How to resolve PayPal checkout issues on my online store?

[arizolee]

i love the idea of owning and operating a store but the hell i have been through with this app. I don't want my customers to be experiencing this issue such as check out  and payment not accepted for that i can lose sales people beginning to become uninterested. i use PayPal credit/debit card payments since shopify  is not in my region for payments and i have been trying to figure it out i tried the web preferences on PayPal and nothing works i tried clearing cookies and cache and i can't seem to find the answer neither from shopify or PayPal. so if you have any solutions please provide it because this means a lot to me 

[DaisyVo]

Hi @arizolee 

I completely understand your frustration—it’s tough to feel like technical issues are getting in the way of your store's potential. Let's go through some possible solutions to help you resolve the payment issues and keep things running smoothly for your customers.

1. Double-Check PayPal Account Settings

• Log into your PayPal Business account and go to Account Settings > Website Payments.
• Ensure that "PayPal Account Optional" is enabled. This allows customers without a PayPal account to pay with a debit or credit card.
• In API Access settings, make sure you have the correct API credentials (Client ID and Secret Key) and that they’re entered correctly in Shopify.

2. Check Shopify Payment Gateway Settings

• In your Shopify Admin, go to Settings > Payments.
• If you’ve connected PayPal, try disconnecting and reconnecting the integration to refresh the connection.
• When re-adding PayPal, Shopify will typically require you to log into PayPal during the setup process. Make sure you follow each step, as missing a prompt can sometimes interrupt the setup.

3. Test Payments and Payment Flow

• Use a test product to go through the full checkout flow yourself. You may want to try different devices and browsers to see if the issue is specific to a certain setup.
• Make sure you’re logged out of any accounts or using an incognito/private browsing window for a cleaner test.
• If possible, ask a friend or family member to try making a test purchase as well. This can help confirm if the problem is universal or isolated to your setup.

4. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies Again

• I know you’ve already tried clearing cookies and cache, but do this on both Shopify and PayPal pages just to be sure. Sometimes specific browser extensions can interfere, so disabling any unnecessary ones might help as well.

5. Check for Regional Limitations and Restrictions

• Since Shopify Payments isn’t available in your region, it’s important to confirm with PayPal that there are no regional restrictions on receiving credit or debit card payments.
• Contact PayPal support directly (via their business support line if possible) and explain the situation. Ask if there are any account-level limitations that could prevent checkout on certain devices or networks.

6. Consider Alternative Payment Gateways

• If PayPal continues to be unreliable, you could look into alternative payment gateways that Shopify supports and that operate in your region. Options like 2Checkout (now Verifone) or DPO are sometimes available in regions where Shopify Payments is restricted.
• Adding a backup payment gateway can help ensure that you don’t lose sales if one service is down.

7. Monitor and Communicate with Shopify Support

• Sometimes issues on Shopify’s end can cause temporary problems with third-party payment gateways. Contact Shopify Support directly and ask if there are any known issues with PayPal in your region.
• Check Shopify’s Status Page for real-time updates on system outages that may affect payment gateways.

8. Enable Abandoned Cart Emails

• To reduce the impact of customers dropping off due to payment issues, set up abandoned cart emails to remind customers to complete their purchase. This way, if a transaction fails, you still have a chance to reach out and encourage them to try again once the issue is resolved.

I hope these steps help you get things back on track! It sounds like you’re doing everything you can to make a great experience for your customers, and that determination will pay off. Let me know if there’s anything more specific you’d like guidance on, and I’ll be happy to help.

Best regards,
Daisy