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PayPal Recurring Payments FAQ

Recurring Payments Frequently Asked Questions

In what ways can I offer recurring payments to my customers using Express Checkout or PayPal Payments Pro?

You can:

  • Charge customers a pre-defined amount on a set schedule.
  • Accept one-time sign-up fees as an "initial amount."
  • Offer trial subscriptions to get new customers started.
  • Process recurring payments with other purchases (optional) in a single checkout flow with mixed checkout cart capability.

How does recurring payments work with Express Checkout and PayPal Payments Pro?

  • You can set how much – and how often – to charge for your products and services.
  • When your customer signs up for a service or purchases an item, PayPal creates a recurring payment profile of your customer and returns the profile ID to you.
  • PayPal continues to bill your customer, and deposits funds into your PayPal account until the expiration of the service term you set.

What features do recurring payments support with Express Checkout and PayPal Payments Pro?

  • You can create a customer’s recurring payments profile.
  • Get information about the profile (for example: last successful payment date).
  • Change the status of the profile (such as: cancel, suspend, or reactivate).
  • Modify a profile’s specific information (such as: billing amount or billing cycle).
  • Immediately bill a customer for the current past due or outstanding amount.
  • Instant Payment Notification, which can be integrated into your e-commerce solution, informs you of successful or failed payments.

How much does recurring payments cost with Express Checkout or PayPal Payments Pro?

  • Express Checkout recurring payments has no additional fees. Only regular Express Checkout transaction fees apply.
  • PayPal Payments Pro recurring payments may have a monthly fee in addition to the regular PayPal Payments Pro monthly and transaction fees. Check your agreement (US version).

Can a customer without a PayPal account still pay for recurring payments with a credit card?

Can I take orders by phone, fax, or mail, and then charge for recurring payments?

I already process credit cards, but I want to accept PayPal – which recurring payments solution should I use?

  • Sign up for Express Checkout and add recurring payments so your customers can pay with their PayPal accounts.

I use a pre-integrated cart. Can I use recurring payments for Express Checkout or PayPal Payments Pro?

  • Please check that your shopping cart has been pre-integrated for those specific recurring payments solutions.

I use a custom-built cart. How can I get started with recurring payments for Express Checkout or PayPal Payments Pro?

  • Please ask your developer to visit our PayPal Developer Site, and then download documentation. Both recurring payments solutions require a developer with API programming ability – or you can use a pre-integrated cart.

What should I do if my cart does not support recurring payments for Express Checkout or PayPal Payments Pro?

  • For a quick and simple solution, please consider using PayPal Payment Standard Subscriptions buttons.
  • If you want to use recurring payments for additional features such as suspension/reactivation, a single checkout for multiple items, or acceptance of credit card payments, please ask your developer to visit our PayPal Developer Site and download documentation.

Can I implement recurring payments without Express Checkout or PayPal Payments Pro?