By: District Director Robyn Featherston, Esq., DTM

As Toastmasters, we know how to pay our dues. We give the club treasurer cash, check, or in some cases, a credit card, they deposit the money and pay Toastmasters International its $45.00. However, in these times of social distancing, handing our club treasurer anything, much less cash or check, is taboo. Therefore, we need an alternate way of paying dues.

Enter … PayPal

 Through PayPal, clubs accept payment of membership dues from anywhere at any time. It’s a contactless payment system – no person-to-person interaction required.

Getting started is easy. Simply create a Pay Now button for your club website and create a link to include in your dues email to members so they can link to PayPal and pay. Below are step-by-step directions for setting up the Pay Now button(s) for your club website.

Yes, there is a processing fee (approximately 2.2% plus 30 cents, in the United States, if registered as a non-profit with PayPal) associated with members paying via credit or debit card. Your club can either absorb the processing fee or add that amount to the payment charged. Transferring the money to your club’s bank account is free if you select the standard 1-3 day option.

The benefit of being able to collect dues at any time is well worth the processing fee, even if absorbed by the club. Just think, when members receive the dues payment email, they can immediately click the link (or go the website) and pay dues right ten instead of coming back later!

It’s a seamless transaction, just like we’ve all come to expect online.

Steps to create a PayPal button for club website

1. Log into PayPal account
2. Go to Summary Page
3. Click “Show More” under Quick Links (top right) à Accept Payments à Get Started à PayPal Buttons (legacy) OR
4. Click on Click on Tools à All Tools à PayPal Buttons
5. Click Buy Now option
6. Fields to fill in:
   1. Item name – category
   2. Select Add drop-down with price/option
      1. Enter title of each pricing category
      2. Add pricing (include surcharge if your club charges to cover the processing fee)

• Customize text to change button from Buy Now to Pay Now

7. Click Done
8. Preview in box to right
9. Click Create Button
10. Click Select Code
11. Copy Code
12. Paste code to Text Editor (i.e., Word Pad) app – not WORD
13. Click Create Similar Button to short-cut creating other payment buttons for Renewing members, Dual/Returning Members, and New Members.

Steps to add the PayPal button to the club website (assumes Free Toast Host used)

1. Log in as Administrator
2. Launch Admin Console
3. Select Custom Page
4. Click Source button on top left
5. Copy and paste from text document
6. Click Source button again
7. Add instructions and format the text (not the code)
8. Enter name for page
9. Enter key word descriptors
10. Save
11. Close

How to create a PayPal.me link to include in emails

1. Click on Money
2. Click on Send or request money
3. Click on Request
4. Click on Manage your PayPal.Me profile
5. Follow the online steps
6. Create a unique and memorable link