PayPal and Venmo Integration in HighLevel

Updated: February 6, 2026  | 
Author: Bill Stilwell

This post covers how the PayPal and Venmo integration works in HighLevel, how to connect it, how it fits alongside Stripe, its limitations for subscriptions, and when it makes the most difference for checkout conversion.

Reading time: about 7 minutes.

What Is the PayPal and Venmo Integration in HighLevel?

The PayPal and Venmo Integration in HighLevel connects a PayPal Business account to the platform and adds PayPal and Venmo as payment options on funnel checkout pages and order forms.

Instead of only accepting credit cards through Stripe, a business can offer customers the option to pay using their PayPal balance, a PayPal-linked bank account, or Venmo – all within the same checkout experience. The customer selects their preferred method and completes payment without leaving the page.

The integration is one-way at the account level and per-page at the checkout level. Connect PayPal once in Settings – then choose which individual checkout pages display the PayPal option.

Connect it at Settings, then Payments, then Integrations.

Why Payment Method Choice Affects Conversion

A checkout page that only accepts credit cards excludes customers who prefer to pay without entering card details – either because they prefer PayPal for its buyer protection, they have a PayPal balance they want to use, or they simply trust PayPal more than entering their card on an unfamiliar website.

For US audiences in particular, PayPal has extremely high adoption. A significant percentage of online shoppers have a PayPal account and prefer to use it.

Offering PayPal as an option removes one of the most common checkout abandonment triggers for this segment.

Venmo adds a second familiar option for a younger US audience that uses Venmo as their primary payment method. The incremental conversion improvement from offering both PayPal and Venmo alongside credit cards is typically most pronounced for consumer-facing offers and lower-price-point products.

Connecting PayPal to HighLevel

The connection requires a PayPal Business account – a personal PayPal account is not sufficient.

In the sub-account, go to Settings, then Payments, then Integrations. Click the PayPal option and follow the OAuth authorization flow.

You are redirected to PayPal to approve the connection, then redirected back to HighLevel once authorized.

After the connection is established, the PayPal option shows as active in the integrations list. From this point, PayPal can be enabled on individual checkout pages – it is not automatically active on all pages, which is intentional.

You choose which checkouts should offer the PayPal option.

PayPal vs. Stripe – When to Use Each

Both processors have different strengths within the HighLevel platform. The right answer for most businesses is to use both simultaneously – not to choose one over the other.

Stripe is the primary processor for most HighLevel payment features. Stripe handles one-click order bumps and upsells, recurring subscription billing, advanced dunning logic for failed payments, and the most complete payment method coverage.

For subscription-heavy businesses and funnel upsell sequences, Stripe is the foundation.

PayPal adds familiar payment options that Stripe does not natively provide – PayPal wallet, PayPal-linked bank accounts, and Venmo for US customers. PayPal is additive: it gives customers who prefer not to enter a credit card a path to complete the purchase.

On a checkout page that offers both, the customer who would have abandoned because they did not want to enter their card details can now complete the purchase through PayPal instead. The credit card customer’s experience is unchanged.

Venmo as a Payment Option

Venmo appears as a payment option within the PayPal checkout flow – it is not a separate integration from PayPal. When a customer clicks the PayPal button, the checkout flow they see includes Venmo as one of the available options for eligible US customers.

Venmo is a US-only service. For businesses with a primarily US consumer audience – especially in the 18-35 demographic where Venmo adoption is highest – the Venmo option can meaningfully reduce checkout friction.

For B2B businesses, international businesses, or services where the customer base is predominantly older or outside the US, Venmo’s impact is minimal. The PayPal integration still adds value for the PayPal wallet segment, but Venmo specifically may not be a significant driver.

PayPal and Subscriptions

PayPal’s recurring billing support within HighLevel is more limited than Stripe’s. Stripe is the strongly recommended processor for subscription billing – it provides complete dunning logic, automatic retries, subscriber management, and the full subscription lifecycle that HighLevel’s subscription infrastructure is built around.

If recurring subscriptions are a significant part of the business model, Stripe should be the primary payment processor. PayPal can be offered as an additional option for one-time purchases on the same checkouts without disrupting the subscription billing infrastructure.

Check the current HighLevel documentation for the latest information on PayPal’s recurring billing support – this capability evolves as the integration is updated.

CRM and Workflow Integration

PayPal purchases through HighLevel checkout pages behave the same as Stripe purchases from the CRM perspective.

When a customer completes a PayPal checkout, their contact information is captured and a contact record is created or updated in the CRM. The purchase is logged in the contact’s activity timeline.

Any post-purchase workflow triggers – Order Placed, Product Purchased – fire the same as they would for a credit card payment.

The payment processor used by the customer is largely invisible to the HighLevel automation system. The purchase event triggers the workflow regardless of whether the customer paid by card, PayPal, or Venmo.

What Can You Do With It?

• Reduce checkout abandonment from customers who prefer PayPal: Customers who land on a checkout with only a credit card option and prefer PayPal leave. Offering PayPal keeps them in the checkout flow and increases the percentage who complete the purchase.
• Accept Venmo from a mobile-first US audience: For consumer-facing products targeting a US audience that uses Venmo, the Venmo option within the PayPal checkout flow removes a common payment friction point for that demographic.
• Run PayPal and Stripe on the same checkout: The two processors work simultaneously on the same page – credit card through Stripe, PayPal and Venmo through the PayPal integration. Customers choose their preference. Each payment processes through the appropriate system.
• Add PayPal as an option on existing checkouts without rebuilding them: Once the PayPal integration is connected, enabling it on an existing checkout is a settings toggle – no page rebuild required.
• Keep post-purchase automation consistent regardless of payment method: PayPal purchases trigger the same workflows as credit card purchases. Welcome emails, access grants, and notification sequences fire automatically regardless of how the customer paid.

Key Definitions

“An authorization flow where you grant HighLevel permission to process payments through your PayPal account without sharing your PayPal login credentials with HighLevel directly.”

Use Cases by Industry

Online Education and Courses

A course creator sells a $297 course through a HighLevel funnel. Adding PayPal to the checkout takes 10 minutes.

After launch, approximately 15% of purchases come through PayPal – customers who preferred not to enter a credit card on a site they had not purchased from before.

The post-purchase welcome email and course access workflow fires for PayPal purchases exactly as it does for credit card purchases. The customer’s experience after checkout is identical regardless of how they paid.

Result: 15% more purchases from the same funnel traffic – the PayPal option converted customers who would have abandoned the credit-card-only checkout.

E-commerce and Physical Products

An e-commerce store built on HighLevel adds PayPal and Venmo to the checkout alongside Stripe credit card processing. Mobile customers – who represent over 60% of the store’s traffic – are more likely to complete checkout using PayPal’s mobile-optimized flow or Venmo than entering card details on a small screen.

Mobile checkout completion rates improve after adding the PayPal option. The Venmo option sees meaningful uptake from the store’s primarily 20-35 year old customer base.

Result: Mobile checkout completion improves because PayPal and Venmo are faster and more trusted than credit card entry on mobile for the store’s primary demographic.

Service Businesses – One-Time Projects

A web design agency uses HighLevel to collect deposits via a payment link. Adding PayPal to the payment link gives clients who prefer PayPal an alternative to card payment.

Several clients specifically mention PayPal as their preferred business payment method – it keeps the transaction out of their personal card statements.

Result: Deposits arrive faster because clients can use their preferred payment method rather than entering card details just to pay the deposit.

Event Registrations

An events company sells workshop registrations through a HighLevel funnel at $99 per ticket. The audience is primarily local business owners in the 30-55 age range – many have PayPal Business accounts they use for their own business payments.

Adding PayPal to the registration checkout reduces friction for this segment. Attendees who use PayPal for business expenses appreciate not having to enter a personal card for a business-related registration.

Result: Registration conversion improves slightly but meaningfully – enough to justify the 10-minute setup time given the volume of registrations processed each month.

Marketing Agencies – Client Retainer Payments

An agency uses a HighLevel payment link to collect monthly retainer payments from clients who prefer not to have an active card stored on file. PayPal gives these clients a comfortable payment option while keeping the collection process inside HighLevel.

For clients who want automatic monthly billing, Stripe handles the subscription. For clients who prefer manual monthly approval of their payment, PayPal via a payment link covers that preference.

Result: The agency accommodates different client payment preferences without managing multiple billing platforms – both payment types are processed through HighLevel and both create the same CRM and workflow events.

Who Is This For?

How to Connect PayPal to HighLevel

Step 1: Go to Payment Integrations

In the sub-account, go to Settings, then Payments, then Integrations.

This is where all payment processor connections are managed.

Step 2: Connect your PayPal Business account

Click the PayPal integration option. Follow the OAuth authorization flow – you will be redirected to PayPal to approve the connection.

Log in with your PayPal Business account credentials and approve. You are redirected back to HighLevel once the connection is established.

Step 3: Verify the connection

Confirm the PayPal integration shows as connected in the integrations list.

If there are errors, confirm the account is a PayPal Business account and retry the OAuth flow.

Step 4: Enable PayPal on a checkout page

Open the funnel or order form where PayPal should appear. In the checkout settings, enable the PayPal payment method.

Venmo appears automatically within the PayPal flow for eligible US customers – no separate Venmo configuration is needed.

Step 5: Configure payment method display

Decide whether this checkout should show credit card only, PayPal only, or both. Most businesses show both to maximize completion.

For checkouts where PayPal is the primary option – a payment link sent to clients who specifically prefer PayPal – disable the credit card option and show PayPal only.

Step 6: Test the checkout

Use a PayPal Sandbox account to test the checkout before going live.

Complete a test purchase through PayPal and confirm the contact is created in the CRM, the order is recorded, and post-purchase workflows fire correctly.

Step 7: Go live and monitor

Publish the checkout page. Monitor the first few transactions in both HighLevel’s Payments section and your PayPal Business account.

Confirm payments are appearing in both systems and that the PayPal-paid contacts are receiving the same post-purchase experience as credit card customers.

Step 8: Enable on additional checkouts

Apply the PayPal option to any other checkout pages where it is relevant – the connection is account-level, so enabling it on additional pages is a simple per-page toggle.

How Does It Connect to HighLevel?

• Payment Integrations: PayPal is one of several payment processors available in HighLevel’s Payments integrations – alongside Stripe, NMI, and Authorize.net. All are configured in Settings, then Payments, then Integrations. Multiple processors can be active simultaneously on the same sub-account.
• Funnel Builder: PayPal payment buttons are enabled at the checkout page level within the Funnel Builder. The funnel’s order form settings control which payment methods appear on that specific page. Enabling PayPal on a funnel checkout takes seconds once the integration is connected.
• Subscriptions: HighLevel Subscriptions are best handled through Stripe. PayPal’s recurring billing support within HighLevel is more limited. For businesses running both one-time and subscription products, Stripe handles subscriptions while PayPal supplements one-time purchase checkouts.
• Workflow Builder: PayPal purchase events trigger the same Order Placed and Product Purchased workflow events in Workflow Builder as Stripe purchases. Post-purchase automation is consistent regardless of payment method.
• Invoicing: HighLevel Invoicing uses its own payment link system – primarily Stripe-based. For clients who specifically prefer PayPal payment, a payment link on a HighLevel checkout page with PayPal enabled is the most practical approach for PayPal-based invoice collection.

Common Questions

What is the PayPal and Venmo Integration in HighLevel?

An integration that connects a PayPal Business account to HighLevel and adds PayPal and Venmo as payment options on funnel checkout pages and order forms. Connected at Settings, then Payments, then Integrations.

Where do I connect PayPal to HighLevel?

Go to Settings, then Payments, then Integrations. Click the PayPal integration and follow the OAuth flow to authorize the connection with your PayPal Business account.

Does HighLevel support both PayPal and Venmo?

Yes. The PayPal integration supports both. Venmo appears as an option within the PayPal checkout flow for eligible US customers – no separate Venmo integration is required.

Can I use PayPal alongside Stripe in HighLevel?

Yes. Both can be active on the same checkout page.

Stripe handles credit card payments. PayPal handles PayPal wallet and Venmo payments.

Customers choose their preferred method at checkout.

Does PayPal support recurring subscriptions in HighLevel?

PayPal’s recurring billing support within HighLevel is more limited than Stripe’s. For subscription billing, Stripe is the recommended processor.

Check current HighLevel documentation for the latest on PayPal subscription support.

What are the fees for PayPal payments through HighLevel?

PayPal charges its standard transaction fees – set by PayPal, not HighLevel. HighLevel does not add fees on top of PayPal’s standard rates.

Check PayPal’s current fee schedule for your account type and country.

Can I limit my HighLevel checkout to PayPal only?

Yes. Configure the checkout page to show PayPal only by disabling the credit card option. Most businesses offer both to maximize completion across all customer payment preferences.

Do PayPal payments create contacts in the HighLevel CRM?

Yes. PayPal purchases create or update a contact record in the CRM and trigger any configured post-purchase workflows – the same as credit card purchases through Stripe.

Is Venmo available in all countries through HighLevel?

No. Venmo is US-only.

The Venmo payment option is only available to US customers with a Venmo account. For international customers, the standard PayPal checkout provides international payment options.

Can I use PayPal for order bumps and upsells in HighLevel funnels?

PayPal’s support for one-click order bumps – where no additional payment details are entered – may be more limited than Stripe’s. Stripe supports true one-click upsells using the stored card.

Check current HighLevel funnel documentation for the latest on PayPal upsell support.

To Wrap It Up

Adding PayPal to a HighLevel checkout is a 10-minute setup with a straightforward payoff: more customers can complete their purchase using a payment method they already trust.

The conversion argument is simple. A checkout that only accepts credit cards works for everyone who is comfortable entering card details.

A checkout that also accepts PayPal works for everyone in that group plus everyone who prefers PayPal. The second group is not small – PayPal has hundreds of millions of active accounts globally.

Venmo adds to that for US-focused consumer businesses where the Venmo demographic overlaps with the customer base. If the primary audience is US-based and skews younger, Venmo is worth having on the checkout even if it accounts for a relatively small percentage of total transactions.

The limitation to understand is subscriptions. Stripe is the processor to use for recurring billing in HighLevel.

PayPal supplements Stripe for one-time purchases – it does not replace it. For businesses with a mix of one-time and subscription products, the two processors work together: Stripe for the subscription infrastructure, PayPal as an optional checkout method for one-time purchases.

Here is how to get started:

1. Confirm you have a PayPal Business account – not a personal account
2. Go to Settings, then Payments, then Integrations
3. Click PayPal and complete the OAuth authorization
4. Open the funnel checkout page where PayPal should appear
5. Enable the PayPal payment method in the checkout settings
6. Configure whether to show PayPal only or PayPal alongside credit cards
7. Test with a PayPal Sandbox account before going live
8. Publish and monitor the first few transactions in both HighLevel and your PayPal account
9. Enable on additional checkout pages as needed – it’s a per-page toggle

The best time to add PayPal is before a campaign launch, not after. If you have traffic coming to a checkout page and some of it is abandoning without purchasing, adding PayPal as a payment option is one of the quickest ways to recover some of those incomplete purchases without changing anything else about the funnel.