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Accept online payments

Streamline your online transactions with PayPal Checkout. Built for simplicity, security, and seamless integrations. PayPal Checkout supports PayPal wallets, cards, and global payment options, with features like PayPal payment buttons and APIs that fit various business needs.

Why PayPal Checkout?​

  • Fast setup: Start accepting payments quickly with the PayPal Button Generator.
  • Flexible integrations: PayPal provides detailed API and SDK documentation to support beginners and seasoned developers alike.
  • Global reach: Accept payments in over 200 countries/regions and 25 currencies.
  • Scalable solutions: PayPal Checkout can grow with your business, from individual sellers to commerce platforms and marketplaces.

Create, authorize, capture​

PayPal Checkout is powered by the Orders v2 API. The Orders v2 API simplifies checkout into three steps: Create → Authorize → Capture.

  1. Create: The customer creates an order by purchasing something.
  2. Authorize: Orders v2 verifies the customer has a valid payment method and funds.
  3. Capture: Orders v2 moves the funds from the customer's account to the seller's account.

Get started with PayPal Checkout​

Follow our setup process to implement secure, reliable payment processing that works across devices and platforms.

1. Set up a PayPal business account​

You'll need a PayPal business account to generate API credentials. Sign in to an existing account or take the following steps to create an account:

  1. Go to PayPal sign up and select the business account option.
  2. Select your country and follow the onboarding process.

2. Enable PayPal Checkout in your account dashboard​

  1. Log in to your PayPal business dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Account settings > API Access.
  3. Generate REST API credentials, including your client ID and secret. These will be used to interact with the Orders v2 API.

3. Choose your integration path​

PayPal offers 3 integration approaches for different skill levels and use cases:

No-code​

  • Ideal for creators, nonprofits, and businesses who want quick, low-maintenance setups
  • Examples: donation links, selling on social media, in-person transactions at trade shows

See Payment Links and Buy Buttons.

Developer​

  • Ideal for technical users building custom payment workflows
  • Examples: e-commerce sites, mobile apps, custom checkout flows

See the following pages based on your use case.

Commerce platform and marketplaces​

  • Ideal for building scalable, multi-user integrations for subscription services or marketplaces.
  • Examples: Platforms needing advanced API control over payment routing.

4. Test in sandbox mode​

  1. Set up sandbox accounts.
  2. Use sandbox credentials to simulate transactions without affecting real funds.
  3. Test the core workflow: Create → Approve → Capture.

See the PayPal sandbox testing guide.

5. Go live​

After you've built and tested your integration:

  1. Switch from sandbox to live credentials in your code.
  2. Confirm all production permissions in the PayPal Dashboard.
  3. Deploy your solution to customers.

See Move your app to production.