PayPal Integration
Paypal, one of the largest payment gateways, connects seamlessly with TicketingHub, the fastest reservation system for Tours and activities.
Every extra step at checkout costs bookings. For a lot of travellers — especially those on a phone, abroad, or wary of typing card numbers into an unfamiliar site — the fastest way to pay is the PayPal account they already have. Offering PayPal alongside card payments in your TicketingHub checkout removes that hesitation and captures bookings you would otherwise lose.
What is PayPal?
PayPal is one of the world's largest online payment platforms, used by hundreds of millions of people to pay and transfer money securely. Instead of entering card details on each website, customers log in to their PayPal account and approve the payment — their card or bank details stay with PayPal, not with the merchant. For businesses, PayPal provides a merchant account that receives payments and pays out to a linked bank account, along with its own dashboard for tracking transactions, disputes, and refunds.
For tour and activity operators, the appeal is trust and speed: guests recognise the button, they don't need their physical card in hand, and the whole payment takes a few taps.
How PayPal works with TicketingHub
TicketingHub never handles money for clients. Instead, we connect your booking widget to your own payment providers — Stripe, PayPal, or one of the 100+ gateways available via Spreedly. With PayPal activated, guests simply choose the PayPal option at checkout, log in, and approve the payment. The money goes directly into your PayPal business account, and the booking is confirmed in your TicketingHub dashboard like any other sale.
- Easy payments: guests pay in a few taps, without typing card details.
- Safe and secure: PayPal is a trusted payment platform, and TicketingHub never stores or accesses card data.
- No credit card needed: customers can pay from their PayPal balance or linked bank account.
- Global reach: PayPal is available to buyers worldwide, which matters when your guests come from everywhere.
One difference from Stripe worth knowing: with Stripe, TicketingHub's fees are deducted automatically from each transaction. With PayPal, the full payment lands in your PayPal account, and TicketingHub invoices its fees separately for reconciliation.
If you also connect Spreedly, you can go a step further: accept credit cards directly inside the TicketingHub widget, bypassing the redirect to PayPal for card payers, while still offering the PayPal button for guests who prefer it. The two work well side by side.
Where it makes a difference
International guests who won't type a card number
A traveller booking a food tour from another country may hesitate at an unfamiliar checkout. The PayPal button is a familiar landmark: they log in to an account they already trust, and PayPal handles any currency conversion on their side. You get the booking instead of an abandoned cart.
Mobile bookings on the move
A large share of last-minute activity bookings happen on phones — often outside your venue or on hotel wifi. Fishing a card out of a wallet on a busy street is a real barrier. PayPal turns that into a fingerprint or face scan, which is exactly what a same-day booker needs.
Guests who prefer not to use cards at all
Some customers simply don't want to use a credit card online. PayPal lets them pay from a balance or a linked bank account, so offering it alongside card checkout widens the audience your booking widget can convert.
How to connect PayPal
- Select your supplier name in the TicketingHub dashboard.
- Go to Settings → Integrations, then open Payment Providers.
- Find PayPal and select Activate.
- Sign in to the PayPal business account that should receive your payments and approve the connection on PayPal's website.
- Return to Payment Providers and check that PayPal shows as active.
PayPal may ask you to verify your business or bank account before all payment and payout features are available. Once connected, make a low-value test booking, pay with PayPal, and confirm the order shows as paid in TicketingHub and the transaction appears in your PayPal dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
Does TicketingHub hold my money?
No. Payments go directly from your customer to your own PayPal business account. TicketingHub connects the checkout to your account but never touches the funds.
How are TicketingHub's fees collected on PayPal bookings?
Unlike Stripe, where fees are deducted automatically, PayPal payments arrive in full and TicketingHub invoices its fees separately for reconciliation.
Can I offer PayPal and card payments together?
Yes — and you should. Multiple payment methods can run simultaneously, so guests choose whichever they prefer at checkout. Many operators pair PayPal with Stripe or a Spreedly-connected gateway.
How do refunds work?
You issue the refund from TicketingHub and it is processed back through PayPal. One quirk for some US business accounts: PayPal may require a verified ACH bank account before it can fund a refund. If a refund fails with that message, verify the linked bank account in PayPal and retry — the fix is on PayPal's side, not in TicketingHub.
Do I need a special PayPal account?
You need your own PayPal business account. TicketingHub does not process payments on your behalf, so the account — and the payouts — are yours.
Will guests leave my website to pay?
Guests approve the payment through PayPal's secure flow and return to your confirmation. If you want card payers to stay entirely inside the booking widget, connect Spreedly alongside PayPal for direct in-widget card processing.
Does PayPal work for in-person sales too?
PayPal in TicketingHub is an online checkout option. For in-person card payments, use the TicketingHub Outpost POS app with a card reader such as SumUp or Zettle — and note that Zettle is itself part of the PayPal family, so the brands often go hand in hand.
Curious how PayPal would look in your own checkout? Book a free TicketingHub demo and we'll set up a test together.
