Payhip Problems & Issues
Real user-reported problems, complaints, and limitations for Payhip. Based on analysis of 14 signals.
Overall score: 64/100
Issues by Category
Payhip store closed or deleted without warning
The most repeated complaint: about 48 of 68 English 1-star Trustpilot reviews describe a store that was closed, deleted or locked, often with no prior notice. Payhip's own help page warns deletion can happen without prior notice, and sellers say appeals were slow or unanswered.
Payhip bans PLR and resale-rights products
Payhip staff replies cite PLR (private label rights) and copyright as the main reasons for closures. Sellers who bought or sold PLR/MRR content, or used licensed photocopy-style ebooks, report being shut down even when they believed their product was allowed.
Stripe or PayPal freezes funds after a Payhip sale
Because Payhip pays out through the seller's own Stripe or PayPal, holds happen at the processor, not Payhip. A Reddit seller reported Stripe froze funds after a sale and that PayPal could not process Canadian cards, resulting in months of zero payouts. First payments can sit pending for days.
Payhip support is email only and some sellers get no reply
Support is by email (contact@payhip.com) with no phone line. Many reviewers praise fast, step-by-step replies, but closed-store sellers say their emails went unanswered, and Payhip replied to only about 11% of negative Trustpilot reviews.
Payhip not available in every country
A Bangladeshi seller gave 1 star because Payhip wasn't available there, and a PayPal country rule is cited among closure reasons. Sellers depend on PayPal, Stripe or regional gateways being supported in their country.
Refunds are handled by the seller, not Payhip
Payhip does not issue refunds itself: buyers must ask the seller, and sellers refund from their PayPal or Stripe account. Buyers who find the seller unresponsive have little recourse beyond their bank or processor.
Payhip 5% fee on the free plan plus PayPal or Stripe fees
The free plan charges 5% per sale on top of the processor's own fee (for example Stripe 2.9% + $0.30). Dropping to 2% costs $29/month and 0% costs $99/month, so the break-even points sit around $967 and $3,500 of monthly sales.
Payhip fee on VAT: you pay 5% of the tax too
When VAT is added to the price, Payhip's 5% fee is calculated on the VAT-inclusive total. In the help center's own example a $10 sale to France leaves the seller $9.50; including VAT in the price instead leaves only $7.91 before PayPal fees.
Fees can still be charged after a refund
A German seller reported having to pay the fees after refunding a buyer, and a double-fee complaint (Payhip, then PayPal) appears on Reddit. Check how fees apply to refunded orders before relying on a high refund rate.
Payhip custom domain stuck connecting or on SSL
Sellers report custom domains still unconnected after several days and stores stuck on 'setting up SSL' or showing a not-private warning. Payhip generates the SSL certificate automatically once DNS is correct, so most cases trace to wrong or conflicting records.
Limited store design customization
G2 and Capterra reviewers call the storefront dated and limited in customization, with weak marketing analytics. It works for simple shops but frustrates sellers who want a branded site.
Payhip checkout cannot be translated into every language
A Portuguese seller found cart, checkout, login and register pages cannot be translated into unsupported languages, and a G2 reviewer misses native multilingual support. Buyers outside supported languages see English.
Payhip PayPal not connecting or payments failing
Sellers hit errors when connecting PayPal: unverified accounts, no linked bank or card, restricted accounts, or connecting from a phone. Payhip's help center lists ten separate seller-side PayPal error messages.
Payhip marketplace does not bring much traffic
A Reddit seller says Payhip's marketplace typically doesn't provide enough traffic, and a Capterra reviewer notes the platform doesn't automatically bring customers. Sales depend on the seller's own audience.
Regret Patterns
Common reasons users regret choosing Payhip.
Store deleted after the first few sales
Sellers report stores taken down the morning after their first sales or overnight, usually over PLR, copyright or content-policy concerns, and then struggle to get a detailed explanation.
Building an audience on a platform that can close you
Sellers who relied on one Payhip store lost products, order history and customer lists when it was closed, and had to rebuild elsewhere.
Funds stuck at Stripe or PayPal
Payhip cannot see or release funds held by the processor, so sellers with a frozen Stripe or PayPal balance wait on the processor, not Payhip.
Paying 5% for a marketplace that sends little traffic
Sellers expected Payhip to bring buyers, then found sales came only from their own audience.
Outgrowing the free plan fee
At several thousand dollars of monthly sales the 5% fee becomes the largest platform cost and the $29 or $99 plans start to make sense.
Design limits push sellers to another builder
Sellers wanting a branded site find the storefront and checkout language options limited.
When Payhip Breaks Down
Specific scenarios where Payhip fails or underperforms.
Selling PLR or resale-rights content
Payhip does not allow PLR products, and a store with them can be removed without notice.
Connecting PayPal from a phone or an unverified account
PayPal needs a verified account with a linked bank or card, and mobile connections can fail on redirects.
Needing a payout schedule or merchant-of-record protection
Payhip pays into your own processor and cannot release funds held by Stripe or PayPal.
Selling to buyers who speak unsupported languages
Cart, checkout and login pages cannot be translated into unsupported languages.
Running a high refund rate
Refunds are made in PayPal or Stripe, and fees may not come back to the seller.
Connecting a root domain with leftover DNS records
Conflicting A or CNAME records delay the connection and the automatic SSL certificate.
Selling subscriptions without Stripe
Recurring billing for memberships and courses needs Stripe.