Chykalophia Docs

How to accept PayPal payments in WooCommerce, including setup, the different PayPal options, and what customers see.

PayPal is a familiar way to pay for many shoppers. Customers who pay with their PayPal account don't have to type their card details into your store. PayPal says offering it alongside credit cards can help increase your conversions.

Quick summary

Install the "WooCommerce PayPal Payments" plugin (the official option, listed on the Woo Marketplace as PayPal Payments for WooCommerce), connect it to your PayPal account (a Business account is recommended), and enable it. Customers can then pay via PayPal at checkout. Depending on your country and account, customers without a PayPal account can also pay by credit or debit card.

Which PayPal plugin to use

There are several PayPal plugins for WooCommerce. We recommend the official one:

Plugin	Recommendation
WooCommerce PayPal Payments	Official plugin. Offers PayPal, Pay Later options, Venmo (US only), credit and debit cards, and more. This is the one to use.
PayPal Standard (legacy)	Deprecated. It isn't loaded on new stores, and WooCommerce recommends switching to PayPal Payments.

Setting up WooCommerce PayPal Payments

Install the plugin. Go to Plugins → Add Plugin, search for "WooCommerce PayPal Payments", install, and activate it.

Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Payments. Find "PayPal" in the list and click Enable or Complete setup.

Click "Activate PayPal Payments" on the welcome page. Choose Business as your account type (recommended for stores; PayPal supports personal seller accounts only in some regions), select the types of products you sell, and review the checkout options.

Connect your PayPal account. Log in to PayPal (or create an account if you don't have one), then click Connect to PayPal.

Return to your site. The PayPal Payments settings reload and show the Overview, with a list of things to do next.

Test with Sandbox Mode (optional). The Sandbox Mode switch is only on the plugin's welcome screen (the one with Activate PayPal Payments), so it's easiest to test before you connect your live account. On that screen, open See advanced options, turn on Sandbox Mode, and connect a PayPal sandbox account instead (you create these at developer.paypal.com). Test a payment using a second sandbox account as the buyer. If you've already connected your live account, disconnect it first on the plugin's Settings tab so you can reconnect.

Switch back to live mode when you're done testing, so real customers can pay.

What customers see

Customers can pay with PayPal in two ways:

PayPal account — they log in to their PayPal account and confirm payment. No card details entered on your site.
Debit or credit card — customers can pay by card through PayPal. With standard card processing, PayPal handles the card form for you. Advanced card processing adds card fields you can style on your own checkout, and needs extra approval from PayPal.

PayPal Payments shows PayPal's payment buttons at checkout and can also show them on product pages. You control where the buttons appear, and how they look, on the plugin's Styling tab.

PayPal fees

PayPal charges a fee on each payment you receive. The rate depends on your country and the type of payment. PayPal says there's no fee to open a Business account and no monthly maintenance fee. Check PayPal's business fees page for current rates (that page lists US rates; if your PayPal account is in another country, check the fees on PayPal's site for that country).

Payments go into your PayPal balance first. You can then transfer the money to your linked bank account yourself, or set up automatic transfers in PayPal on a daily or weekly schedule.

PayPal Business account recommended

Use a PayPal Business account for your store. WooCommerce's setup guide describes it as required for WooCommerce transactions, and PayPal supports personal seller accounts only in some regions. Subscription payments also need a Business account. If you only have a Personal account, you can upgrade it in PayPal under Settings → Upgrade to a Business Account. PayPal notes that most business accounts can't be downgraded later.

Pay Later options

The PayPal plugin supports Pay Later options (like "Pay in 4" installments in the US) in the countries where PayPal offers them, such as the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Customers pay over time, while you receive the payment up front at no extra cost. PayPal says Pay Later messaging can help increase order values.

The Pay Later button only appears alongside the PayPal button. You can enable or disable the Pay Later button and Pay Later messaging in the plugin settings.

Common questions

Can I use PayPal alongside Stripe or other card payments?

Yes. Many stores offer both. Customers choose their preferred method at checkout, which helps shoppers who prefer one over the other.

What happens if a customer disputes a PayPal payment?

PayPal has its own dispute process, handled in the Resolution Center in your PayPal account, and buyers may be covered by PayPal's Purchase Protection program. When a customer opens a dispute, PayPal places the disputed amount on hold while the case is reviewed. Respond promptly in the Resolution Center (PayPal's US help says to respond within 10 days). Provide order details, tracking, and communication records to support your case.

Does PayPal support recurring payments / subscriptions?

Yes. PayPal Payments works with the WooCommerce Subscriptions extension for automatic renewals, using either PayPal Subscriptions or PayPal Vaulting (which needs PayPal's approval). Both need a PayPal Business account. Set this up carefully — consult us before configuring subscription payments.

Why does the PayPal button not show up on my checkout page?

The button may be blocked by your theme or another plugin, a caching plugin, or a JavaScript error, or it may not be switched on for that page in the plugin's settings. Try clearing your cache first. If the button still doesn't appear, contact us and we'll investigate.

Need a hand?

If you're stuck, email support@chykalophia.com and we'll help. Include your website address and a screenshot if you can.

Accepting PayPal