Table of content:
Why offer PayPal for Recurring Payments?
PayPal is one of the world's most trusted digital wallets – and your customers are already using it:
- 430 million active customer accounts worldwide
- Available in 200+ markets – a global payment solution for European merchants
- Shoppers are up to 3x more likely to complete a purchase when PayPal is available at checkout (Source: PayPal Checkout Study, 2023)
- 26.3 billion transactions processed through PayPal in 2024
- An average of 60 payments per year per active account.
Now available for subscription models too: With PayPal Vault, Saferpay merchants can securely store a customer's payment details after the first checkout and process all future transactions automatically – without requiring the customer to confirm each payment.
What is a Payment Vault?
A "Payment Vault" is a secure digital safe that encrypts and stores a customer's payment details, making them reusable for future transactions. Instead of handling sensitive details directly, merchants use a token that represents the stored payment method to process future transactions.
With PayPal Vault, a customer’s payment method (PayPal account or card) is securely stored by PayPal and represented by a token. This means:
- Future payments are processed automatically via the stored PayPal account
- No need to log in or confirm again
- Data is stored PCI DSS-compliantly by PayPal – never on your server
What is PayPal Vault used for?
PayPal Vault is suitable for any business model involving recurring or stored payments:
- SaaS subscriptions: Software licences, cloud services, tools
- Mobility & rental services: Car-sharing, e-scooters, bike-sharing
- Membership programmes: Gyms, clubs, premium access
- Automatic bill payments: Insurance, telecoms contracts
- Prepaid balance auto-reload: Gaming platforms, prepaid cards
- Pay-per-use platforms: Streaming, gaming, usage-based billing
- Faster repeat purchases: Online shops with returning customers
The result: Fewer payment drop-offs, predictable revenue, and higher customer lifetime value – without manual effort on every transaction.
How do payments with PayPal Vault work?
PayPal Vault offers three usage modes – depending on your business model:
- Save on checkout: The customer pays and simultaneously authorises the storage of their payment method. Ideal for online shops that want to offer returning customers a faster checkout next time.
- Save without charge: The payment method is stored without an immediate charge. Ideal for free trials, pre-registrations, or usage-based billing – e.g. car-sharing or cloud services.
- Scheduled billing: Customers are automatically charged on a set schedule – monthly, annually, or usage-based. No manual approval by the customer needed. Ideal for SaaS subscriptions and memberships.
Your benefits as a merchant
How your customers experience the PayPal Vault checkout?
The payment process for your customers is simple – just 4 steps:
Choose PayPal
The customer selects PayPal as their payment method on the Saferpay payment page.
Log in
The customer signs in to their PayPal account.
Pay & save
The customer pays and simultaneously authorises the storage of their payment method for future transactions.
Receive confirmation
The customer receives a payment confirmation. All future payments are processed automatically – no need to log in again.
How to activate PayPal Vault via Saferpay
Prerequisite: You need an active PayPal business account.
- Start PayPal re-onboarding: Log in to your Saferpay Backoffice and navigate to Settings > Payment Means & Terminals. Select the terminal on which PayPal is activated.
- Configure PayPal Vault: Click "Configure" next to PayPal and follow the re-onboarding process. Saferpay will guide you through the PayPal Vault activation step by step.
Cost: Using PayPal Vault via Saferpay is included in your existing Saferpay contract – no additional setup fees apply. Transaction fees are based on your PayPal business agreement.
Detailed technical guide: PayPal Vault in the Saferpay documentation
Integration questions? Please contact our Saferpay Integration Support: integration.saferpay@worldline.com
FAQ: Questions about PayPal Vault
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PayPal Vault is a tokenisation feature that allows merchants to securely store a customer's PayPal account and reuse it for future transactions. Unlike a regular PayPal payment — where the customer must log in and confirm every time — PayPal Vault requires the customer to save payment method just once. All subsequent payments are then processed automatically. It is ideal for subscription models, recurring invoices, and pay-per-use services.
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Yes. PayPal Vault uses tokenisation: the customer's actual payment data is replaced by a unique token and is never stored directly on the merchant's server. Storage is handled PCI DSS-compliantly by PayPal. The customer actively saves PayPal payment method using their standard authentication method.
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PayPal Vault is particularly suited for:
- SaaS companies (monthly/annual software subscriptions)
- Membership programmes (gyms, clubs, premium access)
- Mobility & sharing services (car-sharing, e-scooters)
- Digital platforms (streaming, gaming, pay-per-use)
- Automatic invoicing (insurance, telecommunications)
- Prepaid services (auto-reload of balances)
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If you are already using Saferpay, you can activate PayPal Vault in just a few minutes:
- Ensure you have a valid PayPal business account.
- Log in to your Saferpay Backoffice.
- Navigate to Settings > Payment Means & Terminals.
- Select your terminal and click "Configure" next to PayPal.
- Follow the re-onboarding process.
- A detailed guide is available in the Saferpay PayPal documentation.
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No. The customer uses their existing PayPal account. During the first checkout, they select PayPal as their payment method, log in, and authorise storage of payment method. All future payments are processed automatically — no need to log in again, no app download, no registration required.
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The customer can revoke the Vault authorisation at any time in their PayPal account settings. Once revoked, no further automatic payments can be processed for that customer. The merchant is notified of the status change and can contact the customer to set up a new payment method.
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PayPal Vault is available via Saferpay in all countries where Saferpay supports PayPal payments. This includes the key European e-commerce markets, including Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Benelux and more. Check current availability in your Saferpay Backoffice or contact Worldline customer service.
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With manual subscription payments, customers often forget to pay or drop off because the checkout process is too cumbersome. PayPal Vault fully automates this process: as long as the customer does not revoke their authorisation, payments are processed automatically. This eliminates the most common causes of involuntary churn — failed payments, expired cards, or forgotten passwords.
Still not a Worldline Saferpay customer?
No problem. We will be happy to advise you on the right solution for your checkout.