Seamless, efficient online payment tools are critical for businesses across virtually every sector, from e-commerce sellers to nonprofit organizations. But how do you integrate those tools into your site? And which plugin should you choose?
The all-in-one PayPal Checkout extension by Ninja Forms is user-friendly and allows you to accept various forms of payment, customize payment forms, and much more! This guide will provide a step-by-step walk-through for installing, activating, and using PayPal Checkout on your WordPress site.
Activating PayPal Checkout on Your Site
Follow these steps to add PayPal Checkout by Ninja Forms to your website.
1. Add Ninja Forms to WordPress
First, download the Ninja Forms plugin to your WordPress dashboard. You can find it by searching the WordPress Plugin Directory or purchasing a membership through our website.
Access to PayPal Checkout is included with a Plus, Pro, or Elite membership. You’ll get everything included in our free core membership, as well as various other add-ons to enhance form functionality.
2. Download the Add-On
Navigate to the Ninja Forms plugin from your dashboard and select the “Downloads” tab. Select “Included With Your Membership,” and click on the PayPal thumbnail to begin the download.
3. Begin Onboarding
From the Ninja Forms plugin, select “PayPal Onboarding.” You’ll need a PayPal Business account to begin the onboarding process. If you don’t already have an account, you can create one now.
Launch a login or sign up by clicking “Begin LIVE Onboarding Authorization.” Follow the provided steps to connect your new or existing account.
4. Configure PayPal Checkout on Forms
After your account connects to the plugin, select a form you want to add PayPal Checkout to. Click “Add New Actions” under the “Emails & Actions” tab, and select “PayPal Checkout.”
Next, configure the specific payment type you want to appear to users:
- Fixed amount: The plugin charges the same amount for all transactions.
- Calculation: The plugin automatically calculates the user’s total by adding the prices of all the items in their cart.
- Field: Users manually enter the amount they want to pay by typing it into a field or selecting from a drop-down menu.
Finally, select the payment methods you want to accept. PayPal Checkout accepts various methods, including but not limited to debit, credit, and Venmo.
5. Test Payment Functionality
Ensure the payment integration works properly before you make it live. Under the “Advanced” drop-down, turn on Sandbox mode.
You should be able to obtain test credentials from PayPal that will allow you to make payments without transferring any money from your account. Once your tests have gone through, check the dashboard from your PayPal Business account. You should be able to verify that all the test transactions have been processed from this screen.
If you cannot find any of the transactions you made, or they are not going through, you may need to adjust your settings in Ninja Forms. Be sure to contact our support team with any questions you may have during this process.
6. Activate and Begin Collecting Payments
Once you’re satisfied with how the plugin works, you can switch it back to Live mode to begin collecting payments.
Note that you’ll have to repeat steps three, four, and five for every form on your website to ensure consistency across your site.
Migrating to PayPal Checkout From PayPal Express
Existing PayPal Express users can upgrade to PayPal Checkout for free. Here’s how:
- Installation: Install and turn on the plugin from the Ninja Forms widget.
- Onboarding: In Ninja Forms, select “PayPal Onboarding” and follow the provided steps.
- Implementation: Open the PayPal form, disable PayPal Express, and add the new checkout action. You’ll need to do this form-by-form for your entire website.
- Testing: Go into Sandbox mode for each form and perform test transactions to ensure proper functionality. Once you’re satisfied, switch the form back to Live mode.
- Completion: Return to the Ninja Forms PayPal Onboarding screen and verify that all forms now use PayPal Checkout. Finally, deactivate PayPal Express to ensure all payments go through PayPal Checkout.
Why Add PayPal to Your Website?
Adding PayPal to your website can significantly enhance your online business, whether you’re accepting payments for products or donations for charity. Pairing PayPal with a widget like Ninja Forms further enhances the customer and business experience.
Here are some of the benefits of installing PayPal Checkout on your site.
1. Unique PayPal Functions
When you begin accepting payments via PayPal, you also gain access to PayPal-exclusive perks like:
- Business protection: PayPal’s Seller Protection program protects businesses like yours against fraud, unauthorized transactions, chargebacks, and other possible payment disputes.
- Reporting and analytics: You can use PayPal’s analytics and reporting features to generate actionable insights into important business factors like cash flows and trends in customer behavior.
- Quick access to funds: Funds collected through PayPal are typically available right away, with the option to instantly transfer funds to a bank account for a small fee.
2. Simplified Payment Experience
The PayPal Checkout plugin makes payments more seamless for users regardless of their preferred payment method. PayPal Checkout can accept:
- Standard PayPal payments
- PayPal Credit
- Debit cards
- Credit cards
- Venmo payments
- Bank redirects
- Pay Later
- Guest Checkout
You can also make different payment methods available on each form if needed. For example, a nonprofit could select Pay Later as an acceptable payment method for their merchandise store and deactivate it for donations.
3. Global Reach
Businesses and customers all over the world use PayPal for everyday transactions. As your business grows, PayPal’s wide reach enables you to smoothly expand to new markets.
When the function a user wants is unsupported by your website, they’re more likely to abandon their purchase out of frustration. PayPal’s mobile-friendly capabilities can also help your site retain more traffic, improving your site metrics and the likelihood that users will complete their purchases.
And with Ninja Forms’ highly scalable solution supporting you, you can rest easy knowing you can use PayPal Checkout throughout periods of growth. Our solution adheres to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which ensures international customers can have peace of mind knowing their personal data is safe.
Add PayPal to Your WordPress Site in Minutes With Ninja Forms
If you’ve been searching for a straightforward way to add an advanced PayPal option to your WordPress site, Ninja Forms is here for you. Our new and improved WordPress PayPal Checkout plugin provides the versatility and convenience your website needs to improve cash flows and enhance the customer experience.
See why Ninja Forms is an industry leader in online form creation. Upgrade now or become a member today to get started!
