PayPal for Recurring Invoices and the Order Submitted Trigger

By Sparkforge Support Team ·Last reviewed May 3, 2026

Sparkforge accepts PayPal on recurring invoices as long as autopayment is off, and the Order Submitted trigger fires on successful Stripe or PayPal checkouts so you can automate confirmations, notifications, and follow-up.

PayPal is now an accepted payment method for recurring invoices in Sparkforge, and the Order Submitted trigger fires for both one-time and recurring purchases across Stripe and PayPal.

Order Submitted trigger

The Order Submitted trigger runs when a customer completes a purchase through a payment link, including subscription renewals.

What it lets you automate

Confirmation emails and SMS to the buyer.
Internal notifications to sales or fulfillment.
CRM updates — tags, pipeline stages, custom fields.
Upsell or onboarding sequences based on payment method.

Set it up

Open Automation settings.
Select the Payment Links workflow trigger.
Enable Order Submitted.
Add actions — send email, send SMS, update record, notify team.
Save and activate the workflow.

PayPal for recurring invoices

You can offer PayPal as a payment method on recurring invoices, with one caveat: PayPal does not work with autopayment. If autopayment is on, PayPal is not available on that invoice.

Enable PayPal on recurring invoices

Confirm the PayPal integration is connected in your account.
Create the recurring invoice with autopayment turned off.
Customers see PayPal as a payment option when they pay the invoice — no extra setup is required.

Tell PayPal and Stripe orders apart

Use the Payment Mode filter inside the Order Submitted trigger to branch on payment method. That way you can run a different sequence for PayPal buyers than for Stripe buyers — or just log the source for reporting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Order Submitted trigger used for?

It kicks off automated actions whenever a customer completes a purchase through a payment link — one-time products and recurring invoices alike. Common uses are confirmation emails, internal notifications, and post-purchase upsell sequences.

Does the Order Submitted trigger work with PayPal?

Yes. It fires on successful PayPal checkouts the same way it fires on Stripe transactions, including PayPal-paid recurring invoices.

Can I tell whether the order was paid via PayPal or Stripe?

Yes. Use the Payment Mode filter inside the workflow trigger to branch automation by payment method.

Does the trigger fire on failed PayPal payments?

No. The trigger only fires after a successful order submission and payment confirmation. Failed or incomplete payments do not start the workflow.

Can I send a confirmation email after a recurring PayPal payment?

Yes. Pair the Order Submitted trigger with a Send Email action, or use sales receipts under Payments > Settings to send them automatically.