PayPal Gateway Add-on

The PayPal Gateway add-on lets subscribers pay via PayPal on top of, or instead of, Stripe. Both payment options can be active at the same time — subscribers see their preferred method at checkout.

The add-on ships in two layers:

Listener Support donations — available as soon as the add-on is installed. Subscribers can make one-time Listener Support donations via PayPal.
Phase 2 recurring subscriptions — activates automatically when Phase 2 built-in membership ships. You get the update for free if you’ve already purchased the add-on.

Stripe Vs. PayPal

Stripe is the recommended primary processor for Benecaster. For recurring subscriptions, PayPal’s webhook reliability is meaningfully lower than Stripe’s — missed events can delay subscription activation, renewals, and cancellation processing.

For one-time Listener Support donations, the reliability difference is smaller. PayPal’s Orders API (used for one-time payments) is more dependable than its subscription webhooks.

That said, some subscribers strongly prefer PayPal. Offering both is reasonable. Just don’t rely on PayPal as your sole subscription processor.

What You Need

A PayPal Business account. If you only have a personal PayPal account, you’ll need to upgrade or create a separate business account. You cannot accept business payments with a personal account.
The PayPal Gateway add-on. Purchase and download from your Benecaster account.

Installing the Add-on

Download the add-on .zip file from your Benecaster account.
In your WordPress admin, go to Benecaster → Add-ons.
Click Install Add-on, select the .zip file, and click Install.
After installation, click Activate.

The add-on settings appear in Benecaster → Settings → Payments → PayPal after activation.

Getting PayPal API Credentials

PayPal uses two separate environments: Sandbox (for testing) and Live (for real payments). Both have separate credentials — there’s no automatic detection from the key format, so you configure which environment you’re using explicitly in Benecaster.

Live Credentials

Go to developer.paypal.com and log in with your PayPal Business account.
Click Apps & Credentials in the top navigation.
Make sure you’re on the Live tab.
Click Create App (or select your existing Default Application).
Give the app a name (e.g., “Benecaster”) and click Create App.
Copy the Client ID and Secret Key shown on the app detail screen.

Keep the Secret Key private — it has full access to process payments on your PayPal account.

Sandbox Credentials (for Testing)

On the same Apps & Credentials page in the PayPal Developer Dashboard, switch to the Sandbox tab.
Create a new app or use the Default Application in Sandbox mode.
Copy the Sandbox Client ID and Secret Key.

Configuring in Benecaster

In your WordPress admin, go to Benecaster → Settings → Payments → PayPal.
Paste your Client ID and Secret Key.
Set Mode to Sandbox (for testing) or Live (for real payments).
Save.

When Sandbox mode is active, Benecaster’s PayPal integration uses the Sandbox environment — no real money moves and transactions don’t appear in your live PayPal account.

Testing with PayPal Sandbox

The PayPal Sandbox is a complete simulated environment for testing payment flows.

Create Sandbox Test Accounts

PayPal Sandbox uses test buyer and seller accounts — they’re not real PayPal accounts and have no real money. You need at least one test buyer account to simulate a subscriber making a payment.

In the PayPal Developer Dashboard, go to Sandbox → Accounts.
Click Create Account.
Select Personal as the account type (this represents a buyer/subscriber).
Set a country, email address, and password for the test account. Note these — you’ll use them to log in as the test buyer during checkout.
Optionally, create a second account with a preset balance or a failed payment card to test edge cases.

Run a Test Payment

Configure Benecaster with your Sandbox credentials (Client ID and Secret from the Sandbox tab).
Go through the Listener Support donation flow on your site.
At the PayPal checkout, log in using your test buyer account credentials.
Complete the payment. The transaction should appear in Sandbox → Transactions in the PayPal Developer Dashboard.

Switching to Live Mode

When you’re ready to accept real PayPal payments:

In Benecaster → Settings → Payments → PayPal, replace your Sandbox credentials with your Live credentials.
Set Mode to Live.
Save.
Make a small test payment (a $1 donation) before announcing PayPal as a payment option to subscribers.

Phase 2 Subscriptions

When Phase 2 built-in membership ships, the PayPal Gateway add-on automatically gains recurring subscription support. No re-purchase or reinstall needed — your existing add-on version updates to include subscription handling, and the Phase 2 subscription screens in Benecaster show PayPal alongside Stripe as a payment option.

PayPal recurring subscriptions use PayPal’s Subscriptions API. Webhook event handling is set up automatically during configuration — there’s no separate webhook URL to register in the PayPal Developer Dashboard.

If you purchased the PayPal Gateway add-on during Phase 1, you receive the Phase 2 subscription layer as a free update.

Deactivating the Add-on

If you need to temporarily remove PayPal without uninstalling it, deactivate it from Benecaster → Add-ons. PayPal disappears from checkout; Stripe (if configured) continues to work. Your PayPal credentials remain saved — reactivating the add-on restores it without reconfiguration.