PayPal Checkout is the official Gravity Forms add-on for taking payments through PayPal. It replaced the old PayPal Standard redirect with a modern checkout that keeps people on your site. Here’s what it offers and when it’s the right choice.
What It Does
You connect your PayPal account under Forms → Settings → PayPal, then add a PayPal Checkout feed to your form. The form shows PayPal’s Smart Payment Buttons, and people pay without leaving your page.
- PayPal buttons for people who prefer to pay with their PayPal balance or saved cards.
- Venmo (US only).
- Pay Later in supported countries, including the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Australia.
- Credit and debit card fields processed on your site, where your PayPal account and country support them.
- Subscriptions for recurring payments.
The Pros
- Trust. Many people are more comfortable paying with PayPal than typing a card number into a site they don’t know.
- Venmo and Pay Later give customers options Stripe doesn’t always show.
- On-site checkout. No redirect to PayPal and back, which was a big weakness of the old PayPal Standard add-on.
- Official support from the Gravity Forms team.
The Cons
- Needs a Pro or Elite license.
- Features depend on your country and account. Venmo, Pay Later and card fields aren’t available everywhere.
- PayPal’s fees and holds. New PayPal accounts can see payment holds, and fees are often a bit higher than Stripe’s.
- Fewer developer hooks than the Stripe Add-On for unusual setups.
Use Cases That Work
- Donations, where PayPal’s familiarity helps
- Event registrations and simple order forms
- Offering PayPal next to Stripe, so customers can choose (use conditional logic to show the right gateway)
Pricing
| License | Price | PayPal Checkout |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $59/year | Not included |
| Pro | $159/year | Included |
| Elite | $259/year | Included |
PayPal charges its own transaction fees. Check the Gravity Forms pricing page for current prices.
Who Should Use It
- ✅ Sites where customers expect PayPal or Venmo
- ✅ Nonprofits taking donations
- ✅ Anyone who wants to offer PayPal alongside Stripe
- ❌ Complex subscription setups that need custom code (Stripe gives you more control)
- ❌ Sites on a Basic license
The Verdict
PayPal Checkout is a solid, modern way to accept PayPal with Gravity Forms. For most sites I’d still make Stripe the main gateway, then add PayPal Checkout as a second option for the people who prefer it. You can let customers choose with conditional payment options.
Get Gravity Forms with PayPal Checkout
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