6 important settings for your PayPal business account

Aug 30 2019 | PayPal editorial staff | 3 min read

From notification preferences to communicating with customers, here are our six key features to set up on your PayPal business account to keep everything running smoothly.

1. Your logo

When you add your logo to your PayPal account, we can use it to help your customers identify your business on their transaction history and in messages you send to them through PayPal. It will also appear on any invoices you send, and on your PayPal.Me page.

To upload your logo, just head to Settings > Business information and click Update beside “Business information” near the bottom of the page. On the new page, simply click Add your logo and find and upload the file.
 

2. Card statement name

While you’re uploading your logo, you can also set up your credit card statement name. This is one of the most important features of your PayPal account as it helps your customers identify transactions on credit and debit card statements. If they can’t identify a payment, they’re more likely to file a chargeback or lodge a dispute which costs your business time and money.

On the business information page, click Edit in the “Your business information” box and enter your new card statement name. Make sure it’s quickly and easily identifiable as your business.
 

3. Customer service message

In your Settings > Selling tools, you can create a customer service message that appears to customers when they file a dispute. You can update the message at any time so it’s a great way to highlight any delays in shipping due to bushfires, floods or any other reason. Alternatively, you can use this field to set expectations with customers around your response time (remember, you must respond quickly to avoid automatic loss of the dispute) and how your business responds to customer complaints and concerns.
 

4. Multiple users

To share the workload, you can add multiple users to your PayPal business account, setting up their own login and passwords. To do this, head to Settings > Account settings and click Get started beside “Manage users”, then Add User. Enter your colleague’s details then choose what level of access they should have to the account.

If you assign “Accounting” permissions to your users, we’ll need to verify their identity to ensure your money stays safe. We’ll kick this process off automatically and you can provide any required documents in the Resolution Centre.
 

5. Your promotions

When you run a promotion, you can see a sudden increase in the number and value of payments your business receives. This kind of sudden change causes our risk alarm bells to go off, and sometimes we may hold some payments until we’re able to identify what’s going on.

To help prevent payment holds and ensure continual access to your funds, give us a heads up of any promotions you have planned. You can do this by going to Settings > Account settings and clicking Details beside “My upcoming promotions”.
 

6. Your notification preferences

We’ll always email you when you send money or update your account information so you have an email record and can confirm the payment or change was authorised. We’ll also always tell you about updates to our legal agreements. But if you’re receiving hundreds of payments every day, you probably don’t want an email every time you get paid.

To manage your notification settings, head to your Settings > Account settings and click Update beside “Notifications”. Here you can also elect to send automatic emails to your secondary users about changes you make to your account.
 
For more help setting up your PayPal business account, check out our Help Centre. It’s the go-to place for everything how-to at PayPal.
 
The contents of this site are provided for informational purposes only. You should always obtain independent, professional accounting, financial, and legal advice before making any business decision.

Frequently asked questions.

If you have your own website, here are the payment solutions we offer:

Website Payments Standard

You can simply add PayPal payment button code to your website. When your buyers click on the buttons, they’ll be directed to PayPal’s payment page to pay you.
  • If you need a shopping cart: Choose a shopping cart that's already integrated with PayPal, or add our 'Add to Cart' button to your website.
  • If you already have a shopping cart: For PayPal-compatible carts, select PayPal as your online payment service. If you have a custom-built cart, add PayPal by cutting and pasting HTML code into your checkout.

Express Checkout

An API-based solution that simplifies your buyers' shopping experience, and keeps them engaged on your webpage or mobile app throughout the entire checkout flow. View our integration guide.

Both payment solutions have no setup or monthly fees, and the transactions eligible for our Seller and Buyer Protection policies are safeguarded by PayPal. You're only charged a fee when receiving a payment.

For technical support on implementing the payment solutions, please visit our dedicated Merchant Integration Tech Support Community and PayPal Developer Centre.

Note:
Eligible Charities with a PayPal Business account will be automatically enrolled with PayPal Giving Fund.

If your charity doesn’t have a PayPal Business account, sign up here. Make sure to select Charitable and Social Service Organisations when signing up. Once your account is created, log into your PayPal account and confirm your charity status by verifying your account.

If you don’t have a PayPal account but have a question or concern about PayPal Giving Fund, please contact us using this form.
* The below information applies to Business accounts only.

How do I enable subscriptions for my business? 
Can I temporarily pause an active subscription? 
What changes can customers make to their own subscription plans? 
Can I enable subscriptions on my social media sites?
How do I track overall performance of my subscription business?   
What features are included in a PayPal subscription plan?    
Can I update the price of all active subscriptions in a particular plan at once?  
Does PayPal provide real-time webhooks for payment status? 
Can I modify the PayPal Smart Payment Button layout and colour format to match the look of my website? 
Can I enable credit card, bank account and other payment method options for my subscribers?  
Can I generate API credentials for integrating subscriptions? 
Can I create a PayPal Sandbox account to test and integrate subscriptions? 
What happens when a subscription payment fails? 


How do I enable subscriptions for my business?  

You can enable subscriptions using one of 3 methods:  
  1. PayPal Subscription Dashboard and Smart Payment Button (SDK)
  • Go to your Subscriptions.
  • Click Create Plan and enter your subscription details.  
  • When finished, click Save Plan and Turn on Plan.
  • Click Generate Code and Copy Code to copy and paste the Smart Payment Button HTML/JS code to your website.
  1. Subscription REST APIs
  • Generate your API credentials through the PayPal developer portal.
  • Use the create plan API to produce and activate your subscription plan.
  • Use the PayPal JavaScript SDK to add the PayPal subscribe button to your website
  1. Sell on Social subscription weblink
  • Go to your Subscriptions.
  • Click Create Plan and enter your subscription details.  
  • When finished, click Save Plan and Turn on Plan.
  • Click Generate Link and Copy Link to copy and paste the weblink and add it to your social media platform.

Can I temporarily pause an active subscription? 

Yes. To pause a subscription, follow these steps:
  1. Go to your Subscriptions.
  2. Select the subscription profile.   
  3. Select the button next to "Paused".
You can also reactivate a subscription following the steps above and selecting the button next to "Active". 

Note: PayPal doesn't charge customers for subscriptions that are paused.  
 

What changes can customers make to their own subscription plans? 

Customers can modify their existing subscription quantity. The subscription price will be based on the new quantity.
 
Customers can also switch plans for the same product. The billing and pricing terms of the new plan will take effect during the next cycle.
 

Can I enable subscriptions on my social media sites?

Yes. You can enable subscriptions on social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram. Here's how:
  1. Go to your Subscriptions.
  2. Click Create Plan and enter your subscription details.  
  3. When finished, click Save Plan and Turn on Plan.
  4. Click Generate Link and Copy Link to copy and paste the weblink and add it to your social media platform.

How do I track overall performance of my subscription business?  

You can track performance through various metrics on the dashboard. Here's how:
  1. Go to your Subscriptions.
  2. Click Overview.
The overview page allows you to view cumulative revenue and total subscriptions count for your business. You can also compare the performance of different subscription plans by churn rate, monthly recurring revenue and customer lifetime value.
 

What features are included in a PayPal subscription plan?    

You can choose from multiple features to customize subscription plans and pricing, including:
 
Cross-border subscriptions. Define subscription plans in different currencies to enable cross-border subscriptions. The customer will be charged in the currency you configure.
 
Promotional trial cycles. Offer free or discounted trial cycles to your subscribers by defining trial periods for subscription plans. You can define up to 2 trial periods and set discounted pricing.
 
Example: A merchant offering video streaming service configures a subscription plan at $0 for the first month, $4.99 per month for the next 2 months and $9.99 per month onward.
 
One-time setup fee. Define a one-time setup fee for any registration or configuration purpose.
 
Example: A merchant charges a $10 registration fee to enroll in gym and yoga classes, normally priced at $50 per month.
 
Negotiated or discounted prices. Customize any subscription at a negotiated or discounted price to certain customers.
 
Example: An educational institute typically offers online tuition classes at $10 per month but offers a discounted price of $8 per month to a specific student.
 

Can I offer tier-based pricing to my subscribers?  

Yes. You can define volume-based and tier-based pricing models for your subscription plans.  
 
Example: A merchant offering helpdesk services and live technician support defines a tier-based plan at $20 per technician for the first 10 technicians, $18 per technician for the next 10 technicians and $15 per technician after that. If a subscriber requires 30 technicians, the subscription price will be: $20x10+$18x10 + $15x10 = $530 per month.
 

Can I update the price of all active subscriptions in a particular plan at once?  

Yes. You can update the price of all active subscriptions by updating the price of the original subscription plan.
 
Example: If you update the price of a 'standard' plan from $20 per month to $25 per month, then all existing and new subscriptions under the 'standard' plan will be charged $25 per month from the next effective billing cycle.
 

Does PayPal provide real-time webhooks for payment status? 

Yes. PayPal provides webhooks for all payment and lifecycle activities. To track payment status, your platform must be set up to listen to the webhooks.
 

Can I modify the PayPal Smart Payment Button layout and colour format to match the look of my website? 

Yes. To change the look of the PayPal Smart Payment Button, follow these steps:
  1. Go to your Subscriptions.
  2. Click Subscription plans.
  3. Click the 3 dots to the right of the plan you want to update and select "Copy code".
  4. Click Copy Code to copy and paste the button code into any editor and make your changes. 

Can I enable credit card, bank account and other payment method options for my subscribers?  

Yes. PayPal supports full stack payments capabilities including:
  • PayPal
  • Credit/debit card and bank account via the guest flow for non-PayPal customers
  • Unbranded or white-labeled card support (via API only)

Can I generate API credentials for integrating subscriptions? 

Yes. You can generate API credentials through the PayPal developer portal.
 

Can I create a PayPal Sandbox account to test and integrate subscriptions? 

Yes. You can create a PayPal Sandbox account through the PayPal developer portal.  
 

What happens when a subscription payment fails? 

If a subscription payment fails at the start of the billing cycle, we'll try the payment again every 5 days for a maximum of two retries until the next billing cycle.
 
If the second payment attempt fails, we'll increment the failed payment count by 1, place the failed payment amount in the customer's outstanding balance and add the amount owed to the next billing cycle.
 
You can also set a failure threshold for subscription plans. We'll pause the subscription if the customer exceeds the failure threshold.
 
You can capture an outstanding balance at any time. You might want to do this if the failure threshold is met and the subscription is suspended.
All eligible Australian charities are automatically listed in the PayPal Giving Fund directory. Eligible charities with verified PayPal business accounts can access the PayPal Giving Fund dashboard to see donation details and update their profile information.

If you’d like access to the PayPal Giving Fund dashboard, you can contact us to ensure you meet the eligibility requirements before you sign up for and verify a PayPal business account for your charity.

Feel free to explore our site or get your questions answered on our PayPal Giving Fund FAQs page. It generally takes 3 business days to process your PayPal Confirmed Charities registration.
 
The contents of this site are provided for informational purposes only. The information in this article does not constitute legal, financial, IT, business or investment advice of any kind and is not a substitute for any professional advice. You should always obtain independent, professional accounting, financial, IT and legal advice before making any business decision.