What Is PayPal Payflow?
PayPal Payflow is a payment gateway service that allows businesses to accept credit card, debit card, PayPal, and other digital payments online or in person. Unlike consumer-facing PayPal, Payflow is built for merchants, integrating directly into a business's website, shopping cart, or point-of-sale system to handle transactions and settlement.
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The service operates as a merchant account and gateway combined, meaning businesses can process payments without needing a separate third-party gateway in many setups. Transactions are routed through PayPal's secure infrastructure, which handles tokenization, fraud protection, and compliance with payment card industry standards.
How Payflow Works
When a customer checks out, the payment data is sent from the merchant's site to Payflow, which authorizes the transaction with the card network or PayPal and returns a response. Funds are then settled into the merchant's bank account on a scheduled basis, typically within a few business days. Payflow supports recurring billing, mobile payments, and virtual terminal entries for phone or mail orders.
Key Features and Products
- Payment gateway for websites and apps
- Recurring billing and subscription management
- Virtual terminal for manual keyed-in transactions
- Fraud protection tools including PayPal Fraud Protection
- Support for multiple payment methods, including PayPal wallets
- Integration with popular shopping carts and ERP systems
Pricing and Fees
Payflow charges a per-transaction fee plus a monthly gateway fee. The exact rate depends on the merchant's volume, monthly processing amount, and contract terms. Additional fees may apply for chargebacks, international transactions, or certain add-on services. Businesses should review the current rate sheet before committing.
Who Is Payflow For?
Payflow is designed for small to medium-sized businesses that need a straightforward way to accept online payments. It is also used by larger enterprises that want the reliability and security of PayPal's infrastructure without building a custom integration. Companies in e-commerce, SaaS, services, and retail can all use Payflow to streamline payment processing.