PayPal Express Payment Setup
PayPal Express is probably the easiest, most cost effective option to begin accepting online payments. Here's how to setup PayPal Express to use a payment option.
- First, you must create a business account with PayPal Merchant Services by visiting https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/merchant
- A 'Standard' Account is the most reasonable starting point since there is no monthly charge, only a per-transaction fee. This fee is subtracted from the amount paid by the customer before it is deposited into your PayPal account. The fee is generally a cost per transaction, plus a percentage of the transaction cost. This fee can only be passed onto the customer by marking up your online price.
- E.g., You are selling a widget which must be sold for $10. The online cost must be increased to $11.50 to cover your costs for using PaylPal as a checkout option and still receive $10 from the customer into your PayPal account.
- FWIW, all non-cash purchase options (credit/debit cards) require a fee paid by the merchant for use.
- As a note, a PayPal account also provides a credit card acceptance option with a Free card reader for smart phones, etc...
- A 'Standard' Account is the most reasonable starting point since there is no monthly charge, only a per-transaction fee. This fee is subtracted from the amount paid by the customer before it is deposited into your PayPal account. The fee is generally a cost per transaction, plus a percentage of the transaction cost. This fee can only be passed onto the customer by marking up your online price.
- Once you've created the PayPal Merchant account, you'll receive details about your account in the form of a:
- API Username
- API Password
- Signature
- These items can be retrieved in the future by visiting My PayPal; then 'My Account', 'Profile', 'My Business Info'; then click on the 'My selling tools' section of the sidebar; then click on the 'Update' link of 'API access'; then click on the 'View API Signature' link
- Back in Exponent, select 'Manage Payment Options' under 'Store Setup' of the e-Commerce menu.
- Click the 'Configure' button for PayPal Express.
- Enter the three PayPal API details into the form.
- The 'Processing Mode' should almost always be left at the default of 'Sale' to complete the financial transaction when the customer submits their online purchase.
- If you would like to test your setup, you may create a PayPal Developer account and enter the details into the 'Sandbox' area. You may switch between test and real mode by enabling/disabling Sandbox mode.
- In most cases you'll want to send the customer an email confirmation of payment...select that option in the second tab
- And in most cases you'll want someone such as yourself to receive an email notification that a purchase has taken place. Those details are found in the third tab.
- Click 'Save Config' to proceed.
- Click the button to Enable 'PayPal Express Checkout' as a payment option (green light)
- PayPal Express Checkout is now setup and available as a customer checkout option.
Loading Help