Benefits
This new PayPal module (as of 2024) provides several benefits over the traditional PayPal module
- A simpler, streamlined checkout process that doesn't take the customer away from your website
- Offers both credit card and PayPal options without additional charge (see Restrictions below)
- Supports 3D Secure, Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) credit cards which have become the standard in the UK and EU
- Allows you to offer Pay Later and a few other options (though it may require additional setup and approval in your PayPal account)
Restrictions
The PayPal Checkout module does not support the following:
- One-Click Upsells
- Payment Plans
- Courses with attached Memberships
- Signing up for a Membership directly with a Credit Card (though this can still be handled using the PayPal Direct Payments module or the customer can pay with a credit card from within their PayPal account, if they have one)
It also limits how much Membership Levels and Prices can be altered:
- Once created, you can only change the Price but not the duration or frequency
- If you create a Membership Level with a Trial, that Trial will apply to all Price options for that Level
- Only the Price can be changed on a Trial, not the duration or frequency
HOWEVER... all three of the above can typically be implemented by creating additional Membership Levels for the same Membership Program
Setup
- In your back office, go to Preferences > Payment Methods > PayPal Checkout
- Click the big green button that says Authorize Wisdom Robot to Access Your Account
- If you have a PayPal account, sign in; if not, you'll be taken through the process of creating one
- Follow all instructions on the PayPal screens; you may need to upgrade your account to support these new features
- Once you're approved, you'll be taken back to your back office and the big green button will be gone
- Check Enable SCA if you are in the UK or EU and/or sell to people in those countries often (see below)
- Check the Payment Methods Offered of your choice*
- Make sure the Active box is checked
- Click Save Changes
* If you already have another service that processes credit cards (Stripe, Authorize.net, etc.) do not check the box for Credit Card with the PaPal Checkout module. It can confuse the customer and / or cause technical problems and lost sales.
PSD2 / SCA / 3D Secure
As of 2024, many credit cards issued by banks in the UK and EU are requiring these additional security features. If you sell to people in those countries, you may want to enable this option.
PayPal is typically smart enough to recognize whether or not the card requires these additional security measures, so it shouldn't negatively affect or confuse customer whose cards don't need the additional security checks.
To learn more about SCA, PSD2 and 3D Secure, see here:
https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/psd2