Payments REST API / Guest Payments

Guest payments

DocsCurrentLast updated: October 5th 2021, @ 12:57:43 pm


Set up guest payments options on your checkout page so buyers can pay for items through PayPal. Guest payments give:

  • You and your buyer security in knowing credit or debit card information is being handled by PayPal
  • You the benefit of reduced PCI compliance requirements, up front vetting, and underwriting for card use because PayPal becomes the merchant of record

This feature is available if you use one of these products in a supported country:

Offer guest payments

To offer guest payments:

  1. Navigate and log into your PayPal account.
  2. In the top right corner, click on your profile icon and choose Account Settings.
  3. Select Website Payments from the list on the left side of the page.
  4. Find Website preferences in the list that appears on the screen and click Update.
  5. From the list of website payment preferences, toggle on PayPal account optional.

When the account optional feature is turned on, your buyers don't need a PayPal account to pay with PayPal. They use an alternate checkout and have the option to sign up for a PayPal account after making their payment. Customers with PayPal accounts still log into their PayPal accounts to check out.

Note: If both the auto return and account optional features are turned on, buyers who don't log into PayPal can choose to go back to your website after checkout, but aren’t returned automatically.

Additional information