# PayPal buttons missing or misplaced in classic checkout

Market: WooCommerce

WooCommerce store owners using classic checkout want PayPal and card payment buttons to display correctly and, in one case, to be placed at the top of the page.

Source: https://idea.2folk.com/clusters/19

## Verdict: watch (low confidence)

Real checkout pain affects payments, but only three lines, no price signals, and likely fixable by the official plugin vendor.

## The problem

On WooCommerce classic checkout, PayPal and card buttons sometimes don't appear, or show wrong options like an untitled Google Pay radio. Merchants also can't move express buttons higher. Shoppers may be unable to pay, and carts may be abandoned.

Who: WooCommerce store owners and developers using classic checkout with PayPal. Business size is not stated.

Would they pay? none. No prices or wish to pay found in the lines.

## Idea: Checkout Button Doctor

A WooCommerce plugin that diagnoses why PayPal and card buttons are missing on classic checkout, and lets merchants place express buttons at the top with a setting or shortcode.

Smallest version:
- Diagnostic page checking gateway settings, theme and script conflicts
- Shortcode or hook to place express buttons above checkout form
- Fix toggles hiding disabled gateways such as untitled radios

Why it can win: It focuses on classic checkout quirks and placement control that the official PayPal plugin does not appear to offer.

## Tools people use instead

- none named

## Risks

- Only 3 lines from a single source; demand may be tiny
- The official PayPal plugin may fix bugs or add placement itself
- Bugs likely vary by site, making a general diagnostic hard to build

## Test it this week

- Search WordPress support forums for more PayPal classic checkout missing-button threads and count them
- Message the three posters offering to look at their issue and ask what they'd pay
- Post in WooCommerce Facebook or Reddit groups asking who needs express buttons moved to the top of checkout

## Size

- Posts: 3
- Unique authors: 3
- Average severity: 2.7 of 5
- First seen: 2026-08-31. Last seen: 2026-09-10
- Trend: 0 posts in the last 28 days, 3 in the 28 days before
- Authors who say they plan to switch: 0

## Who has the problem

- developer \(1\)
- merchant \(1\)

Store size hints:
- none found

## What they do today

- Uses custom filter code that works on other sites, but it fails here

## Tools named

Tools they complain about:
- none found

Alternatives they name:
- none found

## Price hints

- none found

## Evidence (top 3 by severity)

- [PayPal button does not appear on checkout when the classic PayPal option is selected, though the credit card option shows its place order button.](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/paypal-classic-button-not-shown/) — 2026-09-09, wordpress, severity 3
- [PayPal buttons and the credit card button don't display in Classic checkout, and only an untitled Google Pay radio button appears. Advanced card processing shows even though it's disabled in settings.](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/buttons-not-displaying-2/) — 2026-08-31, wordpress, severity 3
- [Merchant wants PayPal express checkout buttons at the top of classic checkout to reduce abandoned carts, but they only appear under place order; asks for a shortcode or placement option.](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/classic-checkout-express-buttons-top-of-page/) — 2026-09-10, wordpress, severity 2

## Before you build

- This is a signal, not proof of a buyer. Talk to at least 5 of the authors first.
- Check each named tool for price, rating, and recent reviews on its own site and app store.
- Write down what a buyer would pay and what they pay now.