How to add PayPal to your website in 2025: The complete guide

Nearly 36% of UK consumers use PayPal as a digital wallet¹ - so if your site doesn’t offer PayPal as a payment option, you might be leaving money on the table. So, how do you add it?

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to add PayPal to your website, from embedding PayPal buttons to integrating PayPal with Shopify, WooCommerce, GoDaddy, and more. 

We’ll also touch on how Wise Business can help you manage those new earnings, allowing you to change international PayPal payments between 40+ currencies at the mid-market exchange rate (the one you see on Google) with no hidden fees if you're on the advanced plan*.

Register for Wise Business ✍️

**Disclaimer: The UK Wise Business pricing structure is changing with effect from 26/11/2025 date. Receiving money, direct debits and getting paid features are not available with the Essential Plan which you can open for free. Pay a one-time set up fee of £50 to unlock Advanced features including account details to receive payments in 22+ currencies or 8+ currencies for non-swift payments. You’ll also get access to our invoice generating tool, payment links, QuickPay QR codes and the ability to set up direct debits all within one account. Please check our website for the latest pricing information.

Key things to note

Feature or topic	Explanation
🛒 Adding a PayPal button	Create a button in your PayPal Business account, customise its details (price, style), and copy/paste the generated HTML code directly onto your website.
🛍️ The platform you’re using	Platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, and Squarespace have built-in PayPal integration. You typically connect your PayPal account via the platform's payment settings instead of using HTML code.
🛠️ Integrating PayPal into your checkout process	Integrating PayPal at checkout requires API credentials (Client ID/Secret Key). You’ll need to test the functionality in a sandbox (like a dev environment) and add specific JavaScript code to your site for a more integrated checkout.

Table of contents

Key things to note How to add a PayPal button to your website Step 1: Create and sign in to your PayPal Business account Step 2: Create your PayPal button Step 3: Customise the button details Step 4: Copy the button HTML code Step 5: Paste the code on your website How to add PayPal to your website on Shopify How to add PayPal to your website on WooCommerce How to add PayPal to your website on Wix How to add PayPal to your website on Squarespace How to add PayPal to your website on GoDaddy How to integrate PayPal Checkout on your website Step 1: Create and sign in to your PayPal Business account Step 2: Get your API credentials Step 3: Test in the sandbox Step 4: Add the PayPal checkout code Step 5: Switch to live Maximise your eCommerce revenue from PayPal with Wise Business FAQs Do I need a PayPal Business account to accept payments on my site? What fees does PayPal charge for UK businesses? Can I customise my PayPal checkout page?

How to add a PayPal button to your website

1. Create and sign in to your PayPal Business account
2. Create your PayPal button
3. Customise the button details
4. Copy the button HTML code
5. Embed the code on your website

Step 1: Create and sign in to your PayPal Business account

This one’s self-explanatory.

Step 2: Create your PayPal button

1. From the dashboard, go to Pay and Get Paid, then choose PayPal Buttons²
2. Select the 'Buy Now' or 'Pay Now' buttons for single items or services, the 'Add to Cart' button for multiple items, the 'Donate' button for contributions, or the 'Smart Subscribe' button for recurring payments³

Step 3: Customise the button details

Firstly, set the basics:

• Item or service name, price, and currency
• Optional tax and shipping
• Variants or options if you sell sizes or versions
• Allow tipping or let customers enter an amount, depending on what you want

After that, tidy up the experience by:

• Choosing the button style and label
• Adding a brief description or image where offered
• Using an item ID and enabling inventory tracking (if available)

These settings live in the PayPal Buttons builder. You can update them later in PayPal, and your live button will reflect the changes without new code. 

Step 4: Copy the button HTML code

Now click 'Build it'. PayPal creates a small HTML snippet for your button, a shareable payment link and a QR code, should you require them. Paste the HTML code into your clipboard. 

Step 5: Paste the code on your website

• For a raw HTML site, insert the snippet into the HTML where you want the button to be displayed.
• For a WordPress site, add a Custom HTML block and copy the code.
• For a site on Squarespace, use a code block.
• For a site on Wix, embed the HTML.

Publish and test a live payment. In case the button fails to render, verify the Saved Buttons list in your PayPal account and ensure the code on your page is up-to-date. 

💡 Tip: If you want to personalise the button (which is often the case for those who want a complete checkout experience in the future), PayPal JavaScript SDK allows using personalised buttons and card fields on a single page⁴.

 

How to add PayPal to your website on Shopify

Follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Shopify admin
2. Click on Settings and then Payments
3. In the PayPal section, select PayPal Express Checkout from the drop-down menu.
4. Click on PayPal Express Checkout
5. Click Activate
6. Log in to your PayPal Business account when prompted
7. Click Grant Permission to approve Shopify’s access to your PayPal account
8. Save your settings after you’re redirected to the Shopify Admin tool

Your checkout page will now show PayPal as a payment option at checkout.

You can also enable PayPal Later or customise how it appears, for example, by placing a PayPal button directly in your product pages or cart.

Things to note:

Shopify already accepts PayPal by default⁵, and it is fast to set up.

When setting up your Shopify store, a basic PayPal Express Checkout account is typically enabled by default, sometimes requiring activation after your first sale to the email address you used during registration. If that email is connected to a PayPal account, you can start receiving payments immediately.

The steps above are for those who want more control, or if you’d rather connect a different PayPal Business account.

How to add PayPal to your website on WooCommerce

Follow these steps⁶:

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
2. Go to Plugins, then select Add New
3. Search for WooCommerce PayPal Payments and install it
4. Once installed, click Activate
5. Head to WooCommerce, then Settings, and open the Payments tab
6. Find PayPal and click Set up
7. Log in with your PayPal Business account to connect it
8. Adjust the settings if needed, such as enabling PayPal Vaulting to let customers save payment details

After saving your changes, PayPal will be live on your WooCommerce checkout page and ready to take payments.

You can also add PayPal buttons to your product or cart pages to let customers check out faster.

Note: If your site runs on WordPress with WooCommerce, you can add PayPal directly through a plugin. WooCommerce has its own official PayPal Payments plugin, which is the easiest way to set up.

How to add PayPal to your website on Wix

Follow these steps^7,8:

1. Log in to your Wix dashboard
2. Go to the Accept Payments section on your site dashboard
3. Under the list of payment methods, find PayPal and click Connect
4. Sign in to your PayPal Business account when prompted
5. Save your changes

From then on, customers will see PayPal at checkout as one of the payment options. Wix also lets you reorder payment methods if you want PayPal to show first.

Note: Wix has PayPal built in, so you can add it directly from your site settings. You’ll need a PayPal Business account that’s verified and linked to your email to accept payments.

How to add PayPal to your website on Squarespace

Follow these steps^9,10,11):

1. Log in to your Squarespace dashboard
2. In the Home Menu, navigate to Settings, then click Payments
3. Under PayPal, click Connect PayPal
4. Sign in with your PayPal Business account. If you only have a personal account, you’ll need to upgrade it before you can connect
5. Grant Squarespace permission to link with PayPal
6. Wait for the authorisation message to confirm your action. Once connected, PayPal will appear as a payment option at checkout

Things to note:

On mobile, customers may also see the option to pay with Venmo if they’ve enabled mobile web purchases in the Venmo app and are using a supported mobile browser.

You can connect one PayPal Business account to multiple Squarespace sites, though each site can only use one PayPal account at a time¹⁰.

If you need to switch accounts, disconnect PayPal in your Store Payments panel and reconnect the new one.

Squarespace makes it simple to connect PayPal without adding extra plugins, but there’s a catch.

It only works if your country is supported by both PayPal and Squarespace. 

If your PayPal Business account is registered in Australia, Brazil, India, Israel or Japan, you’ll need to connect it manually (by copying and pasting the button like we shared earlier) instead of using the standard setup¹⁰.

 

How to add PayPal to your website on GoDaddy

Follow these steps¹²:

1. Log in to your GoDaddy account and access your product page
2. Go to Websites + Marketing and select Manage on your site
3. Select Edit Website to open the site builder
4. Go to the page where you want the button to be. Go to the Commerce category and find PayPal Button
5. Choose Add beside the layout that you want
6. Customise PayPal by choosing the new PayPal section. You are able to modify text, photo and button settings
7. Go to PayPal Settings, and choose Create PayPal Account to set one up if you haven’t already

GoDaddy then saves your changes automatically. Use Preview to check the layout and Publish when you’re happy with it.

Note: When using GoDaddy Websites + Marketing to create your site, you can insert PayPal buttons on your pages.

Each button will be able to sell a product or take donations, and you can have a total of 15 buttons¹².

Once PayPal is live on your site, you’ll start receiving payments from customers around the world.

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⚠️ PayPal often converts payments received in foreign currencies automatically at its own exchange rate, which may be marked up. 

✅ With Wise Business, you can get account details for currencies for PayPal payments, then convert your money yourself to currencies at the mid-market exchange rate, with no hidden fees on the Advanced plan. The costs are £50 (Advanced plan) or for free (Essentials plan).

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How to integrate PayPal Checkout on your website

Follow these steps¹³:

1. Create and sign in to your PayPal Business account
2. Get your API credentials
3. Test in the sandbox
4. Add the PayPal checkout code
5. Switch to live

Step 1: Create and sign in to your PayPal Business account

You will need two accounts to test payments:

• Your business merchant account
• A sandbox buyer account to act as your customer

Have a PayPal business account already? Great, you can use that.

Otherwise, you can first create one and then add a sandbox buyer account within the developer dashboard to test¹⁴.

Step 2: Get your API credentials

Your site must be allowed to communicate with the PayPal system. That’s done with a Client ID and Secret Key.

You’ll find these in the Developer Dashboard by following these steps:

1. Log in through the PayPal Developer Dashboard
2. Go to My Apps & Credentials
3. Under the Sandbox tab, you’ll see your test credentials (later, you’ll switch to the Live tab for real payments)
4. Open the default app created with your account (or create a new one)
5. Copy the Client ID and Secret Key (you’ll use them when connecting your site)¹⁵

Step 3: Test in the sandbox

PayPal’s sandbox is a safe place to run dummy payments¹⁶:

• In the dashboard, go to Sandbox, then Accounts
• Use the login details given for your buyer and merchant accounts
• Try a test payment on your site
• Check the sandbox dashboard to see money leave the buyer account and arrive in the merchant account (PayPal fees included)

Step 4: Add the PayPal checkout code

Now you’re ready to drop PayPal Checkout onto your site:

1. Copy the JavaScript SDK code from your Developer Dashboard
2. Paste it into your checkout page’s HTML just before
3. Replace the placeholder with your Client ID
4. Adjust the currency if needed
5. Refresh the page, and you should see your PayPal checkout button

Step 5: Switch to live

Once you’re happy with testing, move to live payments:

1. Go to your Developer Dashboard again
2. Create a live REST API app in your dashboard
3. Copy your new Client ID and Secret Key
4. Replace the sandbox Client ID with the live one in your code
5. Update the API URL from https://api.sandbox.paypal.com to https://api.paypal.com¹⁷

Maximise your eCommerce revenue from PayPal with Wise Business

UK businesses deserve to take home as much of the revenue they earn from global customers as possible - but this often isn’t the case when you’re using PayPal.

Paypal typically converts payments made in foreign currencies (such as USD) into GBP at its own marked up exchange rates. This mark up can be as high as 4%, leaving many business owners scratching their heads at why the margins aren't better.

Multiply that across hundreds of transactions per month, and those seemingly small fees add up rapidly.

This is where Wise Business changes the game. Depending on your subscription tier, you can get local account details in 8+ currencies with Wise Business.

In other words, you can receive PayPal payouts directly into USD, EUR, or other currency balances without needing separate bank accounts in each country.

You can also hold 40+ currencies in one account. That means being able to keep your PayPal earnings in their original currency and convert only when the rate works in your favour, or when you actually need the money.

What's more, you can sync Wise with your accounting software to track PayPal sales automatically and spend directly from your balance with the Wise Business multi-currency card.

Be Smart, Get Wise.

Register for Wise Business ✍️

***Disclaimer**: The UK Wise Business pricing structure is changing with effect from 26/11/2025 date. Receiving money, direct debits and getting paid features are **not** available with the Essential Plan which you can open for free. Pay a one-time set up fee of £50 to unlock Advanced features including account details to receive payments in 22+ currencies or 8+ currencies for non-swift payments. You’ll also get access to our invoice generating tool, payment links, QuickPay QR codes and the ability to set up direct debits all within one account. Please check our website for the latest [pricing information](https://wise.com/gb/pricing/business).

“Wise is a game-changer. It's easy to use, helps us save money, and is perfect for paying our remote team.”-- Simon Treulle, Founder of eCommerce company Pangolia

FAQs

Do I need a PayPal Business account to accept payments on my site?

Generally, yes. Most platforms, like Wix and Squarespace, require a PayPal Business account.

However, some integrations, such as the WooCommerce PayPal Payments plugin, can also connect to a personal PayPal account.

To connect it with your website or eCommerce platform, you will require a PayPal Business account.

It is free to install, and it allows you to accept card and PayPal payments using your business name.

What fees does PayPal charge for UK businesses?

For standard domestic commercial transactions (like Goods & Services or PayPal Checkout), PayPal typically charges 2.9% plus a fixed fee (e.g., £0.30 for GBP transactions) in the UK. International payments incur additional fees¹⁸.

Can I customise my PayPal checkout page?

You can add your logo, change colours, and adjust the layout slightly, but PayPal branding must stay visible. This helps reassure customers that their payment is secure.

Sources:

1. Merchant Advisory, Digital Wallets: Why UK shoppers love Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal
2. PayPal, Payment links and buttons
3. PayPal, Create PayPal Payment button
4. PayPal, JavaScript SDK
5. PayPal, Integrating PayPal into Shopify
6. PayPal, How do I integrate PayPal checkout with WooCommerce Subscriptions?
7. WooCommerce, WooCommerce PayPal payments
8. Wix, Connecting PayPal as a payment provider
9. PayPal, How do I integrate checkout with my Squarespace cart?
10. SquareSpace, Accepting PayPal
11. PayPal, How do I integrate checkout with my SquareSpace cart
12. GoDaddy, Add a PayPal button to my website
13. PayPal, Integrate Paypal standard checkout
14. PayPal, Sandbox accounts
15. PayPal, Get started with PayPal REST APIs
16. PayPal, PayPal sandbox testing
17. PayPal, Move your app to production
18. PayPal, PayPal consumer fees

Sources last checked on October 20th, 2025

*Disclaimer: The UK Wise Business pricing structure is changing with effect from 26/11/2025 date. Receiving money, direct debits and getting paid features are not available with the Essential Plan which you can open for free. Pay a one-time set up fee of £50 to unlock Advanced features including account details to receive payments in 22+ currencies or 8+ currencies for non-swift payments. You’ll also get access to our invoice generating tool, payment links, QuickPay QR codes and the ability to set up direct debits all within one account. Please check our website for the latest pricing information.