For many Shopware merchants, PayPal has long been viewed as just another payment option – a button in the checkout that some customers prefer. And not just for merchants. During a recent road trip visiting German Shopware partners, the Shopware DevRel team learned a thing or two about PayPal's products from Stefan Martens, Developers Commercial Lead at PayPal, that we felt needed more attention. PayPal's evolving capabilities present a compelling case for agencies to make it their go-to payment solution right now. With features rolling out in phases across Europe – some fully deployed, others in progress – agencies that commit to PayPal today position themselves ahead of the curve, ready to deliver next-generation commerce experiences as they become available. The gap between early adopters and those who wait will only widen as these features mature.
Current rollout status and timeline
PayPal's feature rollout in Europe follows a staged approach:
Vaulting functionality for secure payment storage and subscriptions is fully deployed.
One-time payment features through PayNow functionality have reached 50% deployment.
Express Checkout modules, particularly shipping and contact modules enabling streamlined purchase flows, aren't yet available.
Shopware and PayPal are working closely together to deliver these new features over the next months to Shopware shops, ensuring seamless integration as capabilities become available.
Agency opportunities and referral program
The referral program launching in November 2025 is a game-changer that rewards agencies for choosing PayPal as their primary payment partner. Historically, agencies could integrate technical solutions but lacked direct PayPal channels when clients needed support, rate negotiations, or feature clarifications. Merchants navigated PayPal's support independently, often settling for standard rates. The new program provides agencies direct access to PayPal account managers, transforming them from technical implementers to payment strategy consultants. Agencies can facilitate conversations about custom rates, specialized features, and strategic optimization, and developers can rely on a to-be-launched Discord channel for technical support while financial incentives provide reasonable compensation, the real value lies in securing better-than-standard rates for clients. Agencies that establish these relationships now will have significant advantages as more advanced features roll out.
Point-of-Sale integration and unified commerce
PayPal's expansion into point-of-sale systems creates unified commerce, bridging online and offline channels. For Shopware merchants operating both ecommerce sites and physical stores, this consolidates payment processing into a single account reporting. The integration enables true omnichannel experiences, where customers can purchase online and return in-store, or check in-store availability while shopping online, within the same payment ecosystem. For Shopware specifically, POS transactions could flow through the same systems as online orders, simplifying reconciliation. Merchants using Shopware's existing ERP integrations could see POS data automatically synchronized with backend systems, eliminating separate integration points for physical and digital channels. The technical architecture supports various POS hardware options while maintaining security standards for in-person transactions, including contactless payments, chip cards, and mobile wallets. Shopware and PayPal are developing deep integration capabilities that prepare merchants for the future of agentic commerce – where AI-powered assistants handle shopping tasks autonomously. This integration provides agencies with the tools to make their clients' shops ready for this major change. As shopping evolves from manual browsing to intelligent automation, merchants with strong, unified payment infrastructure will capture transactions from AI agents that research, compare, and purchase on behalf of consumers. Agencies implementing these solutions now give their clients a first-mover advantage in the emerging world of autonomous commerce.
Business credit and platform upgrade financing
For agencies, PayPal's business credit program becomes a powerful sales tool, removing the biggest objection to digital transformation projects. Many B2B Shopware merchants operate on outdated technology but hesitate at the capital expenditure for replatforming projects costing €50,000 or more. The program converts large capital expenses into manageable operational expenses over one to three years. The ROI calculation proves compelling. Consider a merchant processing €2 million annually on an outdated platform: migration to modern Shopware, improving conversion rates by 2-3% (conservative for legacy system upgrades), generates €40,000-60,000 additional revenue. Combined with €10,000-15,000 annual payment processing savings through better rates, loan payments essentially self-fund through increased efficiency and revenue. Agencies can now propose complete transformation packages with built-in financing, eliminating budget objections and accelerating project timelines.
Strategic planning for tomorrow's commerce
The window for agencies to establish themselves as PayPal specialists is now. PayPal's roadmap indicates continued evolution. The planned new payment methods deployed quarterly mean today's integration automatically supports tomorrow's preferences. Express Checkout improvements, once fully deployed and integrated with Shopware, promise conversion improvements. These all mean direct revenue growth without additional marketing spend. Agencies that build PayPal expertise today – understanding the platform, establishing account manager relationships, and mastering the integration – will benefit from that tomorrow. Success requires thinking beyond transaction fees to total ownership cost, conversion optimization, and strategic flexibility. Agencies must communicate feature availability transparently while merchants evaluate PayPal's trajectory alongside current capabilities. Those who commit to PayPal as their primary payment solution now, rather than waiting for full feature deployment, position themselves for sustainable growth in increasingly complex commerce environments.
