How to add shopping cart to your blog

The easiest way to add a shopping cart is to use Paypal Merchant Tools. Of course in order to make use of this service, you will need a Paypal account if you don't already have one. Signing up is free and easy. Plus by making use of Paypal Merchant Tools, you can accept credit card payments.

Perhaps the easiest way to describe how to add a shopping cart to your blog is to describe how I set up this demonstration "online shop" at Demonstration shopping cart.

First, you will have to prepare your post. Add photographs, description, prices, etc.

Then, sign into your Paypal account. Then click on the Merchant Tool tab. Then at the right sidebar, click on "Paypal Shopping Cart", then enter the details like Item Name/Service, Item ID/Number (optional), Price of Item/Service you want to sell, Currency, etc. Then either tick the Paypal "Add to Card" button or if you have your own button hosted on the web, enter its URL. Click the "Create button now" button at the bottom of the page and 2 HTML script will be generated - one for the "Add to Shopping Cart" button and another for the "View Cart" button. Copy the HTML scripts and paste them in the appropriate places in your Post Editor Window. Add further buttons if required and when finished, publish the post.

How you can withdraw funds from your Paypal account

Note that there are two ways to withdraw money from a Paypal account - by check or transfer to your bank account. For withdrawal by check, only residents of U.S., Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, India, Jamaica, and Uruguay can do that. Regarding transfer to bank account, I have requested information on which countries can do that and will update this post when I get a response. In the meantime, what I have done is emailed my niece in US to ask if she could help me by opening a Paypal account if she don't already have one and I send what I have in my Paypal account to her and she help me transfer that to me. Waiting for a response.

Many have said it is possible for non-residents of eTrade to open a US bank account (one even guaranteed it, but unless I am desperate, I will take that guarantee with a pinch of salt). I have corresponded with eTrade and they have told me that only US residents and/or those who have a Social Security number can do that. If any reader knows of ways for people like us to withdraw from Paypal account, I hope you will leave a comment in this post. It will be very much appreciated.

Update 3 June 2007: OK, these are the extra details I promised to provide:

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PayPal Localized Sites - Your Customized Total Payment Solution

* Australia
* Austria
* Belgium
* Canada
* China

* France
* Germany
* Italy
* Netherlands
* Poland

* Spain
* Switzerland
* United Kingdom
* United States

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Send. Receive. Withdraw.
Send. Receive. Withdraw to a Local or U.S. Bank Account.

Send and receive payments in these countries. Withdraw from your PayPal account to your in-country bank account or to a U.S. bank account.

* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Finland
* French Guiana
* Greece
* Guadeloupe
* Hong Kong

* Hungary
* Ireland
* Japan
* Martinique
* Mexico
* New Zealand
* Norway

* Portugal
* Reunion
* Singapore
* South Korea
* Sweden
* Taiwan
* Thailand

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Send. Receive. Withdraw to a U.S. Bank Account or Check.

Send and receive payments in these countries. Withdraw from your PayPal account to a U.S. bank account or request a check from PayPal.

* Argentina
* Brazil
* Chile

* Ecuador
* India
* Jamaica

* Uruguay

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Send. Receive. Withdraw to a U.S. Bank Account.

Send and receive payments in these countries. Withdraw from your PayPal account to a U.S. bank account.

* Costa Rica
* Dominican Republic
* Iceland

* Israel
* Luxembourg*
* Malaysia

* Turkey
* Venezuela

* Users with Luxembourg Personal and Premier Accounts can only send funds. Users with Luxembourg Business Accounts can send, receive, and withdraw funds.

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Send Money to Anyone in the Growing PayPal Network

* Albania
* Algeria
* Andorra
* Angola
* Anguilla
* Antigua and Barbuda
* Armenia
* Aruba
* Azerbaijan Republic
* Bahamas
* Bahrain
* Barbados
* Belize
* Benin
* Bermuda
* Bhutan
* Bolivia
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Botswana
* British Virgin Islands
* Brunei
* Bulgaria
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cambodia
* Cape Verde
* Cayman Islands
* Chad
* Colombia
* Comoros
* Cook Islands
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Dominica
* El Salvador
* Eritrea
* Estonia
* Ethiopia
* Falkland Islands
* Faroe Islands
* Federated States of Micronesia
* Fiji
* French Polynesia
* Gabon Republic
* Gambia

* Gibraltar
* Greenland
* Grenada
* Guatemala
* Guinea
* Guinea Bissau
* Guyana
* Honduras
* Indonesia
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* Kenya
* Kiribati
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Latvia
* Lesotho
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Maldives
* Mali
* Malta
* Marshall Islands
* Mauritania
* Mauritius
* Mayotte
* Mongolia
* Montserrat
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Nauru
* Nepal
* Netherlands Antilles
* New Caledonia
* Nicaragua
* Niger
* Niue
* Norfolk Island
* Oman
* Palau
* Panama
* Papua New Guinea
* Peru

* Philippines
* Pitcairn Islands
* Qatar
* Republic of the Congo
* Romania
* Russia
* Rwanda
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Samoa
* San Marino
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Saudi Arabia
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Solomon Islands
* Somalia
* South Africa
* Sri Lanka
* St. Helena
* St. Kitts and Nevis
* St. Lucia
* St. Pierre and Miquelon
* Suriname
* Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
* Swaziland
* Tajikistan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tonga
* Trinidad and Tobago
* Tunisia
* Turkmenistan
* Turks and Caicos Islands
* Tuvalu
* Uganda
* Ukraine
* United Arab Emirates
* Vanuatu
* Vatican City State
* Vietnam
* Wallis and Futuna Islands
* Yemen
* Zambia