How to Create a WordPress Payment Form [Step-by-Step]

If you sell products, accept service fees, or run a membership website, you need a functional payment form. Adding a secure checkout form to your WordPress site streamlines payment processing and makes collection effortless. Instead of sending manual invoices, your customers pay directly through an encrypted payment gateway.

WP Easy Pay lets you build custom payment forms that integrate seamlessly with the Square payment gateway. Whether you need a one-time transaction form, a recurring subscription setup, or a donation page, you can build it in four simple steps.

This guide shows you exactly how to create a WordPress payment form step by step using WP Easy Pay.

What Is a Payment Form in WordPress?

A WordPress payment form is an online interface that lets visitors submit their details and pay directly on your website. Instead of navigating a traditional shopping cart, users fill out the required fields, select a payment method, and complete the transaction in one place.

Freelancers, service providers, nonprofits, educators, event organizers, and small businesses commonly use payment forms to collect online payments quickly and securely.

Whether you’re accepting one-time payments, recurring subscriptions, donations, or booking fees, a payment form provides a simple solution without the complexity of a full eCommerce store.

How Payment Forms Work

A payment form connects your WordPress website to a payment gateway such as Square, Stripe, or PayPal. When a customer submits the form, their payment information is securely processed by the gateway, and the transaction is completed in real time.

A typical payment form includes:

• Customer name and contact details
• Product or service selection
• Payment amount
• Payment method (such as Stripe or PayPal)
• Billing information (if required)
• Order confirmation or receipt

Once the payment is successful, both you and your customer will automatically receive confirmation emails.

Payment Form vs. Checkout Page

While both allow customers to pay online, they serve different purposes.

• A payment form is designed for quick, straightforward transactions. Customers complete a single form and pay immediately, making it ideal for services, donations, bookings, and invoices.
• A checkout page, on the other hand, is part of a larger eCommerce workflow. It typically includes a shopping cart, shipping details, taxes, coupon codes, and order summaries before payment is completed.

If you only need to collect payments for a few products or services, a payment form is usually the faster and more user-friendly option.

Payment Form vs. WooCommerce Store

• A payment form is a lightweight alternative that focuses solely on collecting payments. It doesn’t require setting up products, managing inventory, or configuring an online store.
• WooCommerce is a complete eCommerce platform for selling physical or digital products at scale. It includes inventory management, product catalogs, shipping options, tax calculations, customer accounts, and advanced order management.

A payment form is a great choice if you:

• Sell services instead of physical products
• Need to collect donations
• Accept appointment or booking payments
• Invoice clients online
• Sell a small number of digital products
• Want a simple payment solution without WooCommerce

When Should You Use a Payment Form?

Payment forms are ideal whenever you need to accept payments online without the overhead of managing a full online store. Here are some of the most common use cases.

• Faster checkout: Reduce friction with a simple, user-friendly payment experience.
• Accept payments without WooCommerce: Ideal for service providers, freelancers, and small businesses that don’t need a full online store.
• Collect donations: Accept one-time or recurring contributions for nonprofits, charities, or creators.
• Take booking payments: Charge deposits or full payments for appointments, classes, or reservations.
• Get paid for invoices: Let clients pay invoices securely from your website.
• Offer subscriptions: Collect recurring payments for memberships, retainers, or subscription services.
• Sell event registrations: Accept registration fees for workshops, webinars, and events.
• Manage memberships: Charge users for premium content or member-only access.
• Receive freelance payments: Collect deposits, milestone payments, or project fees directly from clients.

If your goal is to accept payments online without the complexity of a full eCommerce platform, a payment form is one of the simplest and most flexible solutions for WordPress.

What You’ll Need Before Creating a Payment Form

Before creating a payment form in WordPress, make sure you have a few essentials in place. 

• A WordPress website: You’ll need a self-hosted WordPress site.
• An SSL certificate: Payment gateways require SSL encryption and HTTPS compliance before you accept live payments to ensure PCI compliance. 
• A payment gateway account: You’ll need to connect your form to a payment gateway such as Square, Paypal, etc.
• A WordPress form plugin: Choose a payment form plugin, such as WP Easy Pay, that supports your preferred payment gateway and offers multiple features.
• Your payment details: Decide what you’ll charge before building your form.

Once you have these requirements in place, you’re ready to create a secure payment form and start accepting online payments from your WordPress website.

4 Steps to Create a Payment Form in WordPress

Creating a payment form in WordPress is effortless. With the right plugin, you can build a secure checkout page, connect your preferred payment gateway, and start accepting online payments in just a few simple steps.

Follow the steps below to create and publish your payment form.

Step #1: Install and Activate the WP Easy Pay Plugin

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Plugins → Add Plugin.

2. In the search bar, enter WP Easy Pay.
3. Click Install Now, and then click Activate.

Congratulations on successfully activating the best payment form plugin, WP Easy Pay! 

Note: The free version supports a basic payment form with limited payment options, such as Square credit and debit card payments, while WP Easy Pay Pro unlocks advanced features, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App, Square Gift Card Support, recurring billing, and much more.

Step #2: Connect Your Square Account to WP Easy Pay

1. After activating the plugin, you will be redirected to the WP Easy Pay dashboard.

2. Under “+ Create Payment Form”, you can click “Connect Square”, or, on the WordPress dashboard, go to WP Easy Pay → Square Connect. The Square Connect from the dashboard is the easiest approach.
3. Otherwise, if you click the Connect Square link directly, you will be redirected to the Square login page.

4. Click on Connect Square (Sandbox) to connect your WordPress site to Square as your payment processor. You can opt for Sandbox for testing or Production for live transactions.
5. Enter your Square account credentials and click Sign In.
6. Click Allow to securely connect Square with your WordPress site.
7. Once you’ve authenticated Square, you have to click “That’s My Site – Redirect Me” to return to your WordPress site’s dashboard.

Your Square account has established a connection with your WordPress site.

Step #3: Create a New Payment Form in WP Easy Pay

1. Go to WP Easy Pay → Create Payment Form.

2. Enter your payment form title and its description based on what you are offering. Then, select a payment type.

There are 4 different payment types to choose from:

• Simple Payment: A one-time payment option for products or services.
• Donation Payment: A one-time, flexible payment where users can contribute any amount.
• Donation Recurring: A recurring donation setup where users contribute automatically on a scheduled basis.
• Subscription Payment: A recurring payment model for ongoing access to products or services.

To make a simple payment form, select “Simple Payment”. If you want to scale recurring revenue, read how to grow your business using WordPress subscription payments.

3. Pick an Amount type – a layout of your choice, and enter the charges.
4. Enable redirection on success and enter your own success message (OPTIONAL)

You have successfully created your first Square payment form. This form allows customers to make secure transactions directly on your WordPress site.

Before publishing, it’s important to get the most out of this plugin. Follow the next steps to select the desired payment methods and customize your form.

Step 4: Customize and Embed Your Payment Form

For customization purposes, go to the Extra Fields tab. This feature is only available in Pro plans.

1. You can easily drag and drop any of the respective fields to your form.

2. Once you have finalized your fields, it’s time to publish the form.
3. Click Publish on the right-hand side, then copy your shortcode for later use.

Let’s head back to embedding the form.

1. Head to Pages → Add Page.

2. Write any desired title for your page.

3. Either paste your shortcode into a new block, or enter /wpeasypay, then select your form from the dropdown menu.

4. Now click on Publish on the top-right.

Congratulations! You have successfully embedded the payment form, and it is live on your WordPress site.

Before accepting live payments, test your payment form in Square Sandbox mode. Verify that payments are processed correctly, confirmation emails are sent, redirects work as expected, and the payment details appear in your Square dashboard. Testing helps prevent failed transactions and ensures a smooth checkout experience.

Tips to Increase Payment Conversions

A few small improvements to your payment form can make a big difference in your conversion rate. Use these best practices to create a faster, more user-friendly payment experience and encourage more visitors to complete their transactions.

• Keep your form short: Only ask for essential information. Shorter forms reduce friction and make it easier for users to complete their payments.
• Display trust badges: Show SSL certificates, secure payment icons, or money-back guarantees to reassure customers that the system protects their payment information. 
• Optimize for mobile devices: Make sure your payment form is responsive, easy to navigate, and loads quickly on smartphones and tablets.
• Enable autofill: Use standard form fields that support browser autofill so users can complete the form more quickly and with fewer typing errors.
• Use a clear call-to-action (CTA): Replace generic button text like “Submit” with action-oriented labels such as “Pay Now,” “Complete Purchase,” or “Donate Securely.”
• Offer guest checkout: Allow customers to make payments without creating an account to reduce unnecessary steps and improve conversions.
• Show progress indicators: If you’re using a multi-step payment form, display a progress bar so users know how close they are to completing the payment.
• Provide multiple payment methods: Offer options such as Stripe, PayPal, or Square so customers can pay with their preferred method, significantly reducing cart abandonment and boosting digital wallet integration success.

Build Your First WordPress Payment Form Today

Building a reliable payment form in WordPress doesn’t have to be complicated, especially when you’re using WP Easy Pay. Whether you’re selling digital products, collecting donations, or accepting service payments, this plugin gives you everything you need to get paid fast and securely through Square.

Let’s quickly recap what we covered:

• You installed and activated WP Easy Pay in a few simple steps.
• You connected your site to Square using real credentials or sandbox keys.
• You created a simple functional payment form.
• You embedded that form anywhere on your site using a shortcode.

Your payment form is now ready to securely accept online payments through Square. 

You don’t need expensive developers or complex setups to collect payments. Just a WordPress site, WP Easy Pay, and a few minutes of your time.

👉 Get WP Easy Pay Pro Now and start building your payment form today.

Frequently Asked Questions