The PayPal payment gateway is a unified payments integration that allows you to accept payments in over 100 currencies from 325 million active customers across 200 markets.
PayPal offers several features to optimize checkout conversion and grow your business.
- Local payment methods and PayPal Pay Later to expand your global customer base and encourage larger purchases
- One Touch™ to skip the PayPal login process and streamline checkout on recognized computers
- Stored credit cards and PayPal accounts
- Real-time Account Updater to automatically refresh stored card information when it expires
- Risk management tools to prevent fraud and minimize chargebacks
Requirements
- Your store must be using Optimized One-Page Checkout.
- Manage Payments and Manage Settings user permissions must be enabled.
- Your store must be in a supported country. All countries supported by PayPal are supported by BigCommerce, except:
- India
- Israel
- You must meet PayPal's country and currency requirements in order to use the following features:
- To use Real-time Account Updater with stored credit cards, your store must be located in the United States.
- Real-time Account Updater is only available for stored cards with a United States billing address at this time.
- To use post-purchase shipping sync and shipping tracking settings, your store must be located in one of the following countries:
- Australia
- Canada
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- United States
Setup
Use the following steps to connect your PayPal merchant account with your store.
1. Go to Settings › Payments and from the list of Online Payment Methods, click Set up next to PayPal.
2. You will be brought to a PayPal Settings tab. Click Connect with PayPal to set up or log into your existing PayPal account.
Existing PayPal accounts and Starting Order Number: If you are connecting an existing PayPal account that has past transactions, you will need to change your store's Starting Order Number. See Common Questions for more information.
3. You will be asked to grant BigCommerce permission to connect to your PayPal account. Click Grant Permission to continue.
4. You will be redirected to your PayPal Settings tab in BigCommerce. Click Save to complete setup.
5. In the PayPal Settings tab, configure your desired gateway settings, such as enabling local payment methods for shoppers.
Enabling Credit/Debit Card Fields at Checkout
Stores that meet the country and currency requirements are able to enable credit/debit hosted fields on the checkout page. This allows your customers to pay using their cards directly on your website.
For comparison, PayPal Guest Checkout (enabled by default during setup) also allows customers to use their credit/debit cards to pay, but this method allows the card fields to appear directly on your checkout page, without the need to open a new window or redirect the customer to a PayPal.com page. Generally, having fewer checkout steps and avoiding redirects from the checkout page improves conversion.
If you have previously configured debit/credit card payments in your PayPal merchant account, this will be enabled by default when you connect the merchant account to your BigCommerce store. If your PayPal merchant account does not currently accept card payments, follow the steps below.
Use the following steps to add the credit/debit card payment method to your checkout page:
1. Go to Settings › Payments and click the PayPal tab.
2. Check the box next to Enable PayPal Credit Cards.
Important! If you connect to a different PayPal seller account than the one you originally used during initial setup, your primary account settings will be overwritten by the new account. You will not be able to do any post-order actions (like refunds) to your current PayPal orders.
3. You will be asked to grant BigCommerce permission to connect to your PayPal account. Click Grant Permission to continue.
4. You will be redirected to your PayPal Settings tab in BigCommerce. Your Credit Card Settings section will be updated with an appropriate status pending merchant card processing approval by PayPal.
5.Save your changes to complete setup. The card fields will now appear as an option on the checkout page.
Once credit/debit cards have been enabled, additional features and settings are available:
- Display name — controls how the payment method is labeled at checkout, in order details and emails, and in your merchant account. We recommend something like “Credit/Debit Card”.
- Use 3D Secure — enable 3D Secure during checkout. This feature is skipped for new and existing stored credit card transactions.
- Require CVV for Manual Orders — enable to require CVV/CVV2/CVSD code during manual order creation from the BigCommerce control panel. This setting must be enabled to process manual orders using PayPal's credit card method.
PayPal Pay Later (Formerly PayPal Credit)
PayPal Pay Later lets customers buy now and pay over time. This feature means that the shopper will owe the money to PayPal while you, the merchant, always get paid. PayPay Pay Later also includes messaging banners that inform your customers of the installment options available at checkout. This can encourage larger purchases and increase your average order value (AOV).
For additional information and setup steps, see Connecting with PayPal Pay Later.
Fastlane by PayPal
Fastlane by PayPal provides merchants with a fast, passwordless checkout solution for guest shoppers. With Fastlane, shoppers create a payment profile after making a credit card or PayPal payment, then use that profile on future orders to complete checkout with a single click.
See Fastlane by PayPal to learn more about Fastlane’s requirements and setup instructions.
Additional Settings
The PayPal payment gateway offers a variety of settings for you to configure your desired checkout and fulfillment experience, including
- Stored credit cards
- Real-time Account Updater
- Stored PayPal accounts
- Transaction type
- Wallet button experience
- Post purchase
- PayPal sandbox
Stored Credit Cards
Stored Credit Cards allows customers with a storefront account to securely save their card information for future purchases. Check the box next to Enable stored credit cards to provide this feature at checkout and in the storefront account area.
Real-Time Account Updater
Real-time Account Updater is an optional paid service that automatically updates stored card information, such as new numbers, new expiration dates, and closed accounts.
This can be extremely useful for stores that offer subscriptions, as it ensures that recurring transactions won't fail due to outdated stored card information. Additionally, customers won't need to contact the store to update their payment details, ensuring that they get the full benefits of saving their payment credentials.
Before using the instructions below to enable Real-time Account Updater, please review the following considerations:
- Real-time Account Updater is only available for merchants and customers located in the United States.
- Only stored Mastercard and Visa cards are supported.
- Real-time Account Updater cannot be used with stored PayPal accounts.
1. In your PayPal business account, turn on Account Updater.
2. Return to your BigCommerce control panel, then navigate to Settings › Payments and click the PayPal Settings tab.
3. Enable stored credit cards in your settings if you haven’t already, then check the box next to Enable real-time account updater.
4. If you want to automatically remove closed cards from a customer’s list of saved payment methods, check the box next to Enable automated card delete.
Stored PayPal Accounts
Like stored credit cards, customers can save their PayPal account credentials to streamline the checkout process for subsequent orders. Your customers can also navigate to the Payment Methods area of their storefront account to save new PayPal accounts or delete existing ones.
To offer stored PayPal accounts on your storefront, check the box next to Enable Stored PayPal Accounts.
Transaction Type
Transaction Type allows you to specify when an order’s funds are captured. Authorize and capture is selected by default, and enables automatic capture when a transaction is authorized. Authorize Only allows you to manually capture funds at a later time when viewing the order in your control panel.
Wallet Button Experience
Select your preferred order completion flow for shoppers when they click any PayPal button. This includes PayPal Checkout, PayPal Pay Later, and Venmo buttons.
This setting gives you the option of offering your shoppers the traditional checkout experience or a streamlined flow that bypasses the checkout page completely, providing less friction and potentially increasing conversions.
- Pay Now — takes the shopper to the PayPal modal window to select a shipping method and complete payment, skipping the checkout page
- Redirect to checkout — takes the shopper to your store’s checkout page to complete the order
Pay Now is enabled by default for new stores. When enabled, shoppers choose a shipping method, based on the shipping address in their PayPal account, from within the PayPal pop-up. After completing payment, they are taken directly to the order confirmation page.
Note: PayPal wallet is limited to 10 shipping options during checkout, including BOPIS options. If you offer more than 10 shipping and pickup options, use Redirect to checkout instead.
Post Purchase
Automate post purchase processes that can synchronize order transaction statuses and order IDs between BigCommerce and PayPal, and provide a more informed shopping experience for your customers.
When enabled, order details like item names, product images, and shipping tracking numbers will be automatically shared with PayPal, allowing customers to track their orders in the PayPal app or use the automated dispute resolution process, should an issue occur. Keep in mind that only orders that involve PayPal will be synced.
By default, these settings are enabled for stores that meet the country requirements.
- Sync order transaction statuses with PayPal — shares order actions and statuses in PayPal with BigCommerce.
- Sync shipping and item info with PayPal — shares order details with PayPal, which can help to shorten hold times, automates the “item not received” dispute resolution process, and enables Seller Protection against chargebacks and claims.
- Let PayPal provide package tracking to customers — provides customers who pay with PayPal and use the PayPal app with automatic live shipping updates on packages.
- Send order IDs to PayPal — associates a PayPal transaction to a BigCommerce order and allows customers to provide their order ID during post-purchase communications. Note that PayPal requires order IDs to be unique. If a provided order ID has been used for a prior transaction, PayPal will decline payments.
PayPal Sandbox
The PayPal Sandbox can be utilized as a testing environment without touching a live PayPal account. Click Connect PayPal Sandbox to connect your sandbox business account to your BigCommerce store. Note that a sandbox account is entirely separate from your business account used for live transactions. See PayPal's PayPal Sandbox Testing Guide for more information.
Need to connect to a different account? Switching off PayPal will clear your account settings, allowing you to log in using a different email address.
Common Questions
This information is for the PayPal integration. For common questions and troubleshooting information about a supported APM, see our Guide to Alternative Payment Methods.
- General
- Pricing and fees
- Account eligibility
- Transactions
- Refunds
- Additional features
- Troubleshooting and payment disputes
General
What is PayPal Commerce Platform?
PayPal Commerce Platform is another name for PayPal's dedicated payment gateway, used to distinguish it from other PayPal solutions supported by BigCommerce.
Why am I being asked to update the PayPal integration?
After enabling certain features in PayPal Settings, an Update button may appear at the top of the tab, along with a list of features dependent on the update. This button refreshes the integration and enables these new features on your storefront.
Pricing and Fees
What fees are associated with the gateway?
PayPal has no monthly fees, but charges a per-transaction fee based on your region. Additionally, the Real-time Account Updater is a paid feature in your PayPal business account. To learn more, go to PayPal Merchant Fees and locate the rates in your region.
Account Eligibility
What currencies and countries does the payment gateway support?
You can review a list of supported currencies and countries on the following pages:
What items are restricted for merchants to sell?
You can review a list of restricted items on PayPal’s Acceptable Use Policy.
Transactions
After I create an account, what is the waiting period before I can process transactions?
Once you link your PayPal account to BigCommerce, you can begin transacting right away.
How long until the funds are transferred to my bank?
Funds are deposited immediately into your PayPal account. You can request a withdrawal to your bank at any time, using an Instant Transfer or Standard Transfer (1-3 business days).
Does PayPal send email notifications to me or my customers?
Yes, both you and your customers will receive emails when transactions are received and for disputes/chargebacks.
Refunds
How soon after a transaction can I perform a refund?
Once a payment is captured, there is no delay before you can issue a refund.
Are there any fees for chargebacks/refunds?
You can read about PayPal’s policies on chargebacks and refunds in the PayPal User Agreement.
Additional Features
Are there any fraud filtering options available?
You can review PayPal’s Seller Protection Policy for Merchants to understand how they help protect your online sales, minimize claims and chargebacks and help prevent merchant fraud.
Does PayPal allow authorize-only payments?
Yes, authorize-only payments are supported.
Does PayPal support multicurrency? (supported by BigCommerce multicurrency)
Yes. Follow the recommended flow below for enabling a new currency.
- Create and configure your new currency. See Managing Currencies for more information.
- Go to Settings › Currencies and use the currency selector at the top of the screen to select your new currency.
Does PayPal support stored cards and recurring payments?
Yes, PayPal supports stored credit cards and PayPal accounts for streamlined checkout with subsequent orders. Note that this feature is only available to stores on a Plus plan or higher.
PayPal is compatible with the Payments API, and can be used in conjunction with subscription/recurring billing apps or custom development to create subscription models with stored credit cards. Real-time Account Updater further enhances the recurring billing experience by ensuring that expired and recently changed stored card information is up-to-date.
How do I add payment buttons to my product pages?
If you are using Cornerstone 6.6.1 or newer and have not customized your theme files, you can enable payment buttons for PayPal Checkout and Venmo on the product page by checking Show quick payment buttons in the theme’s Product display settings.
If you are using a different theme, or you have customized your Cornerstone theme files, your theme will require additional customization in order to support product page payment buttons. For assistance with applying these customizations to your theme files, we recommend reaching out to a BigCommerce Partner by visiting our Partner Directory or submitting an Agency Design Request.
Can I customize the appearance of my PayPal payment buttons?
If you are using Cornerstone 6.12.0 or newer, you can configure your theme’s Payment buttons settings to customize your PayPal Checkout, PayPal Pay Later, and Venmo buttons on storefront product pages, cart page, the top of the checkout page, and the Payment step of checkout.
How can I place payment buttons at the top of my checkout page?
You can place payment buttons at the top of checkout by checking Show wallet buttons at the top of checkout located under Settings › Checkout. Note that buttons will appear above the Customer step for guest shoppers only.
What is the customer experience with PayPal’s package tracking service?
Customers who use the PayPal app will be able to track packages in the app and receive push notifications with live shipping updates. This will be provided automatically for customers who shop at your store and pay with PayPal. Customers can also add packages manually by entering a tracking number.
Can I turn off package tracking and still sync order details, to retain benefits like shorter hold times and seller protection eligibility?
Yes, you can. Package tracking is offered as a separate, optional benefit that can be turned toggled off/on without affecting any other setting.
Which alternative payment methods (APMs) are available with PayPal?
The following payment methods can be enabled in PayPal. The appropriate payment method will display to the shopper on checkout based on the shopper's IP address and transaction currency. Keep in mind the following considerations:
- Alternative payment method transactions are "Authorize and Capture" only, regardless of the Transaction Type option selected for PayPal. Therefore, delayed capture is not supported.
- The APMs supported by PayPal currently do not support stored or recurring payments.
To learn more about the prerequisites and setup steps for an APM, click the corresponding link in the list below.
* In order to enable OXXO as a payment method, you must request it from PayPal by emailing latampartners@paypal.com.
Troubleshooting and Payment Disputes
Why did my shopper receive an error when trying to pay?
See Why was my payment declined in PayPal’s help center for a list of possible reasons.
How are payment disputes handled?
Log in to your PayPal account and visit the Resolution Center.
How do I contact the Payment Gateway’s Support?
Visit PayPal’s Contact us page to get in touch with PayPal’s Support team.
Why did my client receive a “Duplicate Invoice ID detected. To avoid a potential duplicate transaction your account setting requires that Invoice Id be unique for each transaction” error when trying to pay?
If you are starting a new BigCommerce store and are connecting an existing PayPal account that has past transactions, you will need to change your store's Starting Order Number. By default, the store's starting order number is "100".
If you have an existing PayPal Invoice ID of "100", transactions will fail with an error message like "Duplicate Invoice ID detected. To avoid a potential duplicate transaction your account setting requires Invoice ID to be unique for each transaction."
To avoid this, you'll need to update your store’s Starting Order Number to a number higher than any of your existing PayPal Invoice IDs.
Once resolved, the issue should not affect any customers thereafter. If one of your customers has received the above error (prior to you resolving it), they will need to clear their cart and start over before they can successfully check out.
Why aren't my guest customers able to see the PayPal Checkout button in the cart?
If the PayPal Checkout button is missing for guest customers only, it could be due to your store's customer settings in Settings › Checkout. Guest customers will not be able to access PayPal from the cart if either Customers must have or create an account to check out or Require existing accounts to sign in is enabled. See Optimized One-Page Checkout for more information.
