Small BusinessCommerceE-commerce

Get paid for the holidays: a smart checklist for seasonal selling

Laura Gower, Content ManagerPayPalLaura Gower, Content ManagerPayPal

September 29, 2026

September 29, 2026

4 mins read

Whether you're running a full-time business, mastering a side hustle, or selling at a few festive pop-up events this year, getting paid can be just as simple, wherever you are and however you sell.

Four quick wins to help you collect payment this season, online, in person, and everywhere in between.

Key takeaways

  • Showing PayPal Pay Later before checkout helps drives more of the conversion lift than simply having it available.
  • Tap to Pay, Invoicing, and Payment Links cover in-person, billing, and social/no-website selling — pick the ones that match how you actually sell.
  • Shoppers expect payment flexibility across all channels, whether that means offering Tap to Pay at a local pop-up or a Pay Later option online.
  • Every tip below takes minutes to set up, no developer required.

Holiday tip #1: Show PayPal Pay Later early on product pages

43% of shoppers say they would abandon their cart if there weren’t PayPal Pay Later options available at an SMB.1

Having Pay Later available is only half the win. Where shoppers see payment options is what can actually help drive conversion. Merchants who add PayPal Pay Later messaging upstream, on product and cart pages instead of only at checkout, saw total sales lift as a result.2

The fix costs nothing extra and takes no complex integration to turn on: add Pay Later messaging or a second button to your existing product and cart pages, before shoppers ever reach checkout.

Early visibility. Bigger holiday sales. Optimize now.

Action: Add Pay Later messaging to your product and cart pages in a few minutes with PayPal Pay Later messaging setup.

Holiday tip #2: Use Tap to Pay for stress-free sales

51% of people say they would stop shopping with a merchant that doesn’t offer contactless payments.3

The holidays move fast, and shoppers move even faster. From food trucks to vendors at festive fairs, holiday markets, or popup events, keep up with the pace by accepting contactless payments on-the-go with Tap to Pay on the PayPal app.

All you need is your phone and the PayPal app to start accepting cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more, wherever you sell.

Win Win Coffee uses contactless payments to sell more, in more places.

"People are more apt to purchase something if they can do it quickly."

~ Matt Nam, Co-Founder of Win Win Coffee

Action: Set up Tap to Pay for your business in just a few minutes.

Holiday tip #3: “Sleigh” your invoicing with better billing tools

77% of PayPal invoices are paid within just one day.4

The holiday rush is no time to get tangled up in tinsel...or invoicing. Caterers, decorators, photographers and event planners need smart invoicing tools that work for you during busy seasons—not against you.

With PayPal Invoicing, you can send branded, professional invoices via email, link, or QR code. Clients can use their preferred payment method, and you get paid fast.

PayPal Invoicing helps founders spend time on their business, instead of paperwork.

"PayPal streamlines the invoicing process and greatly supports my bookkeeping, helping me keep everything organized and efficient."

~ Michelle Mansfield-Hom, Founder of Bouquet of Basil Herbals

Action: Create custom invoices for free with PayPal Invoicing. Try it now.

Holiday tip #4: Use Payment Links to turn social posts into sales

Sellers saw a 28% boost in sales after adding Payment Links to their existing checkout options.5

No website or holiday storefront? No problem. With Payment Links from PayPal, social media sellers, seasonal service providers, nonprofits, holiday event ticketers, and more can generate a custom link or QR code for any product or service in seconds.6

You can share your link or QR code via email, text, DM, or in your social media posts and bios. Shoppers check out with encrypted, flexible payment options, from 200+ markets, and in 130+ currencies.

“Payment Links are simple, reliable, and convenient—perfect for getting paid without building a custom checkout.”

~ Jack Laufer, Brokerless

Action: Create a no-code, checkout experience in just a few taps. Generate your first Pay Link now.

Wrapping up

Ring in the season with smart, fast, and easy payment options. Create or log in to your PayPal Business account and get started.

Keep building your holiday toolkit

Need more strategies to handle the seasonal rush? Check out these resources to help optimize your store and streamline operations:

FAQs

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