Alright, let's break down the step-by-step process to make a PayPal Donate button linked to your custom email—whether you're embedding it on a website, sharing a direct link, or tweaking the code for more control.

1. Start with a Verified PayPal Account #

First things first: your custom email needs to be verified in your PayPal account. If it's not already linked, log into PayPal, navigate to Settings > Account Settings > Email, add the email, and follow the verification link sent to that inbox. Unverified emails can't receive donations, so don't skip this!

2. Generate the Donate Button via PayPal's Dashboard #

This is the easiest method for most people—PayPal handles the hosting and security:

• Log into your PayPal account and head to the PayPal Buttons page (look under "Tools" or search for "Create Buttons" in the menu).
• Select the Donate button type from the options.
• Under "Button details":
  • Enter a donation name/description (e.g., "Support My Open Source Project").
  • Choose your default currency (USD, EUR, etc.).
  • For the Receiving email field, enter your custom email address (make sure it's linked and verified in your account!).
• Optional tweaks:
  • Check "Allow donors to enter their own amount" if you want people to choose how much to give.
  • Add a dropdown of preset amounts (e.g., $5, $10, $25) for quicker donations.
  • Enable "Recurring donations" if you want to set up monthly/annual contributions.
• Click Create Button once you're done.

3. Get the Code to Embed or Share #

After creating the button, PayPal will give you two flexible options:

Option A: Hosted Button Code (Recommended) #

This is a secure snippet that links to PayPal's hosted button. It lets you edit the button later without updating your website code:

<form action="https://www.paypal.com/donate" method="post" target="_top">
  <input type="hidden" name="business" value="your-custom-email@example.com">
  <input type="hidden" name="no_recurring" value="0">
  <input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="Support My Project">
  <input type="hidden" name="currency_code" value="USD">
  <input type="image" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" border="0" name="submit" title="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" alt="Donate with PayPal button">
  <img alt="" border="0" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" height="1">
</form>

Just replace your-custom-email@example.com with your verified custom email, and adjust the item_name/currency_code as needed.

Option B: Direct Donation Link (For Sharing) #

If you don't need an embedded button—just a link to send via email, social media, etc.—craft a direct URL like this:

https://www.paypal.com/donate?business=your-custom-email@example.com&item_name=Support%20My%20Project&currency_code=USD

Swap out the email, use %20 for spaces in the item name, and update the currency code to match your needs.

4. Test the Button (Critical!) #

Before making it public, do a test donation to avoid headaches later:

• Use a separate PayPal account (or PayPal's sandbox if you're comfortable with developer tools) to send a small test donation to your custom email.
• Verify that the funds land in the correct PayPal account linked to your custom email.
• Check that the donation description and amount show up correctly in both the donor's and your transaction history.

Pro Tips for Advanced Control #

• Customize the Button Image: Replace the src in the HTML code with your own button image (just make sure it's hosted somewhere publicly accessible).
• Add Redirect Fields: Include extra fields to send donors to a thank-you page or cancellation page:

  <input type="hidden" name="return" value="https://your-website.com/thank-you">
  <input type="hidden" name="cancel_return" value="https://your-website.com/donation-canceled">
  

• Sandbox Testing for Developers: If you're building a custom integration, use PayPal's Sandbox environment to test without real money. Just replace www.paypal.com with www.sandbox.paypal.com in the URL/code, and use sandbox account emails.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid #

• Unverified Email: Don't use an email that's not linked/verified to your PayPal account—donations will fail.
• Incorrect Currency: Double-check the currency_code to avoid donors being charged in the wrong currency.
• Outdated Code: If you use the hosted button, PayPal will update it automatically, but if you hardcode the HTML, refresh it if you change your button settings later.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者dsgsdfhawr