Should you choose Stripe or PayPal? When in doubt – use both if you can.
It is always our recommendation to have BOTH Stripe and PayPal if that’s an option for you. It provides your supporters with the choice of how to contribute, making for the best possible supporter experience.
PayPal #
PayPal is a familiar payment option to many people around the world. Some users love the service, while others refuse to use a PayPal checkout. The use of PayPal’s checkout falls into the supporter’s preference from past experiences with their service.
Supporters can use funds available in their PayPal account to contribute to a campaign. They can also pay directly if their bank account connects to their PayPal account.
Also, if the campaign owner’s PayPal account is Verified, supporters can pay as a guest through the guest checkout.
All contributions through the PayPal checkout are sent to the recipient account once the transaction completes. The campaign owner can withdraw their funds directly from their PayPal account.
Important: Even if the guest checkout is available on a campaign, not all donors can use it. Some donors must verify their cards before completing their contribution. Encourage donors to contact PayPal’s customer support for assistance if they decline a credit card.
Stripe #
Stripe is a less familiar name in the online transaction world, but it is expanding its popularity quickly.
With Stripe, your supporters can contribute to the campaign with their credit or debit cards. The checkout is very mobile-friendly, and many supported banks and cards are on Stripe’s roster.
To use the Stripe checkout, supporters do not need to be in a supported region. Stripe accepts international payments in many currencies, and supporters do not need an account to contribute.
All a campaign owner needs is a bank account located within one of Stripe’s supported regions to get started.
The campaign owner is prompted for payment options in their campaign or organization setup. They can complete the Stripe sign-up in the campaign creation flow.
The funds are sent directly into the Stripe account when the supporter checkout is completed. Stripe will deposit the funds into the connected bank account with scheduled deposits.
