PayPal Hacks

Chapter 4. Payment Buttons

Introduction: Hacks #28-44

The most common question of PayPal’s merchant support staff might be, “How do I start using PayPal as a seller?”

For a buyer, PayPal is straightforward: sign up for an account and start using it to pay for goods and services on the Internet. But for merchants, PayPal offers so many options to fit each seller’s needs that it can seem overwhelming when you first endeavor to sell online. Unless you plan to sell only on eBay (in which case you should see eBay Hacks by David A. Karp), here is the basic information you need to get started.

PayPal is an online payment processor; it allows buyers and sellers to make monetary transactions easily and securely. PayPal is not, however, a credit card gateway; to accept payments with PayPal you do not have to pass a rigorous credit check, install any equipment or special software, make agreements with a bank, or send in signed documents. You also do not need to gather credit card numbers from your buyers or subsequently safeguard such sensitive financial information.

Buyers using PayPal can either open PayPal accounts (which is recommended, especially if you use PayPal often) or just enter their credit cards for each purchase. Sellers who accept PayPal must have PayPal accounts, and merchants who are doing serious business with PayPal will want to have a Business account, which allows acceptance of payments funded by credit cards. There is no fee for opening or holding a Business account—only ...