How do I install the Payhip skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add shaashiekumha/payhip in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

What does the Payhip skill do?

Expert guide and integration toolkit for Payhip e-commerce platform (help.payhip.com). Use when setting up or managing Payhip stores, products (digital downloads, courses, memberships, physical, coaching, bundles), custom domains, embed buttons/modals, direct checkout links, license keys API, webhooks, affiliate marketing, EU/UK VAT compliance, or building custom developer integrations with Payhip. It is listed under Marketing & Growth on SkillMD.

Is Payhip safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Capability flags: makes network calls, reads secrets. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Payhip?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Payhip free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Payhip?

shaashiekumha (@shaashiekumha) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Payhip by shaashiekumha — Agent Skill

Name: Payhip
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: shaashiekumha

Payhip Expert Skill

A complete reference and operational guide for selling digital goods, courses, memberships, physical products, and coaching on Payhip based on the official Payhip Help Center and Developer APIs.

Platform Overview & Core Architecture
Product Setup & Monetization Models
Storefront Embeds & payhip.js SDK
Direct Checkout Links & Metadata
Public API & Software License Keys
Webhooks & Real-Time Event Handling
Payment Gateways & Direct Payouts
EU/UK VAT & Global Sales Tax
Marketing, Affiliates & Growth Engines
Troubleshooting & Best Practices

1. Platform Overview & Core Architecture

Payhip is an e-commerce platform designed for creators, software developers, educators, and merchants. Key architectural highlights:

Instant Direct Payouts: Unlike marketplaces that hold merchant balances for weeks, payments process directly into your connected Stripe, PayPal, Paystack, or Mercado Pago accounts.
Built-in Merchant of Record for EU/UK VAT: Automatically calculates, collects, and remits digital EU and UK VAT to tax authorities without extra merchant paperwork.
Tiered Pricing Structure:
- Free Forever: $0/month + 5% transaction fee (+ standard gateway processing fees).
- Plus: $29/month + 2% transaction fee.
- Pro: $99/month + 0% transaction fee.
Zero-Storage/Bandwidth Restrictions: Generous file size allowances (up to 5GB per file, multiple files per product).

2. Product Setup & Monetization Models

Payhip supports 7 distinct product types:

A. Digital Products & Downloads

File Distribution: Upload e-books, software, audio, presets, templates, or archives up to 5GB.
PDF Stamping: Protects digital books by automatically stamping buyer details (buyer email, order date) onto PDF pages to deter piracy.
Download Limits: Restrict download attempts per customer (e.g., maximum 3 downloads) and set link expiry windows.
Variants: Deliver different files based on options selected (e.g., EPUB vs. MOBI vs. PDF, Standard vs. Extended License).

B. Courses

Curriculum Architecture: Sections, lessons, video hosting, downloadable resources, assignments, and quizzes.
Video Player: High-performance, anti-piracy video player with adaptive bitrate streaming.
Drip Content: Release lessons on specific dates or X days after enrollment.
Prerequisites & Certificates: Lock advanced lessons until prior quizzes/sections are completed; award branded completion certificates.

C. Memberships & Subscriptions

Flexible Tiers: Multiple membership levels with monthly, annual, or custom recurring intervals.
Content Gating: Restrict posts, video streams, downloads, or Discord communities to active subscribers.
Trial Periods & Setup Fees: Configure free trials (e.g., 7 or 14 days) or upfront initiation fees.

D. Software & License Keys

Two Generation Engines:
- Autogenerated: Payhip generates cryptographically unique keys for every order.
- Pre-generated: Upload up to 10,000 keys per batch (from your custom license server, Steam, etc.).
License Enforcement: Verify activations and manage seat counts via Payhip v2 API.

E. Physical Products

Inventory & SKU Management: Track stock levels per variant (sizes, colors).
Shipping Rules: Configure flat-rate, weight-based, or country-specific shipping zones.

F. Coaching Services

Client Onboarding: Intake questionnaires and client scheduling integrations (direct sync with Calendly or Zoom).
Milestone Tracking: Manage 1-on-1 consultations, homework check-ins, and session files.

G. Bundles & Collections

Group multiple standalone products into a discounted bundle with single-click checkout.

3. Storefront Embeds & `payhip.js` SDK

Integrate Payhip checkout into any website (WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, or custom static sites) using payhip.js.

Step 1: Include the Script

Add to the <head> of your website:

<script type="text/javascript" src="https://payhip.com/payhip.js"></script>

Step 2: Global Configuration

Configure cart drawer behavior and positions:

<script type="text/javascript">
  window.PayhipConfig = {
    enableCart: true,
    cart: {
      position: "top-right", // "top-right", "top-left", "bottom-left", "bottom-right"
      launcherBackground: "#111827",
      checkoutButtonBackground: "#2563eb"
    }
  };
</script>

Step 3: Embed Buttons & Triggers

Modal Checkout Button:

<!-- Opens seamless modal overlay -->
<a href="https://payhip.com/b/BaFxk" 
   class="payhip-buy-button" 
   data-product="BaFxk" 
   data-theme="none">
   Buy Now
</a>

Add to Cart Button:

<a href="#" 
   class="payhip-add-to-cart-button" 
   data-product="BaFxk" 
   data-theme="none">
   Add to Cart
</a>

Open Slide-Out Cart:

<button class="payhip-open-cart-button">
  View Cart (<span class="payhip-cart-count">0</span>)
</button>

Pay What You Want (PWYW) Input:

<input type="number" 
       class="payhip-pwyw" 
       data-product="BaFxk" 
       placeholder="Name your price (min $5)" 
       min="5" />

Supported Data Attributes for Buy Buttons

Attribute	Type	Description
`data-product`	`string`	Unique product alphanumeric key (e.g. `BaFxk`). Can be comma-separated.
`data-theme`	`string`	Button theme: `"green"`, `"blue"`, `"grey"`, or `"none"` (for custom CSS).
`data-method`	`string`	`"overlay"` (default modal), `"fallback_window"` (popup), or `"inline"`.
`data-iframe-target`	`string`	CSS selector for container when `data-method="inline"`.
`data-success-callback`	`string`	Name of window function invoked on successful transaction.
`data-close-callback`	`string`	Name of window function invoked when checkout modal closes.
`data-success-url`	`string`	Redirect URL after successful order.
`data-metadata`	`string`	JSON string or encoded string passed directly to webhooks.
`data-subscription-plan`	`string`	Specific tier plan ID for memberships.
`data-target-variant`	`string`	Specific pre-selected variant key.

4. Direct Checkout Links & Metadata

Skip product landing pages and send visitors straight to checkout or bundle checkout.

Single Product Direct Checkout:

https://payhip.com/buy?link=BaFxk

(If using a custom domain, use https://store.yourdomain.com/buy?link=BaFxk)

Multi-Product Cart Checkout:

https://payhip.com/buy?cart_links[]=BaFxk&cart_links[]=RGsF

Checkout URL Metadata (Passthrough to Webhooks):

Attach custom tracking parameters (such as user_id, referral_code, session_id) that Payhip passes directly into webhook payloads:

https://payhip.com/buy?link=BaFxk&metadata[user_id]=usr_94821&metadata[campaign]=summer_sale

Max metadata pairs: 20 key-value pairs.
Key limit: 40 characters (forbidden characters: [, ], <, >).
Value limit: 500 characters (forbidden characters: <, >).

5. Public API & Software License Keys

Payhip provides a REST API for programmatic coupon management and license key verification.

API v2 Software License Keys

For software products, verify and manage activations securely without exposing merchant credentials.

1. Verify a License Key:

curl -X GET "https://payhip.com/api/v2/license/verify?license_key=WTKP4-66NL5-HMKQW-GFSCZ" \
  --header "product-secret-key: YOUR_PRODUCT_SECRET_KEY"

Response (Success):

{
  "data": {
    "enabled": true,
    "product_link": "BaFxk",
    "license_key": "WTKP4-66NL5-HMKQW-GFSCZ",
    "buyer_email": "customer@example.com",
    "uses": 1,
    "date": "2026-03-15T10:14:00+00:00"
  }
}

2. Increase License Usage Count (Activation):

curl -X PUT "https://payhip.com/api/v2/license/usage" \
  --header "product-secret-key: YOUR_PRODUCT_SECRET_KEY" \
  -d "license_key=WTKP4-66NL5-HMKQW-GFSCZ"

3. Decrease License Usage Count (Deactivation):

curl -X PUT "https://payhip.com/api/v2/license/decrease" \
  --header "product-secret-key: YOUR_PRODUCT_SECRET_KEY" \
  -d "license_key=WTKP4-66NL5-HMKQW-GFSCZ"

4. Disable / Revoke a Key:

curl -X PUT "https://payhip.com/api/v2/license/disable" \
  --header "product-secret-key: YOUR_PRODUCT_SECRET_KEY" \
  -d "license_key=WTKP4-66NL5-HMKQW-GFSCZ"

6. Webhooks & Real-Time Event Handling

Subscribe to real-time store events from Account > Settings > Developer.

Event Types

paid: Fired whenever a customer completes a purchase or recurring charge.
refunded: Fired whenever a payment is fully or partially refunded.
subscription.created: Fired when a customer signs up for a recurring plan.
subscription.deleted: Fired when a subscription is cancelled or terminated.

Security & Signature Verification

Every webhook request includes a signature property in the JSON body. Verify it by computing the SHA-256 hash of your Payhip API Key:

signature == hash("sha256", API_KEY)

[!IMPORTANT] The hash is computed on the secret API key alone (sha256(apiKey)), not an HMAC over the payload body.

Webhook Delivery Rules

Your endpoint must return HTTP status code 200.
If non-200 is returned, Payhip retries once an hour for up to 3 hours.
Amounts and prices are in cents/pennies (e.g., $10.00 is represented as 1000).

7. Payment Gateways & Direct Payouts

Connect one or more payment gateways under Account > Settings > Payment Details:

Stripe: Credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, iDEAL, Giropay, Bancontact, Sofort.
PayPal: PayPal wallet, Pay in 4, PayPal Credit.
Paystack: Leading African payment provider (Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya).
Mercado Pago: Latin American payment gateway (Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile).

Direct Deposit Benefit

Funds flow directly from customer to your merchant account immediately; Payhip deducts its platform fee (5% on Free, 2% on Plus, 0% on Pro) automatically at transaction time.

8. EU/UK VAT & Global Sales Tax

Under Account > Settings > Taxes:

Automatic EU & UK Digital VAT

Payhip acts as the legal Seller/Merchant of Record for digital goods in the EU and UK.
It identifies customer geolocation via IP and payment billing address.
Computes the appropriate local VAT rate (e.g., 20% UK, 19% Germany, 21% Spain).
Collects and remits VAT directly to HMRC and EU MOSS/One Stop Shop (OSS).

Pricing Strategies for Tax:

Add VAT on top of price (Recommended): Customer pays $10.00 + 20% VAT = $12.00. Your net revenue remains unchanged.
Include VAT in price: Customer pays $10.00 total; the tax is deducted from your earnings ($10 / 1.20 = $8.33 net).

9. Marketing, Affiliates & Growth Engines

Payhip includes comprehensive growth tooling built right into the platform:

Coupons & Promotional Codes: Percentage or fixed discounts, expiry dates, redemption limits, or restriction to specific products.
Affiliate System:
- Run your own affiliate network with custom percentage commissions.
- Set custom cookie duration (e.g., 30, 60, or 90 days).
- Public or private affiliate registration pages.
Cross-Selling: Offer related add-ons with a discount when a user adds a product to cart.
Upgrade Discounts / Upsells: Offer a higher-tier product at checkout when viewing a lower-tier product.
Social Discounts: Automatically apply a discount if the buyer tweets or shares the product URL.
Referral Programs: Incentivize existing customers with cash or credit when their friends purchase.
Email Marketing Sync: Seamless auto-sync of customer emails with Mailchimp, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, Drip, AWeber, or GetResponse (supports GDPR double opt-in).

10. Troubleshooting & Best Practices

Custom Domain Issues:
- Create a CNAME record pointing to domains.payhip.com (for subdomains like store.example.com).
- For root domains (example.com), create an A record pointing to Payhip's designated IP.
- SSL certificates generate automatically within 24 hours of DNS propagation.
PayPal Checkout Blockers:
- Ensure the PayPal account is upgraded to a Business Account.
- Verify that your PayPal email is confirmed and API permissions are granted.
Webhook Failures:
- Ensure your server returns a fast 200 OK response before processing asynchronous tasks.
- Check firewall or Cloudflare rules that might block Payhip's POST requests.
License Key Depletion Alert:
- When selling pre-generated license keys, always enable "Limit the number of products sold" to match your uploaded inventory so buyers aren't issued blank keys.

References & Companion Files

Detailed API & Webhook Specifications: api-webhooks.md
Complete Embeds & JavaScript SDK Reference: embeds-sdk.md
Tax & Compliance Rules: taxes-compliance.md
Node.js Express Webhook Server: webhook-server.js
Python License Key Validator: license-validator.py

Payhip

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