PayPal subscriptions and memberships for WordPress

Use Ultimate Membership Pro as your PayPal subscription plugin for WordPress, in every plan. PayPal Standard and PayPal Express Checkout take one-time and recurring Membership payments, and members renew or cancel from their own account page.

PayPal, built into your membership site

Checkout Subscription Settings

Checkout · PayPal Join Northside Studio

Gold Membership$12, billed every monthMonthly

Pay with

PayPalPay on PayPal, then come back here

CardWith Stripe, if you turn it on too

Continue to PayPalMembers pay on PayPal and return to your site.

How it works

GatewayPayPal Standard or Express Checkout

PaymentOn PayPal, then back to your site

BillingEvery period you set on the Membership

PlanEvery plan

Account page · Subscriptions

MWHello Maya, welcome backYour accountGold

OverviewProfileSubscriptionsOrdersMembership Cards

Gold MembershipRenews every month · PayPalActiveCancel

Studio passPaid once with PayPalExpiredRenew

How it works

Members canRenew or cancel from their account page

Leaving?Ask why with Reason for Cancelling

Pause and resumeStripe Connect only

Ultimate Membership Pro · Payment Services Add your PayPal account

Payment Services · PayPal StandardOn

LiveSandbox

PayPal business emailpayments@northside.studio

IPN address, set for youhttps://example.com/?ihc_action=paypal

The settings behind it

GatewaysPayPal Standard or Express Checkout

ModeLive or Sandbox

IPNSet by the plugin, not in your PayPal profile

CurrencySame as your primary PayPal currency

What you can do with PayPal

PayPal subscriptions for WordPress memberships

Members are charged every period you set, and they renew or cancel from their own account page.

Every planOne-time and recurring MembershipsCharge once, or every set number of days, weeks, months or years.Learn more

Every planPayPal Standard and Express CheckoutBoth come with every plan. Turn on the one that suits your PayPal account.

Every planPayPal next to StripeTurn on PayPal and Stripe together and members pick at checkout. You can limit the gateways each Membership offers.Learn more

Every planMembers cancel on their ownA cancel button on each subscription in the member’s account page, with an optional question about why they’re leaving.Learn more

Every planPayment notifications, set for youUltimate Membership Pro tells PayPal where to send payment notifications (IPN), so you don’t add an IPN URL by hand.

Every planTest in SandboxSwitch PayPal to Sandbox and run the whole sign-up with PayPal’s sandbox accounts before you go live.

PayPal or Stripe

PayPal or Stripe for your membership site?

Both come with every plan, and you can turn on both. Here’s what each one does in Ultimate Membership Pro.

Every planPayPalMembers pay on PayPal and come back to your site, with the PayPal account they already use or, if your account allows it, by card.

One-time and recurring Memberships PayPal Standard or PayPal Express Checkout Members renew or cancel from their account page Live or Sandbox mode Payment notifications (IPN) set for you

Read the PayPal troubleshooting guide

Every planStripe ConnectMembers pay on your site, without leaving it, and manage their subscription from their account page.

One-time payments and recurring subscriptions Free trial or a different first payment Saved cards for returning members Members cancel, pause, resume and change card Refunds and card expiry reminders

See Stripe for memberships

How it works

Set up PayPal in four steps

PayPal is set up from your Ultimate Membership Pro dashboard, in every plan.

1Turn on PayPalIn your dashboard, open Payment Services and turn on PayPal Standard or PayPal Express Checkout.

2Add your PayPal accountEnter your PayPal business account details, then pick Sandbox to test or Live to sell.

3Match your currencyUse the same currency in Ultimate Membership Pro as your primary PayPal currency, so payments are matched to Memberships automatically.

4Test a paymentSign up with PayPal sandbox accounts, or make a live payment of a very small amount, and check that the Membership activates.

Good to know

Before you turn on PayPal

Straight answers, so your first PayPal payments go through without surprises.

PayPal, plainly

Don’t set a manual IPN URL in your PayPal profile. Ultimate Membership Pro tells PayPal which address to use. Your server must let PayPal reach your site. If the IPN address shows an error in your browser, ask your host. Your primary PayPal currency must match the currency set in Ultimate Membership Pro. Card payments without a PayPal account depend on your PayPal account: a Business or Premier account with PayPal Account Optional turned on. Express Checkout asks buyers for a PayPal account. Sandbox payments can confirm slowly. For a final check, make a live payment of a very small amount. Pause and resume work with Stripe Connect only. Free trials are documented for Stripe Connect, so check the documentation before you plan a trial on PayPal.

FAQ

Questions about PayPal memberships

Not sure your setup is covered? Search the documentation or try the live demo before you buy.

Choosing between the two? Read the Stripe vs PayPal comparison.

Is Ultimate Membership Pro a PayPal subscription plugin for WordPress?

Yes. PayPal Standard and PayPal Express Checkout are built in and come with every plan, for one-time and recurring Memberships.

Can I take recurring PayPal payments on WordPress?

Yes. Set a Membership to bill every set number of days, weeks, months or years, and PayPal charges members automatically every period.

Can I use PayPal and Stripe on the same membership site?

Yes. Turn on both and members choose at checkout. You can also limit which gateways each Membership offers.

Do I need to set an IPN URL in my PayPal account?

No. Ultimate Membership Pro tells PayPal which IPN address to use, so don’t set a manual IPN URL in your PayPal profile. Your server must let PayPal reach your site, and your primary PayPal currency must match the currency in Ultimate Membership Pro.

Can members pay by card without a PayPal account?

That depends on your PayPal account, not the plugin. With a Business or Premier account, a verified email, bank account and card, and PayPal Account Optional turned on, buyers can pay by card on the PayPal page.

Can members cancel a PayPal subscription themselves?

Yes. Each subscription in the member’s account page has a cancel button. With Full Package, you can show it only after a set number of payments or a set time.

How do I test PayPal before going live?

Switch PayPal to Sandbox and pay with a PayPal sandbox buyer account into a sandbox merchant account. Sandbox can confirm slowly, so for a final check make a live payment of a very small amount.

More integrations

StripeRecurring billing, trials and saved cards Subscriptions & paymentsRecurring billing, trials and coupons Payment gatewaysBraintree, Mollie, Authorize.Net and more

PayPal in every plan

Take Membership payments with PayPal

PayPal Standard and Express Checkout, recurring billing and subscriptions members cancel themselves, set up from your dashboard.

14-day money-back guarantee Unlimited members

PayPal subscriptions and memberships for WordPress

PayPal subscriptions for WordPress memberships

PayPal or Stripe for your membership site?

Set up PayPal in four steps

Before you turn on PayPal

Questions about PayPal memberships

Take Membership payments with PayPal

See it on a real site before you decide

See it on a real site before you decide