Setting up PayPal for a client

I need their password - yes?

[mgm_03]

Please pardon this newbie queston.

How can I set up a PayPal single item purchase or shopping cart for a client who has a PayPal account ...without knowing their password?

[Birdman]

You'll have to get the password, IMO.

I'm sure you could set up basic, single item, purchase links by just knowing the link(or form) format.

But, there will be shipping settings, etc.., to deal with.

You're best bet is to get the password and tell the client to change it directly afterwards. Heck, if they want to keep their original, they can change it first. Then, when you're done, change it back.

regards,
Birdman

[blaze]

Why not just send them a list of instructions on what to do and if they balk, say you'll do it for them.

[Birdman]

I don't like the idea of writing them instructions. That takes time and a good portion of them will not be able to successfully complete the task.

No password -> No Cart

You're the webmaster. If you can't be trusted with that info then they should hire someone they trust.

No offense, Blaze. Just my 2c:)

[mgm_03]

thanks for the tips, guys...I just needed to make sure I wasn't missing something about how to implement PayPal for someone else.

[HughMungus]

Umm...I don't think you need their password, just their paypal email address. Here's what the setup looks like for a single item (I have some PHP that fills in the amount, item, item number, etc, automatically for each item without having to go back to Paypal every time to make a new button).

Shopping carts *might* be different.

<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">
<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_xclick">
<input type="hidden" name="business" value="[e-mail]">
<input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="STAINLESS STEEL WRAP AROUND RING JEWELRY RINGS">
<input type="hidden" name="item_number" value="14">
<input type="hidden" name="amount" value="5.00">
<input type="hidden" name="no_note" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="currency_code" value="USD">
<input type="image" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/x-click-but23.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="Make payments with PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!">
</form>

[web_india]

HughMungus has got it right, you don't need their password for setting up single item purchases.

And if you still want to log into their account :-) then paypal has a feature (I am not sure, what is called) but it provides a limited-access to the paypal account provided the member creates a sub-account for you under them for providing the access.

HTH

[blaze]

You need to log in to setup IPN. IPN provides automatic order verification. Doing it by hand seems to rather defeat the purpose of eCommerce.

[jatar_k]

if you do take their password or get access to their email account. Make them change it once you have completed the setup.

<edit>spelling

[edited by: jatar_k at 4:32 am (utc) on July 31, 2004]

[blaze]

Yes, sometimes you *don't* want the password. Can't be blamed for problems with things that you didn't have access to.

[shinyblue]

I've set up several PayPal sites for people, with shopping carts, single-item purchases and even donation buttons. You don't need their password at all, just the email address they used to set up the account. You just plug that into the code you can find in PayPal's dev help files (or in the source code of like a billion pages on the net) and you're good to go.

[mgm_03]

Thanks to everyone who has replied ....really appreciate the tips and knowledge. This is a great board.