PayPal Standard Migration Planner
What's changed with PayPal Standard, what happens to subscriptions still on it, and how to move to PayPal Payments.
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Your migration checklist
Status: WooCommerce has hidden PayPal Standard from new installs since version 5.5 (2021). It still runs on stores that already had it configured, but WooCommerce's own documentation describes it as unsupported for new setups and points to PayPal Payments (formerly PayPal Checkout) as the replacement.
Check WooCommerce → Settings → Payments to confirm PayPal Standard is still listed and enabled. If it's missing, it's already been removed from your setup and you're effectively on manual/no PayPal until you install PayPal Payments.
Install and activate the "WooCommerce PayPal Payments" extension (free, by WooCommerce/PayPal), then connect your existing PayPal business account under its onboarding flow. It uses PayPal's REST APIs and webhooks, not the classic NVP/SOAP redirect-and-IPN flow PayPal Standard depends on.
Test the full checkout flow in PayPal's Sandbox before switching your live site, including refunds and cancelled orders, since the order statuses and webhook events differ slightly from PayPal Standard's IPN messages.
Once PayPal Payments is live and tested, disable PayPal Standard (don't delete your order history) rather than leaving both active, so shoppers aren't offered a checkout path you're no longer actively supporting.
PayPal Standard vs. PayPal Payments
| Behavior | PayPal Standard | PayPal Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Checkout flow | Redirects to paypal.com to pay | Stays on your site; PayPal opens in a popup/overlay |
| Order updates | Classic IPN (Instant Payment Notification) | PayPal REST webhooks |
| Card payments | PayPal account or PayPal Guest Checkout only | Can also take cards directly, without a PayPal account |
| New installs | Hidden since WooCommerce 5.5 | The current default PayPal option |
Where PayPal Standard actually stands
WooCommerce has hidden PayPal Standard from new installs since version 5.5, released in 2021. It's the older, redirect-based gateway: a shopper leaves your site, pays on paypal.com, and comes back, with order updates handled through the classic IPN (Instant Payment Notification) system. It still runs on stores that already had it configured, but WooCommerce's own documentation describes it as unsupported for new setups and points to PayPal Payments (formerly PayPal Checkout) as the replacement.
That's a longer-running deprecation than a hard cutoff, but it's not a stable long-term foundation either: PayPal has been retiring pieces of the older NVP/SOAP-based API family that PayPal Standard is built on, and support for issues on it is limited. Treat it as something to move off proactively, not something to wait out.
What actually changes
| PayPal Standard | PayPal Payments | |
|---|---|---|
| Checkout flow | Redirects to paypal.com to pay | Stays on your site; PayPal opens in a popup or overlay |
| Order updates | Classic IPN | PayPal REST webhooks |
| Card payments | PayPal account or PayPal Guest Checkout only | Can take cards directly, no PayPal account required |
| New installs | Hidden since WooCommerce 5.5 | The current default PayPal option |
If you have active subscriptions on it
Subscriptions taken through PayPal Standard's Reference Transactions keep renewing on the old flow as long as PayPal Standard stays enabled and PayPal keeps supporting it. WooCommerce Subscriptions doesn't automatically move an existing subscriber over to PayPal Payments; new subscription sign-ups should go through PayPal Payments once it's installed, and migrating already-subscribed customers usually means asking them to re-authorize under the new gateway, or getting WooCommerce Subscriptions support involved for a bulk migration. Don't disable PayPal Standard until every subscriber relying on it has moved.
Questions people ask
Is PayPal Standard actually removed from WooCommerce?
Not for stores that already had it set up; it's hidden from new installs since WooCommerce 5.5 (2021), not deleted from existing ones. WooCommerce's own guidance is to move off it, though, rather than rely on it long-term.
What should I install instead?
The free "WooCommerce PayPal Payments" extension (by WooCommerce/PayPal), which connects to your existing PayPal business account and replaces the redirect-and-IPN flow with an embedded checkout and webhooks.
Will my existing subscriptions break if I switch?
Not automatically, existing subscriptions on Reference Transactions keep renewing as-is while PayPal Standard is still enabled. They don't move to the new gateway by themselves, though, so plan a separate step for migrating subscribers before you eventually turn PayPal Standard off.
Do I need to test anything before going live?
Yes, test the full flow, including refunds and cancelled orders, in PayPal's Sandbox first. Order statuses and webhook events differ from PayPal Standard's IPN messages, so a straight swap without testing can surface edge cases.
Should I keep both gateways enabled during migration?
Only temporarily, and only if you have subscribers still relying on PayPal Standard. Once everyone's moved, disable PayPal Standard rather than leaving both live indefinitely.
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I'm Emmanuel, a Shopify and WooCommerce developer. If this tool pointed at something you'd rather have fixed for you (a faster store, cleaner product data, a migration, a custom feature), send me a note.
Emmanuel Asika
Shopify & WooCommerce developer, Dublin
I build and fix online stores: new builds, migrations, speed, SEO and the custom bits apps can't do.
Last reviewed 30 September 2026.
Sources: WooCommerce: PayPal Standard document (deprecation notice)