Integrating Smart Buttons to an Old Static Website HELP

[ExtremevvvvM]

Hi, I am a developer helping a small nonprofit add some simple "buy" buttons to their website to replace the by-hand order forms they have been processing for years. I thought that because they have a Paypal business account integrating that into an online payment link would not be that hard. Their website is almost 20 years old and uses an Apache Webserver and PHP backend. 

What I thought would be a simple task of reading the documentation and then implementing the solution turned into a several-hours headache of googling, researching, reading, since everyone seems to have different methods of implementing PayPal Checkout. Building a whole backend order confirmation service is not what I was hired to do, and going to a competitor who charges a higher transaction fee is just lazy and bad business. 

All the examples assume you are a startup working with a brand new Node.JS server. There were no PHP examples anywhere I could find. It wasn't until I found this forum that I found the OLD PAYPAL BUTTON MAKER IS MUCH SMARTER, MORE TIME EFFICIENT, AND BETTER FOR SMALL BUSINESS. If anyone can explain how to integrate the new checkout system with an old PHP based static website, I would like to know. But I also want to please ask the developers to realize that most the website does not use Node JS and would like simple, easy, solutions to sell products online, like the nonprofit I work for. Thanks!

[MTS_Chiranjeevi]

Good day @ExtremevvvvM,

Thank you for posting to the PayPal community.

PayPal provides multiple button types and merchants can integrate them based on the requirement. Please find the below button types.

I would suggest to please explore the "Sell on Social" button. 

Please follow below steps via PayPal Business account.

Login PayPal.com >> click on "settings icon" >> go to "Account settings" >> Website payments >> PayPal buttons >> select "Sell on Social" button type >> fill required details >> get the item link.

(Or)

Login PayPal.com >> go to direct link "https://www.paypal.com/buttons/" >> follow the above steps.

Important : We recommend merchants to integrate our latest PayPal Checkout (Smart button) product.

Please follow the steps provided in the below detailed guide links : 

https://developer.paypal.com/docs/checkout/

https://developer.paypal.com/demo/checkout/#/pattern/server 

https://developer.paypal.com/integration-builder/ 

Sincerely,

Chiranjeevi

PayPal/Braintree MTS

If this post or any other was helpful, please enrich the community by giving kudos or accepting it as a solution.

[Techlosophy]

Hmmmm - When I browse to paypal.com/buttons I see the screenshot below.

Why do you get all those button type choices, and I don't???

Also, I've been trying for over 2 weeks to get smart buttons to work, only to hear from PayPal Merchant Integration people that smart buttons don't fully work now, and a new release might be coming at some unknown future time.

[Techlosophy]

BTW, When I asked, "Why do you get all those button type choices, and I don't???", I meant to ask Chiranjeevi_L.

[MTS_Chiranjeevi]

@Techlosophy ,

Based on the country type of the particular PayPal account, buttons will be available.

[ross_tess]

Hello ExtremevvvvM

Were you able to solve this issue? I have the exact same problem trying to update Add To Cart buttons in a HTML only website to the Smart Buttons and cannot create them. The link i redirecting to the Developer guide.

Unfortunately I do not have the option to add Sell On Social buttons like the first responder suggested. I only have 3 buttons options: Smart Buttons , Donate and Smart Subscribe. 
Hopefully you resolved your issue, I have been coming back to this for days and I just keep hitting the same wall. Very frustrating!
Thank you
Ross

[BSWW]

Paypal makes it damn near impossible to sell anything on a basic website. I can't figure it our either. Need a degree in computer science it seems.