PayPal
The trust badge customers already know.
PayPal isn't about lowest fees — it's about conversion. 430M+ active accounts means many of your customers already have PayPal with saved addresses and cards. Express Checkout turns your 3-minute checkout into 3 taps.
Express checkout flow
1
2
3
4
Step 1 · Customer on your cart
PayPal button rendered next to Card
9:41
your-shop.ie
Cart (2)
Merino Crew
Size M · €43
Trail Shell
Qty 1 · €149
Total
€192.00
PayPal
or pay with card
What PayPal actually does
The conversion angle, not the fee angle.
PayPal's fees are higher than Stripe's. The reason to add it anyway is conversion lift — industry data shows 20-30% more completed checkouts when PayPal is available alongside card.
430M+ active accounts
Many of your customers already have PayPal. Saved cards, saved addresses, one-tap. The friction removal is the value.
Buyer protection brand
Customers trust PayPal with strangers in a way they don't trust your card form. For new / unknown brands, this matters hugely.
Cart recovery on abandon
PayPal's Pay Later + Pay in 4 options rescue carts customers would otherwise abandon for affordability reasons. ~10-15% lift on eligible orders.
Cross-border confidence
Customers buying from abroad distrust unfamiliar currencies. PayPal abstracts that — they see their home currency, know the rails.
Express = speed
No address entry, no card typing, no CVV hunt. ~60% faster than filling a card form. Mobile checkout completion jumps especially.
High-ticket trust boost
On €200+ orders from unknown merchants, PayPal button drives conversion. Customers offload trust from you to PayPal's dispute system.
Beyond the button
PayPal's product family for Irish businesses.
PayPal Checkout (Express)
The classic button on cart/checkout. Fastest path; works on any site. Hosted flow — customer sees PayPal branding; you get the payment + address + email.
Pay Later (Pay in 4)
Split purchase into 4 interest-free payments for eligible customers. Boosts conversion on €100-1,000 orders. PayPal funds you upfront; they collect instalments.
PayPal Credit
Longer-term financing for bigger purchases (€400+). PayPal does the credit check and funding — you're paid in full on order.
PayPal Business Debit Card
Spend your PayPal balance anywhere Mastercard is accepted. Useful if you want to skip withdrawals to your bank for small outgoings.
Braintree (Developer platform)
PayPal's more flexible developer-focused product. White-label checkout, hosted fields, drop-in UI. Think "PayPal for teams that want Stripe-like DX".
Invoicing + Payment Links
Send an invoice or link to a customer; they click, pay via PayPal or card. Good for quick B2B transactions without a full checkout build.
Subscriptions / Recurring Billing
PayPal supports subscription products. Less flexible than Stripe Billing (no mid-cycle proration). Works fine for simple monthly/annual tiers.
Fees for Irish businesses
PayPal's Irish fee reality.
Fees change; verify current rates on paypal.ie. These are typical rates as of Spring 2026 to give a working estimate.
Domestic (Ireland)
2.9% + €0.35
Standard transaction fee for Irish consumer payments via PayPal Checkout.
International
4.4% + fixed fee
Cross-border payments plus a fixed fee based on sender's country (typically €0.35-€0.60).
Fee math — PayPal vs Stripe on a €100 Irish order
Stripe Irish card
1.5% + €0.25 = €1.75
But conversion may be ~20-25% lower if PayPal isn't available.
PayPal
2.9% + €0.35 = €3.25
€1.50 more per txn, but captures customers who'd otherwise abandon.
The maths: if adding PayPal lifts conversion by even 15%, the net revenue gain outweighs the higher per-transaction fee. Best approach: offer both PayPal + direct card, let customer pick.
The honest downsides
Known PayPal pain points.
Higher fees than Stripe/Adyen
2.9% + €0.35 vs Stripe's 1.5%. On volume, the difference is real. Use as complement to direct card, not replacement.
Account holds without warning
PayPal can freeze funds for 21+ days during risk reviews. Cash-flow-sensitive businesses should keep Stripe or similar as primary.
Dispute resolution often favours buyer
PayPal's buyer-protection stance means marginal disputes often go to the customer even when you've done nothing wrong. Document everything meticulously.
Customer support is slow
Getting a human for an account issue takes days, sometimes weeks. Not ideal when payments are stuck.
Chargeback + chargeback fee
Lose a dispute and you pay £20 dispute fee + lose the transaction value. PayPal's seller protection has narrow eligibility.
B2B fit is weaker
PayPal is consumer-strong; B2B flows (invoicing, approvals, purchase orders) work but feel bolted-on. Stripe Invoicing or direct bank transfer usually fit better B2B.
Frequently asked
PayPal questions.
Almost always alongside, not instead. Stripe handles direct card payments at lower fees; PayPal captures customers who'd abandon otherwise. Both buttons on cart/checkout, let customer pick. Best of both worlds.
Should you add PayPal to checkout?
30-minute call. Share your conversion rate + order-value mix, we'll tell you if PayPal's likely to pay for itself and help spec the integration.