The PayPal Pay Later service (or Pay in 4x) allows your customers to make purchases in multiple payments, while you receive the full amount immediately in your PayPal merchant account. Standard fees apply; see the PayPal documentation for more information.
This option, integrated into the PrestaShop Checkout module, is fully managed by PayPal: display, eligibility, processing, and risk management.
General Overview
The Pay Later button is injected by the PayPal JavaScript SDK. It is only displayed when the transaction context is eligible according to PayPal’s criteria.
If the context is not eligible, the button does not appear or the payment is redirected to a standard PayPal payment.
Eligibility Conditions
Eligibility criteria depend on your country and the currency used.
Here are the main criteria for France:
- Be based in France
- Have a site intended for the French market
- Process transactions in euros (EUR)
- Use a one-time payment integration
- Comply with the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy
- Do not modify the messages or visuals related to Pay Later (PayPal reserves the right to take action in case of unauthorized modification)
Official reference: PayPal Documentation – Pay Later France
For other countries, you can consult the specific criteria by navigating this same page.
Cases of Ineligibility
Even if the above criteria are met, PayPal may refuse or hide the Pay Later option for certain buyers, particularly in the following cases:
- The customer’s PayPal account does not meet eligibility conditions (history, status, verification).
- The customer has already reached their deferred payments limit.
- The PayPal system detects a risk or unusual activity.
- The cart contains a product or an amount not compatible with installment payments.
These decisions are made automatically by PayPal via its risk analysis algorithms and do not depend on the PrestaShop Checkout module.
Points to Note
- The PrestaShop Checkout module does not intervene in the eligibility decision.
- In the case of a successful Pay Later transaction, the order is recorded as a standard PayPal payment in PrestaShop (there is currently no visible distinction between PayPal and Pay Later in your back office).
Best Practices
Check that your PrestaShop Checkout module is up to date
The latest versions contain compatibility improvements with the PayPal SDK.
Do not modify the SDK code or the Pay Later button
Any manual adjustments may disrupt the behavior or block its display.
Check your account’s currency and country
For France, if the account is not FR or the currency is different from EUR, Pay Later may be disabled.
Inform your customers
Clearly indicate that installment payments are subject to PayPal eligibility, to avoid any confusion.