PayPal standard will be hidden on new installs

Notice: The workaround mentioned in this post is only available for use up to WooCommerce 8.8.3. You can read more about this change in the 8.9 release post.

Only for new installs with WooCommerce 5.5 and above, PayPal Standard which is included in WooCommerce core will not be loaded by default. #29971

We strongly encourage everyone using PayPal Standard to use the recommended PayPal extension instead, which is our newest free full-stack solution (credit card processing, PayPal checkout, subscriptions, pay later options, etc).

We have also written this upgrade guide if you’d like to switch to the PayPal extension on an existing site.

Note that PayPal Standard will be hidden only for new installs.

There is no change and no action required for any site already using the PayPal Standard gateway. Although it’s still recommended switching to PayPal even on existing sites.

We classify those sites as new who:

  1. Does not have any product and,
  2. There is no shop page configured.

or

  1. Value of option woocommerce_version is null (WooCommerce is not installed).

Further, if PayPal Standard is enabled in settings programmatically, it will still be loaded even if the site is new.

Backward Compatibility

If you wish to enable PayPal Standard by default on new sites, please add the following code snippet:

add_filter( 'woocommerce_should_load_paypal_standard', '__return_true' );


Keep yourself in the loop!

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13 responses to “PayPal standard will be hidden on new installs”

  1. Not a developer, just an interested user. I looked at the new PayPal add-on, but can’t use it, because for some reason WooCommerce Subscriptions plus this new add-on only works with PayPal Reference Transactions enabled. But that in turn needs to be manually enabled by PayPal. You actually have to call them to ask for it. I tried in the past, but my site is way, way too small for them to even consider it. So I really hope you will keep PayPal Standard around, because otherwise I would have to look for a new solution for memberships and subscriptions.

    Do the people developing WooCommerce Subscriptions know about this change? Because they might get some support questions about it.

  2. […] PayPal standard will be hidden on new installs, please use our new extension PayPal instead. This change is only applicable for new installs, exisiting sites will continue to work as expected. Read our developer advisory about this change for more details. […]

  3. nadine-peter Avatar
    nadine-peter

    When changing from PayPal standard to this plugin, shop owners would expect this plugin behaves exact as PayPal standard. But it adds several addional “Pay with paypal” buttons. There seems to be no way to handle this plugin as PayPal standard. I would like to see an option so that this paypal gateway is shown as all the other payment gateways on the checkout page in de radio button list, after selecting “PayPal” there should not be any other addional buttons but the “pay for order” button from WooCommerce. That seems not to work.

    There is no way to change the text on the buttons (no setting, no hook). If you use the plugin, have a legal check if the texts on the buttons are allowed in your country or not.

    There are a some PHP fatal errors that have to be fixed, see wordpress.org support.

  4. […] this announcement last week: PayPal Standard is hidden on new WooCommerce installs from version 5.5 onward. Users are encouraged to use the free, official PayPal extension. (Note: this doesn’t affect […]

  5. […] and merchants are advised to adopt the PayPal extension, as PayPal Standard will not be loaded in new installs by […]

  6. Neil White Avatar
    Neil White

    Where do you add this filter?

    1. please add it using the functions.php file in your theme.
      using the functions.php file in your child theme.

  7. […] WooCommerce rassicurano che la novità non avrà nessuna ripercussione, soprattutto sulle installazioni attive, dove PayPal […]

  8. […] cũng đã ẩn plugin PayPal Standard của họ (từ phiên bản 5.5 trở lên) cho các cài đặt mới […]

  9. Hi! I tried to add this code into theme file but still PayPal Standard is not appearing. Can you Please tell that how to access it?

    1. Me too, i don’t know why?

    2. There’s a notice at the top of the article:
      The workaround mentioned in this post is only available for use up to WooCommerce 8.8.3.
      Sadly.

  10. Where can I find the new plugin?

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