Comments on: Thinking about Using a PayPal “Donate” Button on Your Blog?

By: Rosalind Gardner

Rosalind Gardner — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:08:13 +0000

Hello Jamal,

You might want to do a search online for third-party payment processors that operate in India. Or, find some Indian sites that use the same model as you would like to use and then ask them what service they are using.

Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Ros

By: jamal

jamal — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:09:50 +0000

how can i get donation for my friend’s non profit charity via paypal account? as paypal donation button disabled for Indian sites .please help me by guidance.

By: claire kelly

claire kelly — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:00:09 +0000

Great post. My personal experience is that it’s not worth using the button. We recently ran a campaign to raise money for our beach volleyball campaign to try and get to London. I added the donate button to my site not realising it was only for not for profits… Even though I realised my error after two days, my account was frozen (And all donated money in it) so now haven’t been able to access it for almost four months. Again I have a rang and emailed , uploaded ‘official documentation’ and they keep giving me the same generic response which has effectively amounted to nothing. Don’t do it I say. Not worth it.

By: JR Riel

JR Riel — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:50:05 +0000

Nope, no urban myth. Unfortunately this has happened to me. I recently received notification that my PayPal account would be restricted if I could not show proof that I am a registered NPO. I was just using the button as way for my family and friends to send me money while living abroad. Anyhow, I don’t have any organization registered as non-profit, so I guess I’m stuck with a frozen PayPal. So yeah, NOT AN URBAN LEGEND.

By: Jim-inFlorida

Jim-inFlorida — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:32:35 +0000

PayPal gives a discounted fee rate to legally registered non-profit organizations. That’s why they want proof if you claim to be one. As I read their site today in Nov 2011 I don’t see any restrictions on using a Donate button for any other non-charity person, business, or group. The only issue outside of PayPal is that in some places local government may require anyone soliciting donations to register as a charity, which can be a prohibitive process (background check, fingerprints, photo, yearly fee, yearly financial reports, etc.).

By: Joe Nasser

Joe Nasser — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:46:17 +0000

Language is the key.
If this tactic surprises you, then you should not be engaging in commerce.

By: Al Rainforth

Al Rainforth — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:20:10 +0000

I was recommended this blog by my cousin. I’m not certain whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my trouble. You’re amazing! Thanks!

By: Jose Zeltner

Jose Zeltner — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 03:33:00 +0000

Wow that was strange. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyhow, just wanted to say excellent blog!

By: Mark Gardner

Mark Gardner — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:47:00 +0000

I’ve just become a victim of this.

Through my website I offered relief to Japanese tsunami victims, I live in Japan, all money donated went direct to providing relief to the victims.

I logged into PayPal to receive a message saying that as I had a charity account I had to validate it. I had never asked for a charity account, my paypal account had been open as a business account for years.

In an e-mail they advised information that they needed, or remove the ‘donate’ button’. Upon advising them I’d removed the donate button I got another e-mail advising my account was frozen and would be closed in 180 days.

By: Matt George

Matt George — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:55:39 +0000

Actually, I did have my organization listed as a non-profit on Paypal, but I did not have that status registered yet. I was planning on doing it soon, however. So I was I using the donate button on my website. Paypal limited the functionality of my account and I changed it back to an individual person status. They specifically told me not to use the donate button unless I was able to show proper documentation that I was indeed tax exempt. I’m not sure it is was because I listed myself as non-profit or that I was using the donate button. But I wouldn’t use the donate button unless you have your registration finished as a non-profit and can prove it.