How to add a custom paypal donation link

As it is becoming increasingly more difficult to locate threads in the support forum searchbox and as bloggers are seeking blogging tips on how to add a custom paypal donation link to their blogs, I’m posting this as a guest author contribution.

Adding a Custom Paypal Link – Easy as 1-2-3 by Barabara Isbeck

I recently had a heck of a time trying to add a custom paypal donation link to my blog. I poured through the forum, and was finally able to figure it out by piecing things together with the topics on the subject, but I thought that I’d offer this to make the process as simple as possible. If this helps even one person from the hours of time and exasperation that I had, it will be a good thing! O.K., here goes:

1. Make a folder where you will put your urls and codes for safekeeping.

2. Make your custom paypal button. You can check mine out as an example. Now you must host it somewhere, whether it be WordPress, Flickr or Imageshack. Once you upload the image, copy the image address URL. Put it in the safekeeping folder.

3. Go to Paypal. If you are not a registered user, you’ll have to set up an account before you can create a button.
Once logged in, follow these instructions:

• A. Click on the “Merchant Services” tab
• B. In the box Merchant Services, click on Website Payments Standard
• C. Under the “Donate” button, click on “Accept Contributions”
• D. Scroll down to and click on “Get Donation Buttons”
• E. Create a donate button by filling in the details – Name, Currency, and for country, you can choose –-Choose a Country–
• F. Under “Choose Button Style” click on ‘Use your own button image’. This opens a “Button Image URL” box where you will enter the URL of your image location, which is in your safekeeping folder.
• G. Under “Button Encryption” choose “NO” so that you get the correct code.
• H. If you want to add more options before creating your button click on “Add more options” – Under Notes and special instructions, I chose “Yes” in the event that a donor wants to leave me a message.
• I. Click “Create Button Now”
• J. On the “Add a Donate button to your website” page your code appears in the second box entitled “Links for emails”. Select and copy the text. Put this text in your safekeeping folder for the time being.

4. Go to your Blog – go to ‘Write Post’ – ‘Upload’ – ‘Browse’ – upload the image of your custom paypal button from your hard drive. The image will be displayed in the Upload box asking how to show it and if you want to link it. Show ‘Full size’ – Link to ‘None’. Send to Editor.

5. In the “Post” section of the page you will see the image URL. Select and highlight the image URL text. Click on “Link”. In the open box add the Paypal “Links for emails” code. Now your image URL and paypal URL are linked together. Highlight and select all text. Click on “Code”. Select and copy the text. Put it in your safekeeping folder while we create the widget. At this point you can keep the ‘post’ as a draft or dispose of it, as you wish.

6. Now to create the widget – Go to “Presentation – Widgets. In the “Sidebar” you will add a “text” widget in which to put the code. Drop and drag the widget into the sidebar.

7. Open the text box and put the image/paypal code into the box. Save Changes and viola, you’re paypal button is on your blog!

Reference: Posted: to the wp.com forum Friday, November 9th, 2007 at 5:39 am

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