Express Checkout Recurring Payments is a legacy PayPal integration that allows you to set up billing agreements with customers for recurring payments, subscriptions, and usage-based billing. This integration uses billing agreements and reference transactions to charge customers on a recurring basis without requiring them to log in to PayPal for each payment.
With Express Checkout Recurring Payments, you create a billing agreement with your customer that gives you permission to charge their PayPal account in the future. Once established, you can process payments on your schedule—whether that's for subscriptions, installment plans, or variable recurring charges.
Upgrading to modern PayPal Recurring Payments provides a more streamlined setup process, better subscription management tools, and enhanced features that improve the customer experience.
To find the right upgrade path for your business, identify which Express Checkout Recurring Payments use case matches your current implementation. Review the descriptions below to determine how your system currently handles billing agreements.
You're using this use case if you collect an initial payment at the same time you establish the billing agreement with your customer. The customer authorizes future recurring payments AND completes their first payment in a single transaction.
Common examples: Monthly subscription services with immediate access, annual memberships with upfront payment, SaaS products with first month charged immediately, software licenses with recurring billing, membership sites with instant activation
Recommended: Upgrade to PayPal Recurring Payment
You're using this use case if you establish a billing agreement with your customer without collecting an initial payment. The customer authorizes future recurring payments, but no money is transferred during the setup process. You charge them later based on your billing schedule or usage.
Common examples: Free trial subscriptions, usage-based billing services, metered services (utilities, cloud services), delayed billing arrangements, pre-authorized payment plans, services with setup periods before first charge, subscription boxes with deferred start dates
Recommended: Upgrade to PayPal Recurring Payment