Using Excel spreadsheet in PayPal?

[BChecca]

I just installed the Excel add on from PayPal, but all it seems to do is create a fill in invoice that interacts with PayPal.

Is there a way to take the data I have in the variouse fields of Excel and use that to fill in the form?

Or how about importing the data I have in the spreadsheet into the PayPal Address book?  Seems tha tthe only way I can get customer info in is to save it as a customer when I create an invoice (?).

For example:

The form has a field called "Recipients Email" - I can type in a name or select one from a drop down list, how do I get the emails into the list other than using a seperate excel sheet as the help file shows? Can't I link that input field to my existing database field?

Also, when I tried to type in anything else that would identify the person ( like "My Name" 1234567  @   anysite.com) it tells me the email address is invalid and will only let me put in the email address part. I tried entering it in several ways, but no luck. Very hard to identify someone just through a non-descript email address....

Another thing I noticed... the Excel Invoice doesn't allow for a line item discount like the PayPal site does... it only allows for a total order discount... any way around this?

Thanks,

Bruce C.

[snowshoe]

That is correct, it was intended for that purpose.

As for doing other things you have in mind, you may want to check out using PayPal's various APIs:

https://developer.paypal.com/webapps/developer/docs/classic/invoicing/gs_Invoicing/

[gerelyn222]

Hi 

I am trying to help a dance studio owner start using PayPal as a method of collecting the tuition each month.  I thought the Excel spreadsheet would be the answer so she can have a list of what currently has been paid and what to invoice for next month.  If I am reading the answer you gave, this may not be a good choice for this situation.

She has approximately 150 students with the possibility of 35 dance sessions, with a discount for more than one child per family.  At present she does not have a PayPal account.  I am trying to educate myself to help her through this.  She has been manually keeping up with the payments through deposits in her bank account.  No automatic payments, the parents drop their checks in a payment box in the lobby.  

Any ideas?  Thanks for your help!

.

[snowshoe]

gerelyn222,

There's several options to consider.  

Do you have a web site?  

You could use Add to Cart type item buttons, Buy Now type item buttons or even Subscription type item buttons.  One can get creative and setup a Pay Your Bill Online type item button which is just basically tweaking either Buy Now or Add to Cart item button code, all the dance studio has to do is send out an email with the amount due and the customer can go to a web page and pay.  Or simply use a combination of all.

One has to look at PayPal as a transaction processor, not really an accounting system like Quickbooks Pro per say.    PayPal does keep track of each transaction and there are some built in features for reports however, most folks then use or export this data to other programs for their bookkeeping purposes.

There are other services out there such as QuickBooks where as you can do everytning under one roof but, you need to look at the bottom line costs, i.e., merchant account fees and transaction processing fees, etc.