PayPal and Venmo can be enabled as payment options within the standard Payment widget on forms. They can be offered alongside Slate Payments or configured as the sole payment method.

Your institution must have its own PayPal Business account to accept PayPal or Venmo payments. If one does not already exist, it will need to be created as part of the setup process.

Create a PayPal/Venmo Deposit Account and Connect to your Institution's PayPal Account

Note: Venmo is owned by PayPal, so your institution only needs one set of account credentials (PayPal).

1. Select Database on the Slate navigation bar and click the Slate Payments Deposit Accounts link in the Configurations section.

   

2. Click New Account

   

3. Enter the following information:

   • Deposit Account Name: Provide the internal (Slate) name of the account associated with your PayPal account.

   • Memo: Provide a description of the account to use as an internal reference.

   • Email to use for notifications: Provide the email address of the person or office to receive notifications pertaining to this account.

   

4. Upon saving, a few new buttons will appear (Connect this account to PayPayl, Delete, and Archive). Select Connect this account to PayPal.

   

5. Enter your institution's PayPal login credentials or follow the prompts to create a new account.

   

6. After completing the PayPal connection, return to Slate and open the Deposit Account you created. You should see that it is now linked and displays a unique PayPal ID, confirming the connection was successful.

   

Once connected, PayPal/Venmo will be available as selectable options in the Payment form widget (alongside Slate Payments, if enabled). You may create multiple Deposit Accounts and connect each to a different PayPal account—or connect multiple Slate Deposit Accounts to the same PayPal account, if needed.

📝 Note

Connecting your institution’s PayPal account only authorizes Slate to process payments. No funds will be collected until a form is submitted using the Payment widget with PayPal or Venmo selected.

Adding PayPal/Venmo to a Form

Once your PayPal account has been connected to a Deposit Account in Slate, PayPal/Venmo can be enabled on any form that uses the embedded Payment widget.

1. Add the Payment Form Widget to the form.

   • Enter a field label and complete any standard configuration settings as needed.

2. Next to Embed Payment Form, select Enable Embedded Payment Collection on Form.

3. Next to Payment Processor, select Use PayPal/Venmo.

   • You may also select Use Slate Payments if you would like to offer both options.

4. Select the appropriate PayPal Account from the dropdown menu.

   • If only one Deposit Account is connected, it will be selected by default.

   • If multiple accounts exist, be sure to choose the correct account for this form.

   

The User Experience

When PayPal/Venmo is enabled on a form, the selected payment options appear directly within the Payment widget.

• If both Slate Payments and PayPal/Venmo are enabled, users can choose their preferred payment method.

• If only PayPal/Venmo is enabled, only the PayPal and Venmo options appear.

💡Learn more about other supported payment methods, including Apple Pay and Google Pay, in the Slate Payments FAQs.

Paying with Paypal

1. Click PayPal on the Payment widget.

2. Log in using PayPal credentials in the popup window.

3. Select a payment method and click Pay.

4. The user must then submit the form to complete the transaction.

Paying with Venmo

1. Click Venmo on the Payment widget.

2. The Venmo app opens with the payment amount applied.

3. Authorize the payment in the Venmo app and return to the form.

4. The user must then submit the form to complete the transaction.

💡Venmo payments are supported on mobile devices with the Venmo app installed. The Venmo option will appear when the form is opened in a supported mobile browser (Safari on iOS or Chrome on Android). If accessing the form on desktop, users may be prompted to scan a QR code using the Venmo app to complete the transaction.

For additional details and troubleshooting, refer to Venmo’s support documentation.

Fees

PayPal charges standard transaction fees for business accounts. Rates may vary by account type and transaction category.

Verified 501(c)(3) nonprofits are eligible for a discounted domestic transaction rate of 1.99% + $0.49 per transaction once their charity status has been confirmed by PayPal.

To receive the nonprofit rate, institutions must apply and verify their charitable status through PayPal Charities.

During the verification process, PayPal may request documentation such as proof of tax-exempt status and bank account information. Requirements are determined by PayPal and may vary by organization.

For the most current fee information, refer directly to PayPal’s pricing documentation.

Payment Details and Auditing

PayPal/Venmo transactions appear in Slate just like other Slate Payments. Details are visible on the individual record and in the Payment History section. These transactions are associated with both a Deposit Account and a Payment Account, and display a payment type of “PayPal.”

Because they are logged in Slate, PayPal/Venmo transactions can be queried and exported for reconciliation. Transaction details are also available within your institution’s PayPal account.

Unlike Slate Payments, fund transfer and settlement are managed entirely through your institution’s PayPal account. Payout schedules, timing, and related questions should be directed to PayPal.

Refunds must also be processed directly in PayPal. After issuing a refund in PayPal, a manual Payment Refunded Activity should be added to the record in Slate, consistent with other external payment processors. If applicable, you may also need to reverse the associated gift.