What it does
PayWhirl adds subscriptions, memberships and payment plans to existing websites through widgets, hosted pages or a software API. Customers can manage their payment details and subscriptions through a portal. Its multi-platform Starter account has no monthly subscription fee, but transaction and payment-provider fees apply.
Build a selling plan, then place it on your site
After account registration, open Selling Plans and create the price and billing schedule. Plans can charge once, repeat at chosen intervals, end after a fixed number of installments, or separate prepaid billing from delivery dates. Add the plan to a widget and paste its embed code into the website.
PayWhirl's setup guide starts widgets on a Test Gateway. Before accepting real orders, connect a live provider and switch each widget and portal registration to that provider. Test customers cannot be converted into live customers.
Multi-platform fees
| Plan | Monthly subscription | PayWhirl transaction rate |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | None | 3% |
| Business Pro | Paid | 2% |
| Business Plus | Paid | 1% |
| Business Ultimate | Paid | 0.5% |
Payment-provider charges are additional. Shopify uses a separate app and price schedule. The pricing page displays dollar amounts for paid plans, so confirm the billing denomination when selecting one. Available countries, currencies and settlement conditions also depend on the connected payment provider.
Strengths
- Selling plans can use fixed installments or custom recurring schedules
- Customers can update their own payment and subscription details
Watch out for
- Starter still charges 3% per transaction, plus provider fees
- Test customers cannot be converted into live customers
Best for
- Businesses adding memberships or recurring offers to a custom website
Sources
- PayWhirl Subscription Billing Software | Recurring Payments (Oct 28, 2026)
- PayWhirl Pricing | Subscription Billing Plans (Oct 28, 2026)
- Subscription Billing Features | PayWhirl (Oct 28, 2026)
- PayWhirl Setup and Quick Start Guide (Oct 28, 2026)
- PayWhirl Terms of Use (Oct 28, 2026)