A customer reaches your checkout page. They see a long form asking for billing address, shipping address, card number, expiration date, and CVV. They look at their phone, sigh, and close the tab. You just lost a sale because typing all that on a phone is annoying.
PayPal Express Checkout skips the form. The customer clicks one button, logs into PayPal, and the order is done. PayPal already has their address and payment details. No typing required. On mobile, this takes about 10 seconds instead of two minutes.
PayPal processes over $1.3 trillion in payments annually. Over 400 million people have PayPal accounts. When you add PayPal Express to your WooCommerce store, you tap into that user base with a checkout experience they already trust.
Here are the 10 best plugins to add PayPal Express Checkout to your WooCommerce store.
Why PayPal Express Matters
Credit card checkout forms have a 70% abandonment rate. PayPal Express reduces friction in three ways.
No form filling. PayPal sends the customer’s shipping address and payment info to WooCommerce automatically. The customer confirms and pays. That is the entire checkout process.
Trust factor. Some customers do not trust small stores with their credit card numbers. PayPal acts as a middleman. The store never sees the card details. This trust factor is especially strong with first-time buyers.
Buyer protection. PayPal’s buyer protection policy gives customers confidence. If something goes wrong, they know PayPal will step in. This safety net reduces purchase hesitation, especially for expensive items.
Mobile conversion. Express checkout buttons on product pages let mobile shoppers buy without ever visiting the cart or checkout page. One tap on the product page, confirm in PayPal, done.
What to Look for in a PayPal Plugin
Smart buttons. PayPal’s Smart Payment Buttons show the most relevant payment options based on the customer’s location. US customers see PayPal and Venmo. German customers see PayPal and local options. The plugin should support these contextual buttons.
Button placement. Express checkout buttons should appear on product pages, the cart page, the mini cart, and the checkout page. More touchpoints mean more chances to convert.
Pay Later options. PayPal offers buy now pay later through Pay in 4. Customers split their payment into four interest-free installments. The plugin should support this feature and display the Pay Later message on product pages.
Subscription support. If you sell subscriptions, the plugin needs to handle recurring PayPal payments with reference transactions or PayPal Subscriptions API.
1. WooCommerce PayPal Payments (Official)
★★★★★ 4.8/5, Editor’s Rating
The official WooCommerce PayPal Payments plugin is the recommended PayPal integration. It replaced the older PayPal Standard and PayPal Express Checkout plugins with a single unified solution.
The plugin supports PayPal Checkout, Pay Later, Venmo, and advanced credit card processing through PayPal. Smart Payment Buttons adapt to the customer’s country and show the most relevant payment options automatically.
Express checkout buttons appear on product pages, the cart page, and the checkout page. Customers can complete their purchase from any of these locations without filling in the WooCommerce checkout form. PayPal sends the shipping address and billing info directly to WooCommerce.
The plugin includes advanced card processing powered by PayPal. Customers without a PayPal account can still pay with a credit card using PayPal’s card fields. These fields are PCI compliant and hosted by PayPal, so card data never touches your server.
Setup uses PayPal’s onboarding wizard. Connect your PayPal business account in a few clicks. No API credentials to copy and paste. The wizard handles everything.
Best for: Every WooCommerce store that wants the official, most current PayPal integration.
2. YITH PayPal Express Checkout
★★★★★ 4.7/5, Editor’s Rating
YITH PayPal Express Checkout adds a dedicated Express Checkout button with more customization options than the official plugin. You can control the button color, shape, size, and label on every page where it appears.
The plugin supports guest checkout through PayPal. Customers who do not have a PayPal account can still use the Express button and pay with a credit card through PayPal’s interface. The button placement is configurable for product pages, cart pages, and the checkout page.
YITH also adds a one-click checkout feature for returning customers. If a customer has previously paid with PayPal and their billing agreement is active, they can skip the PayPal login screen entirely. One click and the payment processes using their saved PayPal details.
The plugin works alongside YITH’s other WooCommerce plugins. If you use YITH Multi Vendor or YITH Subscriptions, the PayPal integration handles split payments and recurring billing.
Best for: Stores using YITH plugins that want tight PayPal Express integration.
3. Payment Plugins for PayPal
★★★★☆ 4.6/5, Editor’s Rating
This plugin is a popular alternative to the official WooCommerce PayPal plugin. It supports PayPal Checkout, Pay Later, Venmo, and credit card processing. The key difference is performance. The plugin loads PayPal scripts conditionally, only on pages where payment buttons are displayed.
The conditional script loading matters for page speed. The official plugin loads PayPal JavaScript on every page. This plugin loads it only on product pages, cart, and checkout. The difference is noticeable on stores with many pages.
Express checkout from the product page works smoothly. The customer clicks PayPal, selects their address in the PayPal popup, and the order is created in WooCommerce automatically. No cart page, no checkout page, no form filling.
The plugin has a 4.9 star rating and is actively maintained with frequent updates.
Best for: Stores that want better performance than the official PayPal plugin.
4. Jenga PayPal Plus
★★★★☆ 4.5/5, Editor’s Rating
PayPal Plus is available in Germany, Brazil, and Mexico. It offers a localized checkout experience with PayPal, direct debit, credit card, and invoice payment. The checkout form is hosted by PayPal and embedded in an iframe on your checkout page.
This plugin integrates PayPal Plus with WooCommerce. German customers see their familiar payment options presented in the way they expect. The “Pay by Invoice” option is particularly popular in Germany, where many shoppers prefer to receive the product before paying.
The Express Checkout button is included as part of the PayPal Plus experience. Customers can also use the standard PayPal Express flow from product pages and the cart.
Best for: Stores selling to German, Brazilian, or Mexican customers.
5. Jenga PayPal Adaptive Payments
★★★★☆ 4.4/5, Editor’s Rating
Adaptive Payments is PayPal’s marketplace payment splitting system. Similar to Stripe Connect, it lets you split payments between multiple receivers. When a customer pays, the money splits between the platform and one or more vendors.
This plugin integrates Adaptive Payments with WooCommerce multi-vendor stores. It works with Dokan, WCFM, and WC Vendors. Each vendor connects their PayPal account and receives their share of every sale automatically.
Note that PayPal has been moving away from Adaptive Payments toward PayPal Commerce Platform. Check with PayPal whether Adaptive Payments is still available for new integrations in your country.
Best for: Marketplace stores that need PayPal payment splitting.
6. WooCommerce PayPal Braintree
★★★★☆ 4.3/5, Editor’s Rating
Braintree is PayPal’s advanced payment platform. It handles PayPal, credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Venmo through a single integration. The WooCommerce Braintree plugin gives you all these payment methods with one plugin.
The PayPal Express button through Braintree is fast. Braintree’s vault feature saves customer payment methods securely. Returning customers can pay with one click using their saved PayPal account or credit card.
Braintree also handles subscription payments well. It supports reference transactions for recurring PayPal billing, which is the method WooCommerce Subscriptions requires. If you sell subscriptions and want PayPal as a payment option, Braintree is the most reliable path.
Best for: Stores that want PayPal, cards, Apple Pay, and Venmo in one plugin.
7. Jenga PayPal Here
★★★★☆ 4.2/5, Editor’s Rating
PayPal Here turns your phone into a point-of-sale terminal. This plugin syncs PayPal Here transactions with WooCommerce. When you swipe a card or accept a PayPal tap-to-pay at a physical location, the sale appears in WooCommerce as an order.
Inventory syncs between online and physical sales. Sell a product at a farmers market using PayPal Here and the WooCommerce stock count drops immediately. This prevents overselling across channels.
The plugin creates regular WooCommerce orders for every in-person transaction. Reporting, analytics, and order management work the same as online orders.
Best for: Stores selling at physical locations that want PayPal POS synced with WooCommerce.
8. Checkout Plugins for PayPal
★★★★☆ 4.1/5, Editor’s Rating
From the same team that builds CartFlows, this plugin offers a streamlined PayPal Express Checkout integration. The focus is on conversion optimization. The checkout flow is designed to minimize steps and maximize completed orders.
Express buttons appear on product pages with a “Buy Now” label. Click the button and the customer goes directly to PayPal confirmation. No cart page. No checkout form. The order is created in WooCommerce when PayPal confirms the payment.
The plugin includes A/B testing for button placement and styling. Test whether a yellow or blue PayPal button converts better on your store. Test button placement above or below the add-to-cart button. Data-driven decisions improve conversion rates over time.
Best for: Stores focused on conversion rate optimization with PayPal.
9. Jenga PayPal Subscriptions
★★★★☆ 4.0/5, Editor’s Rating
This plugin uses PayPal’s native Subscriptions API for recurring billing. Unlike reference transactions that require PayPal business account approval, the Subscriptions API works with any PayPal business account out of the box.
The plugin creates subscription plans in PayPal and links them to WooCommerce Subscriptions products. When a customer subscribes, PayPal handles all recurring billing. Failed payments, retries, and grace periods are managed by PayPal’s infrastructure.
One advantage of using PayPal’s native subscriptions is that the customer can manage their subscription from their PayPal account. They can update payment methods, view billing history, and cancel their subscription directly in PayPal.
Best for: Subscription stores that need PayPal recurring billing without reference transactions.
10. Jenga PayPal for WooCommerce
★★★☆☆ 3.9/5, Editor’s Rating
This lightweight plugin adds basic PayPal Express Checkout with minimal configuration. Install, connect your PayPal account, and the Express button appears on your checkout page. No complex settings, no feature overload.
The plugin supports PayPal Smart Buttons with Pay Later messaging. Customers see installment payment options right on the button. The button adapts its appearance and payment options based on the customer’s location and the order amount.
For stores that just need PayPal Express without the advanced features of larger plugins, this keeps things simple and fast. The entire plugin loads under 50KB of JavaScript.
Best for: Stores that want basic PayPal Express with minimal overhead.
Quick Comparison Table
| Plugin | Key Payment Methods | Free | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce PayPal Payments (Official) | PayPal + Venmo + Cards | Yes | Smart buttons + onboarding wizard |
| YITH PayPal Express | PayPal + Cards | No | One-click returning customer checkout |
| Payment Plugins for PayPal | PayPal + Venmo + Pay Later | Yes | Conditional script loading |
| PayPal Plus | PayPal + Invoice + Debit | Yes | German/Brazilian localization |
| PayPal Adaptive Payments | PayPal Split Payments | No | Marketplace payment splitting |
| PayPal Braintree | PayPal + Cards + Apple Pay | Yes | Vault + subscription support |
| PayPal Here | PayPal POS | No | Physical store inventory sync |
| Checkout Plugins for PayPal | PayPal Express | Yes | A/B testing for buttons |
| PayPal Subscriptions | PayPal Recurring | No | Native PayPal billing |
| PayPal for WooCommerce | PayPal Express | Yes | Lightweight 50KB footprint |
Final Thoughts
PayPal Express Checkout removes the biggest friction point in online shopping. Customers pay with two clicks instead of filling out a 15-field form. Every store should offer PayPal as a payment option alongside credit cards.
Start with the official WooCommerce PayPal Payments plugin. It is free, covers all major PayPal features, and has guaranteed compatibility with WooCommerce. If you use YITH plugins, YITH PayPal Express integrates better with the YITH ecosystem. For subscription stores, WooCommerce Braintree handles recurring PayPal payments most reliably.
Whatever plugin you pick, make sure the PayPal Express button shows on product pages, not just checkout. Letting customers skip the cart and checkout form entirely is where the real conversion gains happen.
