Bitcoin has emerged as a fast, secure, and increasingly popular method for accepting online payments. With its rising value drawing mainstream attention, many WordPress users want to integrate crypto donations. One reader recently asked us how to add a Bitcoin donate button to their site. In this expert guide, we'll walk you through setting up a BitPay donation button on WordPress—perfect as a PayPal alternative to offer visitors more options while reducing transaction fees.
Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer digital currency launched as open-source software in 2009. It's entirely digital, stored and traded online, though you can convert it to fiat currency. As a decentralized system, no banks or regulators oversee transactions. At the time of writing, 1 Bitcoin was valued at $644 USD.
BitPay acts as a reliable payment processor for Bitcoin, much like Visa or PayPal for traditional currencies. Merchants use it to accept Bitcoin payments, which can be held in a wallet or converted to local currency and deposited into a bank account.
BitPay supports payouts in local currency, but to receive Bitcoin directly, you'll need a wallet. A Bitcoin wallet is secure software for storing your digital assets, available for desktop, mobile, or web. We recommend Blockchain.info for its user-friendly web app that works across devices.
After creating your wallet, link it to BitPay to receive payments seamlessly.
Start by signing up for a free BitPay account. Approval typically takes a few hours via email. Once approved, log in, set your password, and complete account setup.
In the BitPay dashboard, select Accept bitcoins from the top menu, then choose eCommerce.
On the eCommerce page, click Accept donations.
Configure your button: Choose donor-entered amounts (with a form) or fixed amounts (add amount, currency, and description).
Set a redirect URL for a WordPress thank-you page and an email for notifications.
Click Generate to get your button code in small, medium, or large sizes. Copy it to a text editor.
BitPay's HTML form may not render correctly in the WordPress editor due to sanitization. Use this shortcode approach: Add the following to your theme's functions.php or a custom plugin. Replace [BITPAY_CODE_HERE] with your copied BitPay code.
function wpb_bitpay_donate() {
ob_start();
?>
[BITPAY_CODE_HERE]
<?php
return ob_get_clean();
}
add_shortcode('bitpaydonate', 'wpb_bitpay_donate');Use the shortcode [bitpaydonate] in posts, pages, or widgets to display the button.
That's it! Accept Bitcoin donations, store them in your wallet, or convert via BitPay. Always back up your wallet and understand crypto risks.
We hope this guide helps you integrate Bitcoin donations effortlessly. Share your thoughts on Bitcoin's future in the comments below.