Embedding flexible payment options into WordPress forms allows you to easily collect payments, donations, tips, event fees, etc directly on your website without needing an eCommerce platform.
But accepting payments online also comes with security, compliance, and technical considerations.
This complete guide will explain everything you need to know to safely and easily add payments to WordPress forms in 2023.
Why Add Payments to WordPress Forms?
WordPress powers over 43% of all websites, which means embedded payment forms can significantly expand your reach and revenue opportunities by allowing purchases directly on your existing site.
Some examples of why you may want to add payments to WordPress forms:
- Non-Profit Donations – Allow visitors to donate or tip any amount.
- Event Registrations – Charge set ticket prices or "pay what you want" entrance fees.
- Membership Sites – Provide subscriber-only access and content.
- Online Courses – Sell video lessons, PDFs, and other digital downloads.
- Consulting Services – Get paid for calls, contracted work, etc.
The built-in eCommerce options are also more lightweight than configuring a full online store in WooCommerce or similar platform.
And with WordPress powering over 43% of all websites globally, seamlessly integrating payments into your existing site allows you to tap into a much wider audience and potential customer base.
Now let‘s explore some secure and compliant ways to easily integrate payments into WordPress forms.
Choosing the Best WordPress Payment Solutions
There are great purpose-built solutions available that handle all the complex compliance, security, and development work required to safely and easily accept payments online through WordPress.
When assessing platforms, here are the key criteria to consider:
👉 Security – The solution should encrypt sensitive payment details at every step and store them on validated PCI compliant servers. This helps protect you and your customers.
👉 Compliance – It must adhere to strict regulatory standards globally like the EU’s PSD2 and Strong Customer Authentication requirements. This reduces liability risks.
👉 Fees – Minimize overhead by avoiding solutions with higher payment commissions or hidden charges.
👉 Integration – Look for seamless WordPress integration out of the box without major development work required.
👉 Support – Check for resources like documentation, tutorials, and developer/customer support channels.
Based on the above criteria, two of the top integrated payment solutions for WordPress forms are:
Stripe – The leading online payment processor for websites and apps. Known for competitive fees, built-in security, compliance and excellent support.
WPForms – The most popular WordPress form builder plugin with integrated Stripe payments in the Pro version. More than 7 million sites use WPForms to easily create payment forms.
Now let‘s see how easy it is to add a payment option to a WordPress form using Stripe and WPForms.
Step-by-Step: Creating a Payment Form in WordPress
Follow this simple 7 step checklist to seamlessly embed payment capabilities within a WordPress form using WPForms and Stripe:
Step 1) Get WPForms Pro
Start by installing the WPForms plugin, then upgrade to the Pro version which unlocks payment integrations and other advanced features for $199 per year.
Step 2) Setup a Stripe Account
Next, register for a Stripe account which is 100% free. They only charge competitive payment processing fees per transaction with no monthly fees.
🛒 Sign Up for a Stripe Account
Step 3) Connect Stripe in WPForms Plugin
Inside your WordPress dashboard, go to WPForms > Settings > Payments and click Connect with Stripe. Follow the quick setup prompts.
Step 4) Build a WordPress Form
Then in WPForms, build out a contact form, subscription sign up form, or whatever works for your purpose. You can select from pre-made templates or create your own custom form.
Step 5) Embed Payment Field
On the Payments tab, check Enable and select Credit Card and Stripe Checkout which will embed a credit card payment field in your WordPress form.
Step 6) Collect Payment Details
You can choose whether to collect billing details directly onsite or through a Stripe popup using Checkout. Use Checkout for lower abandonment rates.
Step 7) Insert Form via Shortcode
Finally, insert your published payment form into any WordPress page or post using the generated WPForms shortcode.
And that‘s it! Now you have a fast, secure way to collect payments through WordPress forms.
Example Payment Form Use Cases
Some examples of what you can build with integrated WordPress payment forms:
- Donation collection – Add a payment field to a newsletter sign up form allowing visitors to leave a tip if they wish.
- Event ticketing – Charge visitors who RSVP for online or in-person events and workshops.
- Consulting services – Have clients pay scheduling deposits for 1-on-1 consulting calls.
- Memberships – Provide subscriber-exclusive access and content for a monthly fee.
WPForms handles collecting and securing payment details which are synced right to your Stripe account dashboard for payout.
Key Advantages of Using Stripe and WPForms for Payments
Combining Stripe and WPForms provides the easiest way to embed payment options into WordPress forms with powerful benefits like:
⭐ Zero development or coding required thanks to WPForms seamless integration. You can create a payment form entirely visually.
⭐ Built-in security and compliance so all sensitive data is encrypted and validated by Stripe‘s industry leading protocols.
⭐ Lowest payment processing fees starting at 2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge in the U.S. with no monthly costs. See Stripe Fees
⭐ Global reach with built-in support for local payment methods in over 135 currencies to best convert worldwide audiences.
⭐ One unified dashboard to manage payments, customers, reporting and payouts all through Stripe.
⭐ Excellent support resources like Stripe‘s detailed documentation and WPForms responsive customer support channels.
For a secure, compliant, cost-effective way to quickly embed payments in WordPress forms – Stripe + WPForms is a proven solution leveraged on more than 7 million websites globally.
Final Thoughts on Payment-Enabled WordPress Forms
Embedding flexible payment collection directly into your WordPress forms helps capture more revenue while providing custom purchasing options for your audience.
And leveraging secure, optimized solutions like Stripe and WPForms streamlines compliance and operations so you can focus more on growing your business.
Now over to you – what types of payment forms do you want to integrate into your WordPress site? Let me know if you have any other questions!
