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What is PayPal?
PayPal is an online payment system that lets people send and receive money, and it’s also used by businesses to accept payments online. In ecommerce terms, PayPal functions as a payment gateway and payment processing platform you can add to checkout so customers can pay using PayPal and other supported payment methods (depending on your integration and country). If you’re evaluating payment gateway providers for your store, PayPal is one option in the wider category of an online payment gateway (the systems that help move a transaction from “Pay” to “Paid”). And because every business’s needs are different, comparisons like “best payment gateway” or “PayPal alternative / PayPal alternatives” are common when merchants are choosing what fits their checkout flow. Searches like paypal coupon, paypal coupon code, paypal discount coupon, or even paypal coupon code free shipping often show up because shoppers are looking for savings tied to specific brands or checkouts. PayPal also runs a shopping-focused Offers section and has PayPal Honey, which surfaces coupon codes and cashback offers while you browse.
Overview
Send money, accept payments worldwide, and power secure checkout with PayPal’s all-in-one payment gateway.
TL; DR
- Fast & Secure Online Payments
- Global Transfers & Multi-Currency Support
- PayPal Checkout for Businesses
- Peer-to-Peer Transfers via PayPal App
- Buyer & Seller Protection Policies
PayPal is a leading online payment gateway and processing platform used by millions worldwide. From peer-to-peer transfers to global business payments, it offers security, speed, and convenience for individuals and companies alike.
Everything That’s Included in PayPal Pricing in 2026
| Let customers pay with PayPal at checkout |  |
| Accept debit and credit card payments (via PayPal checkout experiences) | |
| Pay Later options (where available) | |
| Venmo at checkout (U.S. only) | |
| One-time payments | |
| Recurring / subscription payments | |
| Checkout buttons you can add to a website | |
| Payment links you can share (no-code) | |
| QR code option for getting paid (where supported) | |
| Invoicing tools to send invoices and get paid online | |
| Integration options for developers (SDK / APIs, depending on the product) | |
| Merchant-facing transaction tools (view activity, basic reporting/records) | |
Get $20k credits for Stripe with Elevate.store’s exclusive email marketing deal!
Claim here All deals are FREE. No credit card required.
Why You Need an Online Payment Platform for Your Online Store
An online store can have great products, gorgeous design, and the cleanest copy on earth, but if checkout feels even slightly sketchy or limited, customers disappear. That’s why every ecommerce business needs a reliable online payment gateway: it’s the infrastructure that lets people actually pay you, smoothly and securely. A strong payment gateway (or broader Payment Processing Platform) helps you: > accept common payment methods customers already trust > reduce checkout friction > manage payments, refunds, and payment issues without chaos > scale across channels as your store grows This is where PayPal often enters the conversation. For many merchants, PayPal is one of the first payment gateway providers they evaluate, alongside other options, when they’re searching for the best payment gateway for their business. It’s also why “PayPal alternative” and “PayPal alternatives” are such common comparison paths. If you’re comparing platforms and cost is a big factor, Elevate.store currently offers a deal on the Stripe online payment platform: $20K in fee-free card processing credits.
Important PayPal features
- PayPal at checkout: Lets customers pay with their PayPal account during checkout.
- Debit and credit card payments (through PayPal checkout experiences): PayPal can also let customers pay by card, depending on the product setup and where you operate.
- PayPal Pay Later options (where available): PayPal offers Pay Later features that eligible merchants can enable in supported markets.
- Venmo at checkout: For U.S. merchants, PayPal offers a Venmo option in certain checkout configurations.
- One-time payments: Support standard, one-time ecommerce purchases through PayPal checkout flows.
- Recurring payments (supported setups): PayPal supports recurring payment use cases through certain integrations and configurations.
- Payment Links: Create shareable links customers can use to pay, useful if you’re selling via DMs, email, or a simple landing page.
- Invoicing: Send invoices and accept online payments through PayPal’s invoicing tools.
- Transaction activity and basic reporting: View and manage payment activity so you can track what was paid, what’s pending, and what needs follow-up.
- Refunds and reversals (where applicable): Tools to issue refunds and manage transaction changes, depending on the transaction type.
Want to save on payment processing? Get $20K in fee-free card processing credits on Stripe.
PayPal is a widely used online payment gateway and Payment Processing Platform that many merchants consider early, especially when they’re choosing between different payment gateway providers. But if you’ve been searching things like paypal coupon, paypal coupon code, paypal discount coupon, paypal coupons, or even paypal coupon code free shipping, you’ve probably noticed those “coupon” searches are common because people want to reduce checkout costs. If affordability is what you’re after, consider Stripe as a PayPal alternative. Elevate.store currently offers a deal on Stripe: $20K in fee-free card processing credits. Not sure which one to choose? Here’s a clean comparison of PayPal vs Stripe for merchants evaluating the best payment gateway for an online store:
| PayPal | ||
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Online payment gateway + payment platform | Payment processing platform used to accept card payments online |
| Checkout experience | Pay with PayPal option + other supported payment methods depending on setup | Card-focused payments + developer-first checkout tooling (setup-dependent) |
| Card payments | Available via PayPal checkout experiences | Core Stripe use case |
| PayPal wallet payments | Core PayPal use case | Not applicable |
| Payment links | Available via PayPal Payment Links | Available via Stripe Payment Links |
| Invoicing | Available via PayPal Invoicing | Available via Stripe Invoicing |
| Pay Later | Available in supported markets | Available via Stripe options (market/product dependent) |
| Best fit for | Stores that want PayPal as a checkout option for customers | Stores that want a modern card-first payments stack |
Get $20k credits for Stripe with Elevate.store’s exclusive deal on email marketing.
Claim here All deals are FREE. No credit card required.
