Add same custom input fields to all Paypal 'add to cart' buttons

Question

I have a list of items on my site that can be purchased, each with a generic Paypal 'Add to cart' button. What I need to be able to do is to collect info from eight additional fields - I've done this in the past on a page with just a single 'buy it now' button via on0/os0, but I don't want the customer to have to enter this extra information on every item they add to cart as it will be the same for every item on the order. Ideally the eight fields I need would be put on the Payment Page, but from what I've read Paypal don't allow this.

What would be the neatest way of doing this? If there was only one form on the page I can see how I could easily do it, but as each 'add to cart' button is a separate form I'm a bit stuck.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

You can build your own cart functionality and then use cart upload to transmit the result to PayPal for checkout.

(Or better yet, if you can write API calls, use the Express Checkout API -- with SOLUTIONTYPE=Sole in the initial SetExpressCheckout call if PayPal is your only method of taking payments)

Basically, you have to build this sort of custom cart functionality yourself. PayPal will gladly process the payment with the information you then send, and that is all.