How to use ShowTaxi, step by step:
Here's a very simple, step by step procedure for signing up with ShowTaxi. Follow this checklist, and you'll be up and running in no time. There are three main requirements (aside from a brilliant podcast) for ShowTaxi success:
Get a PayPal account - but what kind?
Subscription LESS than $12 a month? If you're charging less than $12 a month for your subscription, then you can save money by opening a PayPal micropayment account. This little-known option is available at a far lower per transaction rate: instead of the normal 2.1 - 2.9% + 30 cents, PayPal's micropayment accounts only charge 5% + 5 cents. So, if your transaction is $1, instead of paying 59 cents as a transaction fee, you'll only pay 10 cents.
To open up a PayPal micropayment account, start at this URL:
http://www.paypal.com/activate_micropayments_5pct_plus_5cents_new_account_pricing
Follow the instructions carefully, and remember, you'll need a second email address and second bank account if you already are a PayPal customer with a regular account. Also, there will be no special coloring or notice on your PayPal account management pages that you have created a micropayment-type account, but rest assured, it is.
Subscription MORE than $12 a month? If you're charging more than $12 a month for your subscription, then simply open a standard PayPal account. In fact, you might open both, just in case you want to do more than one podcast at various rates. You'll need a separate bank account for each PayPal account you open up, as well as a separate email address for each PayPal account.
Either way, set up your account(s) and make sure your account settings are as follows:
- Login to Paypal
- Go to My Account > Profile > Website Payment Preferences
- Disable Auto Return (Auto Return: Off)
- Disable Payment Data Transfer (Payment Data Transfer: Off)
- Click "Save" button.
Do this for any and all PayPal accounts you set up. This makes sure that ShowTaxi controls your subscribers' movements back to your ShowTaxi account, and that they get to the right page once they've paid for their subscription.
Verify that your podcast feed is valid
Use http://feedvalidator.org to make sure we can see your podcast clearly via the RSS feed you'll be entering on the ShowTaxi console.
Verify that you can execute a PHP script on your server
You'll need a server that can execute a PHP script, that will do the actual checking of your subscribers and offers. If you don't have hosting, we'll be glad to help you secure hosting at our premier hosting partner, Dreamhost.
Dreamhost offers an amazing amount of space, and an amazing amount of bandwidth, for only $9.95 per month - and they are great to work with, too. If you need hosting, click on the graphic to the left, or click on this link to get started.
If you've got all three of the requirements above, you're ready to get registered, To make it easy, create a new window in your browser, or a new tab, and visit showtaxi.com again - leaving this window open to refer to. Click on the Signup tab, and follow along. Next, we'll create a feed.