Digital wallets · Payment methods
PayPal for online stores: how it works and who can use it
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PayPal is a digital wallet: shoppers log in to their PayPal account and choose how to fund the payment, from their PayPal balance, a linked card or bank account, or a pay-later option where PayPal offers one. PayPal lists 25 currencies for payments. Buyers have 180 days from payment to open a dispute, and sellers can refund for 180 days by default. A saved PayPal account can be charged later for subscriptions.
- Type
- Account-based digital wallet
- Who can pay
- Customers in any country with a PayPal account, per Stripe
- Currencies
- 25 payment currencies; BRL, CNY and MYR only for PayPal accounts in Brazil, China and Malaysia
- Refunds
- Default refund period of 180 days from the transaction; partial refunds allowed
- Disputes
- Buyers have 180 days to open a dispute; 20 days to settle it with the seller; PayPal decides within 10 days if escalated
- Recurring payments
- Yes: cards, PayPal wallets and Venmo can be saved for later charges
- Seller protection
- PayPal Seller Protection covers eligible transactions, such as unauthorized payments and item-not-received claims
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC checkout offers PayPal through the store's own PayPal account, as a button in the express row, in 22 currencies; a market priced in any other currency hides it. Subscriptions work, because the PayPal account is saved and charged for each renewal. PayPal Credit is switched off; on stores that don't take cards through PayPal, Pay Later and Venmo can appear where PayPal finds the shopper eligible.
How a shopper pays with PayPal
The shopper selects the PayPal button, logs in to PayPal, chooses a funding source and approves the payment, then returns to the store. The store learns straight away whether the payment succeeded.
Refunds, disputes and seller protection
PayPal runs two kinds of dispute. A buyer can open a dispute with PayPal within 180 days of payment; buyer and seller then have up to 20 days to sort it out, and if either side escalates, PayPal reviews the evidence and decides within 10 days. A buyer who paid with a card can also go to their card's bank for a chargeback, which the bank decides.
Refunds can be made for 180 days from the transaction by default, in full or in part. On a partial refund PayPal returns only a percentage of its variable fee.
PayPal Pay Later by country
PayPal says the store is paid up front while the shopper pays over time. Pay Later needs a seller based in that country, selling in the local currency, on a one-time payment integration; PayPal says recurring payment integrations aren't eligible.
| Country | Options | Order range |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Pay in 4; Pay Monthly | $10–$2,000; $49–$10,000 |
| United Kingdom | Pay in 3; Pay in 30 Days | £20–£3,000; £1–£900 |
| Germany | Ratenzahlung; Pay in 30 Days | €99–€10,000; €1–€3,000 |
| France | Pay in 4X; Pay in 6, 12 or 24X | €20–€3,000; €120–€2,900 |
| Italy | Pay in 3; Pay in installments | €20–€3,000; €120–€5,000 |
| Spain | Pay in 3; Pay in installments | €20–€2,000; €120–€5,000 |
| Australia | Pay in 4 | A$1–A$1,999.99 |
| Canada | Pay in 4 | C$10–C$2,000 |
Frequently asked questions
- Which currencies does PayPal accept?
- PayPal lists 25: AUD, BRL, CAD, CNY, CZK, DKK, EUR, HKD, HUF, ILS, JPY, MYR, MXN, TWD, NZD, NOK, PHP, PLN, GBP, RUB, SGD, SEK, CHF, THB and USD. BRL, CNY and MYR work only for PayPal accounts in Brazil, China and Malaysia. PlatformDTC checkout uses 22 of them: all except RUB, CNY and MYR. BRL stays because PayPal converts it into the main currency of an account outside Brazil.
- Can subscribers pay with PayPal?
- Yes. PayPal lets merchants save a buyer's PayPal account and charge it when the buyer isn't present. PlatformDTC saves the PayPal account at the first order and charges it for each renewal.
- Does PayPal Pay Later show on subscription orders?
- No. PayPal says recurring payment integrations aren't eligible for Pay Later, which is only for one-time purchases.
- How long can a buyer dispute a PayPal payment?
- 180 days from the payment date for a dispute filed with PayPal. A card-funded payment can also be charged back through the card's bank under that bank's rules.
Sources
- Currency codes — PayPal
- Disputes — PayPal
- RefundTransaction API operation — PayPal
- Pay Later — PayPal
- Save payment methods — PayPal
- PayPal payments — Stripe
Related
- Venmo — PayPal's US payment app: US shoppers approve checkout payments in the Venmo app, in US dollars.
- Amazon Pay — Shoppers check out on your site with the payment and shipping details in their Amazon account.
- Apple Pay — Apple's wallet: shoppers pay with a card saved on iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch.
- Link (Stripe) — Stripe's wallet: shoppers save card, bank and address details once and reuse them anywhere Link works.
- Cash App Pay — US wallet: shoppers approve in Cash App, paying from their Cash App balance or linked debit card.
- Alipay — Chinese wallet: shoppers from China pay by signing in or scanning a QR code with the Alipay app.
- WeChat Pay — Wallet inside the WeChat app: Chinese shoppers scan a QR code and approve in WeChat.
- GrabPay — Grab's wallet for Malaysia and Singapore: shoppers pay from their GrabPay balance with a one-time password.