Accept PayPal Payments

If you have a PayPal Business account, contact Blackbaud Services to assist you in creating a PayPal payment processing gateway. After you have a gateway, make updates in Luminate Online to accept payments through the PayPal payment processing gateway. The steps below detail the entire process.

For help in understanding PayPal options with Luminate Online, including how you can use Blackbaud Checkout to surface PayPal and Venmo as payment options, see PayPal and Venmo Options in Luminate Online and TeamRaiser

Note: PayPal payments are available in API-based forms, such as in Fundraising/Online Giving forms, TeamRaiser, and more, as configured by Blackbaud Services. PayPal is not currently available in Personal Fundraising, eCommerce purchases, Event tickets, or Donations Classic forms.

  1. Get a PayPal Business account for your organization if you don't already have one. See PayPal's guide to open a Business account.

    Note: Make sure that your account doesn't charge processing fees to users. Donation receipts indicate only the donation amount and not processing fees, which could confuse users if they compare the amounts.

  2. In your PayPal Business account, go to the PayPal Account Information page in your Profile. Make note of the following values to provide to your Blackbaud Professional Services representative to complete the configuration:

    • API Signature

    • API Username

    • API Password

    • Email address used to create the account

  3. Contact your Account Manager or Client Success Manager and request PayPal Payments with your Luminate Online account. They'll assist you with a Blackbaud Services agreement, and then a member of the Blackbaud Professional Services Team will contact you with next steps.

  4. After Blackbaud Services sets up your PayPal payment processing gateway, update your existing donation forms to add a PayPal payment option.

  5. (TeamRaiser only) Enable Paypal as a payment option in your TeamRaiser:

    1. Edit the TeamRaiser.

    2. On the left, choose Customize Pages.

    3. Next to the Payment Page, click Configure.

      Note: If you don't see the Payment Page, verify that Donations2 is enabled. On the left, choose Event Options. Under Related Actions, click Edit Advanced Options. Enable the last step, Donations 2 Registration Transaction Processing.

    4. Make sure the option, Allow payment with PayPal: Yes, allow donors to pay with PayPal, is selected.

    5. Click Save.

    Once enabled, PayPal displays as an option on the participant registration page.