WooCommerce PayPal enabled Pay with Crypto by default for eligible merchants
The official WooCommerce PayPal Payments changelog says version 4.0.1, released March 31, 2026, made Pay with Crypto enabled by default for eligible merchants. The later 4.0.2, 4.0.3, and 4.0.4 changelogs do not state that this default was reversed.
What changed?
- 4.0.1 — March 31, 2026: Pay with Crypto was enabled by default for eligible merchants.
- 4.0.2 and 4.0.3: later release notes fixed other payment and checkout problems but did not announce a reversal of the default.
- 4.0.4 — May 19, 2026: the latest reviewed release also does not state that Pay with Crypto returned to opt-in by default.
Who is affected?
This record matters most when your store uses WooCommerce PayPal Payments 4.0.1 or later, the merchant account is eligible for Pay with Crypto, and your business did not previously intend to add another checkout method. Stores that are not eligible, have the method disabled, or do not display it at checkout may not experience a customer-facing change.
What should you do?
| Your situation | Primary decision | Safeguard |
|---|---|---|
| Planning an update and you do not want to offer crypto | Review and disable the method in staging if it becomes available or enabled | Record the current payment-method list before updating and compare it afterward |
| Updated and Pay with Crypto now appears | Make an intentional keep-or-disable decision | Confirm checkout labels, order status, refunds, emails, and customer support handling |
| Updated but the method does not appear | Continue unchanged unless you intended to offer it | Do not treat absence as a plugin failure without checking account eligibility and settings |
| You intentionally want to offer it | Configure and test before relying on it | Run a complete staging transaction and refund flow, then monitor the first live orders |
Safest review sequence
- Capture the current checkout. Note which PayPal-related methods are visible before the update.
- Back up and use staging. Payment-method defaults can change the live checkout without changing your products or theme.
- Update staging to the version you plan to deploy. The latest reviewed release is 4.0.4.
- Inspect PayPal Payments settings and checkout. Check desktop, mobile, classic checkout, and block checkout where relevant.
- Choose intentionally. Keep Pay with Crypto only when it fits the store's payment policy and support process; otherwise disable it.
- Test the full order lifecycle. Verify successful payment, cancellation, order status, emails, refunds, and any webhook-dependent updates.
- Deploy during a low-volume window. Compare the live payment-method list with staging and monitor the first orders.
What is not yet proven?
The changelog confirms the default change for eligible merchants. It does not prove that every merchant became eligible, that every shopper will see the method, that all countries or currencies are supported, or that a merchant receives funds directly in cryptocurrency. Those details must be verified in the merchant's own PayPal account and checkout.
Update log
Version 4.0.1 enabled Pay with Crypto by default for eligible merchants.
Version 4.0.2 was released without stating that the default was reversed.
Version 4.0.3 was released with other checkout fixes and no announced reversal.
Version 4.0.4 became the latest reviewed release and did not announce a return to opt-in by default.
This decision record was created from the official changelog and current WooCommerce documentation.
Official sources
- WooCommerce PayPal Payments listing and changelog
- Official GitHub releases
- Official WooCommerce PayPal Payments documentation
This is independent technical research, not official WooCommerce or PayPal support. Verify eligibility, settings, and checkout behavior in your own account before changing a production payment system.