How can I tell what a payment is for?

[cjquijano]

Our club is looking into using Paypal as an online payment system but our bookkeeper has a few concerns. We offer four or five different classes, we have our annual membership dues, and we put on about 15 shows a year and each show's budget is individually managed. 

So, we can have money coming in for our classes, membership and fifteen different shows and all of this would go into one bank account. Currently, each one of these fifteen groups have checks sent directly to them, they record the money, and then it is deposited into our one account.

Is there anyway this workflow can be replicated in Paypal? The concern is that people would make a Paypal payment for any of these fees and there will be no way to tell what the money is for. Our bookkeeper referred to this as "digital hell". I know Paypal has an optional notes field, but I doubt a lot of people would remember to fill it out. Can this be made required or can it be a drop down list? 

Thanks for your help!

Christopher

[sharpiemarker · Accepted solution]

@cjquijano 

Yes, whether you are using PayPal Checkout integration, or PayPal buttons, you can add item descriptions or options/item numbers so you can track your items and services.

See this page for various ways to use PayPal selling tools to sell:

https://www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/topic/SELLER_TOOLS_PER

[cjquijano]

Thank you! It looks like the Button option with either an ID added or using a drop down list will work. The help center was very helpful but I still have a followup question. 

Is it possible for us to receive any email when a purchase is made? What I am thinking is every purchase that is made will send an email to a general email address for our club. I can then filter the incoming email and based in the ID and forward the email to the appropriate person to record for there event.  Or does Paypay have a similar functionality built in?

Thanks!

Christopher