What is the difference between PayPal and a merchant account?

We are often asked to share the differences between a merchant account and PayPal. This table will help define those differences for you.

Merchant Account	PayPal Website Payments Standard
Requires a payment gateway	Payment gateway included
Setup Fee	No setup fee
Monthly Fees	No monthly fees
Lower Transaction Fees	Higher Transaction Fees
Transparent to the Customer	Must Use the PayPal Website
Considered More Professional	Considered Less Professional
Phone Support	No Phone Support
Stricter Underwriting	Less Strict Underwriting
Payments Automatically Deposited	Payments Placed In PayPal Account