logs to Track Donate Transactions
PayPal lets you download your Donate transactions to your computer from the History page.
You can specify a date range for the transactions and the file format of the download file.
Guide.

Using Instant Payment Notification to Track Donate Transactions
PayPal lets your web server receive messages about Donate transactions and payment activity
on your account. If you activate Instant Payment Notification, PayPal sends messages when:


2
Creating Advanced Donate Buttons on the PayPal Website


Read the following topics to learn more about creating advanced Donate buttons on the PayPal
website:
“Using the Button Creation Tool for Advanced Donate Buttons” on page 87
“Creating Advanced Donate Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 97

When you create Donate buttons with tools on the PayPal website, PayPal generates HTML
your website.
payment links to add Donate functionality to your email messages. If your web editing tool or
your service provider does not allow you to paste HTML code onto your webpages, you may
be able to paste the URL code for email payment links onto your webpages instead.

When you create Donate code with tools on the PayPal website, PayPal lets your protect the


Using the Button Creation Tool for Advanced Donate Buttons
Read the following topics to learn how to use the button creation tool for Donate buttons:
“The Basic Steps for Using the Tool With Donate Buttons” on page 88
“Saving Donate Buttons in Your PayPal Account” on page 88
“Adding Advanced Features to Donate Buttons With HTML Variables” on page 89


2

“Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Donate Button” on page 89
“Step 2 – Saving Your Donate Button in Your PayPal Account” on page 92
“Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Donate Button” on page 93
“Copying and Pasting the Donate Code” on page 95
in “Creating Advanced Donate Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 97.
The Basic Steps for Using the Tool With Donate Buttons
The button creation tool for Donate buttons is a single webpage with three sections:
the details of your Donate button. You can specify whether donors enter their own
contribution amount or a fixed amount.
Step 2 – Save your buttons (optional) – This section lets you control whether to save your
button in your PayPal account.
advanced features of Donate buttons. If you are familiar with HTML programming and the
advanced HTML variables supported by Website Payments Standard buttons, you can enter
them here.
bar to expand it.

Saving Donate Buttons in Your PayPal Account


2

your website.
account.
Adding Advanced Features to Donate Buttons With HTML Variables
For more information, see Step 5 of “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Donate
Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Donate Button
To begin using the button creation tool for Donate buttons:


2

button link.

5. Enter the donation details for your button.
– Organization name/service – (optional) Enter the purpose for the donation or the name
of your organization. If you do not enter anything in this field, your donors can complete
this field during checkout.
– Donation ID – (optional) Enter a value to help identify different kinds of contribution
payments. For example, you might enter the name of your current fund-raising
campaign. The value that you enter is displayed to donors at the time of payment, and it
is displayed in the transaction details that both contribution coordinators and donors can
view on the PayPal website.
Click the Customize appearance link and select one of the following.
appropriate.


2

7. From the Currency dropdown menu, select the currency in which contributions are made;
the dropdown menu automatically selects the currency of your primary balance.
8. Under Contribution amount, select one of the following radio buttons.
– Donors enter their own contribution amount – Select this radio button to let donors
enter their contribution amounts during checkout.
This is the default choice for this feature.
– Donors contribute a fixed amount – Select this radio button and enter a fixed amount
that donors contribute when they click this Donate button.
9. Choose between your merchant ID and your email address.
your webpages.
This is the default choice for this feature.



2

10.Do one of the following:

Follow the instructions for “Copying and Pasting the Donate Code” on page 95.
– Click the Step 2 bar if you do not want to save your button in your PayPal account.
Follow the instructions for “Step 2 – Saving Your Donate Button in Your PayPal
Account” on page 92.
– Click the Step 3 bar if you want to specify advanced features for your button.
Follow the instructions for “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Donate
Step 2 – Saving Your Donate Button in Your PayPal Account
details your button in your PayPal account.
– Clear the Save button at PayPal checkbox to avoid saving your button in your PayPal
account.
The HTML code that PayPal generates and that you paste onto your webpage contains
all payment details and information identifying your PayPal account. You may need to
take extra precautions to secure your buttons against fraudulent payments.
For more information, see Chapter 6, “Securing Your Website Payments Standard
Buttons.”
– Select the Save button at PayPal checkbox to save the payment details of your payment
button in your PayPal account.
The HTML code that PayPal generates and that you paste onto your webpage contains
no payment or identifying information.
For more information, see “Saving Donate Buttons in Your PayPal Account” on
page 88.”


2


Follow the instructions for “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Donate
Follow the instructions for “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Donate Button”
on page 89, beginning with Step 5.
Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Donate Button
1. Can your donors add special instructions in a message to you (optional)?
– Yes – Select this radio button to let donors add special instructions to you during
checkout.
In the Name of message box text box, enter the text that you want displayed for the text
box in which donors enter there special instructions; the default value is “Add special


2

instructions to the seller”. Change the default value to prompt donors for specific
information, such as In memory of. Enter no more than 40 characters.

2. Do you need your donors’ shipping addresses (optional)?
– Yes – Select this radio button to prompt donors to select or enter shipping addresses
during checkout.
– No – Select this radio button if you do not want to prompt donors for shipping addresses.
3. Take donors to a specific webpage (URL) after checkout cancellation (optional)?
website where you want donors to return if they cancel their checkouts before completing
their transactions.
4. Take donors to a specific webpage (URL) after successful checkout (optional)?
website where you want donors to return after they complete their checkouts successfully.
N O T E : If you have a special webpage for donors who return to your website after checking


2

the checkbox, and then enter the variables in the text box that appears below it.
For example, you want PayPal to display custom payment pages during checkout that you
set up in your account profile. Use the HTML variable page_style with the name you
gave to your custom payment page. If you were to include the variable in HTML code that
you write manually, you would use the standard HTML format:
<input type="hidden" name="page_style" value="myPageStyle">
page_style=myPageStyle
Standard.”
Follow the instructions for “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Donate Button”
on page 89, beginning with Step 5.
– Scroll to the top of the page and click the Step 2 bar if you want to change whether to
save your button in your PayPal account.
Follow the instructions for “Step 2 – Saving Your Donate Button in Your PayPal
Account” on page 92.
Copying and Pasting the Donate Code
code page. The page contains tabs with Donate code for specific situations:
website.
paste HTML code.


2

Copying and Pasting the HTML Code for the Donate Button. The Website tab on the
You are viewing your button code page contains the generated HTML code for your Donate
payment button.
If in “Step 2 – Saving Your Donate Button in Your PayPal Account” on page 92 you specified
that you do not want to save your button in your Paypal account, PayPal protects the generated

To copy and paste the HTML code for your Donate payment button:
code.
– or –

– or –

Copying and Pasting the Code for the Donate Email Payment Link. The Email tab on
the You are viewing your button code page contains the generated URL code for your
Donate email payment link.
Buttons.”
To copy and paste the URL code for your Donate email payment link:


2

– or –
– or –

Creating Advanced Donate Buttons With JavaScript Disabled
The button creation tool for Donate buttons, described above, requires JavaScript. If
Read the following topics to learn how to create Donate buttons with JavaScript disabled.
“The Pages in the Button Creation Tool for Donate Buttons” on page 97
“Page 1 – Specifying the Basic Features of the Donate Button” on page 97
“Page 2 – Specifying Advanced Features of Your Donate Button” on page 100
“Copying and Pasting the Donate Code With JavaScript Disabled” on page 103
N O T E : Thealternative tool lets you create Donate buttons on the PayPal website, but it does
The Pages in the Button Creation Tool for Donate Buttons
The button creation tool for Donate buttons with JavaScript disabled has three pages:
Donations – the initial page to specify the required and most often used optional features
Donations – Page 2 – an optional page to specify additional, advanced features
Add a Donate button to your website – the final page that has the generated code for your
payment button
Page 1 – Specifying the Basic Features of the Donate Button
To create code for a Donate button or email payment link by using a tool on the PayPal


2

4. Under the Create button without JavaScript enabled heading, click the Donate link.

The Donations page opens.
5. Enter the donation details of your button.
– Donation name/service – Enter the reason for the donation or the name of your
– Donation ID/number – (optional) Enter a value to help identify different kinds of
contribution payments. For example, you might enter the name of your current fund-
raising campaign. The value that you enter is displayed to donors at the time of payment,
and it is displayed in the transaction details that both contribution coordinators and
donors can view on the PayPal website.
– Amount – (optional) Enter a fixed contribution amount. If you leave the field blank,
donors enter their own contribution amount after they click the Donate button.
– Currency – From the dropdown menu, select the currency in which you specified the
fixed contribution amount or in which you want the amounts that donors enter to be
denominated. The dropdown menu automatically selects the currency of your primary
balance.
log-in or sign-up page that donors see when they click the button. The content on the
page will be appropriate for the country you select. Donors can change the country that
you select, after the log-in or sign-up page appears.
6. Choose a button style for your Donate button.
accepting payments from your website instead of by using an email payment link. The
image that you select is hosted by PayPal.


2

To display your own image that you host on your website:
– or –
code is generated.

8. If you have additional details to specify for your button, such as a custom payment page
that has your own logo and colors, click the Add More Options button and follow the


2

instructions for “Page 2 – Specifying Advanced Features of Your Donate Button” on
page 100.
– or –
If you entered all the details and options for your button, go to “Copying and Pasting the
Donate Code With JavaScript Disabled” on page 103.
Page 2 – Specifying Advanced Features of Your Donate Button
Use the Donations – Page 2 page to specify advanced features of your button with JavaScript
disabled.
Use these settings to give donors a visually seamless payment experience by customizing
– Primary Page Style – (display only) The payment pages that your donors see are
Styles in your account profile, they are listed here. Choose the page style that you would
like to appear when donors click your Donate button.
donors see when they click your Donate button.


2

2. Customize your donor’s experience.
Use these settings to give donors a payment experience that is easy to navigate.

Enter the URL of a page on your website that you want donors redirected to after they
complete their payments. The URL that you enter is used by this payment button only.
payment buttons use to redirect donors to your website after they complete their
Integration Guide.
want donors redirected to if they cancel their payments at any point before completing
the checkout. If you do not enter a URL, donors who cancel are taken to a PayPal
webpage. The URL that you enter is used by this payment button only.


2

3. Select your shipping preferences.
Select the radio button that matches your need to collect addresses from donors:
Make shipping optional – Select this radio button if you want to prompt donors to enter
their addresses as an option.
– or –
Yes, require shipping – Select this radio button if you want to require donors to enter their
addresses.
– or –
No shipping needed – Select this radio button if you do not require addresses from donors.
You might want to collect addresses from donors so that you can send paper contribution
acknowledgement letters or ship contribution thank-you gifts.
4. Collect notes and special instructions from donors.
Use these settings to prompt donors to enter notes or special instructions.

– Select the Yes radio button if you want donors to enter notes to you when they make their
payments. If you leave the No radio button selected, donors cannot include notes.
label to prompt donors for specific information, such as In memory of. Enter no more
than 30 characters.
5. Choose an email address to receive payment.
email address of the person in your organization who handles accounting. All payments are
deposited to your PayPal account balance, regardless of which email addresses receive
particular payments. Only confirmed email addresses can be used to receive payments.


2

Donate Button” on page 97, beginning with Step 5.
– or –
the Donate Code With JavaScript Disabled” on page 103.
Copying and Pasting the Donate Code With JavaScript Disabled
After you enter the basic and advanced features that you want for your Donate button, click the
Create Button Now button. PayPal generates Donate code for:
The Add a Donate button to your website page displays the generated code.

Copying and Pasting the HTML Code for the Donate Button With JavaScript
Disabled. To copy and paste the HTML code for the Donate payment button:
– or –
– or –

Copying and Pasting the Code for the Donate Email Payment Link With JavaScript
To copy and paste the code for the Donate email payment link:


2
Sample HTML Code for Donate Buttons

– or –
– or –

Creating More Donate Buttons With JavaScript Disabled. After you copy and paste the
Donate code, you can create another Donate button for a different contribution purpose or
amount. Scroll to the bottom of the Add a Donate button to your website page and click the
Create Another Button button. Then follow the instructions for “Page 1 – Specifying the
Basic Features of the Donate Button” on page 97, beginning with Step 5. The pages of the
button creation tool retain the options that you previously specified.

following reasons:

The sample HTML code in this section demonstrates various features of Buy Now buttons:
“Sample HTML Code for a Basic Donate Button” on page 105
“Sample HTML Code for a Donate Button With a Fixed Contribution Amount” on
page 105
To protect against malicious users tampering with the HTML code for your Donate buttons
and submitting fraudulent contributions, see Chapter 6, “Securing Your Website Payments


2


Sample HTML Code for a Basic Donate Button
The sample HTML code below illustrates a basic Donate button where donors enter their own
contribution amount during checkout. The code uses the currency_code variable to set the
currency for the contribution amounts that donors enter.

<input type="hidden" name="business"
value="donations@kcparkfriends.org">


<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_donations">


<input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="Friends of the Park">
<input type="hidden" name="item_number" value="Fall Cleanup Campaign">

src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donate_LG.gif"
</form>
The sample code above produces the following result:

Paste the code onto your website wherever you want donors to click and make a contribution
in amounts that donors choose.

Sample HTML Code for a Donate Button With a Fixed Contribution Amount
The sample HTML code below illustrates a Donate button where the contribution amount that
donors make is fixed and cannot be changed. The code uses the amount and the
currency_code variables to set fixed contribution amount at $25.00 USD.

2

<input type="hidden" name="business"
value="donations@kcparkfriends.org">


<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_donations">


<input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="Friends of the Park">
<input type="hidden" name="item_number" value="Fall Cleanup Campaign">

src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donate_LG.gif"
</form>

3 Recurring Payments – Subscribe
Buttons

Use Subscribe buttons to bill customers on a regular basis, charge membership dues, or offer
subscription services and installment payment plans.

You can create Subscribe buttons that you add to your website by using a tool on the PayPal
website, or you can write the HTML code for Subscribe buttons manually. You can create
Read the following topics to learn more about Subscribe buttons:
“Getting Started With Subscribe Buttons” on page 108
“The Checkout Experience With Subscribe Buttons” on page 115
“Managing Subscriptions” on page 123
“Advanced Features of Subscribe Buttons” on page 132
“Creating Advanced Subscribe Buttons on the PayPal Website” on page 142
“Sample HTML Code for Subscribe Buttons” on page 165
“Sample URL Code for Subscribe Email Payment Links” on page 173


Recurring Payments – Subscribe Buttons
3
Getting Started With Subscribe Buttons

The easiest way to add a Subscribe button to your website is by using the button creation tool
on the PayPal website. As soon as you add the button, you can begin selling subscriptions on
your website.

Follow one of these procedures to get started creating your own Subscribe buttons:
“Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Subscribe Button” on page 108
“Creating Basic Subscribe Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 109
“Creating Subscribe Buttons Before You Create Your PayPal Account” on page 112
N O T E : For
more detailed instructions, see “Advanced Features of Subscribe Buttons” on
page 132.

Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Subscribe Button
The following instructions create a basic Subscribe button that sets up subscriptions with a
monthly billing cycle that recurs until subscriptions are cancelled.
To learn how to create buttons for other kinds of subscriptions, see “Using the Button Creation
Tool for Advanced Subscribe Buttons” on page 142.
To use the button creation tool for a basic Subscribe button:
4. In the Accept payments for dropdown menu, select “Subscriptions and recurring billing”.


3

5. Enter the payment details of your subscription.
– Subscription name – Enter a name for the subscription. For example, enter “Alice’s
Monthly Digest”.
– Recurring amount to be billed – Enter the amount you want to bill subscribers for each
monthly billing cycle. For example, enter “20.00”.
code.
– or –

– or –

Creating Basic Subscribe Buttons With JavaScript Disabled
The button creation tool for Subscribe buttons, described above, requires JavaScript. If
Read these topics to learn more about creating Subscribe buttons with JavaScript disabled:
“Creating a Basic Subscribe Button With JavaScript Disabled” on page 110
The alternative tool that works with JavaScript disabled lets you create Subscribe buttons on
the PayPal website. However, the following features are not supported by the alternative tool:
Tracking inventory


3

Creating a Basic Subscribe Button With JavaScript Disabled
To learn how to create buttons for other kinds of subscriptions, see “Creating Advanced
Subscribe Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 155.
To create a basic Subscribe button for your website with JavaScript disabled:
4. Click the Subscribe link.

The Subscriptions & Recurring Payments page opens.
5. Enter the following information:
– Subscription name – Enter a name for the subscription; for example, enter “Alice’s
Monthly Digest”.
– Subscription price – Enter the amount you want to bill subscribers for each monthly
billing cycle; for example, enter “20.00”.
The Add a Subscribe button to your website page opens.


3

– or –

– or –
After you enable JavaScript in your browser, you can create a basic Subscribe button by
following the instructions for “Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Subscribe Button”
on page 108



3




Creating Subscribe Buttons Before You Create Your PayPal Account
You can create basic Subscribe buttons and add them to your website to see how they look
before you sign up for your PayPal account. However, for the buttons to work, you need a
Premier or Business account.


3

Read the following topics to learn more about creating Subscribe buttons before you create
“Limitations of Subscribe Buttons Created Without a PayPal Account” on page 113
“Creating a Basic Subscribe Button Without a PayPal Account” on page 113
Limitations of Subscribe Buttons Created Without a PayPal Account
Consider the following limitations of Subscribe buttons that you create and add to your
website before you sign up for your PayPal Premiere or Business account.
The buttons that you place on your website will not work.
in your browser.
Creating a Basic Subscribe Button Without a PayPal Account
To learn how to create buttons for other kinds of subscriptions, see “Using the Button Creation
Tool for Advanced Subscribe Buttons” on page 142.
To create a basic Subscribe button without a PayPal account:
5. Under the Collect recurring or subscription fees heading, click the Create payment
button link.
7. Enter the payment details of your subscription.
– Subscription name – Enter a name for the subscription. For example, enter “Alice’s
Monthly Digest”.
monthly billing cycle.


3

9. Click the close icon in the upper right corner of the message box to proceed.

code.
– or –

– or –

IMPO RTANT: Your Subscribe button will not work till you sign up successfully for your
PayPal Premiere or Business Account.


3
The Checkout Experience With Subscribe Buttons

This section demonstrates the PayPal checkout experience for people who click Subscribe

FIGURE 3.1 The Checkout Experience with Subscribe Buttons

Read these topics to better understand the checkout experience with Subscribe buttons:
“Begin – Subscribers Are Ready to Sign Up on Your Website” on page 116
“1 – Subscribers Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In to PayPal” on page 116
“2 – Subscribers Confirm Their Subscription Details Before Signing Up” on page 119
“3 – Subscribers View and Print Their Subscription Confirmations” on page 120
“End – Subscribers Receive Subscription Authorization Notices by Email” on page 121
“Enhancing the Checkout Experience With Subscribe Buttons” on page 122


3

Begin – Subscribers Are Ready to Sign Up on Your Website
The basic checkout experience with Subscribe buttons begins on your website when someone
is ready to sign up for your subscription.

FIGURE 3.2 Subscribers Begin on Your Website When They Are Ready to Sign Up

In this example, Bob begins on Alice’s Used Books website and decides to sign up for a
subscription to Alice’s Weekly Digest. He clicks the Subscribe button to check out.

1 – Subscribers Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In to PayPal
PayPal displays a billing information/log-in page, which lets subscribers enter their credit card
information to sign up. Two radio buttons near the top of the page let subscribers switch
between entering billing information and logging in to PayPal to sign up.


3

FIGURE 3.3 Subscribers Enter Their Billing Information to Sign Up With Credit Cards

In this case, Bob does not have a PayPal account. He enters his billing information. He also


3

enters his contact information – email address and home phone number– so that PayPal can
send him a PayPal transaction receipt and can contact him if necessary to complete the
transaction. Then, he clicks the Continue button.

FIGURE 3.4 Subscribers New to PayPal Enter Passwords to Create New PayPal Accounts

PayPal prompts subscribers who sign up with credit cards to enter passwords for their new
PayPal accounts. In this case, Bob enters the password that he wants for his new PayPal
account and confirms it by typing it again. Then, he clicks the Continue button.
Subscribers who already have PayPal accounts click the PayPal radio button near the top of
the billing information page in order to sign up. The page changes to let them log in to PayPal.


3

FIGURE 3.5 Subscribers Log In to PayPal to SIgn Up

2 – Subscribers Confirm Their Subscription Details Before Signing Up
PayPal displays a transaction confirmation page to let subscribers confirm the details before
they complete their transactions and authorize their signups for subscriptions and for new
PayPal accounts.


3

FIGURE 3.6 Subscribers Confirm Their Subscription Details Before Signing Up

In this case, Bob reviews the details of his subscription and recurring payments. Then, he
clicks the Pay button to complete his signup for the subscription his signup for a new PayPal
account.

3 – Subscribers View and Print Their Subscription Confirmations
PayPal displays a payment confirmation page after subscribers pay to let them know that they
have signed up successfully.


3

FIGURE 3.7 Subscribers View and Print Their Subscription Confirmations

In this case, Bob prints the subscription confirmation page for his records.

End – Subscribers Receive Subscription Authorization Notices by Email
PayPal sends subscribers a subscription authorization notice by email to confirm the
subscription that they signed up for.


3

FIGURE 3.8 Subscribers Receive Subscription Authorization Notices by Email

In this case, PayPal sends Bob an email message notifying him of his subscription to Alice’s
Weekly Digest and his future recurring payments.

Enhancing the Checkout Experience With Subscribe Buttons
your subscribers:


3
Managing Subscriptions

your button.
The basic checkout experience has forms for filling in billing addresses. You can enhance the
checkout experience by prepopulating the forms with information that you have on your
website about the subscriber.
The basic checkout experience with Subscribe buttons leaves subscribers on a PayPal
webpage when they complete their subscription signups. Use one of the following techniques
to alter the basic checkout experience so that subscribers return to your website:
To learn more, see Step 3 of “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Subscribe
page 358.

Read the following topics to learn about managing subscriptions:
“Tracking Subscription Transactions” on page 124
“How Billing Cycles and Recurring Payments Work” on page 126
“Downloading Subscriber Lists” on page 128
“Canceling Individual Subscriptions” on page 128
“Canceling Multiple Subscriptions at One Time” on page 129


3

Tracking Subscription Transactions
Read the following topics to learn how PayPal helps you manage Donate transactions.
Using Email Notices to Track Subscription Transactions
Using Recent Activity to Track Subscribe Transactions
Using Transaction History to Track Subscribe Payments
Using Downloadable History Logs to Track Subscribe Payments
Using Instant Payment Notification to Track Subscribe Transactions
Using Email Notices to Track Subscription Transactions
People sign up for new subscriptions.
Subscription payments are made.
Subscriptions end or are canceled.
organization who handles accounting or manages access to members-only content. Add the
additional email address to your account profile. Then, use that email address as the value for
the business HTML variable when you write the HTML code yourself for your Subscribe
buttons.
For more information, see Appendix A, “HTML Variables for Website Payments Standard.”
Using Recent Activity to Track Subscribe Transactions
PayPal displays Subscribe transactions in your recent activity, soon after subscribers complete
their subscription signups.

FIGURE 3.9 Using Recent Activity to Track Subscribe Transactions



3

Using Transaction History to Track Subscribe Payments
PayPal lets you search for Subscribe payments on the History page. The status of payments
found there can be:
Using Downloadable History Logs to Track Subscribe Payments
PayPal lets you download a file that contains all of your subscription payment history for a
time frame that you specify. You can choose comma delimited, tab delimited, Quicken, or
QuickBooks as the file format.
To download a file with your subscription payment history:
2. Click the History subtab.
The History page opens.
3. Click the Download My History link.
The Download History page opens.
4. Click the Customize Download Fields link.
The Customize My Download History page opens.
5. Scroll down the page, and select the Subscription Number check box.
6. Click the Save button.
The Download History page opens again.
7. Specify the time frame for the subscription payments you want to download and the file
type you want.
8. Click the Download History button, and follow the onscreen instructions.
For more information on the Download History page, see the Order Management Integration
Guide.


3

Using Instant Payment Notification to Track Subscribe Transactions
PayPal lets your web server receive messages about Subscribe transactions and payment
activity on your account. If you activate Instant Payment Notification, PayPal sends messages
when:
Subscriptions begin, end, or are canceled, if you use Subscriptions Password Management.
To learn more, see:
“Instant Payment Notification – notify_url” on page 343
“Generating Usernames and Passwords With Subscribe Buttons” on page 139
Order Management Integration Guide

How Billing Cycles and Recurring Payments Work
PayPal attempts to collect recurring payments from subscribers on the day after the previous
billing cycle or trial period ends. Billing cycles can be daily, weekly, monthly or yearly,
depending on the terms of the original subscription.
How Subscriptions with Weekly Billing Cycles Work
For weekly billing cycles, recurring payments are collected on the same day of the week.

EXAMPLE 3.1 When Weekly Recurring Payments Are Due and Collected
The subscription terms are:
$10 USD a week; the subscriber signs up on Tuesday, December 23.
The subscriber is billed as follows:
Tuesday, December 23 = $10.00 USD
Tuesday, January 6 = $10.00 USD
and so on...
How Subscriptions with Monthly Billing Cycles Work
For monthly billing cycles, recurring payments are collected on the same day of the month. If
the initial recurring payment falls on the 31st, PayPal eventually adjusts the billing cycle to the
1st of the month. If the initial recurring payment falls on the 29th or 30th, PayPal adjusts the
billing cycle to the 1st of the month on the following February.

EXAMPLE 3.2 When Monthly Recurring Payments Are Due and Collected on the 31st
$25.99 USD a month; the subscriber signs up on Thursday, July 31.


3

Thursday, July 31 = $25.99 USD
Saturday, August 31 = $25.99 USD
Wednesday, October 1= $25.99 USD
Saturday, November 1= $25.99 USD
and so on...
Notice that no recurring monthly payment was collected in September, but recurring payments
were collected roughly every 30 days.

EXAMPLE 3.3 When Monthly Recurring Payments Are Due and Collected on the 30th
$25.99 USD a month; the subscriber signs up on Tuesday, December 30.
Friday, January 30 = $25.99 USD
Sunday, March 1= $25.99 USD
Wednesday, April 1= $25.99USD
and so on...
Notice that no recurring monthly payment was collected in February, but recurring payments
were collected roughly every 30 days.
How Subscriptions with Yearly Billing Cycles Work
For yearly billing cycles, recurring payments are collected on the same month and day each
year. If the initial recurring payment falls on February 29th of a leap year, PayPal adjusts the
billing cycle to March 1st the following year.

EXAMPLE 3.4 When Yearly Recurring Payments Are Due and Collected
$125.99 USD a year; the subscriber signs up on a Friday, February 29.
Friday, February 29, 2008 = $125.99 USD
Sunday, March 1, 2009 = $125.99 USD
Sunday, March 1, 2010 = $125.99 USD
and so on...


3

Downloading Subscriber Lists
You can download a text file that contains all of your non-payment subscription history –
signups, cancellations, and ends of term. You can manipulate the download file to produce
these kinds of lists:
All current and past subscribers – Exclude “Subscription Cancellation” and
“Subscription Completion” activity
All active subscribers – Include activity with an “active,” “active-completed,” or “active-
cancelled” status
To download a file with your non-payment subscription history:
3. Click the Download My History link.
The Download History page opens.
4. Specify the time frame for the subscription activity you want to download.
5. From the File Types for Download dropdown menu, select “Subscriptions.”
N O T E : The “Subscriptions” choice is available in the dropdown menu only after someone
has signed up for a subscription with you.
6. Click the Download History button, and follow the onscreen instructions.
For more information on the Download History page, see the Order Management Integration
Guide.

Canceling Individual Subscriptions
As a subscription service provider, you can the cancel the subscriptions of individual
subscribers from the Subscription Details pages of your PayPal account. In addition, your
subscribers can cancel the subscriptions that they have with you from their Subscription
Details pages. The procedure, described below, is the same in either case.
N O T E : For
the convenience of you and your subscribers, consider adding a Cancel
Subscription button to your website.
For more information, see “Working With Unsubscribe Buttons” on page 137.
To cancel an individual subscription:


3

3. From the Show dropdown menu, select “Subscriptions.”
4. Specify the time frame in which the subscription was set up.
5. Click the Search button.
The History pages displays a list of subscription transactions.
6. In the Subscriptions list, locate the subscription you want to cancel.
Make sure of the following:
– The Type column reads, “Subscription Creation.”
– The Status column reads, “Active.”
7. In the row for the subscription that you want to cancel, click the Details link.
The Subscription Details page opens.
8. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the Cancel Subscription button.

Canceling Multiple Subscriptions at One Time
As a subscription service provider, you can cancel multiple subscriptions at one time from the
Subscription Details page of your PayPal account.
Follow the procedures described in this section to cancel multiple subscriptions at one time:
Requesting Mass Subscription Cancellations
Monitoring the Progress of Mass Subscription Cancellations
Requesting Mass Subscription Cancellations
Before you begin this procedure, create a text file that contains the email addresses of the
subscribers whose subscriptions you want to cancel. Enter each email addresses on a separate
line. You will upload this mass cancellation file during Step 7 of the procedure below.

IMPO RTANT: If a subscriber in your text file has more than one subscription with you, all
of that person’s subscriptions will be canceled.
To request the cancellation of multiple subscriptions at one time:
3. From the Show dropdown menu, select “Subscriptions.”


3

5. In the row for any subscription where the Status column reads “Active,” click the Details
link.
The Subscription Details page opens.
6. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the Cancel several subscribers link.
The Mass Subscription Cancellation page opens.
7. In the Attach Mass Cancellation File text box, enter the path and filename of the mass
cancellation file that you created earlier, or click the Browse… button to locate the file on
your local computer.
8. Click the Continue button.
The Mass Cancellation page opens to display the number of email addresses that PayPal
found in your mass cancellation file.
9. Confirm the number of email address found by PayPal against the number of email
addresses in your mass cancellation file. Then, click then Cancel Subscriptions button.
The Mass Cancellation page refreshes to inform you that your mass cancellation file has
been registered by PayPal and will be processed.
Monitoring the Progress of Mass Subscription Cancellations
It may take PayPal a while to process your mass cancellation file. You can monitor the
progress from the History page by looking at the status of the cancellation transaction.
N O T E : It may take up to one hour to process your mass subscription cancellation.
To check the status of your mass subscription cancellation:
3. From the Show dropdown menu, select “All Activity - Simple View.”
4. Specify the time frame in which you requested the mass subscription cancellation.
Generally, select the Within radio button and select “The Past Day” from the dropdown
menu.
6. In the Subscriptions list, locate the row where the Type column reads “Mass Subscription
Cancellation.”
The Status column reads “Processed” after PayPal finishes processing your mass
cancellation file.


3

7. Click the Details link to see statistics about your mass subscription cancellation and to
download a mass cancellation log file.
The Transaction Details page opens to display the following statistics:
– Total Emails – Number of email addresses uploaded from your file.
– Emails Matched – Number of email addresses that matched one or more active
subscriptions.
– Emails Not Matched – Number of email addresses that matched no active subscriptions
or matched subscriptions that were already completed or canceled.
– Successful Cancellations – Number of subscriptions canceled. This number may be
higher than the number of emails matched if any email address had more than one active
subscription.
8. Click the View Details button to download a mass cancellation log file.
PayPal prompts you to open or save a file named BatchLog.txt. Each line in the file
represents the actions taken against a subscription. Each line begins with the subscription
ID and has the email address of the subscriber and the processing date. The log file reports
the following processing results:
– Success – The subscription was canceled.
– Failed Already cancelled – The subscription was canceled already.
– Failed Already completed – The subscription ended already.
– Failed – A general failure occurred, as identified by the failure code.
– No Match – The email address did not match any of your subscriptions.

End of Term Messages Sent Through Instant Payment Notification
Instant Payment Notification sends end of term messages when subscriptions end. Use these
messages to automatically terminate subscription password access to members only content.
For more information about Subscriptions Password Management, see “Generating
Usernames and Passwords With Subscribe Buttons” on page 139.
For subscriptions with no recurring payments, end of term messages are sent when the
subscription period ends. For subscriptions with recurring payments and a limited number of
billing cycles, end of term messages are sent at the end of the last billing cycle. For
subscriptions that are canceled, end of term messages are sent when the subscription period or
the current billing cycle ends. For subscriptions that PayPal cancels due to failures in attempts
to collect recurring payments, end of term messages are sent immediately.

EXAMPLE 3.5 End of Term Examples
Term – $10 USD for 6 months, paid on the 1st of March
End of Term – sent on the 1st of September, 7 months after signup

Term – $9.99 USD per month, paid on the 1st of March


3
Advanced Features of Subscribe Buttons

Cancellation – manually on the 15th of June
End of Term – sent on the 1st July, at the end of the current billing cycle

Term – $10 USD for 6 months, paid on the 1st of March, with reattempts of failed recurring
payments enabled
Payment failure – on the 1st of June
1st reattempt failure – on the 4th of June
2nd reattempt failure – on the 9th of June
Cancellation – final payment failure on the 9th of June
End of Term – sent on the 9th of June
For more information, see “Reattempting Failed Recurring Payments With Subscribe Buttons”
on page 141.

Read the following topics to learn about these advanced features of Subscribe buttons:
“Offering Trial Periods and Introductory Rates With Subscribe Buttons” on page 132
“Limiting the Number of Billing Cycles With Subscribe Buttons” on page 133
“Offering Product Options With Subscribe Buttons” on page 134
“Working With Modify Subscription Buttons” on page 134
“Working With Unsubscribe Buttons” on page 137
“Generating Usernames and Passwords With Subscribe Buttons” on page 139
“Reattempting Failed Recurring Payments With Subscribe Buttons” on page 141

Offering Trial Periods and Introductory Rates With Subscribe Buttons
Offer trial periods to let people try your subscription service before their regular subscription
and its recurring payments begin. You can set the prices and durations of trial periods
independently of the regular subscription price and billing cycle.
How Subscriptions With Trial Periods Work
The following example shows how subscribers are billed for trial periods.

EXAMPLE 3.6 Subscriptions That Include Trial Periods
Subscription Terms:
An initial trial period, free of charge, that lasts for 7 days
A second trial period for $5 USD, that lasts three additional 3 weeks


3

A regular subscription for $10 USD a month thereafter
The Subscriber signs up on Aug.1, and is billed as follows:
Aug. 1 = $0.00 USD
Aug. 9 = $5.00 USD
Aug. 31 = $10.00 USD
Specifying Trial Periods With Subscribe Buttons
Do one of following to add Subscribe buttons to your website that include trial periods:
Specify trial periods when you create Subscribe buttons by using the creation tool on the
PayPal website.
See Step 9 of “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Subscribe Button” on page 144.
Specify trial periods in the HTML button code that you write manually.
See “Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button With Trial Periods” on page 166.

Limiting the Number of Billing Cycles With Subscribe Buttons
Limit the number of billing cycles with your subscriptions to set up installment plans. The
number that you specify stops recurring payments on subscriptions after that number of billing
cycles has been reached.
How Subscriptions With Limited Billing Cycles Work
The following example shows how subscribers are billed on installment plans with a limited
number of billing cycles.

EXAMPLE 3.7 Subscription Terms That Limit the Number of Billing Cycles
Subscription Terms:
A regular subscription for $19.95 USD a month, for a total of 3 months
The Subscriber signs up on Aug.15, and is billed as follows:
Aug. 15 = $19.95 USD
Sept. 15 = $19.95 USD
Oct. 15 = $19.95 USD
Specifying the Limit on Billing Cycles With Subscribe Buttons
Do one of following to add Subscribe buttons to your website that have a limited number of
billing cycles:
Specify the limit that stops recurring payments after a certain number when you create
Subscribe buttons by using the creation tool on the PayPal website.


3

Specify the limit in the HTML button code that you write manually.
See “Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button With Limits on Billing Cycles” on
page 167.

Offering Product Options With Subscribe Buttons
Prompt subscribers for product options, such as size or color. You can prompt buyers for their
options on a single Subscribe button. Up to 4 options can prompt for selections with dropdown

Specifying Product Options With Subscribe Buttons
Do one of the following to create Subscribe buttons that offer product options:
Specify the product options when you create Subscribe buttons by using the creation tool
on the PayPal website.
See “Sample HTML Code for Subscribe Buttons With Product Options” on page 168.

Working With Modify Subscription Buttons
Let subscribers modify their active subscriptions by adding a Modify Subscription button to
your website. If you offer different subscriptions levels, Modify Subscription buttons let you
subscribers upgrade to a higher level without an interruption in service.
How PayPal Lets Subscribers Modify Their Subscriptions
Modify Subscription buttons let subscribers accept a new set of subscriptions terms and
pricing for their current, active subscriptions.
You can write the HTML code for Modify Subscription buttons that allow subscribers to:
Modify their active subscriptions, or sign up for new subscriptions
Modify their active subscriptions only
The following example shows how subscribers use Modify Subscription buttons to upgrade
their subscriptions from one level of service to another.

EXAMPLE 3.8 Subscribers Use Modify Subscription Buttons


3

Subscription terms:
A basic subscription for $29.95 USD a month, for one year
A premium subscription for $69.95 USD every six months
Bob signed up on Feb. 15 for a basic subscription.
On Apr. 26, he decides to upgrade his basic subscription to a premium subscription:
– Bob visits the subscription website, finds a webpage that lets him upgrade his
subscription, and clicks the Subscribe button.

– PayPal displays a log-in page. Bob enters his PayPal credentials and logs in.
– PayPal displays the Review Subscription Details page, which lets Bob see his current
subscription terms and the new terms is about to agree to.
Bob retains his current subscription with Alice’s Used Books.
The new terms take effect at the end of the current billing cycle, Sept. 15.
Specifying Options for Modify Subscription Buttons
To create a Modify Subscription button, you must be able to write HTML code. You can
generate most of the button code with the button creation tool on the PayPal website. Then,
you add code to it manually.
Do one of the following:
“Using the Button Creating Tool for Modify Subscription Buttons” on page 136
“Creating Modify Subscription Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 136


3

Using the Button Creating Tool for Modify Subscription Buttons. To create a Modify
Subscription button by using the button creation tool on the PayPal website:
1. Follow the procedure for “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Subscribe Button”
on page 144.
– Select a button image that reads “Subscribe.”
– Specify the terms and pricing that will apply after subscriptions are modified.
2. (optional) Click the Step 2 bar, depending on whether you want to save your button in your
PayPal account and whether you want to track inventory for the items you are selling by
subscription. Follow the instructions for “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Subscribe
3. Click the Step 3 bar, and then follow the instructions for “Step 3 – Adding Advanced
Features to Your Subscribe Button” on page 151.
– Add any advanced features that you want for the modified subscription.
– Select the Add Advanced Variables checkbox; then in the text box below it, enter one
of the following lines of code:
modify="1" – Add this line of code to let subscribers modify their active subscriptions
or sign up for new, additional subscriptions. If a subscriber has an active subscription,
PayPal displays a page during checkout for accepting the new terms and pricing, with a
link to a page to sign up for a new, additional subscription with the new terms and
pricing. If a subscriber has a prior subscription that ended or was canceled, PayPal lets
the subscriber sign up for a new subscription with the modified terms and prices.
modify="2" – Add this line of code to let subscribers modify existing subscriptions
only. If a a subscriber has an active subscription, PayPal displays a page during
checkout for accepting the new terms and pricing. The page does not allow subscribers
to sign up for new subscriptions.
The Add a Subscribe button to your website page or the You've created your button
pages opens, depending on whether you are saving the button in you PayPal account.
5. Follow the procedure for “Copying and Pasting the Subscribe Code” on page 152.
For more information, see “Sample HTML Code for a Modify Subscription Button” on
page 170.

Creating Modify Subscription Buttons With JavaScript Disabled. To create a Modify
Subscription button with JavaScript disabled:
1. Follow the procedure for “Creating Advanced Subscribe Buttons With JavaScript
Disabled” on page 155.
– Specify the terms and pricing that will apply after the subscriptions are modified.
– Select a button image that reads “Subscribe.”
– Make sure you select the No radio button in the section about button encryption.


3

2. Click the Create Button Now button.
The Add a Subscribe button to your website page opens.
3. For a payment button, follow the procedure for “Copying and Pasting the HTML Code for
the Subscribe Button With JavaScript Disabled” on page 162 to copy and paste everything
in the HTML code for Websites text box onto your webpage. Then, add the following
code.
Do one of the following between the <form> and </form> tags in the pasted code:
– To let subscribers modify their active subscriptions or sign up for new, additional
subscriptions, insert the following line of code:
<input type="hidden" name="modify" value="1">
If a subscriber has an active subscription, PayPal displays a page during checkout for
accepting the new terms and pricing, with a link to a page to sign up for a new,
additional subscription with the new terms and pricing.
If a subscriber has a prior subscription that ended or was canceled, PayPal lets the
subscriber sign up for a new subscription with the modified terms and prices.
– To let subscribers modify existing subscriptions only, insert the following line of code:
If a a subscriber has an active subscription, PayPal displays a page during checkout for
accepting the new terms and pricing. The page does not allow subscribers to sign up for
new subscriptions.
4. For an email payment link, follow the procedure for “Copying and Pasting the Code for the
Subscribe Email Payment Link WIth JavaScript Disabled” on page 163 to copy and paste
everything in the Link for Emails text box into your email. Then, add the following code.
Do one of the following at the end of the pasted URL:
– To let subscribers modify their active subscriptions or sign up for new, additional
subscriptions, add the following variable and value:
modify=1
– To let subscribers modify existing subscriptions only, add the following variable and
value:
modify=2
For more information, see “Sample HTML Code for a Modify Subscription Button” on
page 170.

Working With Unsubscribe Buttons
Let subscribers cancel their active subscriptions by adding Unsubscribe buttons to your
website.


3

How PayPal Cancels Subscriptions
When subscribers cancel subscriptions, they avoid future recurring payments.If subscribers
cancel their subscriptions before payment is sent on the day that a recurring payment is due,
their subscriptions are canceled immediately and no payments are made.
The following example shows how subscribers use Unsubscribe buttons to cancel their
subscriptions.
N O T E : Subscribers
can cancel their subscriptions from the Subscription Details pages of their
PayPal accounts. For more information, see “Canceling Individual Subscriptions” on
page 128.

EXAMPLE 3.9 Subscribers Cancel Their Subscriptions
Subscription terms:
A regular subscription for $20.00 USD a month, for one year
Bob signs up for a subscription on Feb. 15:
On Aug. 28, Bob decides to cancel his subscription:.
– Bob visits the subscription website, finds a webpage that lets him cancel his subscription,
and clicks the Unsubscribe button.

– PayPal displays a log-in page. Bob enters his PayPal credentials and logs in.
– PayPal displays the Subscription Details page for his subscription.
– Bob scrolls to the bottom of the page and clicks the Unsubscribe button.
Bob’s subscription remains active through Sep. 14.


3

PayPal collects no more recurring payments from Bob.
Creating Unsubscribe Buttons
Do one of following to add Unsubscribe buttons to your website:
Create an Unsubscribe button as an optional step when you create your Subscribe button by
using the creation tool on the PayPal website
See one of the following:
– “Using the Button Creation Tool for an Unsubscribe Button” on page 154
– Step 2 of “Page 2 – Specifying Advanced Features of Your Subscribe Button” on
page 159
Write the HTML code for Cancel Subscription buttons manually.
See “Sample HTML Code for an Unsubscribe Button” on page 171.

Generating Usernames and Passwords With Subscribe Buttons
Let PayPal generate unique usernames and passwords for your subscribers when they sign up
for subscription memberships to your website. Use PayPal Subscriptions Password
Management to enable access to members only content on your website automatically.

IMPO RTANT: Subscriptions Password Management and Auto Return are incompatible.
Turn Auto Return off if you want PayPal to manage subscription passwords.
For more information, see “Auto Return” on page 271.
How Subscriptions Password Management Works
After subscribers sign up for your subscription, PayPal generates their usernames and
passwords automatically. PayPal displays the generated values to subscribers on the PayPal
payment confirmation page and in the PayPal confirmation email. In addition, PayPal displays
generated usernames and initial passwords to subscribers from their PayPal accounts.
Your website uses the generated usernames and initial passwords to set up new accounts so
that your subscribers can log in. Your website receives new subscription messages through
Instant Payment Notification, which requires advanced programming skills to implement.
After you implement Instant Payment Notification on your website, you write additional
programming code that captures the generated usernames and initial passwords for new
subscriptions. You should also write code to capture cancellation and end-of-term notices, so
that you can update your member database to turn off access to members only content.
For more information about Instant Payment Notification, see the Order Management
Integration Guide.
Downloading the Subscriptions Password Management Perl Script
PayPal provides a Perl script that you can use to help automate access to members only
content for new subscribers, provided your website uses “Basic Authentication” with an
Apache web server that runs on Linux. The Perl script interacts with Instant Payment
Notification to automatically activate and deactivate subscriber accounts on your website.


3

N O T E : Youmust agree to the terms of use before you can download the installation manual
and the Perl script from the PayPal website.
To download the manual and the Perl script for use with Subscriptions Password Management:
1. Log in to your PayPal Business account at https://www.paypal.com.
2. Click the Merchant Services tab.
The Tools for existing PayPal merchants page opens.
3. Under the Create Buttons heading, click the Subscribe link.
The Subscriptions & Recurring Payments button page opens.
4. In the text beside the first checkbox on the page, click the IPN and server modifications
required link.
The Subscriptions Password Management page opens.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the Download the Perl script link.
The User Agreement page opens.
6. Read the PayPal software license agreement, and then click the I agree button.
The Subscriptions Download page opens.
7. Do both of the following:
– Click the Donwload Manual link to download the PayPal Password Management
Installation Guide in PDF format.
– Click the Download Script link to download a tar file with script and a copy of the
license agreement.
Specifying to Generate Usernames and Passwords With Subscribe Buttons
Do one of following to add Subscribe buttons to your website that generate usernames and
passwords automatically for subscribers:
Specify that you want PayPal to generate usernames and passwords when you create
Subscribe buttons by using the creation tool on the PayPal website.
Specify that you want PayPal to reattempt failed recurring payments in the HTML button
See “Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button With Password Management” on
page 172.


3

Reattempting Failed Recurring Payments With Subscribe Buttons
PayPal cancels subscriptions when recurring payments fail. A recurring payment fails if funds
cannot be moved from the subscriber’s PayPal account to your own. Limits on the availability
of funds in PayPal accounts occur rarely, for a variety of reasons.
Temporary limits that PayPal places on subscribers’ accounts are often lifted quickly. To avoid
unnecessary cancellations, you can specify that PayPal should reattempt failed payments
before canceling subscriptions.
How PayPal Reattempts Failed Recurring Payments
PayPal reattempts to collect recurring payments three days after the day on which recurring
payments fail. If the first reattempt to collect a recurring payment fails, PayPal waits 5 days to
reattempt a second time. If the second reattempt fails, PayPal cancels the subscription.
N O T E : Payments made with bank accounts are automatically reattempted 3 days after PayPal
notifies subscribers that their payments failed.
Reattempts will not occur if another subscription payment is scheduled within 14 days of the
failed payment, so that payments do not overlap.

EXAMPLE 3.10 PayPal Reattempts to Collect a Failed Recurring Payment
Subscription Terms:
A regular subscription for $20.00 USD a month, for one year
Bob signs up for a subscription on Feb. 12.
On Apr. 12, PayPal attempts to collect Bob’s recurring $20.00 payment, but the payment
fails because of a temporary limit placed on Bob’s PayPal account.
On Apr. 15, PayPal reattempts to collect Bob’s recurring $20.00 payment for April, but the
payment fails again because the temporary limit remains on Bob’s PayPal account.
On Apr. 18, Bob takes action on his PayPal account, and PayPal lifts the temporary limit.
On Apr. 20, PayPal reattempts to collect Bob’s recurring $20.00 payment for April, and the
payment succeeds.
On May 12, PayPal attempts to collect Bob’s recurring $20.00 payment for May, and the
payment succeeds.
Specifying to Reattempt Failed Recurring Payments With Subscribe Buttons
Do one of following to add Subscribe buttons to your website that reattempt failed recurring
payments instead of canceling subscriptions immediately:
Specify that you want PayPal to reattempt recurring payments when you create Subscribe
buttons by using the creation tool on the PayPal website.
Specify that you want PayPal to reattempt failed recurring payments in the HTML button
See “Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button That Reattempts Payments” on page 172.


3
Creating Advanced Subscribe Buttons on the PayPal Website

Read the following topics to learn more about creating Subscribe buttons on the PayPal
website:
“Using the Button Creation Tool for Advanced Subscribe Buttons” on page 142
“Creating Advanced Subscribe Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 155

When you create Subscribe buttons with tools on the PayPal website, PayPal generates HTML
your website.
payment links to add Subscribe functionality to your email messages. If your web editing tool
or your service provider does not allow you to paste HTML code onto your webpages, you
may be able to paste the URL code for email payment links onto your webpages instead.

When you create Subscribe code with tools on the PayPal website, PayPal lets your protect the


Using the Button Creation Tool for Advanced Subscribe Buttons
Read the following topics to learn how to use the button creation tool for Subscribe buttons:
“The Basic Steps for Using the Tool With Subscribe Buttons” on page 143
“Saving Subscribe Buttons in Your PayPal Account” on page 143
“Adding Advanced Features to Subscribe Buttons With HTML Variables” on page 144
“Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Subscribe Button” on page 144
“Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Subscribe Button” on page 149
“Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Subscribe Button” on page 151


3

“Copying and Pasting the Subscribe Code” on page 152
“Using the Button Creation Tool for an Unsubscribe Button” on page 154
in “Creating Advanced Subscribe Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 155.
The Basic Steps for Using the Tool With Subscribe Buttons
The button creation tool for Subscribe buttons is a single webpage with three sections:
the details of your Subscribe button. You can specify product options that subscribers can
choose, and you can offer trial periods at reduced rates.
PayPal uses to track inventory.
advanced features of Subscribe buttons. If you are familiar with HTML programming and
the advanced HTML variables supported by Website Payments Standard buttons, you can
enter them here.
bar to expand it.

Saving Subscribe Buttons in Your PayPal Account


3

your website.
N O T E : If
you change product options, you must copy and paste the code that is newly
generated by PayPal to replace the code that you pasted previously.
account.
Tracking Inventory
PayPal can track inventory for items that you sell with Subscribe buttons if you save them in
the option to let oversold transactions go through or to warn subscribers and prevent them
from subscribing for more than your quantity on hand.
track inventory.
Adding Advanced Features to Subscribe Buttons With HTML Variables
For more information, see Step 4 of “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Subscribe
Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Subscribe Button
To begin using the button creation tool for Subscribe buttons:


3

button link.

5. Enter the payment details of your subscription (optional).
– Subscription name – (optional) Enter a name for the subscription; for example, enter
“Alice’s Monthly Digest”. If you do not enter anything in this field, your subscribers can
complete this field during checkout.
– Subscription ID – (optional) If you offer different kinds of subscriptions, such as
monthly and annual payment plans, enter an identifying code for this subscription.
If you want to set up your subscription so that PayPal tracks inventory levels, enter a
value that is unique among all the items that you sell by subscription and want PayPal to
track. For more information, see Step 2 of “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your
Subscribe Button” on page 149.


3

of product options.
information.
Enter a name for the text box, such as “Enter your size”.
You can add a maximum of 2 text boxes.
For more information, see “Offering Product Options With Subscribe Buttons” on
page 134.
Click the Customize appearance link and do one of the following:
If you change the country, ensure the currency that you select in Step 8 below is
appropriate.
8. Set the terms of the subscription.
– Have PayPal create user names and passwords for customers – Select this checkbox
if you would like PayPal to generate usernames and passwords for your subscribers.
For more information, see “Generating Usernames and Passwords With Subscribe
billing cycle. The amount is drawn from subscribers’ PayPal accounts at the beginning
of each cycle.


3

– Currency – Select the currency in which you priced the recurring amount to be billed;
the dropdown menu automatically selects the currency of your primary balance.
– Billing Cycle – In the dropdown menus, select a number and a unit of duration for the
regular subscription billing cycle.
– After how many cycles should billing stop? – (optional) If you want to limit the
number of regular billing cycles, select the number from the dropdown menu. For
example, select “6” if you want to set up a six-month installment payment plan.
For more information, see “Limiting the Number of Billing Cycles With Subscribe
Buttons” on page 133
– Try to bill a customer again after a failed attempt? Select the No radio button if you
want subscriptions to cancel immediately after attempts to collect recurring payments
fail. Leave the Yes radio button selected if you want subscriptions to cancel only after 3
successive attempts to collect recurring payments fail.
For more information, see “Reattempting Failed Recurring Payments With Subscribe
9. Offer trial periods to your subscribers (optional).
You can offer your subscribers two trial periods. You can offer the first trial period free of
charge. The duration of trial periods can differ from the duration of the regular subscription
billing cycle.
– Offer a trial to your subscribers – Select this checkbox if you want to offer trial
periods.
The page expands to display additional fields for setting the initial trial period.
– Amount to bill during trial period – Select the Free trial radio button; or select the
Lower rate radio button and then enter the amount you want to bill subscribers for the
initial trail period.
– How long should this trial period last? – In the dropdown menus, select a number and
a unit of duration for the trial period.
– Offer another trial to your subscribers? – Select the Yes radio button if want to offer
a second trial period that follows the initial trial period.
The page expands to display additional fields for setting the second trial period.
– Amount to bill during trial period – Enter the amount you want to bill subscribers for
the second trail period.
– How long should this trial period last? – In the dropdown menus, select a number and
a unit of duration for the second period.
– No – Select this radio button to avoid offering a second trial period and hide the
additional fields for setting it.
For more information, see “Offering Trial Periods and Introductory Rates With Subscribe


3

account, and your PayPal email address is never exposed in the HTML button code on
your webpages.


Follow the instructions for “Copying and Pasting the Subscribe Code” on page 152.
Follow the instructions for “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Subscribe Button”
on page 149.
Follow the instructions for “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Subscribe


3

Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Subscribe Button
your item.
options selected by subscribers.
you specified during Step 6 of “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Subscribe
following:
– Yes – Select this radio button to let subscribers checkout and authorize their payments,
even when inventory tracking shows that your item would become oversold. Buyers are
not informed of oversold or out-of-stock situations nor that their items will be on back
order after they complete their transactions
– No – Select this radio button to prevent subscribers from checking out and authorizing
their payments when inventory tracking shows that your item would become


3

oversubscribed. In the text box, enter the URL of a page on your website where you want
PayPal to send subscribers of oversubscribed items.
If the inventory of subscription items falls to 0, PayPal lets subscribers know that the
item is completely oversubscribed.

Subscribers click the Continue Shopping button to return to the webpage at the URL
that you specified.
”No” is the default choice for this feature.



3

Follow the instructions for “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Subscribe
Follow the instructions for “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Subscribe
Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Subscribe Button
1. Do you need your subscribers’ shipping addresses (optional)?
– Yes – Select this radio button to prompt subscribers to select or enter shipping addresses
during checkout.
– No – Select this radio button if you do not want to prompt subscribers for shipping
addresses. Select this option for items that do not require shipping, such as digital goods
that subscribers download, or if the item is a service that does not require on-site delivery.
2. Take subscribers to a specific webpage (URL) after checkout cancellation (optional)?
website where you want subscribers to return if they cancel their checkouts before
completing their transactions.
3. Take subscribers to a specific webpage (URL) after successful checkout (optional)?
website where you want subscribers to return after they complete their checkouts
successfully.
N O T E : If
you have a special webpage for subscribers who return to your website after
checking out successfully, consider implementing Payment Data Transfer so that
you can display information about the completed transactions. For more
information, see the Order Management Integration Guide.
For example, you want PayPal to display custom payment pages during checkout that you
set up in your account profile. Use the HTML variable page_style with the name you


3

gave to your custom payment page. If you were to include the variable in HTML code that
you write manually, you would use the standard HTML format:
<input type="hidden" name="page_style" value="myPageStyle">
page_style=myPageStyle
Standard.”
Follow the instructions for “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Subscribe
Follow the instructions for “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Subscribe Button”
on page 149.
Copying and Pasting the Subscribe Code
code page. The page contains tabs with Subscribe code for specific situations:
website.
paste HTML code.

Copying and Pasting the HTML Code for the Subscribe Button. The Website tab on the
You are viewing your button code page contains the generated HTML code for your
Subscribe payment button.
If in “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Subscribe Button” on page 149 you specified
You can expose the code of your payment button by clicking the Remove code protection


3


To copy and paste the HTML code for your Subscribe payment button:
code.
– or –

– or –

Copying and Pasting the Code for the Subscribe Email Payment Link. The Email tab
on the You are viewing your button code page contains the generated URL code for your
Subscribe email payment link.
Buttons.”
To copy and paste the URL code for your Subscribe email payment link:
– or –


3

– or –
Using the Button Creation Tool for an Unsubscribe Button
Each time you create a Subscribe button, PayPal gives you a chance to create an Unsubscribe
button. You can use the generated HTML code for any of these Unsubscribe buttons – the code
is identical. Paste the same HTML button code onto your webpages for as many Unsubscribe
buttons as you need.
N O T E : You
cannot save Unsubscribe buttons in your PayPal account, and the HTML button
code that PayPal generates does not require protection.
For more information, see “Working With Unsubscribe Buttons” on page 137.
To use the button creation tool for an Unsubscribe button:
5. In the Recurring amount to be billed text box, enter any amount.
6. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the Step 2 bar.

The Step 2 – Track inventory (optional) section of the tool expands to fill the page.
7. Clear the Save button at PayPal checkbox.


3

9. Click the Create an Unsubscribe button link.
10.Click the Create button button.
code.
– or –

– or –

Creating Advanced Subscribe Buttons With JavaScript Disabled
The button creation tool for Subscribe buttons, described above, requires JavaScript. If
Read the following topics to learn how to create Subscribe buttons with JavaScript disabled.
“The Pages in the Button Creation Tool for Subscribe Buttons” on page 156
“Page 1 – Specifying the Basic Features of the Subscribe Button” on page 156
“Page 2 – Specifying Advanced Features of Your Subscribe Button” on page 159
“Copying and Pasting the Subscribe Code With JavaScript Disabled” on page 162
N O T E : The alternative tool lets you create Subscribe buttons on the PayPal website, but it does


3

The Pages in the Button Creation Tool for Subscribe Buttons
The button creation tool for Subscribe buttons with JavaScript disabled has three pages:
Subscriptions & Recurring Payments button – the initial page to specify the required
and most often used optional features
Subscriptions & Recurring Payments – Page 2 – an optional page to specify additional,
advanced features, including the button image for Unsubscribe buttons
Add a Subscribe button to your website – the final page that has the generated code for
your payment button
Page 1 – Specifying the Basic Features of the Subscribe Button
To create code for a Subscribe button or email payment link by using a tool on the PayPal
4. Under the Create button without JavaScript enabled heading, click the Subscribe link.

The Subscriptions & Recurring Payments button page opens.
5. Enter the subscription details of your button.
– Subscription name/service – Enter a name for the subscription that people sign up for
when they click the Subscribe button.
– Reference number – (optional) If you offer different kinds of subscriptions, such as
monthly and annual payment plans, enter an identifying code for this subscription.
– Currency – From the dropdown menu, select the currency in which you will specify the
prices for trial periods and the regular subscription. The dropdown menu automatically
selects the currency of your primary balance.
log-in or sign-up page that donors see when they click the button. The content on the


3

page will be appropriate for the country you select. Subscribers can change the country
that you select, after the log-in or sign-up page opens.
– Select the checkbox at the bottom of the details section if you would like PayPal to
generate usernames and passwords for your subscribers.
For more information, see “Generating Usernames and Passwords With Subscribe
6. Specify trial periods for the subscription (optional).
– In the Trial Period #1 text box, enter the amount you want to bill subscribers for the
initial trial period. Enter 0 for a free initial trial period.
– In the Trial Period #1 dropdown menus for how long this trial period should last,
select a number and a unit of duration.
The following example shows how to select three-day trial period:

– In the Trial Period #2 text box, enter the amount you want to bill subscribers for a
subsequent trial period.
– In the Trial Period #2 dropdown menus for how long this trial period should last,
select a number and a unit of duration.
7. Specify the regular billing cycle for the subscription.
– Subscription Price – Enter the amount that you want to bill subscribers for regular
billing cycles that occur after trial periods end.
– Under the recurring basis link, select the No radio button if you want the subscription
to expire after the end of the first regular billing cycle.
– In the dropdown menus for the length of each billing cycle, select a number and a unit
of duration.
– Under the text that reads stop the recurring payments after a certain number, select
the Yes radio button if you want to limit the number of regular billing cycles for a
subscription.
– If you select the Yes radio button in the previous step, select the number of times you that
want the regular billing cycle to recur before the subscription expires.


3

– Under the text that reads if payment fails for the subscription, select the No radio
button if you want subscriptions to cancel immediately after attempts to collect recurring
payments fail.
For more information, see “Reattempting Failed Recurring Payments With Subscribe
Buttons” on page 141
The following example shows how to set up regular billing cycles for a year-long
installment plan with 12 equal, monthly payments.

For more information, see “Limiting the Number of Billing Cycles With Subscribe
8. Choose a button style for your Subscribe button.
receiving payments from your website instead of by using an email payment link. The
image that you select is hosted by PayPal.



3

– or –
code is generated.

10.If you have additional details to specify for your button, such as a custom payment page
that has your own logo and colors, or you want PayPal to generate a Cancel Subscription
button, click the Add More Options button and follow the instructions for “Page 2 –
Specifying Advanced Features of Your Subscribe Button” on page 159.
– or –
If you entered all the details and options for your button, go to “Copying and Pasting the
Subscribe Code With JavaScript Disabled” on page 162.
Page 2 – Specifying Advanced Features of Your Subscribe Button
Use the Subscriptions & Recurring Payments – Page 2 page to specify the following
additional details for your button.


3

Option fields lets subscribers select or specify options when they sign up for a subscription,
such as the choice of HTML or plain text format subscriptions to electronic newsletters.
Options must not change the price of the subscription.
Subscribe buttons can have one or two option fields. You can use a dropdown menu, with
choices that you specify, or a text box, in which subscribers type their option choice.
field.
– Option Name – Enter the name of your option, for example, “Format”. Enter no more
than 60 characters.
– Drop-Down Menu Choices – (if applicable) If you selected “drop-down menu” as the
type of option field, enter the menu choices, for example “HTML” and “Plain Text”.
Choices cannot exceed 30 characters. Use a carriage return (press ENTER) to separate
choices. Enter no more than 10 choices.

IMPO RTANT: Option fields cannot be used if you are creating an email payment link. To
include Subscribe links in email messages for items with options, send
HTML emails with links to Subscribe buttons on your website that have
option fields.
2. Create a Cancel Subscription button (optional).
Choose a button style for your Cancel Subscription button, which PayPal generates
automatically when you visit Page 2 to create a Subscribe button.
Select the radio button next to the image that you want to use. The image that you select is
hosted by PayPal.

– or –
To learn more, see “Working With Unsubscribe Buttons” on page 137.


3

Use these settings to give subscribers a visually seamless payment experience by
customizing the PayPal payment pages to match the visual style of your website.
– Primary Page Style – (display only) The payment pages that your subscribers see are
Styles in your account profile, they are listed here. Choose the page style you would like
to appear when subscribers click your Subscribe button.
donors see when they click your Subscribe button.
4. Customize your subscribers’s experience.
Use these settings to give subscribers a payment experience that is easy to navigate.

Enter the URL of a page on your website that you want subscribers redirected to after
they complete their payments. The URL that you enter is used by this payment button
only.
payment buttons use to redirect subscribers to your website after they complete their


3

Integration Guide.
want subscribers redirected to if they cancel their payments at any point before
completing the checkout. If you do not enter a URL, subscribers who cancel are taken to
a PayPal webpage. The URL that you enter is used by this payment button only.
Select the radio button that matches your need to collect addresses from subscribers:
Make shipping optional – Select this radio button if you want to prompt subscribers to
enter their addresses as an option.
– or –
Yes, require shipping – Select this radio button if you want to require subscribers to enter
their addresses.
– or –
No shipping needed – Select this radio button if you do not require addresses from
subscribers.
Subscribe Button” on page 156, beginning with Step 5.
– or –
the Subscribe Code With JavaScript Disabled” on page 162.
Copying and Pasting the Subscribe Code With JavaScript Disabled
After you enter the details and options that you want for your Subscribe button, click the
Create Button Now button. PayPal generates Subscribe code for:
optionally, a button and an email link to let subscribers cancel their subscriptions
The Add a Subscribe button to your website page displays the generated code.

Copying and Pasting the HTML Code for the Subscribe Button With JavaScript
Disabled. To copy and paste the HTML code for the Subscribe payment button:
– or –


3

3. Open the webpage where you want the button to be seen.
– or –

Copying and Pasting the Code for the Subscribe Email Payment Link WIth JavaScript
To copy and paste the code for the Subscribe email payment link:
– or –
– or –

Copying and Pasting the Code for the Cancel Subscription Button. PayPal generates
HTML code for the Cancel Subscription button if you visit the Subscriptions and Recurring
Payments – Page 2 page to add more options to your Subscribe button.
To copy and past the HTML code for the Cancel Subscription button:
1. Select everything in the first text box under the Copy 'Cancel Subscription' Button
HTML heading by clicking the text with your mouse.


3

– or –
– or –

Copying and Pasting the Code for the Cancel Subscription Email Payment Link.
PayPal generates code for the Cancel Subscription email payment link if visit the
Subscriptions and Recurring Payments – Page 2 page to add more options. However,
PayPal does not generate code for email payment links if you select the Yes radio button in the
Button Encryption section on the first page of the button creation tool. To turn button
encryption off, return to the first page and click the No radio button in the Button Encryption
section. Then click the Create Button Now button again.
To copy and paste the code for the Cancel Subscription email payment link:
1. Select everything in the second text box under the Copy 'Cancel Subscription' Button
HTML heading by clicking the text with your mouse.
– or –
3. Open the email that you want to send.
– or –

Creating More Subscribe Buttons. After you copy and paste the Subscribe code, you can
create another Subscribe button for a different kind of subscription. Scroll to the bottom of the
Add a Subscribe button to your website page and click the Create Another Button button.
Then follow the instructions for “Page 1 – Specifying the Basic Features of the Subscribe


3
Sample HTML Code for Subscribe Buttons

Button” on page 156, beginning with Step 5. The pages of the button creation tool retain the
options that you previously specified.

following reasons:

The sample HTML code in this section demonstrates various features of Subscribe buttons:
“Sample HTML Code for a Basic Subscribe Button” on page 165
“Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button With Trial Periods” on page 166
“Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button With Limits on Billing Cycles” on page 167
“Sample HTML Code for Subscribe Buttons With Product Options” on page 168
“Sample HTML Code for a Modify Subscription Button” on page 170
“Sample HTML Code for an Unsubscribe Button” on page 171
“Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button With Password Management” on page 172
“Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button That Reattempts Payments” on page 172
To protect against malicious users tampering with the HTML code for your Subscribe buttons
and submitting fraudulent payments, see Chapter 6, “Securing Your Website Payments


Sample HTML Code for a Basic Subscribe Button
The sample HTML code below illustrates a basic Subscribe button with these features:
No trial periods
A subscription price of $5.00 USD
A 1-month billing cycle


3

No limit on the number of billing cycles
The subscription ends only when canceled by the merchant or the subscriber.

<input type="hidden" name="business" value="alice@mystore.com">


<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_xclick-subscriptions">


<input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="Alice's Weekly Digest">
<input type="hidden" name="item_number" value="DIG Weekly">


<input type="hidden" name="a3" value="5.00">
<input type="hidden" name="p3" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="t3" value="M">

src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_subscribe_LG.gif"
</form>

Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button With Trial Periods
The sample HTML code below illustrates a Subscribe button with these features:
An initial trial period that is free and lasts for 7 days.
A second trial periods that costs $5.00 USD and lasts for an additional 3 weeks.
The regular subscription begins 4 weeks after the subscriber signs up. It ends only when
canceled by the merchant or the subscriber.

3


<input type="hidden" name="a1" value="0">
<input type="hidden" name="t1" value="D">


<input type="hidden" name="t2" value="W">

<input type="hidden" name="t3" value="Y">
<input type="hidden" name="src" value="1">

</form>

Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button With Limits on Billing Cycles
The sample HTML code below illustrates a Subscribe button that establishes an installment
plan with this features:
An initial payment of $129.95 USD
5 additional monthly payments of $69.95 USD
The subscriber pays a total of $497.70 USD over the 6-month course of the installment
payment plan.

3






<input type="hidden" name="src" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="srt" value="5">

</form>
For more information, see “Limiting the Number of Billing Cycles With Subscribe Buttons”
on page 133.

Sample HTML Code for Subscribe Buttons With Product Options
When you add production options to your Subscribe buttons with HTML code that you write
yourself, you can have a maximum of 10 product options, each with their own sets of choices.
The options can be either dropdown menus or text boxes.
to Subscribe buttons.
“Sample Code for a Subscribe Button With Product Options” on page 168
“Sample Code for a Subscribe Button With Product Options as Text Boxes” on page 169
For more information, see “Offering Product Options With Subscribe Buttons” on page 134.
Sample Code for a Subscribe Button With Product Options
The sample HTML code below illustrates a basic Subscribe button with a dropdown menu of
product options.

3


<input type="hidden" name="on0" value="Format">Format <br />
<select name="os0">
<option value="Select a format">-- Select a format --</option>
<option value="plaintext">Plain text</option>
<option value="HTML">HTML</option>
</select> <br />

</form>

Sample Code for a Subscribe Button With Product Options as Text Boxes
The sample code below illustrates a basic Subscribe button with a text box for entering
product options.






3


</form>


Sample HTML Code for a Modify Subscription Button
The sample HTML code in this topic illustrates a Modify Subscription button, which lets
subscribers convert their current subscriptions to a new set of terms. Modify Subscription
buttons are useful for letting subscribers upgrade from one subscription level to another. The
subscription number remains the same as before; only the terms of the subscription change.
The sample code illustrates a Modify Subscription button with these features:
Subscribers can modify their current subscriptions to the above terms only; they cannot
sign up for additional, new subscriptions while keeping their current subscriptions.





3





</form>
For more information, see “Working With Modify Subscription Buttons” on page 134

Sample HTML Code for an Unsubscribe Button
Instead of an HTML form like other payment buttons, Unsubscribe buttons are image links to
the subscription cancellation function on the PayPal website. The URL for the image link is
specified with the HREF attribute, and it includes these URL-encoded parameters
cmd – identifies the action as a request to cancel the active subscription of the PayPal
account holder who clicked the button.
alias – identifies the email address on file with the subscription service provider’s PayPal
account through which the subscriber originally signed up, or identifies the provider’s
PayPal account by secure merchant account ID.
In the example below, the email address alice@mystore.com is URL encoded by
substituting “@” with “%40” and “.” with “%2e”.
The sample code below illustrates a Cancel Subscription button that lets subscribers cancel
their current, active subscriptions.
<A HREF="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_subscr-
find&alias=alice%40mystore%2ecom">
<IMG BORDER="0"
SRC="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_unsubscribe_LG.gif">
</A>

Paste the code onto you webpage near text that explains how subscription cancellations work.
For more information, see “Working With Unsubscribe Buttons” on page 137

3

Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button With Password Management
The sample HTML code below illustrates a Subscribe button that has PayPal generate
usernames and passwords automatically.






<input type="hidden" name="usr_manage" value="1">

</form>
For more information, see “Generating Usernames and Passwords With Subscribe Buttons” on
page 139.

Sample HTML Code for a Subscribe Button That Reattempts Payments
The sample HTML code below illustrates a Subscribe button that has PayPal reattempt failed
recurring payments before canceling subscriptions.

3
Sample URL Code for Subscribe Email Payment Links



<input type="hidden" name="sra" value="1">

</form>
For more information, see “Reattempting Failed Recurring Payments With Subscribe Buttons”
on page 141.

The sample URL code below illustrates a basic Subscribe email payment link with these
features:
No trial periods
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick-
subscriptions&business=alice@mystore.com&item_name=Alice%27s%20Weekly%20Dig
est&a3=5.00&p3=1&t3=M&currency_code=USD

3


4 The PayPal Shopping Cart – Add
to Cart and View Cart Buttons

With the PayPal Shopping Cart, you can let buyers select multiple items on your website and
pay for them with a single payment. Buyers click Add to Cart buttons to add items to their
virtual PayPal Shopping Carts, and they click View Cart buttons to review the items in their
carts before they check out and make their payments.

You can create Add to Cart buttons that you add to your website by using a tool on the PayPal
website, or you can write the HTML code for Add to Cart buttons manually. You can create
Read the following topics to learn more about the PayPal Shopping Cart:
“Getting Started With The PayPal Shopping Cart” on page 176
“The Checkout Experience With the PayPal Shopping Cart” on page 191
“Managing PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions” on page 201
“Advanced Features of Add to Cart Buttons” on page 203
“Creating Advanced PayPal Shopping Cart Buttons on the PayPal Website” on page 204
“Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons” on page 228
“Sample HTML Code for View Cart Buttons” on page 238


The PayPal Shopping Cart – Add to Cart and View Cart Buttons
4
Getting Started With The PayPal Shopping Cart

The easiest way to add the PayPal shopping cart to your website is to create Add to Cart and
View Cart buttons by using a tool on the PayPal website. As soon as you add the buttons, you
can begin accepting payments on your website.

Do the following to add the PayPal Shopping Cart to your website:
“Getting Started With Add To Cart Buttons” on page 176
“Getting Started With View Cart Buttons” on page 183

Getting Started With Add To Cart Buttons
Follow one of these procedures to get started creating your own Add to Cart buttons:
“Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Add to Cart Button” on page 176
“Creating Basic Add to Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 177
“Creating Add to Cart Buttons Before You Create Your PayPal Account” on page 180
N O T E : For more detailed instructions, see “Creating Advanced PayPal Shopping Cart Buttons
on the PayPal Website” on page 204.
Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Add to Cart Button
To use the button creation tool for a basic Add to Cart button:


4

5. Select the Yes; create an “Add to Cart” button radio button.
code.
– or –

– or –
Creating Basic Add to Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled
The button creation tool for Add to Cart buttons, described above, requires JavaScript. If
Read these topics to learn more about creating Add to Cart buttons with JavaScript disabled:
“Limitations When Creating Add to Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 177
“Creating a Basic Add to Cart Button With JavaScript Disabled” on page 178

Limitations When Creating Add to Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled. The
alternative tool that works with JavaScript disabled lets you create Add to Cart buttons on the
Tracking inventory
Product options with separate pricing


4


Creating a Basic Add to Cart Button With JavaScript Disabled.
To add a basic Add to Cart button to your website with JavaScript disabled:
4. Click the Add to Cart link.

The PayPal Shopping Cart page opens.
– Item name/service – Enter the name of your item or service.
– Price – Enter a fixed price of your item.
– Weight (optional) – Enter the weight of the item. Select Lbs or Kgs from the dropdown
menu to specify the unit of measure. If you set up shipping rates for your account with a
basis of weight, PayPal uses the value you enter here to calculate shipping charges for
orders that include the item.
The Add a shopping cart to your site page displays the generated code.
7. Click the “Add to Cart” button code text box to select all of the generated HTML code.
– or –


4


– or –
Repeat the above procedure for each item that you want to offer for purchase on your website.

Enabling JavaScript in Your Browser. PayPal recommends that you keep JavaScript
enabled at all times. Many features of the PayPal website require that JavaScript be enabled in
your browser.
After you enable JavaScript in your browser, you can create a basic Add to Cart button by
following the instructions for “Using the Button Creation Tool for a Basic Add to Cart Button”
on page 176
Enabling JavaScript in Internet Explorer
To enable JavaScript in Internet Explorer:


4


Enabling JavaScript in FireFox
To enable JavaScript in Firefox.
Creating Add to Cart Buttons Before You Create Your PayPal Account
You can create basic Add to Cart buttons, add them to your website, and begin accepting
payments before you sign up for your PayPal account. Read the following topics to learn more
about creating Add to Cart buttons before you create your PayPal account.


4

“Limitations of Add to Cart Buttons Created Without a PayPal Account” on page 181
“Creating a Basic Add to Cart Button Without a PayPal Account” on page 182

Limitations of Add to Cart Buttons Created Without a PayPal Account. Consider the
following limitations of payment buttons that you create and add to your website before you
Buyers must have a PayPal account to pay you.
in your browser.

Unclaimed Payments From Buttons Created Without a PayPal Account. For buttons
that you create without a PayPal account, payments that buyers authorize are held as
unclaimed by PayPal until you sign up. PayPal holds your unclaimed payments under the
In their PayPal accounts, buyers see unclaimed payments that they made to you from Add to
Cart buttons that you created without a PayPal account. Such unclaimed payments are
displayed in their recent account activity and in their transaction history. Until you finish
signing up for your PayPal account, buyers can cancel your unclaimed payments and recover
their funds.


4


Creating a Basic Add to Cart Button Without a PayPal Account. To create a basic Add
to Cart button without a PayPal account:
5. Under the Sell multiple items heading, click the Create payment button link.


4


code.
– or –

– or –

Getting Started With View Cart Buttons
You need to create only one View Cart button, regardless of the number of Add to Cart buttons
that you create and add to your website. Place several copies of the View Cart button on your
website, wherever you want to let buyers view the their shopping carts and its current contents
and to begin the checkout process.
Follow one of these procedures to get started creating your own View Cart buttons:
“Using the Button Creation Tool for a View Cart Button” on page 184
“Creating View Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 185


4

“Creating View Cart Buttons Before You Create Your PayPal Account” on page 188
Using the Button Creation Tool for a View Cart Button
Each time you create an Add to Cart button, PayPal gives you a chance to create a View Cart
button. You can use the generated HTML code for any of these View Cart buttons – the code is
identical. Paste the same HTML button code onto your webpages for as many View Cart
To use the button creation tool for a View Cart button:
– Item name – Enter any name.
– Price – Enter any price.



4

10.Click the Create a View Cart button link.
11. Click the Create button button.
The You’ve Created Your Button page opens.
code.
– or –

– or –
Creating View Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled
The button creation tool for View Cart buttons, described above, requires JavaScript. If
Read these topics to learn more about creating View Cart buttons with JavaScript disabled:
“Limitations When Creating View Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 185
“Creating a View Cart Button With JavaScript Disabled” on page 186

Limitations When Creating View Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled. The
alternative tool that works with JavaScript disabled lets you create View Cart buttons on the
Language choices for buttons images


4

Creating a View Cart Button With JavaScript Disabled. Each time you create an Add to
Cart button, PayPal gives you a chance to create a View Cart button. You can use the generated
HTML code for any of these View Cart buttons – the code is identical. Paste the same HTML
button code onto your webpages for as many View Cart buttons as you need.
To add a View Cart button to your website with JavaScript disabled:
4. Click the Add to Cart link.

– Item name/service – Enter a name.
– Price – Enter a price.
7. Click the “View Cart” button code text box to select all of the generated HTML code.
– or –



4

– or –
11. Repeat this procedure beginning at Step 7 to place as many copies of the View Cart button
as you want on other webpages of your website.

Enabling JavaScript in Your Browser. PayPal recommends that you keep JavaScript
enabled at all times. Many features of the PayPal website require that JavaScript be enabled in
your browser.
After you enable JavaScript in your browser, you can create a basic Add to Cart button by
following the instructions for “Using the Button Creation Tool for a View Cart Button” on
page 184
Enabling JavaScript in Internet Explorer
To enable JavaScript in Internet Explorer:


4


Enabling JavaScript in FireFox
To enable JavaScript in Firefox.
Creating View Cart Buttons Before You Create Your PayPal Account
You can create View Cart buttons before you create your PayPal account and add them to your
website. However, to begin accepting payments, you must add some Add to Cart buttons, as
well.


4

in your browser.
button. You can use the generated HTML code for any of these View Cart buttons – the code is
identical. Paste the same HTML button code onto your webpages for as many View Cart
To create a View Cart button without a PayPal account:
5. Under the Sell multiple items heading, click the Create payment button link.
8. Enter the payment details of an item.


4


11. Click the Create a View Cart button link.
12.Click the Create button button.

code.
– or –


4
The Checkout Experience With the PayPal Shopping Cart

– or –

This section demonstrates the PayPal checkout experience for people who click Add to Cart
and View Cart buttons on your website. The following diagram illustrates the steps.


4

FIGURE 4.2 The Checkout Experience with Add to Cart and View Cart Buttons

Read these topics to better understand the checkout experience with Add to Cart and View
Cart buttons:
“Begin – Buyers Add Your Items to the PayPal Shopping Cart” on page 193
“1 – Buyers Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In To PayPal” on page 194
“Enhancing the Checkout Experience With Add to Cart Buttons” on page 200


4

Begin – Buyers Add Your Items to the PayPal Shopping Cart
The basic checkout experience with the PayPal Shopping Cart begins when someone on your
website adds your items to the cart and then views it to check out.

FIGURE 4.3 Buyers Add Your Items to the PayPal Shopping Cart

In this example, George begins on Kin’s Kards website, looking for birthday cards. George
clicks the Add to Cart buttons under two cards that he wants. Then, he clicks the View Cart
button to review his selections.
PayPal displays a shopping cart page, which lets buyers review their selections, specify
quantities, and remove items before proceeding to check out.


4

FIGURE 4.4 Buyers Review Their Selections in the Pal Shopping Cart

In this case, George is satisfied with his selections and the transaction amount. He clicks the
Proceed to Checkout button.

1 – Buyers Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In To PayPal
PayPal displays a billing information/log-in page, which lets buyers enter their credit card


4

FIGURE 4.5 Buyers Enter Their Billing Information or Log In to PayPal

For the PayPal Shopping Cart, the PayPal billing information/log-in page shows transaction
details near the top, such as the count of items and the transaction total.
If buyers are satisfied with the details, they do one of the following to select a payment
method:
To pay with a credit card – Buyers enter their billing information. They also enter their
To pay with a PayPal account – Buyers enter their PayPal credentials and click the Log in
button.


4

In this case, George is satisfied with the total transaction amount of $6.90 USD. He enters his
billing and contact information, and then he clicks the Review Order and Continue button.

2 – Buyers Confirm Their Transaction Details Before Paying
PayPal displays a transaction confirmation page to let buyers confirm the details before they


In this case, George reviews the transaction details and clicks the Pay $6.90 Now button to


4

3 – Buyers View and Print Their PayPal Payment Confirmations
PayPal displays a payment confirmation page after buyers pay to let them know that they have
completed their transactions and authorized their payments successfully.




4


In this case, George prints the PayPal payment receipt for his records.

End – Buyers Receive Payment Authorization Notices by Email
PayPal sends buyers a payment authorization notice by email to confirm the transaction that
they made with the merchant.


4


In this case, PayPal sends George an email message notifying him of his transaction with Kin’s
Kards and his authorization for payment of $6.90 USD.


4

Enhancing the Checkout Experience With Add to Cart Buttons
your buyers:
The basic checkout experience handles tax and shipping, if you provide the information.You
can enhance the checkout experience by specifying tax and shipping rates in your account
profile. PayPal calculates the charges automatically for each transaction. In addition, you can
specify tax and shipping charges individually for items in the payment buttons that you create.
“Automatic Calculation of Sales Tax” on page 285
“Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (non-U.S. Merchants Only)” on page 304
your button.
The basic checkout experience has forms for filling in billing and shipping information. You
can enhance the checkout experience by prepopulating the forms with information that you
have on your website about the buyer.


4
Managing PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions

To learn more, see Step 4 of “Page 2 – Adding More Details to the PayPal Shopping Cart
page 358.


Read the following topics to learn how PayPal helps you manage PayPal Shopping Cart
transactions:
Using Email Notices to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions
Using Recent Activity to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions
Using Transaction History to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions
Using Downloadable History Logs to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions
Using Instant Payment Notification to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions

Using Email Notices to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions
Payments are made.
organization who handles order processing or accounting. Add the additional email address to


4

your account profile. Then, use that email address as the one to receive payments when you
use the button creation tool on the PayPal website to create your Add to Cart buttons. Specify
the alternate email address as the value for the business HTML variable when you write the
HTML code yourself for your Add to Cart buttons.
For more information, see Step 4 in the instructions for “Page 2 – Adding More Details to the
PayPal Shopping Cart Button” on page 223, or Appendix A, “HTML Variables for Website

Using Recent Activity to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions
PayPal displays PayPal Shopping Cart transactions in your recent activity, soon after buyers
complete them by clicking Add to Cart buttons and checking out on your website.

FIGURE 4.10 Using Recent Activity to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions


Using Transaction History to Track PayPal Shopping Cart Transactions
PayPal lets you search for PayPal Shopping Cart transactions on the History page. The status
of payments found there can be:


4
Advanced Features of Add to Cart Buttons

Using Downloadable History Logs to Track PayPal Shopping Cart
Transactions
PayPal lets you download your PayPal Shopping Cart transactions to your computer from the
History page. You can specify a date range for the transactions and the file format of the
download file.
Guide.

Using Instant Payment Notification to Track PayPal Shopping Cart
Transactions
PayPal lets your web server receive messages about PayPal Shopping Cart transactions and
payment activity on your account. If you activate Instant Payment Notification, PayPal sends
messages when:

Advanced Features of Add to Cart Buttons
Read the following topics to learn about these advanced features of Add to Cart buttons:
“Offering Product Options With Add to Cart Buttons” on page 203

Offering Product Options With Add to Cart Buttons
Prompt buyers for product options, such as size or color. You can prompt buyers for their
options on a single payment button. Up to 5 options can prompt for selections with dropdown

With Add to Cart buttons, you can offer a product option that has separate prices for each
selection by using 1 of the 5 allowable dropdown menus.


4
Creating Advanced PayPal Shopping Cart Buttons on the PayPal Website

Specifying Product Options With Add to Cart Buttons
Do one of the following to create Add to Cart buttons that offer product options:
Specify the product options when you create Add to Cart buttons by using the creation tool
on the PayPal website.
See Step 7 of “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Add to Cart Button” on
page 207.
See “Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons With Product Options” on page 229.

Creating Advanced PayPal Shopping Cart Buttons on the
PayPal Website
Read the following topics to learn more about creating Add to Cart buttons on the PayPal
website:
“Pricing Items in Multiple Currencies” on page 205
“Working with View Cart Buttons” on page 205
“Using the Button Creation Tool for Advanced Add to Cart Buttons” on page 205
“Creating Advanced Add to Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 220

When you create Add to Cart buttons with tools on the PayPal website, PayPal generates
HTML code for website payment buttons. Then, you copy and paste the HTML code onto the
pages of your website.
payment links to add Add to Cart functionality to your email messages. If your web editing
tool or your service provider does not allow you to paste HTML code onto your webpages,
you may be able to paste the URL code for email payment links onto your webpages instead.

When you create Add to Cart code with tools on the PayPal website, PayPal lets your protect
the HTML button code that it generates by encrypting part of it. Protecting the HTML code of



4


Pricing Items in Multiple Currencies
All items that buyers add to carts must be priced in the same currency. The first item that
buyers add to an empty cart determines the currency for all items in the shopping cart. The cart
uses the currency that you selected for your Add to Cart buttons when you created them.
After a buyer adds the first item to a shopping cart, the buyer cannot add items priced in other
currencies. To change the currency of a shopping cart, a buyer must purchase the items in the
cart with the current currency or empty the cart and add items priced in the other currency.
To avoid shopping difficulties that arise with multiple currencies, price all of your items in the
same currency. If you must price items in multiple currencies, let buyers choose the currency
for viewing your catalog and display prices on your website only in the currency that the buyer
selected.

Working with View Cart Buttons
You need to create only one View Cart button, regardless of the number of Add to Cart buttons
that you create and add to your website. Place several copies of the View Cart button on your
website, wherever you want to let buyers view the their shopping carts and its current contents
and to begin the checkout process.
The HTML button code that PayPal generates for View Cart buttons does not require
protection, because the code does not contain any payment information. You can use the
generated HTML code for any View Cart buttons that you create – the code is identical.
To learn how to create View Cart buttons, see one of the following:
“Creating Advanced Add to Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 220

Using the Button Creation Tool for Advanced Add to Cart Buttons
Read the following topics to learn how to use the button creation tool for Add to Cart buttons:
“The Basic Steps for Using the Tool With Add to Cart Buttons” on page 206
“Saving Add to Cart Buttons in Your PayPal Account” on page 206
“Adding Advanced Features to Add to Cart Buttons With HTML Variables” on page 207
“Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Add to Cart Button” on page 207
“Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Add to Cart Button” on page 211
“Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Add to Cart Button” on page 214
“Copying and Pasting the Add to Cart Code” on page 216


4

in “Creating Advanced Add to Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled” on page 220.
The Basic Steps for Using the Tool With Add to Cart Buttons
The button creation tool for Add to Cart buttons is a single webpage with three sections:
the details of your Add to Cart button. You can specify product options that buyers can
choose, and you can specify item-specific charges for shipping and tax.
PayPal uses to track inventory on the item.
advanced features of Add to Cart buttons. If you are familiar with HTML programming
and the advanced HTML variables supported by Website Payments Standard buttons, you
can enter them here.
bar to expand it.

Saving Add to Cart Buttons in Your PayPal Account
your website.


4

N O T E : If
you change product options, you must copy and paste the code newly generated
by PayPal to replace the code that you pasted previously.
Tracking Inventory
PayPal can track inventory for items that you sell with Add to Cart buttons if you save them in
the option to let oversold transactions go through or to warn buyers and prevent them from
buying more than your quantity on hand.
track inventory. You can have a maximum of 1,000 saved buttons in your PayPal account.
Adding Advanced Features to Add to Cart Buttons With HTML Variables
For more information, see Step 5 of “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Add to Cart
Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Add to Cart Button
To begin using the button creation tool for Add to Cart buttons:


4

button link.

– Item ID – (optional) Enter the inventory ID or tracking number of your item, if you
assign such IDs to your products.
If you want to set up your item so that PayPal tracks inventory levels, enter a value that
is unique among all the items that you sell and want PayPal to track. For more
information, see “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Add to Cart Button” on
page 211.
If you want to add product options with different prices for each option that buyers can
select, do not enter a price here. For more information, see Step 7 below.
– Currency – Select the currency in which you priced the item; the dropdown menu
automatically selects the currency of your primary balance.
If you want to customize the country and language of the button, make sure that you
select an appropriate currency here. For more information, see Step 8 below.


4

– Add dropdown menu with price/option – Select this checkbox to add a dropdown
menu of product options, with a separate price for each option.
Enter a name for the dropdown menu, such as “Color”. For each menu option, enter a
name, such as “Red”, “Blue”, or “Green”, and the price you want buyers to pay. Select
the currency for your prices from the dropdown menu. You can add a maximum of 10
priced options to the menu.
an option, clear the menu option name and price, and then click the Done button.
of product options, without separate prices.
information.
Enter a name for the text box, such as “Enter the text you want engraved”.
You can add a maximum of two 2 boxes.
For more information, see “Offering Product Options With Add to Cart Buttons” on
page 203.
Click the Customize appearance link and select one of the following:
appropriate.


4

9. Add shipping charges and tax rates to your item (optional).
You can add shipping charges and tax rates for your item here. They override the tax and
shipping rates that PayPal calculates automatically based on rates that you specify in your
account profile.
– Shipping – Enter a specific amount to charge for shipping this item.
The currency for the amount is the same as the currency for the item. Enter zero (0.00)
for items that do not incur shipping charges. The amount you enter here overrides the
automatic calculation of shipping charges on the item.
N O T E : Before
you can accept payments from Add to Cart buttons with specific shipping
costs entered here, you must enable the override of shipping methods in the
Shipping Calculations section of your account profile. You can create your button
successfully, but you cannot accept payments from your button until you enable
shipping cost overrides. Ensure that you enable shipping cost overrides for all the
shipping methods that you set up for your account. For more information, see
or “Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (non-U.S. Merchants Only)” on
page 304.
– Tax – Enter a percentage to calculate the tax on this item, regardless of quantity.
The currency for the calculated tax will be the same as the currency for the item. Enter
zero (0.000) for non-taxable items to override automatic sales tax calculation on the
item.
your webpages.


4


Follow the instructions for “Copying and Pasting the Add to Cart Code” on page 216.
Follow the instructions for “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Add to Cart Button”
on page 211.
Follow the instructions for “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Add to Cart
Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Add to Cart Button
your item.
options selected by buyers.


4

you specified during “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Add to Cart Button”
on page 207. If you set up product options with prices, the radio button is selected
automatically.
following:
– Yes – Select this radio button to let buyers checkout and authorize their payments, even
when inventory tracking shows that your item would become oversold. Buyers are not
informed of oversold or out-of-stock situations nor that their items will be on back order
after they complete their transactions.
– No – Select this radio button to prevent buyers from checking out and authorizing their
payments when inventory tracking shows that your item would become oversold. In the


4

text box, enter the URL of a page on your website where you want PayPal to send buyers
of out of stock items.
If there are some items in stock, but not enough to fulfill a buyer’s request, PayPal
proposes the amount currently available.

Buyers can click the Update Totals button to accept the proposed quantity, adjust the
quantity to a lower number, or click the Remove link to proceed with checkout.
If there are no items in stock, PayPal lets buyers know that the item is completely sold
out.

PayPal drops sold-out items from the transaction if buyers proceed with checkout.
”No” is the default choice for this feature.


4


Follow the instructions for “Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Add to Cart
Follow the instructions for “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Add to Cart
Step 3 – Adding Advanced Features to Your Add to Cart Button
1. Can your buyers add special instructions in a message to you (optional)?
– Yes – Select this radio button to let buyers add special instructions to you during
checkout. In the Name of message box text box, enter the text that you want displayed


4

for the text box in which buyers enter there special instructions; the default value is “Add
special instructions to the merchant”.

2. Do you need your buyers’ shipping addresses (optional)?
– Yes – Select this radio button to prompt buyers to select or enter shipping addresses
during checkout.
– No – Select this radio button if you do not want to prompt buyers for shipping addresses.
Select this option for items that do not require shipping, such as digital goods that buyers
download, or if the item is a service that does not require on-site delivery.
3. Take buyers to a specific webpage (URL) after checkout cancellation (optional)?
website where you want buyers to return if they cancel their checkouts before completing
their transactions.
4. Take buyers to a specific webpage (URL) after successful checkout (optional)?
website where you want buyers to return after they complete their checkouts successfully.
N O T E : If you have a special webpage for buyers who return to your website after checking


4

For example, if you want to handle purchases as orders rather than as final sales, use the
HTML variable paymentaction with the value order. If you were to include the
variable in HTML code that you write manually, you would use the standard HTML
format:
<input type="hidden" name="paymentaction" value="order">
paymentaction=order
Do not enclose values in quotes, even if value contain spaces. PayPal surrounds the value
Standard.”
Follow the instructions for “Step 1 – Specifying Basic Features of Your Add to Cart
Follow the instructions for “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Add to Cart Button”
on page 211.
Copying and Pasting the Add to Cart Code
code page. The page contains tabs with Add to Cart code for specific situations:
website.
paste HTML code.


4

Copying and Pasting the HTML Code for the Add to Cart Button. The Website tab on
the You are viewing your button code page contains the generated HTML code for your Add
to Cart payment button.
If in “Step 2 – Tracking Inventory With Your Add to Cart Button” on page 211 you specified

To copy and paste the HTML code for your Add to Cart payment button:
code.
– or –

– or –

Copying and Pasting the Code for the Add to Cart Email Payment Link. The Email tab
on the You are viewing your button code page contains the generated URL code for your
Add to Cart email payment link.
Buttons.”
To copy and paste the URL code for your Add to Cart email payment link:


4

– or –
– or –
Using the Button Creation Tool for a View Cart Button
button. Paste the same HTML button code onto your webpages for as many View Cart buttons
as you need.
N O T E : You cannot save View Cart buttons in your PayPal account.
For more information, see “Working with View Cart Buttons” on page 205.
To use the button creation tool for a View Cart button:


4


10.Click the Create a View Cart button link.
11. Click the Create button button.
The You’ve Created Your Button page opens.
code.
– or –

– or –


4

Creating Advanced Add to Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled
The button creation tool for Add to Cart buttons and View Cart buttons, described above,
requires JavaScript. If JavaScript is disabled in your browser, PayPal automatically offers you
an alternative button creation tool that does not require JavaScript.

IMPO RTANT: The button creation tool for PayPal Shopping Cart buttons with JavaScript
disabled does not support encryption of the code it generates. Secure your
button code for Add to Cart buttons by using an alternative strategy
described in Chapter 6, “Protecting Payment Buttons by Using Encrypted
Website Payments.” View Cart buttons do not require encryption.
Read the following topics to learn how to create Add to Cart and View Cart buttons with
JavaScript disabled.
“The Pages in the Button Creation Tool for Add to Cart” on page 220
“Page 1 – Specifying the Basic Features of the Add to Cart Button” on page 220
“Page 2 – Adding More Details to the PayPal Shopping Cart Button” on page 223
“Copying and Pasting PayPal Shopping Cart Code With JavaScript Disabled” on page 227
N O T E : The
alternative tool lets you create Add to Cart buttons on the PayPal website, but it
does not allow you to save your buttons in your PayPal account.
The Pages in the Button Creation Tool for Add to Cart
The button creation tool for Add to Cart and View Cart buttons with JavaScript disabled has
three pages:
PayPal Shopping Cart – the initial page to specify the required and most often used
optional features
PayPal Shopping Cart – Page 2 – an optional page to specify additional, advanced
features, including the button image for View Cart buttons
Add a shopping cart to your site – the final page that has the generated code for your
payment button
Page 1 – Specifying the Basic Features of the Add to Cart Button
To create HTML code for an Add to Cart button and a View Cart button using a tool on the
PayPal website with JavaScript disabled:


4

4. Under the Create button without JavaScript enabled heading, click the Add to Cart
link.

– Item name/service – Enter the name of your item or service.
– Item ID/number – (optional) Enter the inventory ID or tracking number of your item.
The value you enter is displayed to buyers at the time of payment, and it is displayed in
the transaction details that both merchants and buyers can view on the PayPal website.
– Price – Enter a fixed price of your item.
– Currency – From the dropdown menu, select the currency in which you priced the item.
The dropdown menu automatically selects the currency of your primary balance.
For more information, see “Pricing Items in Multiple Currencies” on page 205.
log-in or sign-up page that buyers see when they click the button. The content on the page
will be appropriate for the country you select. Buyers can change the country that you
select, after the log-in or sign-up page appears.
– Weight (optional) – Enter the weight of the item. Select Lbs or Kgs from the dropdown
menu to specify the unit of measure. If you set up shipping rates for your account with a
basis of weight, PayPal uses the value you enter here to calculate shipping charges for
orders that include the item.


4

6. Choose a button style for your Add to Cart button.
hosted by PayPal.

– or –
7. Specify a shipping method option.
– Select the Use my shipping calculations radio button if you set up shipping rates for your
account and you want the shipping charges for the item to be calculated automatically.
– or –
– Select the Use a flat rate amount radio button if you have not set up shipping rates for
your account or you want to exclude the item from automatic calculation of shipping
charges.
In the text box, enter a fixed amount that will be added to the shipping charges for
purchases that include the item. Enter zero (0.00) for items that do not incur shipping
charges. The currency for the amount that you enter is the same as the currency for the
item.
8. Specify a sales tax option.
– Select the Use my sales tax calculations radio button if you set up tax rates for your
account and you want taxes on the item to be calculated automatically.
– or –


4

– Select the Use a flat rate amount radio button if you have not set up sales tax calculations
for your account or you want to exclude the item from automatic calculation of taxes.
In the text box, enter a fixed amount that will be added to the taxes for purchases that
include the item. Enter zero (0.00) for non-taxable items. The currency for the amount
that you enter is the same as the currency for the item.
For more information, see “Automatic Calculation of Sales Tax” on page 285.
9. If you have additional details to specify for your button, such as option fields or a custom
payment page style that has your own logo and colors, click the Add More Options button
and follow the instructions for “Page 2 – Adding More Details to the PayPal Shopping Cart
– or –
If you entered all the details and options for your button, go to “Copying and Pasting
PayPal Shopping Cart Code With JavaScript Disabled” on page 227.
Page 2 – Adding More Details to the PayPal Shopping Cart Button
Use the PayPal Shopping Cart – Page 2 page to specify the following additional details for
your button with JavaScript disabled.
Option fields lets buyers select or specify options when they purchase the item, such as
color or size. Options must not change the price of the item.
Add to Cart buttons can have one or two option fields. You can use a dropdown menu, with
choices that you specify, or a text box, in which buyers type their option choice.
field.
– Option Name – Enter the name of your option, for example, “Size” or “Color”. Enter no
more than 60 characters.
– Drop-Down Menu Choices – (if applicable) If you selected “dropdown menu” as the
type of option, enter your menu choices. Choices cannot exceed 30 characters. Use a
carriage return (press ENTER) to separate choices. Enter no more than 10 choices.
2. Choose a button style for your View Cart button.
hosted by PayPal.


4

– or –
N O T E : You
need to create only one View Cart button for the PayPal Shopping Cart. Place
copies of the generated HTML code for the View Cart button wherever you want
buyers to click to view their shopping cart and begin the checkout process.
Use these settings to give buyers a visually seamless payment experience by customizing
– Primary Page Style (display only) – The payment pages that your buyers see are
– Custom Payment Page Style (optional) – If you already added Custom Payment Page
Styles in your account profile, they are listed here. Choose the page style you would like
to appear when buyers check out and pay from the PayPal Shopping Cart.
buyers see.


4

4. Customize your buyer’s experience.
Use these settings to give buyers a payment experience that is easy to navigate.

– Successful Payment URL – (optional) Enter the URL for the page on your website that
you want buyers redirected to after they complete their payments.
If Auto Return is off, the button uses the Successful Payment URL that you specify
here.
If Auto Return is on, this field contains the Return URL that you specified when you
turned Auto Return on. Click the Edit button to change the Return URL and the
Successful Payment URL that this button uses.
Integration Guide.
want buyers redirected to if they cancel their payments at any point in the PayPal
Shopping Cart checkout experience.
If you do not enter a cancel payment URL, buyers who cancel their payments are taken
to a PayPal webpage.


4

Select the radio button that matches your need to collect shipping addresses from buyers:
Make shipping optional – Select this radio button if you want to prompt buyers to enter
their shipping addresses as an option.
– or –
Yes, require shipping – Select this radio button if you want to require buyers to enter their
shipping addresses.
– or –
No shipping needed – Select this radio button if your products not require shipping, such
as digital goods that buyers download, or if your items are services that do not require on-
site delivery.
6. Collect customer notes and special instructions from buyers.
Use these settings to prompt buyers to enter notes or special handling instructions.

– Select the Yes radio button if you want buyers to enter notes to you when they make their
payments. If you leave the No radio button selected, buyers cannot include notes.
label to prompt buyers for specific information, such as their customer IDs or special
handling instructions. Enter no more than 30 characters.
7. Select an email address to receive payment.
email address of the person in your organization who handles order fulfillment or
accounting. All payments are deposited to your PayPal account balance, regardless of
which email addresses receive particular payments. Only confirmed email addresses can be
used to receive payments.


4

Add to Cart Button” on page 220, beginning with Step 5.
– or –
PayPal Shopping Cart Code With JavaScript Disabled” on page 227.
Copying and Pasting PayPal Shopping Cart Code With JavaScript Disabled
After you enter the details and options that you want for your Shopping Cart buttons, click the
Create Button Now button. PayPal generates HTML code for two PayPal Shopping Cart
buttons:
an Add to Cart button, which is used for the item you want to sell.
A View Cart button, which takes buyers to a webpage hosted by PayPal that displays all the
items that buyers have added to their carts and from where they check out and pay.

Copying and Pasting the HMTL Code for the Add to Cart Button With JavaScript
Disabled. To copy and past the HTML code for the Add to Cart button:
1. Click the “Add to Cart” button code text box to select all of the generated HTML code.
– or –
– or –

Copying and Pasting the HTML Code for the View Cart Button With JavaScript
Disabled. You need to paste at least one View Cart button onto your website. Paste the View
Cart HTML code onto your website in locations where buyers can easily see them and click to
check out.
For more information, see “Working with View Cart Buttons” on page 205.
To copy and past the HTML code for the View Cart button:
1. Scroll down the Add a shopping cart to your site page to the View Cart Button section.
2. Click the “View Cart” button code text box to select all of the generated HTML code.


4
Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons

– or –
4. Open the webpage where you want the button to be seen.
– or –

Creating More Add to Cart Buttons With JavaScript Disabled. After you copy and paste
the PayPal Shopping Cart code, you can create another Add to Cart button for a different item.
Scroll to the bottom of the Add a shopping cart to your site page and click the Create
Another Button button. Then follow the instructions for “Page 1 – Specifying the Basic
Features of the Add to Cart Button” on page 220, beginning with Step 5. The pages of the
button creation tool retain the options that you specified previously.

After you paste the HTML code onto your webpage, ensure that it matches exactly the HTML
code you copied from PayPal. Pasted code may not match the generated code for the following
reasons:
Your HTML editing tool may have special areas for pasting HTML code and other areas
for pasting display text. Be sure you paste the generated code into a field that accepts
HTML code.
Your HTML editing tool might change some characters in the pasted code.

The sample HTML code in this section demonstrates various features of Add to Cart buttons:
“Sample HTML Code for a Basic Add to Cart Button” on page 229
“Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons With Product Options” on page 229
“Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons that Open the Shopping Cart in the
Merchant Window” on page 233
“Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons that Continue Shopping on the Current
Merchant Webpage” on page 236


4

To protect against malicious users tampering with the HTML code for your Add to Cart
buttons and submitting fraudulent payments, see Chapter 6, “Securing Your Website Payments


Sample HTML Code for a Basic Add to Cart Button
The sample HTML code below illustrates a basic Add to Cart button with these features:
An item named “Birthday - Cake and Candle”.
An item price of $3.95 USD.
PayPal calculates tax and shipping based on rates that you set up in your PayPal account.
The buyer’s PayPal Shopping Cart opens in a separate browser window or tab.
<form target="paypal" action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr"
method="post">

<input type="hidden" name="business" value="kin@kinskards.com">


<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_cart">
<input type="hidden" name="add" value="1">

<input type="hidden" name="item_name"
value="Birthday - Cake and Candle">

src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_cart_LG.gif"
</form>

Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons With Product Options
When you add production options to your Add to Cart buttons with HTML code that you write
yourself, you can have a maximum of 10 product options, each with their own sets of choices.
The options can be either dropdown menus or text boxes. Only one of the dropdown menu
options can have options with prices.

4

to Add to Cart buttons.
“Sample Code for an Add to Cart Button With Product Options” on page 230
“Sample Code for an Add to Cart Button With Product Options With Prices” on page 231
“Sample Code for an Add to Cart Button With Product Options as a Text Box” on page 232
For more information, see “Offering Product Options With Add to Cart Buttons” on page 203.
Sample Code for an Add to Cart Button With Product Options
The sample code below illustrates a basic Add to Cart button with a dropdown menu of
product options.
method="post">





<input type="hidden" name="on0" value="Color">Color scheme <br />
<select name="os0">
<option
value="Select a color scheme">-- Select a color scheme --
<option value="Blue">Blue</option>
<option value="Pink">Pink</option>
<option value="Yellow">Yellow</option>
</select> <br />

</form>

4

The sample code above produces the following result on your webpage.

Sample Code for an Add to Cart Button With Product Options With Prices
The sample code below illustrates a basic Add to Cart button with a dropdown menu of
product options that have separate prices for each option. Only one of the dropdown menus in
the set product options that your Add to Cart button offers can have prices.
Product options with prices specify the prices in two places:
The dropdown menu displays the prices for each option – buyers see the prices they pay for
each option.
A list of hidden HTML variables repeats the prices for each option – PayPal uses these
prices to charge buyers for the options they choose.
Dropdown menus with option prices use the following variables:
currency_code – sets the currency for option prices
item_index – identifies which dropdown menu of product option has prices
option_select* and option_amount* – repeats the prices for each option
N O T E : Youcannot specify item IDs for production options with prices to have PayPal track
inventory for your item. PayPal can track inventory by product option only for buttons
that you save in your PayPal account.
method="post">





<input type="hidden" name="on0" value="Color">Color scheme <br />
<select name="os0">
<option

4

value="Select a color scheme">
-- Select a color scheme --</option>
<option value="Blue">Blue</option>
<option value="Pink">Pink</option>
<option value="Yellow">Yellow</option>
</select> <br />


<input type="hidden" name="on1" value="Size">Size <br />
<select name="os1">
<option
value="Select a size">-- Select a size --</option>
<option value="2x4">2 x 4 - $3.95 USD</option>
</select> <br />


<input type="hidden" name="option_index" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="option_select0" value="2x4">

</form>

Sample Code for an Add to Cart Button With Product Options as a Text Box
The sample code below illustrates a basic Add to Cart button with a text box for entering
product options.

4

method="post">






</form>


Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons that Open the Shopping Cart in
the Merchant Window
By default, when buyers click Add to Cart buttons, the PayPal Shopping Cart opens in a
separate browser window.

4

FIGURE 4.11 Opening the PayPal Shopping Cart in a Separate Browser Window

You can change the shopping experience for you buyers by opening the PayPal Shopping Cart
in the same browser window that displays your website.


4

FIGURE 4.12 Opening the PayPal Shopping Cart in the Same Browser Window

Use the target attribute in the form element to control whether the PayPal Shopping Cart
opens in a separate browser window or opens in the same browser window that displays your
website.

TABLE 4.1 Values for “Target” That Open the PayPal Shopping Cart

Target expression Where the PayPal Shopping Cart Opens

target="paypal" The PayPal Shopping cart opens in a browser window
or browser tab that is separate from the browser
window or tab that displays the merchant website.

target="_self" The PayPal Shopping cart opens in the browser
window or browser tab that displays the merchant
website.

The sample HTML code below for an Add to Cart button illustrates how to open the PayPal
Shopping Cart in the browser window that displays the merchant website.


4

<form target="_self" action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr"
method="post">




</form>
See also “Sample HTML Code for a View Cart Button That Opens the Shopping Cart in the
Merchant Window” on page 239.

Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons that Continue Shopping on the
Current Merchant Webpage
When buyers click Add to Cart buttons, the PayPal Shopping Cart page opens. Buyers can see
the items in their carts, and they can begin checking out. In addition, buyers can click the
Continue Shopping button to return to your website and add more items to their carts.


4

If your website has many product pages, browsers may have difficulty returning buyers to the
same product pages that they leave when they click your Add to Cart buttons. Returning
buyers to a different page, such as the home page of your website, degrades the shopping
experience for buyers who want to add more items to their carts before checking out.
Use the shopping_url variable to specify which page PayPal returns buyers to when they
click the Continue Shopping button. You can set the value of the shopping_url variable if
you know the URL for the webpage where the button appears. In the code below, the merchant
wants to ensure that buyers who click an Add to Cart button for a birthday card return to the
product page for birthday cards when they want to continue shopping.
method="post">



value="Birthday Card - Cake and Candle">


<input type="hidden" name="shopping_url"
value="http://www.kinskards.com/birthday_cards.html">

</form>
With a more advanced coding technique, you can add JavaScript functions to your product
pages that gets the current URL for the webpage from the browser and uses it as the value of
shopping_url. Use this coding technique to make your button code more portable when you
copy and paste buttons from webpage to webpage.
...
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
function getContinueShoppingURL(form){

// -- Get the href of the currently displayed webpage --
form.shopping_url.value = window.location.href;
}

4
Sample HTML Code for View Cart Buttons

//-->
</script>
...

method="post">



value="Birthday Card - Cake and Candle">




onclick=getContinueShoppingURL(this.form)
</form>
See also “Sample HTML Code for View Cart Buttons that Continue Shopping on the Current
Merchant Webpage” on page 240.

The sample HTML code in this section demonstrates various features of View Cart buttons:
“Sample HTML Code for a View Cart Button” on page 239
“Sample HTML Code for a View Cart Button That Opens the Shopping Cart in the
Merchant Window” on page 239
“Sample HTML Code for View Cart Buttons that Continue Shopping on the Current
Merchant Webpage” on page 240

4

Sample HTML Code for a View Cart Button
View Cart buttons contain no payment information, so you do not need to take on precautions
on securing them.
The value for the business variable must match a confirmed email address on file with your
PayPal account, and it must match the value that you used for the business variables on your
Add to Cart buttons.
method="post">



<input type="hidden" name="display" value="1">


src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_viewcart_LG.gif"
</form>

Paste the code onto the pages or your website wherever you want buyers to click to view the
contents of their PayPal Shopping Carts and begin the checkout process.

Sample HTML Code for a View Cart Button That Opens the Shopping Cart
in the Merchant Window
By default, when buyers click View Cart buttons, the PayPal Shopping Cart opens in a
separate browser window.You can simplify the shopping experience for you buyers by
opening the PayPal Shopping Cart in the same browser window that displays the pages of your
website.
The sample HTML code below for a View Cart button illustrates how to open the PayPal
Shopping Cart in the same browser window as the merchant website.
<form target="_self" action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr"

4

method="post">



</form>
For more information, see “Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons that Open the
Shopping Cart in the Merchant Window” on page 233.

Sample HTML Code for View Cart Buttons that Continue Shopping on the
Current Merchant Webpage
When buyers click View Cart buttons, the PayPal Shopping Cart page opens. Buyers can see
the items in their carts, and they can begin checking out. In addition, buyers can click the
Continue Shopping button to return to your website and add more items to their carts.

If your website has many product pages, browsers may have difficulty returning buyers to the
same product pages that they leave when they click your View Cart buttons. Returning buyers
to a different page, such as the home page of your website, degrades the shopping experience
for buyers who want to add more items to their carts before checking out.
Use the shopping_url variable to let PayPal control which page buyers return to when they
click the Continue Shopping button.


4

method="post">





</form>
For more information, see “Sample HTML Code for Add to Cart Buttons that Continue
Shopping on the Current Merchant Webpage” on page 236.

4


5 Third-Party Shopping Carts – The
Cart Upload Command

This chapter describes how to develop a third-party shopping cart that is compatible with
PayPal and Website Payments Standard.
N O T E : If
you are not a third-party developer, you can easily add a PayPal Shopping Cart
which is hosted by PayPal to your site. See Chapter 4, “The PayPal Shopping Cart –
Add to Cart and View Cart Buttons.”
Read the following topics to learn more about third-party shopping carts:
“How A Third Party Shopping Cart Works” on page 243
“Integrating PayPal with Third Party Shopping Carts” on page 249

How A Third Party Shopping Cart Works
This example shows how a third party shopping cart works with PayPal and Website Payments
Standard. The example merchant has the following account profile settings:
PayPal Account Optional is turned on. The buyer can pay without an existing PayPal
account and is offered the chance to sign up for one after completing the payment.
For more information, see “PayPal Account Optional” on page 276.
Shipping Calculations have been set up. PayPal calculates the shipping charges
automatically and adds them to the order.
Auto Return is turned off. Buyers must click a Return to Merchant button to redirect their
browsers to the merchant website after completing their payments with PayPal.

What The Buyer Sees With Third Party Shopping Carts
Bob is shopping for photos on the DesignerFotos website. He selects several photos for
purchase by clicking the Add to Cart button underneath each one.


Third-Party Shopping Carts – The Cart Upload Command
5

FIGURE 5.1 Third Party Shopping Cart – Add to Cart

In this example integration, the third party shopping cart is programmed by the vendor to
display the contents of the cart each time Bob clicks an Add to Cart button. In addition, Bob
can click the View Cart link at any time to review the items already in the cart and to begin the
PayPal Website Payments Standard checkout experience.

FIGURE 5.2 Third Party Shopping Cart – View Shopping Cart

After selecting the items he wants to buy and specifying their quantities, Bob clicks the
Proceed to Checkout button.


5

Bob’s browser is redirected to the PayPal website. Buyers with PayPal accounts can enter their
PayPal account credentials and click the Log In button to access information already on file
with PayPal, such as shipping addresses.

FIGURE 5.3 Third Party Shopping Cart – PayPal Payment Login Page

Bob does not have a PayPal account, so he enters his payment and billing information on the
payment login page and clicks the Review Payment button. Bob is taken to a review page that
shows the details of his payment.


5

FIGURE 5.4 Third Party Shopping Cart – PayPal Payment Review Page

DesignerFotos has set up Shipping Calculations in the account profile, so PayPal calculates
shipping costs automatically and adds them to the order.
Bob clicks the Pay $505.00 Now! button to complete the payment.
In response, the browser takes Bob to a payment confirmation page. DesignerFotos has Auto
Return turned off in the account profile, so the page displays a button to return to the
DesignerFotos website.
Bob can:
Click the Return to DesignerFotos button to return to the merchant website.
Click the View Printable Receipt link to view and print a PayPal payment receipt.
Click the Create Account button to sign up for a PayPal account.
Bob does not have a PayPal account yet, and he chooses to open one by entering his email
address, a password, and clicking the Create Account button. The payment and shipping
information he used for the transaction is added to his PayPal account automatically.


5

FIGURE 5.5 Third PartyShopping Cart – PayPal Payment Confirmation Page

PayPal sends Bob an email notice of his payment to DesignerFotos.


5

FIGURE 5.6 Email Payment Receipt from PayPal to Buyer

What Merchants See
PayPal sends DesignerFotos an email notice of Bob’s payment.

FIGURE 5.7 Email Payment Receipt from PayPal to Merchant

N O T E : DesignerFotos
(the user seller@designerfotos.com) can also see the payment in the
PayPal account history.


5
Integrating PayPal with Third Party Shopping Carts

Instead of relying on the PayPal Shopping Cart, many merchants use third party shopping carts
that are already integrated with PayPal. The section describes how developers of third party
carts integrate with PayPal using Website Payments Standard.

Required Third Party Shopping Cart Variables
Your HTML code requires at least the following hidden HTML variables. For a complete list
of variables, see Appendix A, “HTML Variables for Website Payments Standard.”

TABLE 5.1 Required Third Party Shopping Cart Variables

Name Description

amount_1 Price of a single item or the total price of all items in the
shopping cart

business Email address of your PayPal account

item_name_1 Name of the item or a name for the entire shopping cart

upload Indicates the use of third party shopping cart

There are two ways to integrate your third party shopping cart with PayPal and Website
Payments Standard:
Pass the details of the individual items.
Pass the aggregate amount of the total cart payment, rather than the individual item details.

Passing Individual Item Details to PayPal
If you code your third party shopping cart to pass individual items to PayPal, information
about the items is included in buyers’ and the merchants’ transaction histories and
notifications.
1. Set the cmd variable to _cart.
2. Include the upload variable:
<input type="hidden" name="upload" value="1">

3. Define item details for each item in the cart.
Specify the required variables and any optional variables listed inTable A.1, “Allowable
Values for the cmd HTML Variable.” Append _x to the variable name, where x is the item
number, starting with 1 and increasing by one for each item added to the cart. The first item in
the cart must be defined with variables ending in _1, like item_name_1, amount_1, and
quantity_1; the second item with variables like item_name_2, amount_2, and


5

quantity_2; the third item with variables like item_name_3, amount_3, and
quantity_3; and so on.

IMPO RTANT: The _x values must increment by one continuously in order to be recognized.
If you skip from item #1 to item #3 without defining an item #2, the third
item will be ignored.
The minimum required HTML for your post to PayPal looks similar to the following.

EXAMPLE 5.1 HTML for Passing Individual Item Detail to PayPal
<input type="hidden" name="business" value="seller@designerfotos.com">
<input type="hidden" name="item_name_1" value="Item Name 1">
<input type="hidden" name="amount_1" value="1.00">
<input type="hidden" name="item_name_2" value="Item Name 2">
<input type="submit" value="PayPal">
</form>

Setting Currency in the Cart
All monetary variables (amount_x., shipping_x., shipping2_x, handling_x, tax_x.,
and tax_cart) are interpreted in the currency designated by the currency_code variable
posted with the payment. Because currency_code is not item-specific, there is no need to
append _x to the currency_code variable name. If no currency_code variable is posted,
all monetary values default to U.S. Dollars.
Setting Tax on Individual Items
Use the tax_x variable to specify the tax for a particular item in the cart. For example, the
following line specifies that the tax on item 2 in the cart is 15 cents:
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" name="tax_2" value=".15">

Setting Shipping Charges on Individual Items
Use the weight_x and weight_unit variables to specify item weights if the merchant’s
profile-based shipping rates are based on weight. For example, the following lines specify the
weight of item 3 in the cart as 1.5 kg.
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" name="weight_3" value="1.5">
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" name="weight_unit" value="kgs">
Use the quantity_x variable if the merchant’s profile-based shipping rates are based on
quantity. For example, the following line specifies that the quantity for item 3 in the cart is 6.
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" name="quantity_3" value="6">


5

Setting the Tax for the Entire Cart
Use the tax_cart variable to specify a tax amount that applies to the entire transaction,
rather than to individual items. The tax_cart variable overrides any per-item tax amount
specified with tax_x.

Setting the Shipping Charge for the Entire Cart
Use the shipping variable to specify the total amount of shipping charge for the entire cart
and its payment transaction. The value of shipping is used for the shipping charges,
regardless of the merchant’s profile-based shipping rates and rate basis.

Setting the Weight for the Entire Cart
Use the weight_cart and weight_unit variables to specify the total weight of the cart, if
the merchant’s profile-based shipping rates are configured with a basis of weight. The
weight_cart variable overrides any per-item weights specified with weight_x.

Passing the Aggregate Shopping Cart Amount to PayPal
You can aggregate your entire shopping cart and pass the total amount to PayPal. You must
post a single item_name_1 for the entire cart and the total price of the cart contents in
amount_1 as though it were a purchase of a single item.
N O T E : Onedrawback with passing aggregate cart information is that buyers do not see the
individual items in their order on the PayPal payment pages.
The following HTML is identical to “HTML for Passing Individual Item Detail to PayPal” on
page 250 except the individual items amounts and item names are aggregated into a single
amount and a single item.

EXAMPLE 5.2 HTML for Aggregate Cart Detail to PayPal
<input type="hidden" name="item_name_1" value="Aggregated items">
<input type="submit" value="PayPal">
</form>

Securing Your Shopping Cart
After you have customized you third party shopping cart, protect against malicious users
tampering with the button code and submitting an incorrect charge by using one of the


5

methods described in Chapter 6, “Protecting Payment Buttons by Using Encrypted Website
Payments.”


6 Securing Your Website Payments
Standard Buttons

Unprotected and non-encrypted buttons that are not saved in your PayPal account are in clear
text in the source view of your webpages. The HTML button code for your payment buttons
can be viewed by anyone. A malicious third party could copy a page, change button HTML
variables such as price, and make fraudulent payments.

on securing Website Payment Standard buttons.
PayPal provides the following strategies for securing Website Payments Standard buttons. Use
one or more of the following security strategies to prevent and/or detect tampering with your
buttons:

Strategy for Securing Buttons See

Create protected buttons by using button creation tools on “Creating Protected Payment Buttons
the PayPal website. on the PayPal Website” on page 254

Save payments button that you create on the PayPal website “Saving Payment Buttons in Your
in your PayPal account. PayPal Account” on page 256

Manually check the item amounts in each payment through “Reconciling Payments Manually
the transaction history in your PayPal account before Through Transaction History” on
shipping. page 257
N O T E : You are required to reconcile your payments,
especially if you have unprotected or non-encrypted
buttons.

Automatically check the item amounts in each payment “Reconciling Payments Through
through Instant Payment Notification before shipping. Instant Payment Notification” on
page 258
N O T E : You are required to reconcile your payments,
especially if you have unprotected or non-encrypted
buttons.

Edit your PayPal account profile to enable Encrypted “Protecting Payment Buttons by
Website Payments, and use a script and open-source Using Encrypted Website Payments”
libraries from OpenSSL to encrypt your buttons on page 258
dynamically when rendering your webpages.
You must be comfortable programming in scripts like PHP
and ASP to use Encrypted Website Payments.

Edit your PayPal account profile to block unprotected and “Blocking Unprotected and Non-
non-encrypted buttons to add extra security to your encrypted Website Payments” on
protected, saved, and encrypted buttons. page 264


Securing Your Website Payments Standard Buttons
6
Creating Protected Payment Buttons on the PayPal Website

Read the following topics to learn about creating protected payment buttons:
“How Protected Payment Buttons Help Prevent Fraudulent Payments” on page 254
“Using the Button Creation Tool to Create a Protected Payment Button” on page 254
“Creating a Protected Payment Button with JavaScript Disabled” on page 255

How Protected Payment Buttons Help Prevent Fraudulent Payments
Protected payment buttons help secure your payments because the HTML button code that
PayPal generates and that you paste onto your webpages is encrypted. HTML button code that
is protected with encryption cannot be altered by malicious third parties to create fraudulent
payments.
You can protect the HTML button code that PayPal generates for all kinds of payment buttons:
Buy Now buttons
Donate buttons
Subscribe buttons
Buy Gift Certificate
Add to Cart buttons
N O T E : PayPal
cannot protect HTML button code for Add to Cart buttons with JavaScript
disabled in your browser. In such cases, use an alternative strategy to secure your
buttons. See “Reconciling Payments Manually Through Transaction History” on
page 257, and “Reconciling Payments Through Instant Payment Notification” on
page 258.

Using the Button Creation Tool to Create a Protected Payment Button
To create a protected payment button using the button creation tool:
4. In the Accept payments for dropdown menu, do one of the following:


6

– Buy Now buttons – Select “Products” or “Services”, and then select the No; create a
“Buy Now” button checkbox below.
– Add to Cart buttons – Select “Products” or “Services”, and then select the Yes; create
an “Add to Cart” button checkbox below.
– Subscribe buttons – Select “Subscriptions and Recurring Payments”.
– Donate buttons – Select “Donations”.
– Buy Gift Certificate buttons – Select “Gift Certificates”.
5. Enter details about your button.
6. Click the Step 2 bar to expand that section of the button creation tool.
N O T E : Ifyou save your buttons at PayPal, you do not need to protect them. The code that
you add to your website for buttons that you save contain no information that can be
fraudulently altered by malicious third parites to submit fraudulent payments.
– Click the Create Button button to generate the protected HTML code.
– Click the Step 3 bar to customize your button with advanced features. Then click the
Create Button button.
9. Click the text box to selected the generated, protected HTML code, and paste it onto the
pages of your website.
10.Update the profile settings on your PayPal account to block non-encrypted website
payments, as described in “Blocking Unprotected and Non-encrypted Website Payments”
on page 264.

Creating a Protected Payment Button with JavaScript Disabled
To create a protected payment button with JavaScript disabled in your browser:
4. Under the Create button without JavaScript enabled heading, click an appropriate link:
– Buy Now
– Add to Cart
– Donate


6
Saving Payment Buttons in Your PayPal Account

– Subscribe
– Gift Certificate
5. Enter details about your button, and choose a button image.
6. In the Security Settings section, select the Yes radio button to protect your button with
encryption. This is the default setting.
7. Click the Create Button Now button to generate the encrypted HTML code.
– or –
Click the Add More Options button to enter optional details about your button.
N O T E : Some settings on the Add More Options page require that you change Security
Settings to No. In such cases, you will have to use an alternative strategy to secure
your buttons. See “Reconciling Payments Manually Through Transaction History”
on page 257, and “Reconciling Payments Through Instant Payment Notification”
on page 258.
8. Update the profile settings on your PayPal account to block unprotected website payments,
as described in “Blocking Unprotected and Non-encrypted Website Payments” on
page 264.

Saving Payment Buttons in Your PayPal Account
Saving your buttons in your PayPal account helps secure against fraudulent payments because
the HTML button code that PayPal generates and that you paste onto your webpages does not
contain pricing information. PayPal holds pricing information in your PayPal account, so
malicious third parties cannot alter it and submit fraudulent payments.
You can save all kinds of payment buttons in your PayPal Premiere or Business account – Buy
Now, Donate, Subscribe, Add to Cart, and Buy Gift Certificate buttons.
N O T E : Youcannot save payment buttons in your PayPal account with JavaScript disabled in
your browser or if you have a PayPal Personal account. In such cases, use an
alternative strategy to secure your buttons. See “Reconciling Payments Manually
Through Transaction History” on page 257, and “Reconciling Payments Through
Instant Payment Notification” on page 258..
To use the button creation tool to save payment buttons in your PayPal account:


6
Reconciling Payments Manually Through Transaction History

3. Under the Selling Preferences heading, the Create New Button link
4. In the Accept payments for dropdown menu, do one of the following:
– Buy Now buttons – Select “Products” or “Services”, and then select the checkbox below
for Buy Now buttons.
– Donate buttons – Select “Donations”.
– Subscribe buttons – Select “Subscriptions and recurring payments”.
– Buy Gift Certificate buttons – Select “Gift Certificates”.
– Add to Cart buttons – Select “Products” or “Services”, and then select the checkbox
below for Add to Cart buttons.
5. Enter the details for your button, using the Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3 sections of the tool.
Make sure you select the Save button at PayPal checkbox at the top of the Step 2 section;
it is selected by default.
For more detailed instructions, see the chapter that is specific to the kind of button that you
are creating.
6. Click the Create Button button to save the details of your payment button in your PayPal
account and to generate the small portion of code that you need to copy and paste onto your
webpages.
7. Update the profile settings on your PayPal account to block non-encrypted website
payments, as described in “Blocking Unprotected and Non-encrypted Website Payments”
on page 264.

Reconciling Payments Manually Through Transaction History
If you process a small number of transactions, reconcile your payments manually through your
transaction history and the reporting tools provided by PayPal. You are required to reconcile
your payments, especially if you have unprotected or non-encrypted buttons.
To reconcile payments manually through your transaction history:
1. Log in to your Business or Premier account.
2. In the My Account tab, click the History subtab.
3. In the Show dropdown menu, select “Payments Received”.
4. Specify a time frame for the payments you want to verify.
6. For each payment that was found, verify that the item amounts match the amounts that you
charge.


6
Reconciling Payments Through Instant Payment Notification

For detailed instructions on using the History subtab, see the Order Management Integration
Guide.

Reconciling Payments Through Instant Payment Notification
If you process a large number of transactions, reconcile your payments automatically through
Instant Payment Notification by verifying that the item amounts match the amounts that you
charge. You are required to reconcile your payments, especially if you have unprotected or
non-encrypted buttons.
With Instant Payment Notification, PayPal posts a message to your server when someone pays
you. You specify the URL through which you receive Instant Payment Notification messages
in your PayPal account. Instant Payment Notification messages are text files that include
payment details, such as the name of the payer and the amounts charged for each item.
To learn more about Instant Payment Notification, see the Order Management Integration
Guide.

Protecting Payment Buttons by Using Encrypted Website
Payments
Read the following topics to learn about protecting payment buttons by using Encrypted
Website Payments:
“How Encrypted Website Payments Helps Prevent Fraudulent Payments” on page 258
“Public Key Encryption Used by Encrypted Website Payments” on page 259
“Setting Up Certificates Before Using Encrypted Website Payments” on page 260
“Using Encrypted Website Payments to Protect Your Payment Buttons” on page 262

How Encrypted Website Payments Helps Prevent Fraudulent Payments
Using Encrypted Website Payments helps secure payment buttons that you generate or write
manually. Encrypted Website Payments protects the HTML button code that contains pricing
information by encrypting it. HTML button code that you protect by using Encrypted Website
Payments cannot be altered by malicious third parties to create fraudulent payments.
Encrypted Website Payments relies on standard public key encryption for protection. With
public and private keys, you can dynamically generate HTML code for payment buttons and
encrypt the payment details before displaying the buttons on your website. The below table


6
Protecting Payment Buttons by Using Encrypted Website Payments

illustrates the sequence of actions that occur with payment buttons protected by using
Encrypted Website Payments.

TABLE 6.1 How Encrypted Website Payments Works

Website Actions Payer Actions PayPal Actions
Generate a public key for the website, upload it
to PayPal, and download the PayPal public
certificate to the website.
N O T E : Do this action only once, when you
first integrate Website Payments
Standard with your website.
Generate HTML code for a payment button.
Encrypt the generated code by using the
PayPal public key and then signing the
encrypted code with the website’s private key.
Publish the signed, encrypted HTML code for Click the published PayPal Check the authenticity of the data
the payment button to the website. payment button. by using the website’s public key,
which was previously uploaded
to PayPal.
Decrypt the protected button
code by using the PayPal private
key.
Redirect the payer’s browser to
the appropriate PayPal checkout
experience, as specified in the
HTML variables of the decrypted
button code.

Public Key Encryption Used by Encrypted Website Payments
Encrypted Website Payments uses public key encryption, or asymmetric cryptography, which
provides security and convenience by allowing senders and receivers of encrypted
communication to exchange public keys to unlock each others messages. The fundamental
aspects of public key encryption are:
Public keys – Public keys are created by receivers and are given to senders before they
encrypt and send information. Public certificates comprise a public key and identity
information, such as the originator of the key and an expiry date. Public certificates can be
signed by certificate authorities, who guarantee that public certificates and their public
keys belong to the named entities.
You and PayPal exchange each others’ public certificates.


6

Private keys – Private keys are created by receivers are kept to themselves.
You create a private key and keep it in your system. PayPal keeps its private key on its
system.
The encryption process – Senders use their private keys and receivers’ public keys to
encrypt information before sending it. Receivers use their private keys and senders’ public
keys to decrypt information after receiving it. This encryption process also uses digital
signatures in public certificates to verify the sender of the information.
You use your private key and PayPal’s public key to encrypt your HTML button code.
PayPal uses it’s private key and your public key to decrypt button code after people click
your payment buttons.

Setting Up Certificates Before Using Encrypted Website Payments
Do the following before you use Encrypted Website Payments to protect your payment
buttons:
Generate your private key
Generate your public certificate
Upload your public certificate to your PayPal account.
Download the PayPal public certificate from the PayPal website.
PayPal uses only X.509 public certificates, not public keys. A public key can be used for
decryption but contains no information identifying who provided the key. A public certificate
includes a public key along with information about the key, such as when the key expires and
who the key belongs to. PayPal accepts public certificates in OpenSSL PEM format from any
established certificate authority, such as VeriSign.
You can generate your own private key and public certificate using open source software such
as OpenSSL (http://www.openssl.org), which is detailed in the following section.
Generating Your Private Key Using OpenSSL
Using the openssl program, enter the following command to generate your private key. The
command generates a 1024-bit RSA private key that is stored in the file my-prvkey.pem:
openssl genrsa -out my-prvkey.pem 1024

Generating Your Public Certificate Using OpenSSL
The public certificate must be in PEM format. To generate your certificate, enter the following
openssl command, which generates a public certificate in the file my-pubcert.pem:
openssl req -new -key my-prvkey.pem -x509 -days 365 -out my-pubcert.pem

Uploading Your Public Certificate to Your PayPal Account
To upload your public certificate to your PayPal account:
1. Log in to your PayPal Business or Premier account.


6

3. In the Seller Preferences column, click the Encrypted Payment Settings link.
The Website Payment Certificates page appears.
4. Scroll down the page to the Your Public Certificates section, and click the Add button.
The Add Certificate page appears.
5. Click the Browse button, and select the public certificate that you want to upload to PayPal
from your local computer.
N O T E : The file you upload must be in PEM format.
6. Click the Add button.
After your public certificate is uploaded successfully, it appears in the Your Public
Certificates section of the Website Payment Certificates page.

7. Store the certificate ID that PayPal assigned to your public certificate in a secure place.
You need the certificate ID that PayPal assigned to encrypt your payment buttons by using
the Encrypted Website Payments software provided by PayPal.
Downloading the PayPal Public Certificate From the PayPal Website
To download the PayPal public certificate:
1. Log in to your Business or Premier PayPal account.
4. Scroll down the page to the PayPal Public Certificate section.


6

5. Click the Download button, and save the file in a secure location on your local computer.
Removing Your Public Certificate

IMPO RTANT: If you remove your public certificate, its associated certificate ID is no longer
valid for encrypting buttons, and any buttons that you generated or wrote
manually for your website that use the ID will not function correctly.
To remove one or more of your public certificates:
4. Scroll down the page to the Your Public Certificates section.
5. Select the radio button next to the certificate you want to remove, and click the Remove
button.
The Remove Certificate page appears.
6. Click the Remove button to confirm the removal of the public certificate that you selected.

Using Encrypted Website Payments to Protect Your Payment Buttons
Encrypted Website Payments includes Java and Microsoft Windows software to protect the
payment buttons that you generate or write manually. Download the software from the
following location after logging in to PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/xcl/rec/ewp-code
After you download and extract the software, copy your private key, public certificate, p12 file
and the PayPal public certificate to the folder where the software is located.
1. Prepare an input file of Website Payments Standard variables and values for each encrypted
button that you want to generate. Each variable and value must be on a separate line, as in
the following example.


6

N O T E : The
cert_id variable identifies the public certificate you uploaded to PayPal
website.
cert_id=Z24MFU6DSHBXQ
cmd=_xclick
business=sales@company.com
item_name=Handheld Computer
item_number=1234
custom=sc-id-789
amount=500.00
currency_code=USD
tax=41.25
shipping=20.00
address_override=1
address1=123 Main St
city=Austin
state=TX
zip=94085
country=US
no_note=1
cancel_return=http://www.company.com/cancel.htm

2. Run the encryption software using the appropriate syntax, as shown in Table 6.2 ,
“Command Line Syntax for PayPal Encrypted Website Payments Software.”
3. Copy the encrypted code to your website.

TABLE 6.2 Command Line Syntax for PayPal Encrypted Website Payments Software

Software Command Line
Java java ButtonEncryption CertFile PKCS12File PPCertFile Password InputFile OutputFile [Sandbox]
Microsoft PPEncrypt CertFile PrivKeyFile PPCertFile InputFile OutputFile [Sandbox]
Windows

where:

TABLE 6.3 Arguments for Running Encrypted Website Payments Software

Argument Description

CertFile The pathname to your own public certificate

PKCS12File The pathname to the PKCS12-format of your own public certificate

PPCertFile The pathname to a copy of the PayPal public certificate

Password The passphrase to the PKCS12-format of your own public certificate

InputFile The pathname to file containing the non-encrypted Website Payments
HTML Form variables

OutputFile A file name for the encrypted output


6
Blocking Unprotected and Non-encrypted Website Payments

TABLE 6.3 Arguments for Running Encrypted Website Payments Software

Argument Description

[Sandbox] The optional word Sandbox that lets you test payment buttons in the
PayPal Sandbox that you protected with Encrypted Website Payments

Blocking Unprotected and Non-encrypted Website Payments
For extra security of your protected and encrypted buttons, update your PayPal account profile
to block unprotected and non-encrypted payments.
To block payments from unprotected and non-encrypted Website Payments Standard buttons:
3. In the Selling Preferences column, click the Website Payment Preferences link.
4. Scroll down to the Encrypted Website Payments section.
5. Next to the Block Non-encrypted Website Payment label, select the On radio button.
6. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the Save button.


7 Using Your PayPal Account
Profile

This chapter describes how to use your PayPal account profile settings to control how
Website Payments Standard works for people who pay you and how it works to let you accept
the payments that they make.

The Account Profile
Use your PayPal account profile to manage your PayPal account.
To view your account profile:
The My Account Overview page appears.
The Profile Summary page appears.
Your account profile has three sections:
– Account Information
– Financial Information
– Selling Preferences
The following topics describes the use of each section in more detail.

Account Information
Use the Account Information column for basic account maintenance, including updating
your password, adding and confirming email addresses, managing your business information,
and for business accounts, configuring PayPal account for multi-user.

Financial Information
Use the Financial Information column to organize and maintain the financial instruments
associated with your PayPal account, including managing your credit cards and bank accounts,
activating and managing your PayPal Debit Card, managing multiple currency balances, and
viewing monthly account statements.


Using Your PayPal Account Profile
7
The Account Profile

Selling Preferences
Use the Selling Preferences column to configure the way you collect payments with PayPal,
including:
Co-branding the PayPal checkout pages with your logo and colors
Tailoring the Website Payments Standard payment experience with:
– Auto Return
– PayPal Account Optional
– Getting s from payers
Setting sales tax rates to calculate sales taxes automatically
Setting shipping rates to calculate shipping charges automatically
Blocking certain kinds of payments
Setting the language and character encoding of your data

FIGURE 7.1 Selling Preferences on the Profile Summary Page

Correspondence Between Profile Settings and HTML Variables
Many of the selling preferences that you can set in your account profile have equivalent
HTML variables that let you control the behavior of individual transactions. After you enable
settings in your account profile, you can include HTML variables with a transaction that take
advantage of those settings.


7
Co-Branding the PayPal Checkout Pages

See the following sections for more information:
“Overriding Page Styles On Individual Payment Buttons” on page 270
“Overriding Sales Tax Calculations on Individual Transactions” on page 290
“Overriding Shipping Calculations on Individual Transactions” on page 303
“Setting the Character Set – charset” on page 339
“Setting The Return URL on Individual Transactions” on page 339
“Desired Currency on Individual Transactions” on page 340

Custom payment pages let you tailor the PayPal checkout pages presented to payers to match
the style of your website. Custom payment pages work with all Website Payments Standard
buttons. You can add up to three custom page styles.
The pictures in this section demonstrate the types of co-branding that you can achieve with
custom payment pages. Figure 7.2 , “Default PayPal Checkout Page Style,” shows a PayPal
checkout page with no co-branding.

FIGURE 7.2 Default PayPal Checkout Page Style

Figure 7.3 , “Custom Page Style with Co-Branding Options,” shows all the co-branding
options that you can specify for your own, custom payment page styles.


7

FIGURE 7.3 Custom Page Style with Co-Branding Options

Working With Custom Payment Pages
To configure your custom payment pages:
3. In the Selling Preferences column, click the Custom Payment Pages link.
The Custom Payment Page Styles page appears, as shown below.


7

FIGURE 7.4 Custom Payment Page Styles

From this page, you can add, edit, preview, and remove page styles, and make one of the page
styles the primary page style.
N O T E : The PayPal page style is a default page style. You cannot edit or remove it.

Adding or Editing a Page Style
The settings described here can also be specified with HTML variables for individual
transactions. For more information, see “HTML Variables for Displaying PayPal Checkout
To add a page style:
1. Begin at the Custom Payment Page Styles page.
2. Click the Add button or the Edit button.
Enter your custom page style preferences:
– Page Style Name (required) – Enter a name up to 30 characters long. The name can
contain letters, numbers, and underscores but no other symbols or spaces. The Page Style
Name is used to refer to the page style in your PayPal account and in the page_style
HTML variable for your Website Payment buttons.
– Header Image URL (optional) – Enter the URL for an image that should appear at the
top left of the payment page. Maximum size of the image is 750 pixels wide by 90 pixels
high; larger images are reduced to this size. The image must be in a valid graphics format
such as gif, jpg, or png.

IMPO RTANT: PayPal recommends that you enter an image URL only if the image is
stored on a secure (https) server. Otherwise, your payer’s web browser
displays a message that the payment page contains insecure items.


7

– Header Background Color (optional)
Enter the background color for the header using HTML hex code. The color code must
be six digits long and should not contain the # symbol. If the Header Image URL is
present, the header is a 750 pixel wide by 90 pixel high space at the top of the payment
page. If the Header Image URL is not present, the header height is only 45 pixels high.
– Header Border Color (optional)
Enter the border color for the header using HTML hex code. The color code must be six
digits long and should not contain the # symbol. The header border is a two-pixel
perimeter around the header space.
– Background Color (optional)
Enter the background color for the payment page using HTML hex code. The color
code must be six digits long and should not contain the # symbol.
3. Click the Preview button to view a mock-up of your page style, or click the Save button to
save it.

Making a Page Style Primary
When you make a page style primary, it is applied to all checkout pages unless you specify
otherwise on individual payment buttons.
N O T E : If you do not designate a page style as Primary, the default PayPal page style is used.
To make a page style primary:
1. Begin at the Custom Payment Page Styles page.
2. Click the radio button next to the page style you that want to make your primary style.
3. Click the Make Primary button.
The Make Custom Page Style Primary page appears.
4. Click the Make Primary button to confirm your choice.

Overriding Page Styles On Individual Payment Buttons
Your primary page style is applied to all your checkout pages unless you specify otherwise.
You can override this behavior by specifying custom page style variables in the HTML code of
your payment buttons.
To change the page style for a button that you created already, replace the value of the
page_style variable with the page style name you want to use. The next time that someone
clicks the payment button, the checkout pages appear in the new style.


7
Tailoring the Checkout Experience

Overriding Co-Branding Options on Individual Payment Buttons
You can specify variables in the HTML code of payment buttons to override specific co-
branding options. These customizing of payment page variables override page styles set in
your account profile or set with the page_style variable. The customizing of payment page
variables take precedence in the following order:

TABLE 7.1 Order of Page Style Variables

Custom Option Description

1 Customizing of See Table A.8, “HTML Variables for Displaying PayPal
Payment Page Variables Checkout Pages,” on page 358.
on Individual Buttons

2 Page Style Variable on With the page_style variable, you can specify a page style on
Individual Buttons individual payment buttons that overrides any page styles set in
your account profile.

3 Primary Page Style in You can create and set the primary style in your account profile.
Account Profile

4 Default PayPal Page The default page style used when an alternative is not selected
Style in Account Profile and designated as primary.

Use any of these settings in your account profile to tailor the checkout experience for people
who pay with Website Payments Standard:
Auto Return
Getting Contact Telephone Numbers
PayPal Account Optional

Auto Return
With Auto Return for Website Payments Standard, you can avoid making people click a button
to return to your website after they complete their payments with PayPal. Auto Return applies
to all Website Payments Standards payment buttons, including Buy Now, Shopping Cart,
Subscription, Gift Certificate, and Donate buttons.
What Payers See with Auto Return On
With Auto Return on, instead of having to click a button on the payment confirmation page,
payers see an alternative payment confirmation page for a few seconds before PayPal returns
them automatically to your website.


7

FIGURE 7.5 Momentary Payment Confirmation with Auto Return On

Turning On Auto Return
Auto Return is turned off by default.
To turn on Auto Return:
3. Under the Selling Preferences column, click the Website Payment Preferences link.
The Website Payment Preferences page appears, as shown below.


7

4. Under Auto Return for Website Payments, click the On radio button to enable Auto
Return.
5. In the Return URL field, enter the URL to which you want your payers redirected after
they complete their payments.
N O T E : If
the Return URL you enter is invalid, PayPal displays the standard payment
confirmation page after people complete their payments.
Setting Return URL on Individual Transactions
With Auto Return turned on in your account profile, you can set the value of the return
HTML variable on individual transactions, which overrides the value of the return URL that
you stored on PayPal as part of the Auto Return feature. For example, you might want to
redirect payers to a URL on your site that is specific to that person, perhaps with a session-id
or other transaction-related data included in the URL.
To set the return URL for individual transactions, include the return variable in the HTML
Form:
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="return" value="URLspecificToThisTransaction">

N O T E : To receive transaction-related
data from PayPal, you must turn Payment Data Transfer
on. For more information about Payment Data Transfer, see the Order Management
Integration Guide.
Subscriptions Password Management and Auto Return
If you use or plan to use Subscriptions Password Management, you must make sure that Auto
Return is turned off in order to display the PayPal-generated username and password to the
subscriber.


7

N O T E : You
can use Auto Return with Subscriptions, which is a separate feature from
Subscriptions Password Management. For more information, see Chapter 3,
“Recurring Payments – Subscribe Buttons.

Getting Contact Telephone Numbers
PayPal always collects contact telephone numbers from payers for each transaction that they
complete with PayPal. PayPal collects telephone numbers to help confirm the identity of the
payer and to contact the payer if necessary to complete the transaction.
Contact Telephone Number is a feature of Website Payments Standard that lets you obtain the
contact telephone numbers that PayPal collects from people who pay you. Contact Telephone
Number is off by default.
You can turn Contact Telephone Number on in one of two ways:
On (Optional Field) – During checkout PayPal gives people the option of sharing their
contact telephones numbers with you.

FIGURE 7.6 Merchants Allow People to Share Their Telephone Numbers During
Checkout

On (Required Field) – During checkout PayPal informs people that their contact
telephone numbers will be shared with you because you require it.


7

FIGURE 7.7 Merchants Require People To Share Their Telephone Numbers During
Checkout

When people share their contact telephone numbers with you, PayPal includes their shared
numbers in the transaction details section of payment authorization notices sent by email.
Also, PayPal displays the shared numbers in the Transaction Details page for transactions in
which contact telephone numbers where shared. These actions let payers and yourself know
that contact telephone numbers were shared as part of the transaction.

IMPO RTANT: In accordance with the PayPal user agreement, you may use contact
telephone numbers only to communicate with the payer about the related
transaction. You may not use them for unsolicited communication.
Turning Contact Telephone Number On
To turn Contact Telephone Number on:
3. In the Selling Preferences column, click the Website Payment Preferences link.
4. Scroll down the page to the Contact Telephone Number section.
5. Select one of the following options:
– On (Optional Field) – PayPal lets payers share their telephone numbers with you, as an
option.
– On (Required Field) – PayPal informs payers that their telephone numbers will be
shared with you because you require it.
– Off (Recommended) – PayPal does not share payers’ telephone numbers with you.
6. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save button.


7

PayPal Account Optional
With PayPal Account Optional turned on, people can pay by credit card without signing up for
PayPal accounts. They are offered the chance to sign up for a PayPal account by using the
address and credit card from the completed transaction, but they are not required to. PayPal
Account Optional is turned on by default for new PayPal Premiere and Business accounts.
With PayPal Account Optional turned off, people without PayPal accounts must sign up of a
PayPal account. They can pay by credit card, but they must agree to sign up for a PayPal
account before completing their transactions and making their payments.
N O T E : Only Premiereor Business accounts have PayPal Account Optional in their account
profiles. With Personal accounts, the checkout experience is as if PayPal Account
Optional were turned off.
The Checkout Experience With Account Optional Turned Off
This topic demonstrates the PayPal checkout experience for Website Payments Standard when
PayPal Account Optional is turned off. The following diagram illustrates the steps.


7

FIGURE 7.8 Checkout Experience with PayPal Account Optional Turned Off

Read these topics to better understand the checkout experience when PayPal Account Optional
is turned off:
“Begin – Buyers are Ready to Purchase on Your Website” on page 278
“1 – Buyers Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In to PayPal” on page 278
“4 – Buyers New to PayPal Confirm the Creation of their PayPal Accounts” on page 282


7

Begin – Buyers are Ready to Purchase on Your Website. The checkout experience with
PayPal Account Optional turned off begins when someone on your website is ready to
purchase.

FIGURE 7.9 Buyers Begin on Your Website When They are Rady to Make a Purchase

In this example, Bob begins on the DezignerFotos website and decides to buy a photo of an
orchid. He clicks the Buy Now button to pay.

1 – Buyers Enter Their Billing Information or They Log In to PayPal. PayPal displays a
billing information/log-in page, which lets buyers enter their billing information and
passwords for new PayPal accounts or log in to PayPal.


7

FIGURE 7.10 Buyers Enter Their Billing Information or Log In to PayPal

In this case, Bob does not have a PayPal account. He enters his billing information and a
password for his new PayPal account. Then, he clicks the Agree and Continue button.


7

2 – Buyers Confirm Their Transaction Details Before Paying. PayPal displays a
transaction confirmation page to let buyers confirm the details before they complete their
transactions and authorize their payments.


In this case, Bob reviews the transaction details and clicks the Pay $255.00 Now! button to

3 – Buyers View and Print Their PayPal Payment Confirmations. PayPal displays a
payment confirmation page after buyers pay to let them know that they have completed their
transactions and authorized their payments successfully.


7




In this case, Bob prints the PayPal payment receipt for his records.


7

4 – Buyers New to PayPal Confirm the Creation of their PayPal Accounts. Paypal
displays an account confirmation page to buyers who signed up for PayPal accounts in order to
pay. The confirmation page lets buyers know that they have successfully created their PayPal
accounts.

FIGURE 7.14 Buyers View Their New PayPal Account Confirmations

PayPal also sends buyers an account signup notice by email to confirm their new PayPal
accounts.


7

FIGURE 7.15 Buyers Receive Account Signup Notices by Email

End – Buyers Receive Payment Authorization Notices by Email. PayPal sends buyers a
payment authorization notice by email to confirm the transaction that they made with the
merchant.


7


In this case, PayPal sends Bob an email message notifying him of his transaction with
DezignerFotos and his authorization for payment of $255.00 USD.
Turning PayPal Account Optional Off
PayPal Account Optional is available on Premiere and Business accounts only. It is turned on
by default.
To turn PayPal Account Optional off:


7
Automatic Calculation of Sales Tax

3. Click the Website Payment Preferences link in the Selling Preferences column.
The Website Payment Preferences page appears.
4. Scroll down to the PayPal Account Optional section of the page.

5. Select the Off radio button to turn PayPal Account optional off.

You can have PayPal calculate sales tax (also called value-added tax or VAT) automatically.
PayPal calculates sales taxes based on rates that you specify in your account profile. You can
set up tax rates as follows:
Domestic (U.S.-only) tax rates by state or zip code
Canadian tax rates by province
International sales tax rates by country or jurisdiction
Read these topics to learn more about automatic calculation of sales tax:
“Displaying the Sales Tax that PayPal Calculates During Checkout” on page 286
“Accessing Your Sales Tax Rates in Your Account Profile” on page 286
“Setting Up Domestic Sales Tax Rates” on page 287
“Setting Up International Sales Tax Rates” on page 289
“Resolving Overlapping Sales Tax Rates” on page 289
“Editing or Deleting Sales Tax Rates” on page 290
“Overriding Sales Tax Calculations on Individual Transactions” on page 290


7

Displaying the Sales Tax that PayPal Calculates During Checkout
After you set up sales tax rates in your account profile, PayPal calculates the tax for purchase
transactions automatically. Buyers see the tax as a separate item during checkout, based on the
shipping addresses that they provide.

FIGURE 7.17 Buyers See Sales Taxes Before They Pay

If buyers change their shipping addresses, PayPal calculates the tax again and displays the new
amount.

Accessing Your Sales Tax Rates in Your Account Profile
To view or modify your sales tax rates in your account profile:
2. Click the Profile subtab of the My Account tab.
3. In the Selling Preferences column, click the Sales Tax link.


7

FIGURE 7.18 Sales Tax Rates in Your Account Profile

Setting Up Domestic Sales Tax Rates
You can create sales tax rates for a state, zip code, or zip code range. To add a new rate, click
the Add New Sales Tax link in the Set Up Domestic Tax Rates box.
To create a rate for a state

1. Click State for Configure Sales Tax by.
2. Select one or more states for the rate you want to create. Hold down the Ctrl key to select
more than one state.
3. Enter the sales tax rate.
4. Click the checkbox labeled Apply rate to shipping amount, if applicable.
5. Click the Continue button to add the new rate and return to the Sales Tax page
(Figure 7.18 ).


7

6. Click the Create Another button to add the new rate and then add another domestic sales
tax rate.
To create a rate for a specific zip code

1. Click Zip Code for Configure Sales Tax by.

FIGURE 7.19 Setting Up a Domestic Sales Tax Rate by Zip Code

2. Click the Specific radio button.
3. Enter the zip code for the rate you want to create.
6. Click the Continue button to add the new rate and return to the Sales Tax page.
tax rate.
To create a rate for a zip code range

1. Click Zip Code for Configure Sales Tax by.
2. Click the Range radio button.
3. Enter the starting and ending zip code for the rate you want to create.
4. Enter a the sales tax rate.


7

6. Click the Continue button to add the new rate and return to the Sales Tax page.
tax rate.

Setting Up International Sales Tax Rates
You can create the following types of international sales tax rates:
For Canada, sales tax rates can be for one or more provinces.
For countries other than the U.S. and Canada, sales tax rates apply to the entire country.
To add a new rate, click Add New Sales Tax in the Set Up International Tax Rates box.
1. Select the country for the rate you want to create.
2. If you selected Canada for Country, select one or more provinces or select All Provinces.
Hold down the Ctrl key to select more than one province.
5. Click the Continue button to add the new rate and return to the Sales Tax page
(Figure 7.18 ).
6. Click the Create Another button to add the new rate and then add another international
sales tax rate.

Resolving Overlapping Sales Tax Rates
It is possible that more than one sales tax rate will apply to a buyer. For example, in
Figure 7.20 , all three of the domestic sales tax rates apply to a buyer in zip code 94044.


7
Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (U.S. Merchants Only)

FIGURE 7.20 Three Domestic Sales Tax Rates

When multiple rates apply, the most specific rate is used. For a buyer in zip code 94044, the
most specific rate is the single zip code rate of 8.25%. For a buyer in zip code 94056, the most
specific rate is the range of zip codes with a rate of 7.75%.

Editing or Deleting Sales Tax Rates
To edit a sales tax rate, click the checkbox to the left of the rate and then click the Edit button.
To delete a sales tax rate, click the checkbox to the left of the rate and then click the Delete
button.

Overriding Sales Tax Calculations on Individual Transactions
Regardless of a buyer’s location, you can override automatic tax calculation on an individual
transaction or on individual items in a transaction. For more information, see “Setting Tax on
Individual Items” on page 250 and “Setting the Tax for the Entire Cart” on page 251.

Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (U.S. Merchants
Only)
You can have PayPal calculate shipping charges automatically. PayPal calculates shipping
charges based on rates that you specify in your account profile. You can set up shipping rates
as follows:
Domestic (U.S.-only) shipping rates for regions defined by state or zip code
International shipping rates for regions define by country or jurisdiction
Within shipping regions, you can specify rates for different shipping methods, such as
standard and express delivery.
Read these topics to learn more about automatic calculation of sales tax:
“Displaying the Shipping Charges that PayPal Calculates During Checkout” on page 291


7

“Shipping Regions” on page 293
“Shipping Methods” on page 294
“Shipping Rate Bases” on page 294
“Shipping Rates and Currencies” on page 295
“Adding Shipping Rates for the First Time” on page 295
“Adding Shipping Methods by Using a Wizard” on page 296
“Viewing, Editing, and Adding Shipping Rates” on page 298
“Deleting Shipping Methods” on page 301
“Examples of Rate Bases and Shipping Calculations” on page 302
“Overriding Shipping Calculations on Individual Transactions” on page 303
“Editing the Configuration Settings of an Existing Shipping Method” on page 300

Displaying the Shipping Charges that PayPal Calculates During Checkout
After you set up shipping rates in your account profile, PayPal calculates the shipping charges
for purchase transactions automatically. PayPal prompts buyers to enter their shipping
destinations on the first checkout page.

FIGURE 7.21 PayPal Prompts Buyers for Shipping Destinations

Buyers click the calculate total order amount link to enter information about their shipping
destinations.


7

FIGURE 7.22 Buyers Enter Shipping Destinations to Calculate Shipping Charges

Buyers enter information about their shipping destinations, and then they click the Update
button.

FIGURE 7.23 Buyers See Shipping Charges Before They Pay

PayPal calculates the shipping charges using the least expensive shipping method that you set
up for the destination.


7

FIGURE 7.24 Buyers Select Their Preferred Shipping Methods

PayPal lets buyers select their preferred shipping methods after they enter their billing
information or log in to PayPal. If buyers change their shipping addresses or select a different
shipping method, PayPal calculates the shipping charges again and displays the new amount.

Shipping Regions
Your organize your shipping rates primarily by the states and countries to which you ship your
products. Some merchants make only domestic shipments. Other merchants make both
domestic shipments and international shipments. Depending on territorial size, some
merchants divide their domestic markets into smaller shipping regions, each with their own
shipping rates.
Before you begin setting up the shipping rates that PayPal uses to calculate shipping charges,
decide whether:
You ship only domestically or both domestically and internationally
You want one set of rates for all U.S. domestic shipments or you want rates for different
domestic regions, such as western and eastern states.
You want one set of rates for all international shipments or you want rates for different
international regions, such as Europe and Asia
You can establish one set of shipping rates for all domestic and international destinations, but
your shipping rates should reflect your costs of shipping, which generally vary between
different domestic and international regions.


7

Shipping Methods
Within each shipping region that you define, you specify specific shipping rates for the
different shipping methods you want to offer buyers. A shipping method specifies a mode of
shipment and the general time frame for delivery. For example, you might offer your domestic
buyers two shipping methods: “Standard Shipping,” “Priority.”
For each region in which you offer a specified shipping method, you generally select different
delivery time frames and different rates. Otherwise, you should not set up separate shipping
regions.
For example, your “Standard Shipping” method for the region where your shipments originate
might specify a time frame of “2-3 Days.” A more distant domestic shipping region might
specify a time frame of “3-7 Days.” You set the same rates for “Standard Shipping” in all
regions, but delivery times are longer for more distant ones.
As an alternative to differentiating on delivery time, you might differentiate on rates. For
example, your “Standard Shipping” method for all domestic regions might specify the same
time frame of “2-3 Days.” You set more expensive rates for “Standard Shipping” in more
distant regions, but delivery times are the same for all regions.

Shipping Rate Bases
For each shipping method in each shipping region that you define, you specify the basis upon
which your shipping rates are used to calculate the shipping charges for specific purchases.
You can choose from the following shipping rate bases:
Total order amount
Total order weight
Total item quantity
Generally, you specify the same shipping rate basis for all shipping regions and shipping
methods that you define. Before you begin setting up the shipping rates that PayPal uses to
calculate shipping charges, decide which basis is most suitable for the kinds of products you
sell and the typical orders that your buyers place.
For more information, see “Examples of Rate Bases and Shipping Calculations” on page 302

Shipping Rate Tables
For each shipping method you define, fill in a rate table to specify the rates that PayPal uses to
calculate shipping charges. Rate tables let you specify tiered rates.


7

FIGURE 7.25 Shipping Rate Table With a Basis of Total Order Amount

Each row in a rate table represents a different tier. Each successive tier encompasses a
successively increasing range within the rate basis. You specify a separate rate for each tier.
In the preceding example rate table, each successive tier encompasses an increasing range of
order amounts. The first tier encompasses orders that total from $0.01 USD through and
including $10.00 USD. The shipping rate for orders that fall within the first tier is 5% of the
total order amount. The shipping charge for an order amount of $6.75 USD is $0.34 USD.

Shipping Rates and Currencies
When you set up shipping methods, specify the same currency for the shipping rates that you
used to price the products on your website. Specify shipping rates for both domestic shipments
and international shipments in your domestic currency, provided that you priced your products
for international buyers in your domestic currency.
If you price your products in multiple currencies, you should specify international shipping
rates in the same currencies that you priced your products for international buyers. For
example, a merchant in London might price products in Pounds Sterling for British buyers,
while also pricing the same products in Euros for Euro-zone buyers and U.S. Dollars for U.S.
buyers.

Adding Shipping Rates for the First Time
The first time you set up shipping rates, the page sequence is tailored for creating your initial
shipping regions, methods, and rates.
To begin adding shipping regions, methods, and rates for the first time:


7

3. In the Selling Preferences column, click the Set Up Shipping Calculations link.
This Shipping Calculations page appears, as shown below.

FIGURE 7.26 Shipping Calculations Setup Page

From the Shipping Calculations setup page, you can start a domestic or an international
shipping wizard.

Adding Shipping Methods by Using a Wizard
Whenever you add a shipping method, you use one of two wizards to step you through the
process. The domestic shipping wizard lets you configure shipping regions within the U.S.,
and the international shipping wizard lets configure foreign shipping regions. Shipping
wizards let you configure a shipping region and all the shipping methods for it at one time.
You can start a shipping wizard in one of two ways:
Click the Start button from the Shipping Calculations setup page, as shown in
Figure 7.26 , “Shipping Calculations Setup Page.
Click the Add Another Shipping Method link from the Shipping Calculations review
page, as shown in Figure 7.28 , “Shipping Calculations Review Page (U.S. Merchants
Only).
The steps in domestic and international shipping wizards are the same.


7

FIGURE 7.27 Page Sequence in a Shipping Wizard

1. Setting Up the Shipping Region for a Shipping Wizard. Select the U.S. states or the foreign
countries for the shipping region, and select the currency in which you want to price the
shipping rates for the shipping region.
2. Configuring the Shipping Methods Within the Region of a Shipping Wizard. Select a name
and delivery time frame, a rate basis, and fill in the rate table. Repeat this step to configure
all of the shipping methods you want for the shipping region.
3. Saving the Shipping Methods Configured With a Shipping Wizard. Review the shipping
region and the shipping methods, and change them if you like before you save them.
The following sections describe each step in more detail.


7

Setting Up the Shipping Region for a Shipping Wizard
The first step of a shipping wizard lets you select the U.S. states or foreign countries for one or
your shipping regions. In addition, you select the currency in which you want to price the
shipping rates within the region.
N O T E : Youcan select the currency at the time you add shipping methods and rates. You
cannot change the currency later when you edit shipping methods. For more
information, see “Shipping Rates and Currencies” on page 295.
After you select the U.S. states or foreign countries you want for the shipping region, click the
Continue button to proceed to the second step of the shipping wizard.
Configuring the Shipping Methods Within the Region of a Shipping Wizard
As the second step of a shipping wizard, you configure the shipping methods that you want for
the shipping region. A shipping wizard lets you configure the name, delivery time frame, rate
basis, and rate table of shipping methods.
Repeat the second step of a shipping wizard to create additional shipping methods for the same
shipping region. Click the Create Another button after completing the configuration of the
current method to begin the configuration of the next one.
After you configure all the shipping methods for the shipping region, click the Continue
button to proceed to the third and final step of the shipping wizard.
Saving the Shipping Methods Configured With a Shipping Wizard
As the final step of a shipping wizard, you review the configuration of the shipping region and
the configuration of the shipping methods for the shipping region. You can change the
shipping region, and you can change and add shipping methods.
In addition, the final step of a shipping wizard lets you enable individual purchase transactions
to override the rates for the shipping methods you defined within the shipping region. Select
the Override profile shipping method... checkbox to permit individual transactions to
override automatic calculation of shipping charges. For more information, see “Overriding
Shipping Calculations on Individual Transactions” on page 303.
After you review the shipping region and its shipping methods, click the Save Shipping
Methods button to preserve the shipping methods that you set up with the shipping wizard.
The shipping methods become available to buyers as soon as you save them.

Viewing, Editing, and Adding Shipping Rates
After you set up some shipping regions, methods, and rates, the page sequence is tailored for
viewing and editing existing shipping methods, as well as for creating additional regions,
methods, and rates.
To begin viewing, editing, or creating additional shipping regions, methods, and rates:


7

3. In the Selling Preferences column, click the Shipping Calculations link.
The Shipping Calculations review page appears, as shown below.

FIGURE 7.28 Shipping Calculations Review Page (U.S. Merchants Only)

4. From the Shipping Calculations review page, perform one of the following actions:
– Viewing the Configuration of an Existing Shipping Method. Select the checkbox next to
the shipping method and click the View button.
– Editing the Configuration Settings of an Existing Shipping Method. Select the checkbox
next to the shipping method and click the Edit button.


7

– Deleting Shipping Methods. Select the checkboxes next to the shipping methods and
click the Delete button.
– Adding Shipping Methods by Using a Wizard. Click the Add Another Shipping
Method link.

Viewing the Configuration of an Existing Shipping Method
To view the configuration of a shipping method:
1. From the Shipping Calculations review page, select the checkbox next to the shipping
method you want to view.
2. Click the View button.
The View Domestic Shipping Method page or the View International Shipping Method
page appears.
3. From the review page, perform one of the following actions:
– To change the shipping method, click the Edit Settings button.
– When you are finished viewing the shipping method, click the Back to Shipping
Methods button.

Editing the Configuration Settings of an Existing Shipping Method
To edit the configuration settings of an existing shipping method:
1. From the Shipping Calculations review page, select the checkbox next to the shipping
method you want to change.
2. Click the Edit button.
The Edit Domestic Shipping Method page or the Edit International Shipping Method
page appears.
3. Change any of the following settings:

TABLE 7.2 Shipping Method Settings

Setting Action

Status Select whether the shipping method is actively used to calculate
shipping charges. Allowable values:
Active – the shipping method is available for buyers to choose
Inactive – the shipping method is hidden from buyers

Region Displays the domestic regions or foreign countries currently selected
for the shipping region. To select different regions or countries, click
the Change link.


7


Setting Action

Override shipping methods Select whether the shipping rates can be overridden by individual
per transaction transactions if the information is passed to PayPal with HTML
variables in the transaction. Allowable values:
Yes
No
I M P O R T A N T : Changing the Override shipping methods per
transaction.setting of a specific shipping method
changes the setting for all U.S. domestic and
international shipping methods that use the same
currency.

Shipping Method Name From the dropdown menu, select a name for the shipping method.

Delivery Time (Optional) From the dropdown menu, select a delivery time.

Based On Select the rate basis for the shipping method. Allowable values:
By Amount – based on the total amount of the order
By Weight – based on the total weight of items in the order
By Quantity – based on total quantity of items in the order
For more information, see “Examples of Rate Bases and Shipping
Calculations” on page 302

Shipping Rates Reconfigure the rows in the rate table to change the shipping rates
that PayPal uses to calculate shipping charges when buyer select the
shipping method.
N O T E : Changes that you make to active shipping methods become
effective after a momentary delay.

4. Click the Save Changes button.

Deleting Shipping Methods
You can delete one or more domestic or international shipping methods at one time. Follow
the procedure below in either the Domestic Shipping Methods section or the International
Shipping Methods section of the Shipping Calculations review page.

IMPO RTANT: After you delete a shipping method, it cannot be recovered for use in future
shipping calculations.
To delete one or more shipping methods:
1. From the Shipping Calculations review page, select the checkboxes next to the shipping
methods that you want to delete.
2. Click the Delete button.
3. Click the Yes button in the Delete Confirmation message box.


7

Examples of Rate Bases and Shipping Calculations
The following examples demonstrate how the different kinds of shipping rates are applied
when calculating shipping charges:
Calculating Shipping Charges Based on Amount of Purchase
Calculating Shipping Charges Based on Weight of Shipment
Calculating Shipping Charges Based on Quantity of Items Shipped
Calculating Shipping Charges Based on Amount of Purchase
When you choose Total Order Amount or By Amount as the basis for shipping rates, tiers in
the rate table represent increasing ranges of order amounts. Generally, you select By Amount
as the rate basis if you want to encourage your buyers to buy more with increasing discounts
on shipping charges.
You can choose between specifying a flat rate for each tier or specifying a percentage of the
order amount. Click the Flat Rate or the Percent links in the Shipping Rate section to make
your choice.

EXAMPLE 7.1 Flat Rate Shipping Calculations
Assume the following shipping rate table with a basis of By Order and fixed amount pricing
selected:
From(EUR) To(EUR) Rate(EUR)
0.01 49.99 3.00
50.00 and up 2.00
The shipping charge for an order amount of €36.50 EUR is €3.00 EUR. The shipping charge
for an order amount of €66.50 EUR is €2.00 EUR This rate structure encourages buyers to
purchase more with discounted shipping on larger orders.

EXAMPLE 7.2 Percentage Rate Shipping Calculation
Assume the following shipping rate table with a basis of By Order and percentage rate pricing
selected:
From(JPY) To(JPY) Rate(%)
0.01 49.99 5
50.00 and up 4
The shipping charge for an order amount of ¥36.50 JYP is ¥1.38 JYP (36.50 x 5%). The
shipping charge for an order amount of ¥66.50 JYP is ¥2.66 JYP (66.50 x 4%).
Calculating Shipping Charges Based on Weight of Shipment
When you choose Total Order Weight or By Weight as the basis for shipping rates, tiers in
the rate table represent increasing ranges of order weights. Generally, you select By Weight as
the rate basis if you want to recover your shipping costs.
You can choose between specifying order weights in pounds or kilograms. Click the Lbs or
the Kgs links in the Shipping Rate section to make your choice.


7

EXAMPLE 7.3 Weight-Based Shipping Calculations
Assume the following shipping rate table with a basis of By Weight:
From(Kgs) To(Kgs) Rate(GBP)
0.01 49.99 3.00
50.00 and up 6.00
The shipping charge for an order that weights 36.50 kg is £3.00 GBP. The shipping charge for
an order that weights 66.50 kg is £6.00 GBP.
Calculating Shipping Charges Based on Quantity of Items Shipped
When you choose Total Order Quantity or By Quantity as the basis for shipping rates, tiers
in the rate table represent increasing ranges of order item counts. Generally, select By
Quantity as the rate basis if all your products have a generally uniform size and weight, such
as shoes.

EXAMPLE 7.4 Quantity-Based Shipping Calculations
Assume the following shipping rate table with a basis of By Quantity:
From To Rate(USD)
1 49 3.00
50 and up 6.00
The shipping charge for an order with 36 items is $3.00 USD. The shipping charge for an order
with 66 items is $6.00 USD.

Overriding Shipping Calculations on Individual Transactions
Sometimes you want to set special shipping rates for certain items, such as especially heavy
ones that cost more to ship, or services and digital downloads that do not require shipping.
Prerequisites for Overriding Shipping Rates on Individual Transactions
To override your profile-based shipping rates:
Enable overrides of your shipping rates; overrides are enabled for new shipping methods
by default
Set the special shipping rates for individual items or entire transactions with special HTML
variables of Buy Now, Donation, Add to Cart, and View Cart buttons
For more information, see “Setting Shipping Charges on Individual Items” on page 250
and “Setting the Tax for the Entire Cart” on page 251.
Disabling the Override of Shipping Rates on Individual Transactions
By default, shipping methods enable the override of shipping rates on individual transactions.
You can disable overrides by:
Editing any shipping method and changing the Override shipping methods per
transaction.setting.
Adding a new shipping method and changing the default value of the Override shipping
methods per transaction setting


7
Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (non-U.S. Merchants Only)

Regardless of how you disable overrides, the override setting you specify for a specific
shipping methods applies to the setting for all shipping methods of the same currency.
To enable or disable overrides of a shipping method:
1. From the Shipping Calculations review page, select the checkbox next to any of the
shipping methods for a specific currency.
2. Click the Edit button.
The Edit Domestic Shipping Method or the Edit International Shipping Method page
appears.
3. For the Override shipping methods per transaction.setting, select one of the following
radio buttons:
– Yes – enables transaction-specific shipping charges to override the shipping rates
– No – prohibits transaction-specific shipping charges

IMPO RTANT: Changing the Override shipping methods per transaction.setting of a
specific shipping method changes the setting for all U.S. domestic and
international shipping methods that use the same currency.
4. Click the Save Changes button.

Automatic Calculation of Shipping Charges (non-U.S.
Merchants Only)
You can set up shipping rates in your account profile and let PayPal calculate shipping charges
automatically.
To view or modify your shipping rates:
The Shipping Calculations page appears, as shown below.


7

FIGURE 7.29 Shipping Calculations Page (non-U.S. Merchants Only)

Examples of Cost Methods and Shipping Calculations
The following examples demonstrate how different cost methods are applied when calculating
shipping charges.


7

Calculating Shipping Charges with the Flat Amount Cost Method
When you choose Flat Amount as the cost method for shipping rates, costs for each price
range are expressed as fixed amounts.

EXAMPLE 7.1 Flat Amount Cost Method and Shipping Calculations
Assume the following shipping rates with a cost method of Flat Amount:
Cost Price Ranges
€3,00 EUR €0,00 EUR - €49,99 EUR
€6,00 EUR €50,00 EUR - and up
The shipping charge for an order price of €36,50 is €3,00. The shipping charge for an order
price of €66,50 is €6,00. This rate structure helps you recover your shipping costs from buyers.
Calculating Shipping Charges with the Percentage Cost Method
When you choose Percentage as the cost method for shipping rates, costs for each price range
are expressed as percentages of the actual order price.

EXAMPLE 7.2 Percentage Cost Method and Shipping Calculations
Assume the following shipping rates with a cost method of Percentage:
Cost Price Ranges
5.00 GBP % £0.00 GBP - £49.99 GBP
4.00 GBP % £50.00 GBP - and up
The shipping charge for an order price of £36.50 is £1.83. The shipping charge for an order
price of £66.50 is £2.66. This rate structure encourages buyers to purchase more with
discounted shipping rates on larger orders

Overriding Shipping Calculation on Individual Transactions
Sometimes you want to set special shipping rates for certain items, such as especially heavy
ones that cost more to ship, or services and digital downloads that do not require shipping.
Prerequisites for Overriding Shipping Rates on Individual Transactions
To override your profile-based shipping rates:
Enable overrides of your shipping rates for individual transactions; overrides are disabled
by default.
Set the special shipping rates for individual items or entire transactions with special HTML
variables of Buy Now, Donation, Add to Cart, and View Cart buttons
For more information, see “Setting Shipping Charges on Individual Items” on page 250
and “Setting the Tax for the Entire Cart” on page 251.
Enabling the Override of Shipping Rates on Individual Transactions
To enable overrides of shipping rates:


7
Blocking Certain Kinds of Payments

The Shipping Calculations page appears
4. Click the checkbox labelled Click here to allow transaction-based shipping values to
override the profile shipping settings listed above (if profile settings are enabled).

Payment receiving preferences let you block.
Payments from U.S. payers without a confirmed address
Payments in currencies you do not hold
Payments from payers with non-U.S. accounts
Payments initiated through the Pay Anyone Subtab
Payments by credit card instead of a bank account
Payments funded with eChecks

Accessing Your Payment Receiving Preferences to Block Payments
To access your Payment Receiving Preferences to block different types of payments:
3. In the Selling Preferences column, click the Payment Receiving Preferences link.
The Payment Receiving Preferences page appears, as shown below.


7

FIGURE 7.30 Payment Receiving Preferences Page

Blocking Payments From U.S. Payers Without a Confirmed Address


7

You can better manage your risk by blocking payments where the payer chooses not to share
his Confirmed Address with you. PayPal provides Confirmed Addresses to help you make
informed decisions when shipping goods. To be eligible for PayPal's Seller Protection Policy
(SPP), and to help reduce your risk of dealing with fraudulent buyers, ship to a buyer’s
Confirmed Address.
There are three choices for this preference:
Yes – All payments from U.S. payers without a Confirmed Address are blocked. All U.S.
payers must provide a Confirmed Address in order to pay you.
No – All payments are accepted. To maximize your sales, select No.
Ask Me – You can choose whether to accept or deny payment without a Confirmed
Address on a case-by-case basis. This option lets decide whether to take on the risk of not
having the payer’s Confirmed Address for each transaction. If you accept the payment, it
becomes a completed transaction. If you deny a particular payment, the sender of the
payment is notified that the payment has been denied and is credited with the payment
amount. PayPal does not charge fees for denied payments.
For a detailed description of how Confirmed Address and other settings affect the PayPal
billing and shipping addresses, see Appendix B, “Address Handling (U.S. Merchants Only).”

Blocking Payments in Currencies That You Do Not Hold
When you receive a payment in a currency you do not hold, PayPal prompts you to open a
balance for that currency, convert it to your primary balance, or deny the payment. Payments
in currencies for which you hold a balance are applied to the appropriate balance. You see a
summary of each currency balance in your Account Overview page.
There are three choices for this preference:
Yes – Accept the payment regardless of the currency in which the payment is made.
No, accept them and convert them to U.S. Dollars – Accept the payment but
automatically converts to U.S. Dollars.
Ask Me – Transaction-by-transaction, you can choose to accept or deny a payment in a
currency you do not currently hold. If you accept the payment, it becomes a completed
transaction. If you deny a particular payment, the sender of the payment is notified that the
payment has been denied and is credited with the payment amount. PayPal does not charge
fees for denied payments.
For more informations, see “Managing Currency Balances” on page 316.

Blocking Payments from Payers With Non-U.S. PayPal Accounts
Because many international addresses cannot be confirmed, you may choose to block
payments from users with non-U.S. PayPal accounts in order to qualify for the Seller
Protection Policy.


7
Adding Your Credit Card Statement Name

Blocking Payments Initiated Through the Pay Anyone Subtab
You can choose whether or not to receive payments initiated via the Pay Anyone subtab of the
Send Money tab on the PayPal website. Selecting this option might help you manage your
account, because the payments you receive will be associated with a specific item or
transaction that you defined.
If you block these payments, you accept only payments initiated from Buy Now, PayPal
Shopping Cart, Gift Certificate, Subscription, and Donate buttons, as well as Winning Buyer
Notification, Mass Payments, Money Requests, Smart Logos, or eBay Checkout Payments.

Blocking Payments by Credit Card Instead of Bank Account
You can force people to pay you with a bank account or funds in their PayPal balances if they
are able to do so. However, if they cannot pay using a bank account or their PayPal balances,
they still have the option to pay with a credit card.
This preference can also help to reduce your risk of chargebacks. Verified members are people
who have confirmed their bank accounts with PayPal or who have been otherwise verified by
PayPal. Because most Verified members have the option of paying with their bank accounts
(via eCheck or Instant Transfer), this preference does not prevent them from sending you
money. When they pay with PayPal’s Instant Transfer, you receive the payment instantly, just
as when they pay with a credit card. Members who have not confirmed their bank accounts
with PayPal can still send you money funded by credit cards.

Blocking Payments Funded With eChecks
You can block payments from PayPal members who pay with eChecks. Because eCheck
payments take three to four business days to clear, you might want to block them for your
Instant Purchase and Buy Now buttons.
If you choose to block these payments, users who attempt to pay via eCheck are prompted to
add a credit card to their account before completing the transaction.
If you choose not to block these payments, you can receive eCheck payments through PayPal
Website Payments or Auction Logos. eCheck payments are listed as Pending and are not
credited to your PayPal account for three to four business days.

When PayPal members pay with credit cards on file with their PayPal accounts, the
transactions appear on their credit card statements in the following format in the description:
PAYPAL*MERCHANT
By default, MERCHANT is:
For premiere accounts, the mailbox name of the email addressed that you specified when
you signed up your account.


7

For business accounts, the business name that you specified when you signed up for your
account.
The value you specified is converted to all upper-case letters, spaces are removed, the result is
truncated to eleven characters. The result is stored in your account profile as your Credit Card
Statement Name
The default value for your Credit Card Statement Name may be difficult for payers to
understand. To reduce chargebacks and payer confusion, replace the default Credit Card
Statement Name with one that accurately reflects your business or legal name.
To specify your Credit Card Statement Name:
3. In the Selling Preferences column, click the Payment Receiving Preferences link.
The Payment Receiving Preferences page appears.
4. Scroll down the page to the Credit Card Statement Name section, as shown below.

FIGURE 7.31 Specifying Your Credit Card Statement Name

5. Change the following settings:


Setting Action

Credit Card Statement Enter up to 11 characters and spaces. Do not include special
Name characters, such as “&,” “#”, or “_”. The value is converted to all
capital letters and might be truncated by some credit card processors.


7
Allowing Multiple Users to Access Your PayPal Account


Setting Action

Extended Credit Card Enter up to 19 characters and spaces. Do not include special
Statement Name characters, such as “&,” “#”, or “_”.The value is converted to all
capital letters and might be truncated by some credit card processors.

6. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save button.

If you have a PayPal business account, you can set up multiple logins with different
permissions to allow multiple people in your organization to access your PayPal account.
Multi-user access lets you give different employees access to different parts of your account,
based on their business functions.
For example, you can give your customer service representatives their own logins with limited
privileges that let them only view balances and make refunds but not let them edit profiles,
send money, or withdraw funds.

IMPO RTANT: Remember to remove user logins for people who leave your organization.

Adding a User Login to Your Account
To create a user login for your PayPal business account:
3. In the Account Information column, click the Multi-User Access link.
The Multi-User Access-Current Users page appears.
4. Click the Add User button if you have not added users yet, or the Add button if already
have additional users on your account.
The Add Users page appears.


7

5. Enter information in the following settings:

TABLE 7.4 New User Login Settings

Setting Action

User’s Name Enter the first and last name of the person to whom you want to give
access to your account.

User ID Enter a combination of between 10 and 16 letters and numbers.

Re-enter User ID Enter the same combination of letters and numbers that you entered
for User ID.

Password Enter a combination of between 8 and 20 letters and numbers.

Re-enter Password Enter the same combination of letters and numbers that you entered
for Password.

Multi-User Access Select any of the checkboxes to grant the user specific privileges
within your account:
Send Money
Mass Payments
Request Money
Add Funds
Refunds
Withdraw Money
Cancel Payments
View Balance
View Profile
Edit Profile
History and Reports
API Activation & Authorization
Discuss Account with Customer
Authorization & Settlement
PayPal Shipping
Recurring Payments


Changing the Privileges for a User Login
After you add a user login, you can change the privileges of the login. You cannot change the
user’s name or the user ID.
To change the privileges of a user login:


7

The Multi-User Access - Current Users page appears, as shown below:

FIGURE 7.32 Multi-User Access - Current Users Page

4. Select the radio button next to the User Name, and click the Edit button.
The Change Multi-User Access page appears, with the User Name and User ID
displayed as read-only text.
5. Select and deselect checkboxes for the privileges you want to grant to or revoke from the
user login.
6. Click the Save changes.

Resetting the Password for a User Login
When employees forget or loose their passwords, you can log in and reset them.
To reset the password for a user login:
The Multi-User Access - Current Users page appears.


7
Handling Multiple Currencies

4. Select the radio button next to the User Name for the user login, and click the
Change Password button.
The Change User Password page appears, with the User Name and User ID displayed as
read-only text.
5. Enter a new password for the user login:

TABLE 7.5 Change User Login Password Settings

Setting Action

Password Enter a combination of between 8 and 20 letters and numbers.

Re-enter Password Enter the same combination of letters and numbers that you entered
for Password.


Removing a User Login
When someone leaves your organization, you should remove the person’s user login from your
account.
To remove a user login:
The Multi-User Access-Current Users page appears.
4. Select the radio button next to the User Name for the user login, and click the Remove
button.
The Remove User page appears, with the User Name and User ID displayed as read-only
text.
5. Click the Remove button to permanently remove the user login from your account, or click
the Cancel button to retain the user login.

PayPal helps you handle multiple currencies in the following ways:


7

Managing Currency Balances
Accepting or Denying Cross-Currency Payments

Managing Currency Balances
Use the Currency Balances section of your account profile to manage your currency
balances, including:
Selecting your primary currency balance
Opening or closing currency balances
Converting funds from one currency balance to funds in another currency balance.
People can pay you in the following currencies; you maintain PayPal balances only in those
currencies that you specify.

TABLE 7.6 Currencies Allowed for Transactions and Balances

Currency ISO-4217 Code

Australian Dollar AUD

Canadian Dollar CAD

Czech Koruna CZK

Danish Krone DKK

Euro EUR

Hong Kong Dollar HKD

Hungarian Forint HUF

Israeli New Sheqel ILS

Japanese Yen JPY

Mexican Peso MXN

Norwegian Krone NOK

New Zealand Dollar NZD

Polish Zloty PLN

Pound Sterling GBP

Singapore Dollar SGD

Swedish Krona SEK

Swiss Franc CHF

U.S. Dollar USD


7
Language Encoding Your Data

N O T E : Use
the IS0-4217 code for the currency_code HTML variable of HTML buttons with
monetary amounts in currencies in other than USD.

Accepting or Denying Cross-Currency Payments
You choose which currencies you accept and how you would like to accept them. You can set
your Payment Receiving Preferences to handle cross-currency payments. See “Blocking
Certain Kinds of Payments” on page 307.
When people make payments in currencies that you hold, the funds appear in your account in
the balance of that currency. When people make payments in currencies that you do not hold,
you can accept or deny the payments.

FIGURE 7.33 Accepting or Denying a Cross-Currency Payment

Receiving fees are assessed in the currency in which the funds were sent. Payments converted
to your primary currency are converted at a competitive exchange rate.

Websites that use PayPal in different parts of the world work with different languages and
different character encoding schemes. PayPal refers collectively to these differences as
language encoding.You can set the default language encoding that your website uses to
exchange data with PayPal. The default settings are used for all transactions sent from your
website to PayPal and all automated notifications sent from PayPal to your website. You can
override the default settings on individual transactions with the charset HTML Form
variable.
For more information on overrides, see “Setting the Character Set – charset” on page 339.


7

About Language Encoding for Exchanging Data With PayPal
Computer systems represent human languages in terms of character sets and character
encoding.
Character Sets
A character set is a defined set of individual letters and symbols used in a particular language.
For instance, the ASCII character is commonly used to define the character in written
American English. The Big 5 character is commonly used to define the characters in written
Chinese.
Character Encoding
Character encoding is the way a computer system represents internally the letters and symbols
of a particular character set. Computers use internal representation to store, transmit, and
process data.
Different character encoding schemes define the number of bytes each character requires and
the pattern of on/off bits that identify a particular character. For example, single-byte encoding
schemes, such as ANSI and extended ASCII, allocate one byte for each character or symbol in
character set for Western European languages. Other encoding schemes, such as Unicode and
UTF-8, allocate several bytes for each character in their character sets.

Changing Your Default Language Encoding
Your Language Encoding preferences let you can control which language and encoding
scheme is used to exchange data between your website and PayPal. When you sign up for a
PayPal account, the system determines your default language and encoding based on your
country of origin. For example, if you sign up with a French postal address, your language and
encoding are set for Western European languages.
You must set your language encoding preferences to match the language and encoding that
your website uses. Otherwise, data cannot be exchanged with PayPal. Generally, the default
selected by PayPal is appropriate. In some cases, particularly in Asian countries or with certain
operating systems, the language and/or encoding may not match those used by your website.
You can set these language encoding preferences.
Your website’s language – Set the character set used on your website, such as Western
European, Japanese, or Russian
Encoding – Set the character encoding used on your website, such as UTF-8, EUC-JP, or
KOI8-R.
N O T E : For a
complete list of supported character encodings, see ““Setting the Character
Set – charset” on page 339.
Changing Your Default Website Language
To change your website language:


7

3. In the Selling Preferences column, click the Language Encoding link.
The Language Encoding page appears, as shown below.

FIGURE 7.34 Language Encoding Settings – Language Choice

4. From the Your website’s language dropdown menu, select an appropriate setting.
Changing the Character Encoding Used by Your Website
Sometimes setting your website’s language is insufficient to set the language encoding
correctly. You may need to specify the character encoding explicitly. In addition, you may
need to select separately the encoding for data that your website sends to PayPal with Website
Payments Standard buttons and the data sent by PayPal through Instant Payment Notification,
downloadable history logs, and email notifications.
To change the character encoding used by your website:
3. In the Selling Preferences column, click the Language Encoding link.
The Language Encoding page appears, as shown in Figure 7.34 .
4. Ensure that setting for Your website’s language is correct.


7

5. Click the More Options button.
The More Encoding Options page appears, as shown below

FIGURE 7.35 Language Encoding Settings – More Encoding Options

6. From the Encoding dropdown menu, select the appropriate character encoding scheme for
data that your website sends to PayPal.
– If you want to use the encoding scheme for receiving data that PayPal sends to your
website, ensure that the Yes radio button is selected.
– If you want to use a different encoding scheme, select the No radio button and select the
encoding scheme you want to use to receive data from PayPal from the No, use
dropdown menu.
7. Click the Save button to preserve both the encoding options that you selected on this page
and the website language you selected on the previous page.

IMPO RTANT: You can click the Cancel button to return to the previous page and review
your choice for website language. However, selections that you made on
the More Encoding Options page are lost.


8 Using Authorization & Capture

PayPal Authorization & Capture is a settlement solution that provides merchants increased
flexibility in obtaining payments from their buyers. During a traditional sale at PayPal, the
authorization and capture action is completed simultaneously. PayPal Authorization &
Capture separates the authorization of payment from the capture of the authorized payment.
Authorization & Capture is for merchants who have a delayed order fulfillment process and
who typically make a $1 USD authorization at checkout. It enables merchants to modify the
original authorization amount due to order changes occurring after the initial order is placed
(such as taxes, shipping, or item availability). This chapter discusses the authorization and
capture process and provides steps to help you authorize, capture, reauthorize, and void funds.
There are two ways to use Authorization & Capture:
Create an order or authorization with Website Payments Standard HTML and capture or
void the authorization on the PayPal website (www.paypal.com).
Use the Authorization & Capture API, which is not discussed in this book. For more
information, see the Website Payments Pro Integration Guide.

Basic Authorization Process
Authorization & Capture starts when your buyer authorizes a payment amount during
checkout.
1. For example, you can send your buyer through the Website Payments payment flow,
passing in the paymentaction variable set to authorization or order.
2. After your buyer completes checkout, you can then use the payment’s transaction ID with
Authorization & Capture in the PayPal website (https://www.paypal.com). You can:
– Capture either a partial amount or the full authorization amount.
– Authorize a higher amount, up to 115% of the originally authorized amount (not to
exceed an increase of $75 USD).
– Void a previous authorization.

Honor Period and Authorization Period
When your buyer approves an authorization, the buyer’s balance can be placed on hold for a
29-day period to ensure the availability of the authorization amount for capture. You can
reauthorize a transaction only once, up to 115% of the originally authorized amount (not to
exceed an increase of $75 USD).


Using Authorization & Capture
8
Basic Authorization & Capture Scenarios

After a successful authorization (or reauthorization), PayPal will honor authorized funds for
three days, but PayPal cannot ensure that 100% of the funds will be available. A day is defined
as the start of the calendar day on which the authorization or reauthorization was made (from
12AM PST to 11:50PM PST).
You can settle without a reauthorization from day 4 to day 29 of the authorization period, but
PayPal cannot ensure that 100% of the funds will be available after the three-day honor period.
However, PayPal will not allow you to capture funds if the buyer’s account is restricted,
locked, or a fraudulent case occurs, or if your account has a high restriction level. You can use
Authorization & Capture only when your account has a low restriction level.
The honor period and authorization period for authorizations are described below:
If you attempt to capture funds outside the honor period, PayPal applies best efforts to
capture funds. However, funds may not be available at that time.
The accounts of buyers and merchants cannot be closed if there is a pending (unsettled)
authorization.
Supported PayPal Payment Products
You can use Authorization & Capture with the PayPal products listed in Table 8.1 , “PayPal
Products Supporting Authorization & Capture.”
By default, these products assume that a transaction is a final sale. You must explicitly specify
that a transaction is a basic or order authorization.
N O T E : Youmust capture and void orders and order authorizations using the Authorization &
Capture APIs. That is, you cannot process order authorizations on the PayPal website
(https://www.paypal.com). The PayPal website supports processing only basic
authorizations, not order authorizations.

TABLE 8.1 PayPal Products Supporting Authorization & Capture

Product Typical Usage

Website Payments paymentaction="authorization"

Buy Now paymentaction="authorization"

Donations paymentaction="authorization"

Shopping carts paymentaction="authorization"

Included here are examples of some common scenarios you might encounter when
implementing basic authorizations and captures.


8

Capturing A Single Authorization
If you have authorized a transaction, you need to capture the funds in order to receive
payment.
N O T E : PayPal
recommends that you capture payments within three days of the original
authorization.
To initiate a capture:
1. Go to the History of your account on https://www.paypal.com.
2. Click the Capture button associated with the transaction.
3. Review the information on the Capture Funds page, enter the amount to capture, and then
click the Capture Funds button.
The funds are transferred to your account.

Batch Capturing Multiple Authorizations
On https://www.paypal.com, you can initiate the capture of an entire group of authorized
transactions at the same time. This feature is known as batch capture.
To capture a batch of authorized transactions:
1. Go to the History of your account on https://www.paypal.com.
2. Click the Capture button associated with any transaction.

3. On the displayed page, click the Batch Capture link that is located in the introductory
paragraph.

4. On the displayed page, either use the dropdown menu to choose a defined date or date
range, or enter a specific date range in the provided fields.


8

5. On the displayed page, check the authorizations you want to capture, set their capture
amount, choose whether you will make an additional capture later, and optionally enter a
note to the buyer.

6. Review the capture transactions, make any desired changes, and submit them for
processing.

Voiding an Authorization
If you initiated an authorization and now want to refund the buyer, you need to void the
authorization. Once you void an authorization, you cannot capture any funds associated with
the authorization, and the funds are returned to the buyer.
N O T E : Voiding an authorization cancels the entire open amount.
You can initiate a void in the following cases:
The authorization is pending
The authorized amount was captured at less than 100%


8

To void an authorization:
1. Click the Void button associated with the authorization.
2. Confirm the void details on the Void Authorization page, and then click the Void button.
N O T E : PayPal
recommends that you explain any unique circumstance to your buyer in the
Note field.
PayPal sends the buyer an email with the details of the voided authorization.

Capture Within 3 Days
1. Your buyer orders a camera from your website.
2. Your buyer enters payment information and authorizes payment.
3. Send your buyer to PayPal using a hosted flow, specifying the variable
paymentaction=authorization
4. PayPal initiates the authorization.
5. On day 3, you ship the camera and capture funds.
After you have captured funds, your Transaction Details shows the transaction with a
Completed status.

FIGURE 8.1 Transaction Details – Completed Transaction

Capture From 4 - 29 Days
1. Your buyer orders a DVD player from your website.
paymentaction=authorization.


8

5. The DVD player is discontinued. You order a different DVD player from your vendor and
notify your buyer of the change.
6. On day 14, the DVD player arrives from your vendor. Because the honor period has passed,
you complete a reauthorization for payment.You ship the DVD player and complete the
final capture.
Your Transaction Details shows that the transaction has been completed.

FIGURE 8.2 Transaction Details – Reauthorization, Final Capture

One Authorization, Multiple Captures, and a Refund
1. Your buyer orders two textbooks and a keyboard from your website.
5. One textbook and the keyboard are out of stock. You order additional inventory from your
vendors. You ship the in-stock textbook and capture the first partial capture on day 6.
6. You receive the second textbook from the vendor. You ship the textbook and capture the
second partial capture on day 11.
7. You receive the keyboard from the vendor. You reauthorize for payment on day 19.


8

8. Your buyer files a complaint that the textbook from the first shipment is damaged. You
issue a partial refund for the first capture.
Your Transaction Details shows the following:

FIGURE 8.3 Transaction Details – Partial Capture, Reauthorization, Refund

Lower Capture Amount
1. Your buyer orders a laser printer and a USB cable from your website.
5. Before you process the transaction, your buyer contacts you and requests to cancel the USB
cable from the order.
6. On day 6, you ship the laser printer and complete a partial capture for an amount less than
the original authorization amount.
7. You complete a void on the funds remaining on the authorization.


8

Your Transaction Details shows the following:

FIGURE 8.4 Transaction Details – Partial Capture, Voided Transaction

Capture Up to 115%
1. Your buyer places an order from your website.
5. You add shipping charges to the order and capture funds on day 1.
Your Transaction Details shows the completed transaction. The capture results in a total not
greater than 115% of the original authorization.


8

FIGURE 8.5 Transaction Details – Capture up to 115%

Authorization Expires
1. Your buyer orders a desktop computer from your website.
5. Before you process the transaction, your buyer contacts you to cancel the order.
6. You do not capture funds for the transaction.
7. The authorization expires.
Your Transaction Details shows the authorization with an Expired status.


8

FIGURE 8.6 Transaction Details – Expired Authorization

Void
1. Your buyer orders a stereo system from your website.
5. Before you process the transaction, your buyer contacts you to cancel the order.
6. You void the transaction.
Your History shows the transaction with a Voided status.


8

FIGURE 8.7 History – Voided Transaction

Reattempted Capture
1. Your buyer orders two sweatshirts from your website.
5. On day 3, you attempt to capture funds, but the capture fails. You receive an error message
similar to the following:
We are sorry, we cannot process the settlement at this time.
There was a restriction on the buyer’s account.
6. You contact the buyer to resolve the problem.
7. Your buyer resolves the account problem.
8. You reattempt and successfully capture funds. You ship the order to your buyer.
N O T E : The reauthorization scenario is similar to the Reattempted Capture scenario, as detailed
above.


8
Recommendations for Best Use of Authorization & Capture

Recommendations for Best Use of Authorization & Capture
Here are recommendations to ensure the best experience for buyers and to get the most from
Authorization & Capture.

Capturing Funds on Basic Authorizations
PayPal recommends that you capture funds within the honor period of three days because
PayPal will honor the funds for a 3-day period after the basic authorization. If you attempt to
capture funds after the three-day period and the authorization fails, your request to capture
funds may be declined.
After day 4 of the authorization period, you can initiate a reauthorization, which will start a
new three-day honor period. However, it will not extend the original authorization period past
29 days. For example, if you successfully complete a reauthorization on day 29 of the
authorization period, funds will only be honored until the end of the 29th day, and a new three-
day honor period will start but not extend beyond day 29.
You should capture funds within 24 hours after you ship your buyer’s order.

Buyer Approval for Basic Authorizations
A buyer-initiated authorization allows you to capture funds from the buyer’s account up to
115% of the originally authorized amount (not to exceed an increase of $75 USD) and up to
$10,000 USD.

IMPO RTANT: If you want to update any details of the purchase that change the original
authorization amount, PayPal requires that you obtain consent from the buyer
at the time of purchase or at the time of capture.

Voiding Basic Authorizations
You should void an authorization if the authorization or reauthorization will not be used.
Voiding the authorization unlocks the temporary hold placed on your buyer’s funding sources.


9 Issuing Refunds

When you issue a refund, the gross amount of the refund is sent to the buyer. The gross amount
equals the net amount of the original transaction plus the refunded fee from PayPal.
Gross Amount = Net Amount + Refund Fee

Refunding Within 60 Days of Payment
You can refund the entire amount of a transaction or portions of it. If you issue a refund within
60 days, the original transaction fee for receiving the payment is credited to your account. For
partial refunds, you are credited a percentage of the original transaction fee based on the
refunded amount.
To issue a refund within 60 days:
1. Log in to your PayPal account.
3. Find the payment transaction you want to refund.
4. Click the Details link for the transaction.
5. Click the Refund Payment link on the Transaction Details page.
6. Enter the refund amount and click the Submit button.
7. Confirm the refund amount and click the Process Refund button.
If you refund a pending eCheck payment, no fees are charged because the pending payment is
effectively canceled.

Refunding After 60 Days
When you issue a refund after 60 days, your original transaction fee for receiving the payment
is not credited to your account.
To issue a refund after 60 days:
1. Log in to your PayPal account.
2. Click the Send Money tab.
3. Enter the required information.


Issuing Refunds
9
Refunding After 60 Days

4. Click the Continue button.
5. Review the information on the confirmation page, and click the Send Money button to
complete the refund.


10 Testing Payment Buttons in the
PayPal Sandbox

The PayPal Sandbox can be used to test the following functionality:
Buy Now buttons – Test single-item payments.
For more information, see Chapter 1, “Single-Item Payments – Buy Now Buttons.”
Subscribe buttons – Test recurring payments.
For more information, see Chapter 3, “Recurring Payments – Subscribe Buttons.”
Donate buttons – Test contribution payments.
For more information, see Chapter 2, “Contribution Payments – Donate Buttons.”
Shopping Cart buttons – Test multiple-item payments in a single purchase transaction.
For more information, see Chapter 4, “The PayPal Shopping Cart – Add to Cart and View
Cart Buttons.”
Refunds – Test the refunding of money paid by PayPal members.
For more information, see Chapter 9, “Issuing Refunds.”
Payment Data Transfer – Test your identity token, return URL, and Payment Data
Transfer settings.
For more information about implementing Payment Data Transfer, see the Order
Management Integration Guide.
Instant Payment Notification – Test Instant Payment Notification messages for payments
and reversals
Instant Payment Notification messages in the Sandbox environment include the special
ipn_test variable, set to the value 1. This variable lets your code differentiate between
Instant Payment Notification messages in the Sandbox and Instant Payment Notification
messages from the live PayPal website. Use the ipn_test variable to develop scripts that
work in both situations.

IMPO RTANT: Instant Payment Notification messages that come from the Sandbox
cannot be verified against the live PayPal website, and Instant Payment
Notification messages that come from the live PayPal website cannot be
verified against the Sandbox.
For more information about implementing Instant Payment Notification, see the Order
Management Integration Guide.
Simulated transactions – Test scenarios, such as successful and failed eChecks.
To test in the Sandbox, create a Developer Central account. Then create multiple PayPal
test accounts for buyers and merchants so that you can simulate different scenarios.

IMPO RTANT: The Sandbox does not process real money.


Testing Payment Buttons in the PayPal Sandbox
10

For more information, see the Sandbox User Guide.


11 HTML Form Basics for Website
Payments Standard

This chapter describes in technical terms the basic functionality of Website Payments Standard
and its use of HTML Forms. Use the information in this chapter as a guide to writing the
HTML code yourself for Website Payments Standard payment buttons. A wide variety of
HTML authoring tools exist. This guide does not describe all the possibilities.
People who pay you through Website Payments Standard interact with HTML forms and
hidden HTML input variables that you place on your website. When someone clicks a
payment button in an HTML form on a webpage, the form submits the variables and their
values to PayPal. You set the values of the variables to produce the desired effect, such as
invoking the Buy Now, the Donate, the Subscribe, or the PayPal Shopping Cart checkout
experience and various other PayPal features.
N O T E : The
PayPal website offers tools that let you create the HTML code for Buy Now,
Donate, Subscribe, and PayPal Shopping Cart buttons. For more information, see
Chapter 1, “Single-Item Payments – Buy Now Buttons”, Chapter 2, “Contribution
Payments – Donate Buttons”, Chapter 3, “Recurring Payments – Subscribe Buttons”,
and Chapter 4, “The PayPal Shopping Cart – Add to Cart and View Cart Buttons”.

Form Attributes – ACTION and METHOD
The FORM tag includes two required attributes, action and method, which always looks like
this:
<FORM action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">

IMPO RTANT: Do not change these values.These attributes are required for all Buy Now
buttons, shopping cart buttons, and Donate buttons.

Hidden Input Variables
HTML input variables in a PayPal Website Payments Standard FORM are always hidden from
the payer’s view. They have the following general format:
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" name="variableName" value="allowedValue">
The variableName is any of the variables described in Appendix A, “HTML Variables for
Website Payments Standard,” and the allowedValue is any of the values detailed for those
variables.


HTML Form Basics for Website Payments Standard
11
Specifying the Kind of Payment Button – cmd

Specifying the Kind of Payment Button – cmd
The cmd variable is always required in a FORM. Its value determines which Website Payments
Standard checkout experience you are using to obtain payment.

TABLE 11.1 Allowed Values for cmd Variable

Value of cmd Description

_xclick The button that the person clicked was a Buy Now button

_donations The button that the person clicked was a Donate button

_xclick-subscriptions The button that the person clicked was a Subscribe button.

_cart For shopping cart purchases; these additional variables specify the
kind of shopping cart button or command:
add – Add to Cart buttons
display – View Cart buttons
upload – The Cart Upload command

The input tag looks like one of the following:
Buy Now buttons – <INPUT TYPE="hidden" name="cmd" value="_xclick">
Donate buttons – <INPUT TYPE="hidden" name="cmd" value="_donations">
Subscribe buttons – <INPUT TYPE="hidden" name="cmd" value="_xclick-
subscriptions">
Shopping cart buttons – <INPUT TYPE="hidden" name="cmd" value="_cart">

IMPO RTANT: These INPUT tags are required exactly as shown above. Do not alter them.

Variations on Basic Variables
This section highlights some useful miscellaneous ideas about Website Payments Standard
FORM variables.
The HTML variables interact in various ways. Sometimes their effect is cumulative,
sometimes they can cancel each other out, sometimes a variable requires that you also set
another variable. These interactions are detailed in the descriptions of the variables in
Appendix A, “HTML Variables for Website Payments Standard” and Appendix B, “Address
Handling (U.S. Merchants Only).”

Record Keeping with Passthrough Variables
Some variables are exclusively for your own use, such as order management.PayPal returns
the values that you send through Instant Payment Notification exactly as you sent them. For


11
Variations on Basic Variables

this reason, they are called passthrough variables. Their values are not recorded or used by
PayPal.
The following are passthrough variables:
custom
item_number or item_number_x
invoice

Setting the Character Set – charset
You can use the charset HTML variable to specify the character set or character encoding of
the data you collect in your website forms and send to PayPal. PayPal sends data to you in the
same character set or encoding you specify with the charset variable. For example, the
following INPUT tag sets the encoding to UTF-8:
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" name="charset" value="utf-8">

TABLE 11.2 Character Sets and Encoding Schemes Supported by PayPal

Big5 (Traditional ISO-2022-JP ISO-8859-8 UTF-16BE US-ASCII windows-1258
Chinese in Taiwan) ISO-2022-KR ISO-8859-9 UTF-16LE windows-1250 windows-874
EUC-JP ISO-8859-1 ISO-8859-13 UTF16_Platfor windows-1251 (Thai)
EUC-KR (Western ISO-8859-15 mEndian windows-1252 windows-949
EUC-TW European KOI8-R UTF16_Oppos windows-1253 (Korean)
gb2312 (Simplified Languages) (Cyrillic) iteEndian x-mac-greek
windows-1254
Chinese) ISO-8859-2 Shift_JIS UTF-32 x-mac-turkish
windows-1255
gbk ISO-8859-3 UTF-7 UTF-32BE x-mac-
windows-1256
HZ-GB-2312 ISO-8859-4 UTF-8 UTF-32LE centraleurroman
windows-1257
(Traditional ISO-8859-5 UTF-16 UTF32_Platfor x-mac-cyrillic
Chinese in Hong ISO-8859-6 mEndian ebcdic-cp-us
Kong) ISO-8859-7 UTF32_Oppos ibm-1047
ibm-862 (Hebrew iteEndian
with European
characters)
ISO-2022-CN

Setting The Return URL on Individual Transactions
With Auto Return turned on in your account profile, you can set the value of the return URL
on each individual transaction to override the value that you have stored on PayPal. For
example, you might want to return the payer’s browser to a URL on your site that is specific to
that payer, perhaps with a session ID or other transaction-related data included in the URL.
To set the return URL for a transaction, include the return variable in the HTML FORM:
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="return" value="URLspecificToThisTransaction">


11
Using HTML Variables With Saved Payment Buttons

Desired Currency on Individual Transactions
Use the currency_code variable on individual transactions to specify the currency of the
payment:
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="currency_code" value="CurrencyCode">
The value of currency_code must be a code from Table 7.6, “Currencies Allowed for
Transactions and Balances,” on page 316.
N O T E : If the currency_code variable is not included, the currency USD is used.

Using HTML Variables With Saved Payment Buttons
When you create payment buttons on the PayPal website and save them in your PayPal
account, PayPal generates HTML code for the saved button. You must add this generated code
to your website. Otherwise, buyers have nothing to click on.
Most features of the button, such as item name and amount, are saved with the button in the
PayPal account. Therefore, PayPal generates much simpler code for saved buttons than for
other buttons, as the following example shows.


<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_s-xclick">


<input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="221">



</form>

IMPO RTANT: Do not write HTML button code for saved payment buttons yourself. The
value for the hosted_button_id variable is generated solely by PayPal.
Results are unpredictable if you use your own value.
You should not write HTML button code for saved buttons. Always use the code that PayPal
generates. However, you can enhance the generated code for saved buttons by adding hidden
HTML variables that do not affect the transaction amount. For example, you can enhance
saved buttons with prepopulation variables, as described in “Prepopulating FORMs” on
page 341.

11
Prepopulating FORMs

Prepopulating FORMs
With Account Optional turned on in your account profile, you can accept payments from
people without a PayPal account. However, checking out with PayPal is often faster than
forcing people to re-enter information that is stored on PayPal. For repeat customers, it is to
your advantage to get people to sign up for their own PayPal accounts.
During a payment transaction, you can prepopulate a FORM by including HTML input
variables specifically for this purpose. A complete description of these variables is found in
“HTML Variables for Prepopulating PayPal Checkout Pages” on page 361.
For a detailed description of how prepopulated forms and other settings affect the PayPal

Sample HTML for FORM Prepopulation
The following sample HTML code shows the optional prepopulation fields with the required
variables in payment buttons. Your website dynamically generates the field entries from
information that your website gathered about the payer and includes the fields and their values
in the URL to which payers are sent when they click a payment button.

EXAMPLE 11.1 HTML Code for FORM Prepopulation
<input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="hat">
<input type="hidden" name="item_number" value="123">
<input type="hidden" name="first_name" value="John">
<input type="hidden" name="last_name" value="Doe">
<input type="hidden" name="address1" value="9 Elm Street">
<input type="hidden" name="address2" value="Apt 5">
<input type="hidden" name="city" value="Berwyn">
<input type="hidden" name="state" value="PA">
<input type="hidden" name="zip" value="19312">
<input type="hidden" name="night_phone_a" value="610">
<input type="hidden" name="night_phone_b" value="555">
<input type="hidden" name="night_phone_c" value="1234">
</form>


11
Overriding Addresses Stored With PayPal

Overriding Addresses Stored With PayPal
For people who already have PayPal accounts and whom you already prompted for a shipping
address before they choose to pay with PayPal, you can use the entered address instead of the
address the person has stored with PayPal. Set the address_override variable to 1, as in
the following example:
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" name="address_override" value="1">
You must also include FORM variables that contain the person’s address information, as
detailed in “HTML Variables for Prepopulating PayPal Checkout Pages” on page 361.”
The payer is shown the passed-in address but cannot edit it. No address is shown if the address
is not valid, such as missing required fields like country, or if the address is not included at all.
For a detailed description of how overriding the address and other settings affect the PayPal

Sample HTML for Overriding Addresses Stored With PayPal
The following HTML code shows the address_override variable in conjunction with the
prepopulation variables for overriding a payer’s address that is stored with PayPal.

EXAMPLE 11.2 HTML for Overriding Addresses Stored With PayPal
value="Memorex 256MB Memory Stick">
<input type="hidden" name="item_number" value="MEM32507725">
<input type="hidden" name="amount" value="3">
<input type="hidden" name="tax" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="quantity" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="no_note" value="1">


<input type="hidden" name="address_override" value="1">


<input type="hidden" name="first_name" value="John">
<input type="hidden" name="last_name" value="Doe">
<input type="hidden" name="address1" value="345 Lark Ave">
<input type="hidden" name="city" value="San Jose">
<input type="hidden" name="state" value="CA">
<input type="hidden" name="zip" value="95121">
<input type="hidden" name="country" value="US">

11
Instant Payment Notification – notify_url

</form>

Instant Payment Notification consists of three parts:
1. Someone pays you.
2. PayPal POSTs FORM variables to a URL you specify that runs a program to process the
variables.
3. You validate the notification.

FIGURE 11.1 How IPN Works – Three General Steps

1. A payment or a refund triggers IPN. This payment can be via Website Payments Standard
FORMs or via the PayPal Web Services APIs for Express Checkout, MassPay, or
RefundTransaction. If the payment has a “Pending” status, you receive another IPN when
the payment clears, fails, or is denied.
2. PayPal posts HTML FORM variables to a program at a URL you specify. You can specify
this URL either in your account profile or with the notify_url variable on each
transaction. This post is the heart of IPN. Included in the notification is the payment
information, such as the payer’s name and the amount paid. All possible variables in IPN
posts are detailed in the Order Management Integration Guide.When your server receives a
notification, it must process the incoming data.
3. Your server must then validate the notification to ensure that it is legitimate. For details, see
the Order Management Integration Guide.


11


A HTML Variables for Website
Payments Standard

This appendix provides reference information for all HTML variables supported for use with
Buy Now, Donation, Subscribe, Add to Cart, and View Cart buttons, as well as HTML
variables supported the Cart Upload command.
Read the following topics to learn about the kinds of HTML variables that you can use:
“Technical HTML Variables” on page 345
“HTML Variables for Individual Items” on page 347
“HTML Variables for Payment Transactions” on page 351
“HTML Variables for Shopping Carts” on page 353
“HTML Variables for Subscribe Buttons” on page 356
“HTML Variables for Prepopulating PayPal Checkout Pages” on page 361

Technical HTML Variables
Technical HTML variables control how PayPal responds technically when people click Buy
Now, Donation, Subscribe, Add to Cart, and View Cart buttons or when third party or custom
carts initiate payment processing with the Cart Upload command. They also control how your
buttons interact with special PayPal features.

TABLE A.1 Allowable Values for the cmd HTML Variable


_xclick The button that the person clicked was a Buy Now button.

_donations The button that the person clicked was a Donate button.

_xclick-subscriptions The button that the person clicked was a Subscribe button.

_oe-gift-certificate The button that the person clicked was a Buy Gift Certificate button.

_cart For shopping cart purchases; these additional variables specify the
kind of shopping cart button that the person clicked:
add – Add to Cart buttons for the PayPal Shopping Cart
display – View Cart buttons for the PayPal Shopping Cart
upload – The Cart Upload command for third party carts


HTML Variables for Website Payments Standard
A
Technical HTML Variables

TABLE A.1 Allowable Values for the cmd HTML Variable


_s-xclick The button that the person clicked was protected from tampering by
using encryption, or the button was saved in the merchant’s PayPal
account. PayPal determines which kind of button was clicked by
decoding the encrypted code or by looking up the saved button in the
merchant’s account.

TABLE A.2 HTML Variables for Special PayPal Features

Required
or Character
Name Optional Description Length
notify_url Optional The URL to which PayPal posts information about the 255
transaction, in the form of Instant Payment Notification
messages.
For more information about Instant Payment Notification, see the
hosted_button Required The identifier of a button that was saved in a merchant’s PayPal See
_id for buttons account. Allowable values are assigned by PayPal when description.
that have payments buttons are first created and saved merchants’ PayPal
been saved accounts.
in PayPal
N O T E : A merchant’s PayPal account can have a maximum of
accounts;
1,000 saved payment buttons.
otherwise,
not
allowed.


A
HTML Variables for Individual Items

HTML variables for individual items specify information about a product or service for Buy
Now and Add to Cart buttons, or they specify information about a contribution for Donate
buttons.

TABLE A.3 HTML Variables – Item Information
Required
or Character
amount See The price or amount of the product, service, or contribution, not
description. including shipping, handling, or tax. If omitted from Buy Now or
Donate buttons, payers enter their own amount at the time of
payment.
Required for Add to Cart buttons
Optional for Buy Now and Donate buttons
Not used with Subscribe or Buy Gift Certificate buttons
item_name See Description of item. If omitted, payers enter their own name at 127
description. the time of payment.
Optional for Buy Now, Donate, Subscribe and Add to Cart
buttons
Not used with Buy Gift Certificate buttons
item_number Optional Pass-through variable for you to track product or service 127
purchased or the contribution made. The value you specify
passed back to you upon payment completion.
quantity Optional Number of items. If profile-based shipping rates are configured
with a basis of quantity, the sum of quantity values is used to
calculate the shipping charges for the transaction. PayPal
appends a sequence number to uniquely identify the item in the
PayPal Shopping Cart (e.g., quantity1, quantity2).
N O T E : The value for quantity must be a positive integer. Null,
zero, or negative numbers are not allowed.
shipping Optional The cost of shipping this item. If you specify shipping and
shipping2 is not defined, this flat amount is charged regardless
of the quantity of items purchased.
This use of the shipping variable is valid only for Buy Now
and Add to Cart buttons.
Default – If profile-based shipping rates are configured, buyers
are charged an amount according to the shipping methods they
choose.


A

Required
or Character
shipping2 Optional The cost of shipping each additional unit of this item. If omitted
and profile-based shipping rates are configured, buyers are
charged an amount according to the shipping methods they
choose.
Valid only for Buy Now and Add to Cart buttons.
tax Optional Transaction-based tax override variable. Set this to a flat tax
amount to apply to the transaction regardless of the buyer’s
location. This value overrides any tax settings set in your account
profile. Valid only for Buy Now and Add to Cart buttons. Default
– Profile tax settings, if any, apply.
tax_rate Optional Transaction-based tax override variable. Set this to a percentage 6
that will be applied to amount multiplied the quantity selected
during checkout. This value overrides any tax settings set in your
account profile. Allowable values are numbers 0.001 through
100. Valid only for Buy Now and Add to Cart buttons. Default –
Profile tax settings, if any, apply.
undefined_ Optional 1 – allows buyers to specify the quantity. 1
quantity Optional for Buy Now buttons
Not used with other buttons
weight Optional Weight of items. If profile-based shipping rates are configured
with a basis of weight, the sum of weight values is used to
calculate the shipping charges for the transaction.
weight_unit Optional The unit of measure if weight is specified. Allowable values:
lbs
kgs
The defaults is lbs.
on0 Optional First option field name and label. The os0 variable contains the 64
corresponding value for this option field. For example, if on0 is
size, os0 could be large.
Optional for Buy Now, Subscribe, and Add to Cart buttons
Not used with Donate or Buy Gift Certificate buttons
on1 Optional Second option field name and label. The os1 variable contains 64
the corresponding value for this option field. For example, if on1
is color then os1 could be blue.
You can specify a maximum of 7option field names (6 with
Subscribe buttons) by incrementing the option name index (on0
through on6).


A

Required
or Character
os0 Optional Option selection of the buyer for the first option field, on0. If the 64 or 200
option field is a dropdown menu or a set of radio buttons, each See
allowable value should be no more than 64 characters. If buyers description.
enter this value in a text field, there is a 200-character limit.
N O T E : The option field on0 must also be defined. For example,
it could be size.
For priced options, include the price and currency symbol in the
text of the option selections, as the following sample code shows:
<option value="small">small - $10.00</option>
Add a corresponding option_select0 and option_amount0
variable for each priced option. Priced options are supported only
for Buy Now and Add to Cart buttons. Only one dropdown menu
option selection can have priced options.
os1 Optional Option selection of the buyer for the second option field, on1. If 64 or 200
the option field is a dropdown menu or a set of radio buttons, See
each allowable value should be no more than 64 characters. If description.
buyers enter this value in a text field, there is a 200-character
limit.
You can specify a maximum of 7 option selections (6 with
Subscribe buttons) by incrementing the option selection index
(os0 through os6). You can implement up to 5 option selections
as dropdown menus and up to 2 option selections as test boxes.
N O T E : A corresponding option field (on0 through on6) must
defined.
option_index See The cardinal number of the option field, on0 through on9, that
description. has product options with different prices for each option. You
must include option_index if the option field with prices is not
on0.
Optional for Buy Now and Add to Cart buttons
Not used with Donate, Subscribe, or Buy Gift Certificate
buttons
Default – 0


A

Required
or Character
option_select Optional For priced options, the value of the first option selection of the 64
0 on0 dropdown menu. The values must match exactly, as the next
sample code shows:
<option value="small">small - $10.00</option>
...
<input type="hidden" name="option_select0"
value="small">
buttons
option_amount Optional For priced options, the amount that you want to charge for the 64
0 first option selection of the on0 dropdown menu. Use only
numeric values; the currency is taken from the currency_code
variable. For example:
<option value="small">small - $10.00
...
<input type="hidden" name="option_amount0"</option>
value="10.00">
buttons
option_select Optional For priced options, the value of the second option selection of the 64
1 on0 dropdown menu. For example:
...
<option value="medium">small - $10.00</option>
...
<input type="hidden" name="option_select"
value="medium">
You can specify a maximum of ten option selections by
incrementing the option selection index (option_select0
through option_select9).
N O T E : A corresponding option selection in os0 must also be
set.
buttons


A
HTML Variables for Payment Transactions

Required
or Character
option_amount Optional For priced options, the amount that you want to charge for the 64
1 second option selection of the on0 dropdown menu. For
example:
...
<option value="small">medium - $15.00</option>
...
<input type="hidden" name="option_amount1"
value="15.00">
You can specify a maximum of ten option amounts by
incrementing the option amount index (option_amount0
through option_amount9).
N O T E : A corresponding option selection in os0 must also be
set.
buttons

HTML variables for payment transactions provide information about entire transactions,
regardless of the individual items involved with the payment. You can use these variables with
Add to Cart buttons and the Cart Upload command.

TABLE A.4 HTML Variables for Payment Transactions

Required
or Character
address_ Optional 1 – The address specified in prepopulation variables overrides 1
override the PayPal member’s stored address. See Table A.9, “HTML
Variables for Prepopulating Checkout Pages With Payer
Information.” The payer is shown the passed-in address but
cannot edit it. No address is shown if the address is not valid,
such as missing required fields like country, or is not included at
all,.
currency_ Optional The currency of the payment. The default is USD. 3
code For allowable values, see Table 7.6, “Currencies Allowed for


A

TABLE A.4 HTML Variables for Payment Transactions

Required
or Character
custom Optional Passthrough variable never presented to the payer. 256
Default – No variable is passed back to you.
handling Optional Handling charges. This is not quantity-specific. The same
handling cost applies, regardless of the number of items on the
order.
Default – No handling charges are included.
invoice Optional Passthrough variable you can use to identify your invoice 127
number for this purchase.
shipping Optional The cost of shipping the entire order contained in third-party
shopping carts.
This use of the shipping variable is valid only for the Cart
Upload command.
Default – If profile-based shipping rates are configured, buyers
are charged an amount according to the shipping methods they
choose.
tax_cart Optional Cart-wide tax, overriding any individual item tax_x value
weight_cart Optional If profile-based shipping rates are configured with a basis of
weight, PayPal uses this value to calculate the shipping charges
for the transaction. This value overrides the weight values of
individual items.
weight_unit Optional The unit of measure if weight_cart is specified. Allowable
values:
lbs
kgs
The default value is lbs.


A
HTML Variables for Shopping Carts

HTML variables for shopping carts can be used with Add to Cart buttons, as well as with third
party shopping carts or custom carts that initiate payment processing with the Cart Upload
command.

TABLE A.5 HTML Variables for Shopping Carts

Required
or Character
add See Add an item to the PayPal Shopping Cart. 1
description This variable must be set as follows:
add="1"
The alternative is the display="1" variable, which displays the
contents of the PayPal Shopping Cart to the buyer.
If both add and display are specified, display takes
precedence.
amount Required Price of the item or the total price of all items in the shopping
cart.
business Required Your PayPal ID or an email address associated with your PayPal
account. Email addresses must be confirmed.
display See Display the contents of the PayPal Shopping Cart to the buyer. 1
description. This variable must be set as follows:
display="1"
The alternative is the add="1" variable, which adds an item to
the PayPal Shopping Cart.
If both add and display are specified, display takes
precedence.
handling_ Optional Single handling fee to be charged cart-wide. If handling_cart
cart is used in multiple Add to Cart buttons, the handling_cart
value of the first item is used.
item_name Required Name of the item or a name for the entire Shopping Cart


A

TABLE A.5 HTML Variables for Shopping Carts

Required
or Character
paymentaction Optional Indicates whether the transaction is payment on a final sale or an
authorization for a final sale, to be captured later. Allowable
values:
sale
authorization
order
The default value is sale. Set the value to authorization to
place a hold on the PayPal account for the authorized amount.
Set the value to order to authorize the transaction without
placing a hold on the PayPal account.
For more information, see the Website Payments Pro Integration
Guide.
I M P O R T A N T : If you set paymentaction to order, you must
use the Authorization & Capture API to
authorize and capture the transaction payments.
The merchant tools on the PayPal websitel let
you capture payments only for authorizations,
not for orders.
shopping_url Optional The URL of the page on the merchant website that buyers return
to when they click the Continue Shopping button on the PayPal
Shopping Cart page.
For more information, see “Sample HTML Code for Add to
Cart Buttons that Continue Shopping on the Current
Merchant Webpage” on page 236.
upload See Upload the contents of a third party shopping cart or a custom 1
description shopping cart.
This variable must be set as follows:
upload="1"
The alternatives are the add="1" variable and the
display="1" variable, which are used with the PayPal
Shopping Cart.

TABLE A.6 HTML Variables for Individual Items in Third Party Shopping Carts

Required
or Character
amount_x Required Price of item #x. This is only required if you specify
upload="1".
handling_x Optional The cost of handling for item #x.


A

TABLE A.6 HTML Variables for Individual Items in Third Party Shopping Carts

Required
or Character
item_name_x Required Name of item #x in the cart. Must be alphanumeric. 127
item_number_x Optional Passthrough variable for you to track order or other purchase. 127
on0_x Optional First option field name for item #x 64
on1_x Optional Second option field name for item #x. 64
os0_x Optional First option selection for item #x. Requires that on0_x also be 200
set.
os1_x Optional Second option selection for item #x. Requires that on1_x also be 200
set.
quantity_x Optional Quantity of the item #x. If profile-based shipping rates are
configured with quantity as the basis, the sum of all
quantity_x values are used to calculate the shipping charges.
N O T E : The value of quantity_x must be a positive integer.
Null, zero, or negative numbers are not allowed.
shipping_x Optional The cost of shipping #x. This variable excludes the item from
automatic shipping calculations; the amount is added to the
shipping charges calculated automatically on other items in the
cart.
tax_x Optional The tax amount for item #x. This variable excludes the item from
automatic tax calculations; the amount is added to the taxes
calculated automatically on other items in the cart.
weight_x Optional The weight of item #x.
weight_unit Optional The unit of measure if weight_x is specified. Allowable values:
lbs
kgs
The default is lbs.


A
HTML Variables for Subscribe Buttons

HTML variables for Subscribe buttons set the terms of subscriptions and their recurring
payments.

TABLE A.7 HTML Variables for Subscribe Buttons

Required
or Character
business Required Your PayPal ID or an email address associated with your PayPal
account. Email addresses must be confirmed.
item_name Optional Description of item being sold (maximum 127 characters). If you
are collecting aggregate payments, this can include a summary of
all items purchased, tracking numbers, or generic terms such as
“subscription.” If omitted, customer will see a field in which they
have the option of entering an Item Name
currency_code Optional The currency of prices for trial periods and the subscription. The 3
default is USD.
For allowable values, see Table 7.6, “Currencies Allowed for
a1 Optional Trial period 1 price. For a free trial period, specify 0.
p1 See Trial period 1 duration. Required if you specify a1. Specify an 2
description. integer value in the allowable range for the units of duration that
you specify with t1.
t1 See Trial period 1 units of duration. Required if you specify a1. 1
description. Allowable values:
D – for days; allowable range for p1 is 1 to 90
W – for weeks; allowable range for p1 is 1 to 52
M – for months; allowable range for p1 is 1 to 24
Y – for years; allowable range for p1 is 1 to 5
a2 Optional Trial period 2 price. Can be specified only if you also specify a1.
p2 See Trial period 2 duration. Required if you specify a2. Specify an 2
description. integer value in the allowable range for the units of duration that
you specify with t2.
t2 See Trial period 2 units of duration. Allowable values: 1
description. D – for days; allowable range for p2 is 1 to 90
a3 Required Regular subscription price.


A


Required
or Character
p3 Required Subscription duration. Specify an integer value in the allowable 2
range for the units of duration that you specify with t3.
t3 Required Regular subscription units of duration. Allowable values: 1
D – for days; allowable range for p3 is 1 to 90
src Optional Recurring payments. Subscription payments recur unless 1
subscribers cancel their subscriptions before the end of the
current billing cycle or you limit the number of times that
payments recur with the value that you specify for srt.
Allowable values:
0 – subscription payments do not recur
1 – subscription payments recur
The default is 0.
srt Optional Recurring times. Number of times that subscription payments 1
recur. Specify an integer above 1. Valid only if you specify
src="1".
sra Optional Reattempt on failure. If a recurring payment fails, PayPal 1
attempts to collect the payment two more times before canceling
the subscription.
Allowable values:
0 – do not reattempt failed recurring payments
1 – reattempt failed recurring payments before canceling
The default is 0.
For more information, see “Reattempting Failed Recurring
Payments With Subscribe Buttons” on page 141.
no_note Required Do not prompt payers to include a note with their payments. 1
Allowable values for Subscribe buttons:
1 – hide the text box and the prompt
For Subscribe buttons, always include no_note and set it to 1.
custom Optional User-defined field which will be passed through the system and 255
returned in your merchant payment notification email. This field
will not be shown to your subscribers.
invoice Optional User-defined field which must be unique with each subscription. 127
The invoice number will be shown to subscribers with the other
details of their transactions


A
HTML Variables for Displaying PayPal Checkout Pages


Required
or Character
modify Optional Modification behavior. Allowable values: 1
0 – allows subscribers to only create new subscriptions
1 – allows subscribers to modify their current subscriptions
or sign up for new ones
2 – allows subscribers to only modify their current
subscriptions
The default value is 0.
For more information, see “Working With Modify
Subscription Buttons” on page 134.
usr_manage Optional Set to 1 to have PayPal generate usernames and initial 1
passwords for subscribers.
For more information, see “Generating Usernames and
Passwords With Subscribe Buttons” on page 139.

HTML variables for displaying PayPal checkout pages control how the pages appear and
function.

TABLE A.8 HTML Variables for Displaying PayPal Checkout Pages

Required
or Character
page_style Optional The custom payment page style for checkout pages. Allowable 30
values:
paypal – use the PayPal page style
primary – use the page style that you marked as primary in
your account profile
page_style_name – use the custom payment page style
from your account profile that has the specified name
The default is primary if you added a custom payment page
style to your account profile. Otherwise, the default is paypal.
image_url Optional The URL of the 150x50-pixel image displayed as your logo in 1,024
the upper left corner of the PayPal checkout pages.
Default – Your business name, if you have a Business account, or
your email address, if you have Premier or Personal account.


A


Required
or Character
cpp_header_ Optional The image at the top left of the checkout page. The image’s No limit
image maximum size is 750 pixels wide by 90 pixels high. PayPal
recommends that you provide an image that is stored only on a
secure (https) server. For more information, see “Co-Branding
the PayPal Checkout Pages” on page 267.
cpp_ Optional The background color for the header of the checkout page. 6
headerback_ Valid value is case-insensitive six-character HTML hexadecimal
color color code in ASCII.
cpp_ Optional The border color around the header of the checkout page. The 6
headerborder_ border is a 2-pixel perimeter around the header space, which has
color a maximum size of 750 pixels wide by 90 pixels high.
Valid value is case-insensitive six-character HTML hexadecimal
color code in ASCII.
cpp_payflow_ Optional The background color for the checkout page below the header. 6
color Valid value is case-insensitive six-character HTML hexadecimal
color code in ASCII.
N O T E : Background colors that conflict with PayPal’s error
messages are not allowed; in these cases, the default color
is white.
cs Optional The background color of the checkout page. Allowable values: 1
0 – background color is white
1 – background color is black
The default is 0.
lc Optional The language of the login or sign-up page that subscribers see 2
when they click the Subscribe button. If unspecified, the
language is determined by a PayPal cookie in the subscriber’s
browser. If there is no PayPal cookie, the default language is U.S.
English.
For allowable values, see Appendix C, “Country Codes.”
no_note Optional Do not prompt payers to include a note with their payments. 1
Allowable values:
0 – provide a text box and prompt for the note
1 – hide the text box and the prompt
The default is 0.
cn Optional Label that appears above the note field. This value is not saved 90
and will not appear in any of your notifications. If omitted, the
default label above the note field is “Add special instructions to
merchant.” The cn variable is not valid with Subscribe buttons or
if you include no_note="1".


A


Required
or Character
no_shipping Optional Do not prompt payers for shipping address. Allowable values: 1
0 – prompt for an address, but do not require one
1 – do not prompt for an address
2 – prompt for an address, and require one
The default is 0.
return Optional The URL to which the payer’s browser is redirected after 1,024
completing the payment; for example, a URL on your site that
displays a “Thank you for your payment” page.
Default – The browser is redirected to a PayPal web page.
rm Optional Return method. The FORM METHOD used to send data to the URL 1
specified by the return variable after payment completion.
Allowable values:
0 – all shopping cart transactions use the GET method
1 – the payer’s browser is redirected to the return URL by the
GET method, and no transaction variables are sent
2 – the payer’s browser is redirected to the return URL by the
POST method, and all transaction variables are also posted
The default is 0.
N O T E : The rm variable takes effect only if the return variable
is also set.
cbt Optional Sets the text for the Return to Merchant button on the PayPal 60
Payment Complete page. For Business accounts, the return
button displays your business name in place of the word
“Merchant” by default. For Donate buttons, the text reads
“Return to donations coordinator” by default.
N O T E : The return variable must also be set.

cancel_ Optional A URL to which the payer’s browser is redirected if payment is 1,024
return cancelled; for example, a URL on your website that displays a
“Payment Canceled” page.
Default – The browser is redirected to a PayPal web page.


A
HTML Variables for Prepopulating PayPal Checkout Pages

HTML variables for prepopulating PayPal checkout pages let you specify information about
the payer.

TABLE A.9 HTML Variables for Prepopulating Checkout Pages With Payer Information

Required
or Character
address1 Optional Street (1 of 2 fields) 100
address2 Optional Street (2 of 2 fields) 100
city Optional City 40
country Optional Sets shipping and billing country. 2
first_name Optional First name 32
last_name Optional Last name 64
lc Optional Sets the payer’s language for the billing information/log-in page 2
only. The default is US.
charset Optional Sets the character encoding for the billing information/log-in 21
page, for the information you send to PayPal in your HTML
button code, and for the information that PayPal returns to you as
a result of checkout processes initiated by the payment button.
The default is based on the character encoding settings in your
account profile.
For allowable values, see “Setting the Character Set –
charset” on page 339.”
night_ Optional The area code for U.S. phone numbers, or the country code for See
phone_a phone numbers outside the U.S. This will prepopulate the payer’s description.
home phone number.
night_ Optional The three-digit prefix for U.S. phone numbers, or the entire See
phone_b phone number for phone numbers outside the U.S., excluding description.
country code. This will prepopulate the payer’s home phone
number.
night_ Optional The four-digit phone number for U.S. phone numbers. This will See
phone_c prepopulate the payer’s home phone number. description.
state Optional State; use Official U.S. Postal Service Abbreviations. 2

zip Optional Postal code 32


A


B Address Handling (U.S.
Merchants Only)

Various HTML variables and PayPal account settings determine whether people can change,
add, or override the billing and shipping addresses on PayPal checkout pages.

TABLE B.1 HTML Variables and Account Profile Settings for Addresses

Variables or Settings

Is the address prepopulated? Use address variables to specify the buyer’s
address, which appears automatically on the
PayPal payment pages.
See “HTML Variables for Prepopulating
PayPal Checkout Pages” on page 361.
Allow override of payer’s stored address? Use the address_override variable.
See Appendix A, “HTML Variables for
Website Payments Standard.”
Require confirmed address? Use the Block payments from U.S. users who
do not provide a Confirmed Address account
profile setting.
See “Blocking Payments From U.S. Payers
Without a Confirmed Address” on page 308.
Prompt for shipping address? Use the no_shipping variable.
See “HTML Variables for Displaying PayPal
Checkout Pages” on page 358.”

In the following diagram, the letters “A” through “E” represent endpoints for the influence that
HTML variables and account profile settings have on how PayPal handles billing and shipping
addresses during checkout.


Address Handling (U.S. Merchants Only)
B
Address Handling With PayPal Account Optional Turned On

FIGURE B.1 How HTML Variables and Profile Account Setting Affect Address Handling

Read these sections to learn about addresses handling at the endpoints of decision-making in
the diagram above:
Address Handling With PayPal Account Optional Turned Off

This section describes the billing and shipping address behavior during checkout when PayPal
Account Optional is turned on. With it turned on, people can pay by credit card without
signing up for PayPal accounts.
N O T E : The
endpoint letters in this section refer to Figure B.1, “How HTML Variables and
Profile Account Setting Affect Address Handling” on page 364.

Endpoint A
The billing page displays the prepopulated address. If the buyer modifies the address and
attempts to submit the page, PayPal returns an error that the address cannot be modified. The


B

Shipping Address on the Review Your Payment page displays this address. The buyer
cannot change the shipping address.
If the prepopulated address is bad, PayPal displays an error page indicating the buyer cannot
proceed with payment because the merchant provided an invalid address.

Endpoints B, C, and D
The billing page displays the prepopulated address. The buyer can modify the billing address.
The Shipping Address on the Review Your Payment page displays this address. The buyer
cannot change the shipping address.
If the prepopulated address is bad, PayPal prepopulates the billing page and the buyer can
modify it. There is no Shipping Address on the Review Your Payment page.

Endpoint E
The Shipping Address on the Review Your Payment page displays the address from the
billing page. The buyer cannot change the shipping address. The shipping address always
matches the billing address, so modifications to the billing address updates the shipping
address.
If the prepopulated address is invalid, the billing page displays the address and the buyer can
modify it.

Endpoints F and H
billing page. The buyer can change the shipping address.
If the prepopulated address is invalid, the billing page displays the address and the buyer can
modify it.

Endpoint G
There is no Shipping Address on the Review Your Payment page.

Endpoint I
billing page. The buyer cannot change the shipping address. The shipping address should
always match the billing address, so if the user modifies the billing information and address,
the shipping address will be updated as well.


B

Endpoints J and L
billing page. The buyer can change the shipping address.

Endpoint K
There is no Shipping Address on the Review Your Payment page.

This section describes the billing and shipping address behavior during checkout when PayPal
Account Optional is turned off. When it is turned off, people without PayPal accounts must
sign up of a PayPal account before they complete their payments.
N O T E : The
endpoint letters in this section refer to Figure B.1, “How HTML Variables and
Profile Account Setting Affect Address Handling” on page 364.

Endpoint A
If the prepopulated address is a confirmed address, the Shipping Address on the Review
Your Payment page displays the prepopulated address. The buyer cannot change the shipping
address.
If the prepopulated address is not confirmed, PayPal displays the Add Credit Card or Debit
Card page with the prepopulated address as the billing address. The page displays a message
that the address must match the one displayed on their statement. The Cancel button is
displayed if the merchant has provided a cancel_return URL.

Endpoints B, C, and D
The Shipping Address on the Review Your Payment page displays the prepopulated address.
The buyer cannot change the shipping address.
If the prepopulated address is invalid, the payment cannot be processed. PayPal displays an
error message.

Endpoint E
If the prepopulated address is a confirmed address, the Shipping Address on the Review
Your Payment page displays the prepopulated address. The buyer can select or add another
address. If the buyer selects Add New Address, PayPal displays the Add Credit Card or
Debit Card page.


B

If the prepopulated address is not a confirmed address or there is no confirmed address in the
profile, PayPal displays the Add Credit Card or Debit Card page with the address
prepopulated.

Endpoints F and H
The Shipping Address on the Review Your Payment page displays the prepopulated address.
The buyer can select or add another address.
If the prepopulated address is invalid, the address is dropped and the address in the profile is
displayed, if available. The buyer can select or add another address directly in the page.

Endpoints G and K
The Review Your Payment page does not contain a Shipping Address.

Endpoint I
If there is a confirmed address in the account, PayPal displays the Review Your Payment
page. The buyer can select another confirmed address or add another address. If the buyer
selects Add New Address, they are taken to the Add Credit Card or Debit Card page.
If there is not a confirmed address in the account, PayPal displays the Add Credit Card or
Debit Card page.

Endpoints J and L
The Shipping Address on the Review Your Payment page displays the buyer’s primary
address. The buyer can select another address or add another address directly in the page.


B


C Country Codes

N O T E : This table lists country codes defined by ISO 3166-1.

Table 1: Country Codes

Country Code

AFGHANISTAN AF
ÅLAND ISLANDS AX
ALBANIA AL
ALGERIA DZ
AMERICAN SAMOA AS
ANDORRA AD
ANGOLA AO
ANGUILLA AI
ANTARCTICA AQ
ANTIGUA AND BAR- AG
BUDA
ARGENTINA AR
ARMENIA AM
ARUBA AW
AUSTRALIA AU
AUSTRIA AT
AZERBAIJAN AZ
BAHAMAS BS
BAHRAIN BH
BANGLADESH BD
BARBADOS BB


Country Codes
C

Country Code

BELARUS BY
BELGIUM BE
BELIZE BZ
BENIN BJ
BERMUDA BM
BHUTAN BT
BOLIVIA BO
BOSNIA AND HERZE- BA
GOVINA
BOTSWANA BW
BOUVET ISLAND BV
BRAZIL BR
BRITISH INDIAN IO
OCEAN TERRITORY
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM BN
BULGARIA BG
BURKINA FASO BF
BURUNDI BI
CAMBODIA KH
CAMEROON CM
CANADA CA
CAPE VERDE CV
CAYMAN ISLANDS KY
CENTRAL AFRICAN CF
REPUBLIC
CHAD TD
CHILE CL
CHINA CN


Country Codes
C

Country Code

CHRISTMAS ISLAND CX
COCOS (KEELING) CC
ISLANDS
COLOMBIA CO
COMOROS KM
CONGO CG
CONGO, THE DEMO- CD
CRATIC REPUBLIC OF
THE
COOK ISLANDS CK
COSTA RICA CR
COTE D'IVOIRE CI
CROATIA HR
CUBA CU
CYPRUS CY
CZECH REPUBLIC CZ
DENMARK DK
DJIBOUTI DJ
DOMINICA DM
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC DO
ECUADOR EC
EGYPT EG
EL SALVADOR SV
EQUATORIAL GUINEA GQ
ERITREA ER
ESTONIA EE
ETHIOPIA ET


Country Codes
C

Country Code

FALKLAND ISLANDS FK
(MALVINAS)
FAROE ISLANDS FO
FIJI FJ
FINLAND FI
FRANCE FR
FRENCH GUIANA GF
FRENCH POLYNESIA PF
FRENCH SOUTHERN TF
TERRITORIES
GABON GA
GAMBIA GM
GEORGIA GE
GERMANY DE
GHANA GH
GIBRALTAR GI
GREECE GR
GREENLAND GL
GRENADA GD
GUADELOUPE GP
GUAM GU
GUATEMALA GT
GUERNSEY GG
GUINEA GN
GUINEA-BISSAU GW
GUYANA GY
HAITI HT


Country Codes
C

Country Code

HEARD ISLAND AND HM
MCDONALD ISLANDS
HOLY SEE (VATICAN VA
CITY STATE)
HONDURAS HN
HONG KONG HK
HUNGARY HU
ICELAND IS
INDIA IN
INDONESIA ID
IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUB- IR
LIC OF
IRAQ IQ
IRELAND IE
ISLE OF MAN IM
ISRAEL IL
ITALY IT
JAMAICA JM
JAPAN JP
JERSEY JE
JORDAN JO
KAZAKHSTAN KZ
KENYA KE
KIRIBATI KI
KOREA, DEMOCRATIC KP
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF
KOREA, REPUBLIC OF KR
KUWAIT KW


Country Codes
C

Country Code

KYRGYZSTAN KG
LAO PEOPLE'S DEMO- LA
CRATIC REPUBLIC
LATVIA LV
LEBANON LB
LESOTHO LS
LIBERIA LR
LIBYAN ARAB JAMA- LY
HIRIYA
LIECHTENSTEIN LI
LITHUANIA LT
LUXEMBOURG LU
MACAO MO
MACEDONIA, THE MK
FORMER YUGOSLAV
REPUBLIC OF
MADAGASCAR MG
MALAWI MW
MALAYSIA MY
MALDIVES MV
MALI ML
MALTA MT
MARSHALL ISLANDS MH
MARTINIQUE MQ
MAURITANIA MR
MAURITIUS MU
MAYOTTE YT
MEXICO MX


Country Codes
C

Country Code

MICRONESIA, FEDER- FM
ATED STATES OF
MOLDOVA, REPUBLIC MD
OF
MONACO MC
MONGOLIA MN
MONTSERRAT MS
MOROCCO MA
MOZAMBIQUE MZ
MYANMAR MM
NAMIBIA NA
NAURU NR
NEPAL NP
NETHERLANDS NL
NETHERLANDS ANTI- AN
LLES
NEW CALEDONIA NC
NEW ZEALAND NZ
NICARAGUA NI
NIGER NE
NIGERIA NG
NIUE NU
NORFOLK ISLAND NF
NORTHERN MARIANA MP
ISLANDS
NORWAY NO
OMAN OM
PAKISTAN PK


Country Codes
C

Country Code

PALAU PW
PALESTINIAN TERRI- PS
TORY, OCCUPIED
PANAMA PA
PAPUA NEW GUINEA PG
PARAGUAY PY
PERU PE
PHILIPPINES PH
PITCAIRN PN
POLAND PL
PORTUGAL PT
PUERTO RICO PR
QATAR QA
REUNION RE
ROMANIA RO
RUSSIAN FEDERATION RU
RWANDA RW
SAINT HELENA SH
SAINT KITTS AND KN
NEVIS
SAINT LUCIA LC
SAINT PIERRE AND PM
MIQUELON
SAINT VINCENT AND VC
THE GRENADINES
SAMOA WS
SAN MARINO SM


Country Codes
C

Country Code

SAO TOME AND PRINC- ST
IPE
SAUDI ARABIA SA
SENEGAL SN
SERBIA AND MON- CS
TENEGRO
SEYCHELLES SC
SIERRA LEONE SL
SINGAPORE SG
SLOVAKIA SK
SLOVENIA SI
SOLOMON ISLANDS SB
SOMALIA SO
SOUTH AFRICA ZA
SOUTH GEORGIA AND GS
THE SOUTH SANDWICH
ISLANDS
SPAIN ES
SRI LANKA LK
SUDAN SD
SURINAME SR
SVALBARD AND JAN SJ
MAYEN
SWAZILAND SZ
SWEDEN SE
SWITZERLAND CH
SYRIAN ARAB REPUB- SY
LIC


Country Codes
C

Country Code

TAIWAN, PROVINCE OF TW
CHINA
TAJIKISTAN TJ
TANZANIA, UNITED TZ
REPUBLIC OF
THAILAND TH
TIMOR-LESTE TL
TOGO TG
TOKELAU TK
TONGA TO
TRINIDAD AND TT
TOBAGO
TUNISIA TN
TURKEY TR
TURKMENISTAN TM
TURKS AND CAICOS TC
ISLANDS
TUVALU TV
UGANDA UG
UKRAINE UA
UNITED ARAB EMIR- AE
ATES
UNITED KINGDOM GB
UNITED STATES US
UNITED STATES MINOR UM
OUTLYING ISLANDS
URUGUAY UY
UZBEKISTAN UZ
VANUATU VU


Country Codes
C

Country Code

VENEZUELA VE
VIET NAM VN
VIRGIN ISLANDS, BRIT- VG
ISH
VIRGIN ISLANDS, U.S. VI
WALLIS AND FUTUNA WF
WESTERN SAHARA EH
YEMEN YE
ZAMBIA ZM
ZIMBABWE ZW


Country Codes
C


Index

Symbols business 61, 66, 166, 230, 239, 240, 241, 249, 250, 251,
341, 353
_cart 229, 230, 231, 233, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, button creation tool
249, 250, 251, 338, 341, 345
Add to Cart buttons 204
_donations 338, 345 Buy Now buttons 37
_oe-gift-certificate 345 Donate buttons 36, 87, 132, 203
_s-xclick 346
PayPal Shopping Cart buttons 204
_xclick 62, 66, 338, 342, 345 View Cart buttons 204
_xclick-subscriptions 166, 338, 345 button encryption 135, 159, 254
Buy Now buttons
A button creation tool 37

account ID. See “secure merchant account ID.”
Account Information 265 C
Account Optional 276, 341, 364
CAD 316
payer experience 276
Canadian Dollar 316
account profile summary. See “Profile.”
cancel_return 360
add 229, 230, 231, 233, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241,
cbt 360
353
cert_id 263
Add to Cart buttons
character encoding 318
button creation tool 204
character set 318, 361
address handling 364
chargebacks 310
address_override 342, 351
charset 317, 339, 361
address1 341, 342, 361
CHF 316
address2 341, 361
city 341, 342, 361
amount 50, 62, 65, 66, 95, 106, 152, 169, 216, 229, 230,
233, 236, 237, 238, 249, 341, 347, 348, 353 cmd 62, 66, 166, 229, 230, 231, 233, 236, 237, 238,
239, 240, 241, 250, 251, 338, 341
amount_1 251
cn 359
amount_x 250, 354
confirmation 271
AUD 316
confirmed addresses 309
Australian Dollar 316
Contact Telephone Number 274
authorization 321
country 342, 361
Authorization & Capture 321
cpp_header_image 359
Authorization Period 321
cpp_headerback_color 359
Auto Return 246, 271
cpp_headerborder_color 359
enabling 272
cpp_payflow_color 359
payer experience 271
cs 359
Currency Balances 316
B currency_code 62, 64, 65, 66, 105, 106, 169, 229, 230,
231, 233, 236, 237, 238, 250, 340, 351
batch capture 323 custom 339, 352
blocking kinds of payments 307 custom page style variables 359


Index

Czech Koruna 316 Honor Period 321
CZK 316 HTML
for aggregated shopping cart 251
shopping cart with individual items 250
D HUF 316
Danish Krone 316 Hungarian Forint 316
display 353
DKK 316
Donate buttons
I
button creation tool 36, 87, 132, 203 ILS 316
donor experience 76 image_url 358
page sequence 76 INPUT tag 338
downloadable history log 35, 86, 125, 203 Instant Payment Notification 258
Sandbox testing 335
invoice 339, 352
E IPN. See “Instant Payment Notification.”
eChecks 310 Israeli Sheqel 316
encoding 318 item_name 62, 64, 65, 66, 106, 169, 229, 230, 231, 233,
Encrypted Website Payments 60, 103, 163, 164, 258 236, 237, 238, 341, 347, 353
end of term 128, 131, 139 item_name_1 249, 251
EUR 316 item_name_x 355
Euro 316 item_number 105, 106, 339, 341, 347
example item_number_x 339, 355
HTML for individual items in shopping cart 250
HTML for overriding PayPal-stored shipping
address 342
J
shopping cart with aggregated item information 251 Japanese Yen 316
jpg 269
JPY 316
F
Financial Information 265
first_name 341, 342, 361
K
Forint 316 Koruna 316
FORM ACTION and METHOD definitions 337 Krona 316
Krone 316

G
GBP 316
L
gif 269 language encoding
character set
character encoding 318
H last_name 341, 342, 361
handling 352 lc 361
handling_cart 303, 306, 353
handling_x 250, 354
HKD 316
M
Hong Kong Dollar 316 METHOD 360


Index

Mexican Peso 316 Payment Data Transfer 34, 57, 84, 101, 162, 201, 225,
MXN 316 273, 335
Payment Receiving Preferences 307
paymentaction 321, 322, 354
N PayPal Account Optional 276, 364
New Zealand Dollar 316 PayPal Shopping Cart 249
night_phone_a 341, 361 button creation tool 204
night_phone_b 341, 361 page sequence 191
night_phone_c 341, 361 shopper experience 191
no_note 359 PEM 260
no_shipping 360 Peso 316
NOK 316 PLN 316
Norwegian Krone 316 png 269
notify_url 346 Polish Zloty 316
NZD 316 Pound Sterling 316
prepopulating PayPal FORMs 341
printable payment receipt page 271
O private key 260
on0 63, 64, 169, 230, 231, 232, 348 Profile
on0_x 355 Account Information 265
on1 348 Auto Return 272
on1_x 355 Automatic shipping, handling, and tax
calculation 286
OpenSSL 260
Custom Payment Pages 268
order 321
Financial Information 265
os0 63, 64, 169, 230, 231, 232, 349
Shipping Calculations 304
os0_x 355
os1 349
os1_x 355 Q
overriding
quantity 347
page styles 270
PayPal-stored shipping address 342, 351 allowing buyers to specify with Buy Now 58, 348
return URL on individual transactions 273, 339 quantity_x 250, 355
tax calculations on individual transactions 290
R
P receipts 271
refund 333
page
required variables for third party shopping cart 249
payment confirmation page 271
return 273, 339, 360
page sequences
rm 360
donate page sequence 76
PayPal Shopping Cart page sequence 191
page_style 269, 270, 271, 358 S
partial refund 333
passthrough variables, defined 339 sales tax 266
Pay Anyone 310 automatic calulation 285
payment confirmation page 271 overriding on individual transactions 250
setting for entire shopping cart 251


Index

secure merchant account ID 43, 91, 148, 171, 210 V
SEK 316
Seller Protection Policy 308, 309 variables
Send Money 333 display information 358
for shopping carts 353
SGD 316
Sheqel 316 general format of 337
shipping 251, 303, 306, 347, 348, 352 hidden 337
individual items in shopping carts 354
overriding on individual transactions 298, 303
shipping calculations 246 item information 346, 347
shipping rates 266 prepopulating PayPal FORMs 361
transaction information 351
shipping_x 250, 355
shipping2 348 VAT 285
shipping2_x 250 verified members, defined 310
View Cart buttons
shopping cart
third party carts 249 button creation tool 204
Singapore Dollar 316
SPP. See “Seller Protection Policy.” W
state 341, 342, 361
subscriptions webscr 229, 230, 236, 237, 238, 239, 241, 250, 251,
337, 341, 342
end of term 128, 131, 139
weight_cart 251
Subscriptions Password Management 16, 126, 139
weight_unit 250, 251
Swedish Krona 316
weight_x 250, 251
Swiss Franc 316

T X
X.509 260
target 229, 236, 237, 238
tax 348
tax rates Y
domestic 287
Yen 316
international 287, 289
setting up 285
tax. See “sales tax.” 250 Z
tax_cart 251, 352
tax_rate 348 zip 341, 342, 361
tax_x 250, 251, 352, 355 Zloty 316
taxes 285
Transaction Details 333

U
U.S. Dollar 316
undefined_quantity 66, 348
upload 249, 354
example of individual item detail 250
USD 316
UTF-8 339


website paymentsstandard_integrationguide

More Related Content

Viewers also liked (6)

Similar to website paymentsstandard_integrationguide (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

website paymentsstandard_integrationguide