Paypal and WordPress – Express Checkout

WP Express Checkout is free and open source. For a small business with only digital products, it is a great lightweight solution. Digital Products don’t have inventory (stock counts), they should always be in stock. And there is no need to deliver them. You simply need to include a download address on the customer’s receipt, with security for the download link.

WP Express Checkout WordPress plugin solved the problem for Easy. We watched the great video included with the product, and within a few minutes were up and running. Seriously. The basic steps are to input your 4 PayPal API codes and define your digital product. Leave everything else as default. Zero coding.

You will already have your PayPal API codes from all the dead ends you have already explored trying to interface PayPal to your website.

If not, you will need a PayPal business account and to sign in as a developer. Set up a Rest API app for sandbox and live. This is where you get your 4 API codes. Give the app a name and press a button. The biggest problem is that the online guides are mostly out of date as PayPal (and everyone else) add new features.

WP Express Checkout provides security for digital products. Each customer receives a unique download link, unique to that customer. And switching between sandbox and live is a single checkbox on the settings interface. A very well thought out and clean interface with all the features we desired. 5 stars.

WP Express Checkout WordPress is likely not for everyone. If you have lots of digital products you may find the product list too simple. Or you may wish to look at the paid version of the product.

However, if you have a single product like billable support hours sold in 15-minute increments, then WP Express Checkout provides a simple means for customers to buy support under a self-serve model. Once they make the purchase, you get a notification to provide the support purchased.

No payment or consideration was received for this review.