How to Allow Only PayPal Checkout with Divi & WooCommerce
Want to streamline your checkout process and only accept PayPal payments on your Divi WooCommerce website? This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough, showing you how to achieve this using various methods, from simple plugins to custom code. We’ll also explore the pros and cons of each approach.
Introduction: Why Restrict to PayPal?
Offering only PayPal as a payment gateway can simplify your operations in several ways:
- Reduced Transaction Fees: Depending on your location and payment gateway fees, using only PayPal might lower your overall transaction costs.
- Simplified Reconciliation: Managing fewer payment gateways simplifies accounting and reconciliation processes.
- Enhanced Security (Potentially): PayPal offers robust fraud protection, which might be beneficial for certain businesses.
- Improved Checkout Speed: A streamlined checkout with only one option can lead to increased conversions by reducing cart abandonment.
- Simple Installation: Usually involves a few clicks and no coding.
- User-Friendly Interface: Most plugins are designed for ease of use.
- Plugin Dependency: You’re relying on a third-party plugin which might require updates and maintenance.
- Potential Compatibility Issues: Ensure compatibility with your WooCommerce and Divi versions.
- No plugins needed: Relies on built-in WooCommerce functionality.
- Less flexible: You’ll have to reactivate other gateways if needed.
- Not a true “only PayPal” solution: Technically, users could still add other payment gateways later.
However, restricting payment options could also limit your potential customer base. Let’s explore the methods and weigh the benefits against potential drawbacks.
Methods to Allow Only PayPal Checkout
There are several ways to achieve this, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:
#### 1. Using WooCommerce PayPal Checkout Plugin
This is the easiest and most recommended method. Several plugins specifically designed for this purpose are available. Search the WordPress plugin repository for “WooCommerce PayPal only” to find suitable options. These plugins typically offer a straightforward interface to enable PayPal as the sole payment method, often disabling all others.
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#### 2. Disabling Other Payment Gateways via WooCommerce Settings
If you’re already using the standard WooCommerce PayPal gateway, you can simply disable other activated payment gateways through your WooCommerce settings. This is a quick solution, but it might not be ideal if you plan on using other payment methods in the future.
Navigate to: WooCommerce > Settings > Checkout > Payment gateways. Deactivate all gateways except for PayPal.
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#### 3. Custom Code Solution (Advanced Users Only)
For developers comfortable with PHP, you can implement a custom code solution that directly controls the available payment gateways. This method requires a good understanding of WooCommerce and PHP and is not recommended for beginners. Incorrectly implemented code can break your website.
This example disables all gateways except for PayPal, assuming your PayPal gateway has the ID `paypal`. Always back up your website before adding custom code.
add_filter( 'woocommerce_available_payment_gateways', 'wc_paypal_only' ); function wc_paypal_only( $gateways ) { unset( $gateways[ 'stripe' ] ); // Replace 'stripe' with IDs of other gateways unset( $gateways[ 'bacs' ] ); // Example - remove Bacs payment method return $gateways; }
Place this code in your `functions.php` file or a custom plugin. Remember to replace `”stripe”` and `”bacs”` with the actual IDs of your other payment gateways. You can find gateway IDs in your WooCommerce settings.
Conclusion: Choosing the Right Approach
Choosing the right method for allowing only PayPal checkout depends on your technical skills and comfort level. For most users, the WooCommerce PayPal only plugin is the easiest and most effective solution. The custom code approach provides greater control but demands significant technical expertise. Remember to carefully consider the pros and cons of each approach before making a decision. Always back up your website before making any significant changes. Finally, remember that restricting payment options could potentially impact your sales; consider your target audience and their preferred payment methods before implementing this.