How to Start a PayPal Account

1. Go to paypal.com.
2. Click the 'Sign Up' link.
3. Select your country of residence, then click 'Get Started' under the 'Personal' tab.
4. Enter the email address that you want to associate with your PayPal account into the box under 'Email Address.' Enter your first and last name, date of birth, address, postal code and phone number into the boxes. Type in a password for your PayPal account into the 'Choose a Password' box.
5. Use the drop-down menu under 'Nationality' to select your nationality.
6. Click 'Agree and Accept' to create your PayPal account.

How to Wire Money Using PayPal

1. To wire money, click on the "Send Money" link near the top of the page.
2. Input the recipient's email address or mobile phone number, your phone number and the amount you wish to send. Select the currency and type of transfer, whether personal or for a purchase.
3. Enter the source of the money you would like to wire, whether PayPal balance, credit card or bank account. Confirm the account by providing the account number and other information requested. Review the payment on the next page and hit "send money" to complete the transaction.

How to Create a PayPal Link

1. Open www.PayPal.com in your Web browser. Enter your user name and password in the appropriate fields and click the 'Log in' button.
2. Click on the 'Merchant Services' tab at the top of the PayPal interface. Click on the blue 'Buy Now' link under the 'Create Buttons' heading.
3. Choose what kind of payment you want from the drop-down menu. Choose from products, services, gift certificates, donations and subscriptions or other recurrent billing.
4. Provide the additional item information requested. You must insert an item name and designate a price. Choose your preferred currency for payment--and add tax or shipping charges, if needed.
5. Click on the 'Step 2' link. Decide if you want to save your link, as well as track your sales or inventory. Choose your preferences by clicking on the corresponding boxes.
6. Click on the 'Step 3' link to edit advanced options. You can allow customers to change order quantities and add special instructions. You can also choose if the buyer's shipping address is automatically sent to you. This menu also allows you to set the redirect pages if customers cancel or complete their order. Click the 'Create Button' to continue.
7. Click the 'Email' tab to retrieve your PayPal link. Click within the text box to automatically highlight the link; right-click on the highlighted link and select 'Copy' to copy your link. Use this link to redirect your customers to make a payment.
8. Use this link on your blog, website, social networking sites and emails to sell your products.

How to Delete a Credit Card in a PayPal Account

1. Use your email address and password to log into your PayPal account.
2. Select the 'My Account' tab.
3. Click on the 'Profile' button.
4. Select 'Add or Edit Credit Card.'
5. Indicate the credit card you to wish to delete. Click on 'Remove.'

How to Make Deposits With PayPal

1. Click the 'My Account' tab on the PayPal website.
2. Click the 'Profile' menu and choose 'Add or Edit Bank Account.'
3. Click the 'Add Bank' button.
4. Click 'Checking' or 'Savings' and enter the bank routing number and your account number. You can find those numbers on your check or bank statement. After you enter the routing number, the bank name appears.
5. Click 'Continue' to confirm your bank account. PayPal makes two deposits under $1 to your account. Check to see that you received those deposits and then log into your PayPal account. Click 'Confirm' so you can deposit PayPal amounts.
Depositing
6. Click the 'My Account' tab.
7. Click the 'Withdraw' menu and choose 'Transfer to Bank Account.'
8. Enter the amount you want to deposit and choose the bank, if needed.
9. Click 'Continue' and confirm that the information is correct. Then click 'Submit' to make the deposit. You'll receive email confirmation almost immediately. However, depending on your bank policies, it may take a few days for the funds to show up in your account.

How Can I Set Up a Donation Website?

1. Setup a Paypal merchant account at www.paypal.com. You will have to enter your credit card information and a checking account information for validation.
2. Setup a website with wix.com, yola.com or webs.com. These sites are free to join and setup, but you have to have your own domain name and there is a monthly fee. You can use other site hosts if you wish, but you will have to setup Paypal and add a 'Donate Now' button separately.
3. Setup a 'Donate Now' page on your website. Make sure you include background on your organization and include information on where the donation money is going.
4. Select the page you want to add the paypal checkout button to. Click the Paypal button and drag it onto the page.
5. Select the money amount for each button. Make sure to include a smaller range like $2 to $5 and a larger range for people who want to donate higher amounts. Also include a note with an e-mail address for people to reach you if they want to donate a higher or lower amount directly into your paypal account. Also include an address or P.O. Box for them to send a check as they wish.

Alternative to Services Like PayPal

Google Checkout
For online shoppers, Google Checkout works differently than the PayPal model of having an account with predeposited funds. You store your credit or debit card information online and make purchases via your Google Checkout account without your credit card information being given to the merchant. It provides a much more secure way to shop online and reduces the risks of credit card fraud with SSL security that is on par with major banking websites. However, unlike PayPal, Google Checkout does not offer the option to link directly to your checking or savings account.For customers who receive payments online or have a Google AdWords account, Google Checkout offers some key advantages. As of this writing, the fee structure of online payments is 2 percent of the sales price plus 20 cents compared to PayPal's 1.9 percent to 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per transaction. Google Checkout integrates perfectly with Google AdWords accounts and you can pay transaction fees with your AdWords/AdSense earnings. Having both also increases your available discounts on preferred services and enhances your potential sales by displaying a Google Checkout cart next to your ads.
Checkout by Amazon
According to the Amazon Payments website, 'Checkout by Amazon is a complete e-commerce checkout solution that provides your customers with the same secure and trusted checkout experience available on Amazon.com today.' For online shoppers, Checkout by Amazon offers the same ease use, stored information and confidentiality of Google Checkout. A big attraction of Checkout by Amazon is that it takes your stored information with Amazon.com and allows you to make purchases all over the web. Since Amazon.com is already partnered with a significantly large number of other online retailers, the potential for acceptance on shopping sites is higher than Google Checkout.For online entrepreneurs, Checkout By Amazon offers a fee structure of 2.9 percent plus 30 cents for all transactions over $10. However, they do offer discounts based on sales volume that goes as low as 1.9 percent plus 30 cents for all transactions for monthly payment volume over $100,000, according to their website. For transactions under $10, the fee is 5 percent plus 5 cents.
Other Competitors
It is worth noting that there are other, smaller companies that have popped up over the past few years in an attempt to achieve PayPal-like success. As of 2009, the most noteworthy of these are Digital River, NetTeller and AlertPay. However, like the previously successful BidPay that was put out of business by PayPal and then unsuccessfully relaunched again in 2006, most of the companies are considered unreliable and have nowhere near the amount of popular acceptance as Google Checkout or Checkout By Amazon.