diff --git a/api-server/server/boot/donate.js b/api-server/server/boot/donate.js
index de445ffc3e..e1866a3c31 100644
--- a/api-server/server/boot/donate.js
+++ b/api-server/server/boot/donate.js
@@ -12,18 +12,12 @@ import {
 import {
   durationKeysConfig,
   donationOneTimeConfig,
-  donationSubscriptionConfig,
-  paypalConfig
+  donationSubscriptionConfig
 } from '../../../config/donation-settings';
 import keys from '../../../config/secrets';
 
 const log = debug('fcc:boot:donate');
 
-const paypalWebhookId =
-  process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'production'
-    ? paypalConfig.production.webhookId
-    : paypalConfig.development.webhookId;
-
 export default function donateBoot(app, done) {
   let stripe = false;
   const api = app.loopback.Router();
@@ -255,6 +249,7 @@ export default function donateBoot(app, done) {
           .send({ error: 'Donation failed due to a server error.' })
       );
   }
+
   function addDonation(req, res) {
     const { user, body } = req;
 
@@ -284,7 +279,7 @@ export default function donateBoot(app, done) {
     return Promise.resolve(req)
       .then(verifyWebHookType)
       .then(getAsyncPaypalToken)
-      .then(token => verifyWebHook(headers, body, token, paypalWebhookId))
+      .then(token => verifyWebHook(headers, body, token, keys.paypal.webhookId))
       .then(hookBody => updateUser(hookBody, app))
       .then(() => res.status(200).json({ message: 'received hook' }))
       .catch(err => {
@@ -310,37 +305,21 @@ export default function donateBoot(app, done) {
     !hmacKey || hmacKey === 'secret_key_from_servicebot_dashboard';
   const paypalInvalid = paypalPublicInvalid || paypalSecretInvalid;
   const stripeInvalid = stripeSecretInvalid || stripPublicInvalid;
-  if (stripeInvalid) {
+
+  if (stripeInvalid || paypalInvalid || hmacKeyInvalid) {
     if (process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'production') {
-      throw new Error('Stripe API keys are required to boot the server!');
+      throw new Error('Donation API keys are required to boot the server!');
     }
-    console.info('No Stripe API keys were found, moving on...');
+    log('Donation disabled in development unless ALL test keys are provided');
+    done();
   } else {
     api.post('/charge-stripe', createStripeDonation);
     api.post('/create-hmac-hash', createHmacHash);
-  }
-  if (paypalInvalid) {
-    if (process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'production') {
-      throw new Error('PayPal API keys are required to boot the server!');
-    }
-    console.info('No PayPal API keys were found, moving on...');
-  } else {
-    api.post('/update-paypal', updatePaypal);
     api.post('/add-donation', addDonation);
-  }
-  if (hmacKeyInvalid) {
-    if (process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'production') {
-      throw new Error('Servicebot HMAC key is required to boot the server!');
-    }
-    console.info('No servicebot HMAC key was found, moving on...');
-  }
-  donateRouter.use('/donate', api);
-  app.use(donateRouter);
-  app.use('/internal', donateRouter);
-
-  if (stripeInvalid) {
-    done();
-  } else {
+    api.post('/update-paypal', updatePaypal);
+    donateRouter.use('/donate', api);
+    app.use(donateRouter);
+    app.use('/internal', donateRouter);
     connectToStripe().then(done);
   }
 }
diff --git a/api-server/server/utils/donation.js b/api-server/server/utils/donation.js
index 822c7d95c3..763b82df1b 100644
--- a/api-server/server/utils/donation.js
+++ b/api-server/server/utils/donation.js
@@ -5,14 +5,14 @@ import keys from '../../../config/secrets';
 
 const log = debug('fcc:boot:donate');
 
-const sandBoxSubdomain =
-  process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'production' ? '' : 'sandbox.';
-
-const verificationUrl = `https://api.${sandBoxSubdomain}paypal.com/v1/notifications/verify-webhook-signature`;
-const tokenUrl = `https://api.${sandBoxSubdomain}paypal.com/v1/oauth2/token`;
+const paypalverifyWebhookURL =
+  keys.paypal.verifyWebhookURL ||
+  `https://api.sandbox.paypal.com/v1/notifications/verify-webhook-signature`;
+const paypalTokenURL =
+  keys.paypal.tokenUrl || `https://api.sandbox.paypal.com/v1/oauth2/token`;
 
 export async function getAsyncPaypalToken() {
-  const res = await axios.post(tokenUrl, null, {
+  const res = await axios.post(paypalTokenURL, null, {
     headers: {
       'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'
     },
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export async function verifyWebHook(headers, body, token, webhookId) {
     webhook_event: webhookEventBody
   };
 
-  const response = await axios.post(verificationUrl, payload, {
+  const response = await axios.post(paypalverifyWebhookURL, payload, {
     headers: {
       'Content-Type': 'application/json',
       Authorization: `Bearer ${token}`
diff --git a/api-server/server/utils/donation-uttils.test.js b/api-server/server/utils/donation.test.js
similarity index 94%
rename from api-server/server/utils/donation-uttils.test.js
rename to api-server/server/utils/donation.test.js
index 7342b036d6..e53e67a976 100644
--- a/api-server/server/utils/donation-uttils.test.js
+++ b/api-server/server/utils/donation.test.js
@@ -22,11 +22,8 @@ import {
 
 jest.mock('axios');
 
-const sandBoxSubdomain =
-  process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'production' ? '' : 'sandbox.';
-
-const verificationUrl = `https://api.${sandBoxSubdomain}paypal.com/v1/notifications/verify-webhook-signature`;
-const tokenUrl = `https://api.${sandBoxSubdomain}paypal.com/v1/oauth2/token`;
+const verificationUrl = `https://api.sandbox.paypal.com/v1/notifications/verify-webhook-signature`;
+const tokenUrl = `https://api.sandbox.paypal.com/v1/oauth2/token`;
 const {
   body: activationHookBody,
   headers: activationHookHeaders
diff --git a/client/src/components/Donation/PaypalButton.js b/client/src/components/Donation/PaypalButton.js
index 898624f36f..d224055246 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Donation/PaypalButton.js
+++ b/client/src/components/Donation/PaypalButton.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 /* eslint-disable camelcase */
-/* global ENVIRONMENT */
 
 import React, { Component } from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
@@ -11,16 +10,13 @@ import { verifySubscriptionPaypal } from '../../utils/ajax';
 import { paypalConfig } from '../../../../config/donation-settings';
 import { signInLoadingSelector, userSelector, executeGA } from '../../redux';
 
-const paypalDurationPlans =
-  ENVIRONMENT === 'production'
-    ? paypalConfig.production.durationPlans
-    : paypalConfig.development.durationPlans;
+const { durationPlans } = paypalConfig;
 
 export class PaypalButton extends Component {
   constructor(...props) {
     super(...props);
     this.state = {
-      planId: paypalDurationPlans.month['500'].planId
+      planId: durationPlans.month['500'].planId
     };
     this.handleApproval = this.handleApproval.bind(this);
   }
diff --git a/config/donation-settings.js b/config/donation-settings.js
index 32243571f4..ee7b5386d2 100644
--- a/config/donation-settings.js
+++ b/config/donation-settings.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+require('dotenv').config();
+
 // Configuration for client side
 const durationsConfig = {
   year: 'yearly',
@@ -40,9 +42,8 @@ const donationSubscriptionConfig = {
 };
 
 // Shared paypal configuration
-const paypalConfig = {
-  production: {
-    webhookId: '8AM40465WC915574A',
+const paypalConfigTypes = {
+  live: {
     durationPlans: {
       month: {
         '500': {
@@ -51,8 +52,7 @@ const paypalConfig = {
       }
     }
   },
-  development: {
-    webhookId: '2UL63757DN298592C',
+  staging: {
     durationPlans: {
       month: {
         '500': {
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ const paypalConfig = {
   }
 };
 
+const paypalConfig = process.env.DEPLOYMENT_ENV
+  ? paypalConfigTypes['live']
+  : paypalConfigTypes['staging'];
+
 module.exports = {
   durationsConfig,
   amountsConfig,
diff --git a/config/secrets.js b/config/secrets.js
index 6a2b8242dc..890dd6b4f5 100644
--- a/config/secrets.js
+++ b/config/secrets.js
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ const {
   SERVICEBOT_HMAC_SECRET_KEY,
 
   PAYPAL_CLIENT_ID,
-  PAYPAL_SECRET
+  PAYPAL_SECRET,
+  PAYPAL_VERIFY_WEBHOOK_URL,
+  PAYPAL_API_TOKEN_URL,
+  PAYPAL_WEBHOOK_ID
 } = process.env;
 
 module.exports = {
@@ -104,7 +107,10 @@ module.exports = {
 
   paypal: {
     client: PAYPAL_CLIENT_ID,
-    secret: PAYPAL_SECRET
+    secret: PAYPAL_SECRET,
+    verifyWebhookURL: PAYPAL_VERIFY_WEBHOOK_URL,
+    tokenUrl: PAYPAL_API_TOKEN_URL,
+    webhookId: PAYPAL_WEBHOOK_ID
   },
 
   servicebot: {
diff --git a/sample.env b/sample.env
index cf4740d902..0f7fd41739 100644
--- a/sample.env
+++ b/sample.env
@@ -23,8 +23,13 @@ SERVICEBOT_ID=servicebot_id_from_servicebot_dashboard
 SERVICEBOT_HMAC_SECRET_KEY=secret_key_from_servicebot_dashboard
 
 PAYPAL_SUPPORTERS=1703
+
 PAYPAL_CLIENT_ID=id_from_paypal_dashboard
 PAYPAL_SECRET=secret_from_paypal_dashboard
+PAYPAL_VERIFY_WEBHOOK_URL='https://api.sandbox.paypal.com/v1/notifications/verify-webhook-signature'
+PAYPAL_API_TOKEN_URL='https://api.sandbox.paypal.com/v1/oauth2/token'
+PAYPAL_WEBHOOK_ID=webhook_id_from_paypal_dashboard
+DEPLOYMENT_ENV='staging'
 
 PEER=stuff
 DEBUG=true