diff --git a/config.json.example b/config.json.example
index aa70349d0a..a9e7d5f4ac 100644
--- a/config.json.example
+++ b/config.json.example
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
         "secretAccessKey":"secretAccessKey"
     },
     "PAYPAL":{
+        "billing_plan_id":"billing_plan_id",
         "mode":"sandbox",
         "client_id":"client_id",
         "client_secret":"client_secret"
diff --git a/src/controllers/payments/paypal.js b/src/controllers/payments/paypal.js
index e46a7e4940..536f959ef9 100644
--- a/src/controllers/payments/paypal.js
+++ b/src/controllers/payments/paypal.js
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ var logger = require('../../logging');
 var ipn = require('paypal-ipn');
 var paypal = require('paypal-rest-sdk');
 
+// This is the plan.id for paypal subscriptions. You have to set up billing plans via their REST sdk (they don't have
+// a web interface for billing-plan creation), see ./paypalBillingSetup.js for how. After the billing plan is created
+// there, get it's plan.id and store it in config.json
+var billingPlanID = nconf.get('PAYPAL:billing_plan_id');
+
 paypal.configure({
   'mode': nconf.get("PAYPAL:mode"), //sandbox or live
   'client_id': nconf.get("PAYPAL:client_id"),
@@ -19,64 +24,8 @@ var parseErr = function(err){
   return (err.response && err.response.message || err.response.details[0].issue) || err;
 }
 
-// Initialize Billing Plans
-var billingPlanID;
-var billingPlanTitle ="HabitRPG subscription ($5 month-to-month)";
-(function(){
-  var billingPlanAttributes = {
-    // https://developer.paypal.com/docs/api/#billing-plans-and-agreements
-    "name": billingPlanTitle,
-    "description": billingPlanTitle,
-    "type": "INFINITE",
-    "merchant_preferences": {
-      "auto_bill_amount": "yes",
-      "cancel_url": nconf.get("BASE_URL"),
-      "return_url": nconf.get('BASE_URL') + '/paypal/subscribe/success'
-    },
-    "payment_definitions": [{
-      "name": billingPlanTitle,
-      "type": "REGULAR",
-      "frequency_interval": "1",
-      "frequency": "MONTH",
-      "cycles": "0",
-      "amount": {
-        "currency": "USD",
-        "value": "5"
-      }
-    }]
-  };
-
-  async.waterfall([
-    function(cb) {
-      paypal.billingPlan.list({status: 'ACTIVE'}, cb);
-    },
-    function(plans, cb){
-      var plan = _.find(plans.plans, {name:billingPlanTitle});
-      if (plan) return cb(null, plan);
-      paypal.billingPlan.create(billingPlanAttributes, cb);
-    },
-    function(plan, cb){
-      if (plan.state == "ACTIVE") return cb(null, plan);
-      // Super obvious this stuff, right? *sigh*
-      var billingPlanUpdateAttributes = [{
-        "op": "replace",
-        "path": "/",
-        "value": {
-          "state": "ACTIVE"
-        }
-      }];
-      // Activate the plan by changing status to Active
-      paypal.billingPlan.update(plan.id, billingPlanUpdateAttributes, function(err, response){
-        if (err) return cb(err);
-        cb(null, plan);
-      });
-    },
-  ],function(err, plan){
-    billingPlanID = plan && plan.id || "none";
-  })
-})();
-
 exports.createBillingAgreement = function(req,res,next){
+  var billingPlanTitle ="HabitRPG subscription ($5 month-to-month)";
   var billingAgreementAttributes = {
     "name": billingPlanTitle,
     "description": billingPlanTitle,
diff --git a/src/controllers/payments/paypalBillingSetup.js b/src/controllers/payments/paypalBillingSetup.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d4d7f8e167
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/controllers/payments/paypalBillingSetup.js
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+// This file is used for creating paypal billing plans. PayPal doesn't have a web interface for setting up recurring
+// payment plan definitions, instead you have to create it via their REST SDK and keep it updated the same way. So this
+// file will be used once for initing your billing plan (then you get the resultant plan.id to store in config.json),
+// and once for any time you need to edit the plan thereafter
+
+var path = require('path');
+var nconf = require('nconf');
+nconf.argv().env().file('user', path.join(path.resolve(__dirname, '../../../config.json')));
+var paypal = require('paypal-rest-sdk');
+var OP = "list"; // list create update remove
+
+paypal.configure({
+  'mode': nconf.get("PAYPAL:mode"), //sandbox or live
+  'client_id': nconf.get("PAYPAL:client_id"),
+  'client_secret': nconf.get("PAYPAL:client_secret")
+});
+
+var billingPlanTitle ="HabitRPG subscription ($5 month-to-month)";
+// https://developer.paypal.com/docs/api/#billing-plans-and-agreements
+var billingPlanAttributes = {
+  "name": billingPlanTitle,
+  "description": billingPlanTitle,
+  "type": "INFINITE",
+  "merchant_preferences": {
+    "auto_bill_amount": "yes",
+    "cancel_url": nconf.get("BASE_URL"),
+    "return_url": nconf.get('BASE_URL') + '/paypal/subscribe/success'
+  },
+  "payment_definitions": [{
+    "name": billingPlanTitle,
+    "type": "REGULAR",
+    "frequency_interval": "1",
+    "frequency": "MONTH",
+    "cycles": "0",
+    "amount": {
+      "currency": "USD",
+      "value": "5"
+    }
+  }]
+};
+
+switch(OP) {
+  case "list":
+    paypal.billingPlan.list({status: 'ACTIVE'}, function(err, plans){
+      console.log({err:err, plans:plans});
+    });
+    break;
+  case "update":
+    break;
+  case "create":
+    paypal.billingPlan.create(billingPlanAttributes, function(err,plan){
+      if (plan.state == "ACTIVE")
+        return console.log({err:err, plan:plan});
+      var billingPlanUpdateAttributes = [{
+        "op": "replace",
+        "path": "/",
+        "value": {
+          "state": "ACTIVE"
+        }
+      }];
+      // Activate the plan by changing status to Active
+      paypal.billingPlan.update(plan.id, billingPlanUpdateAttributes, function(err, response){
+        console.log({err:err, response:response});
+      });
+    });
+  case "remove":
+    break;
+}
\ No newline at end of file