Short answer: No public data shows one of the three converting better than the others. PayPal, Shopify and Stripe each publish a conversion figure for their own product, measured against a different baseline, and no head-to-head test of all three is public. In practice, the one that converts best for you is usually the one that runs on your processor and platform: Shop Pay with Shopify Payments, Fastlane with PayPal card processing, Link with Stripe. If you don't want your processor to decide your checkout, Bolt runs one-click checkout on Bolt Payments or on your existing processor.
What each company says about conversion
Each figure is the company's own, from its own page, read November 11, 2026.
| Fastlane by PayPal | Shop Pay | Stripe Link | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversion claim | Guest shoppers who use Fastlane convert around 37% higher than other guest shoppers [P1] | As much as 50% better conversion than guest checkout [SP1] | An average returning-user conversion increase of 14%, for businesses with a large repeat customer base [L1] |
| Compared with | Other guest shoppers, at merchants that integrated Fastlane [P1] | Guest checkout [SP1] | Not stated on the page [L1] |
| Basis, as stated | PayPal internal data, April 1 to June 30, 2025 (n=4,644) [P1] | An external study with a "Big Three" global management consulting firm, April 2023 [SP1] | No methodology given on the page [L1] |
| Speed claim | More than 31% faster than other guest shoppers [P1] | None on the page [SP1] | 3x faster than non-Link customers [L1] |
Why these numbers don't compare
- Different baselines. Fastlane compares its users with other guests. Shop Pay compares with guest checkout. Link describes returning users at businesses with many repeat customers.
- Different periods and samples. A 2025 internal data set, a 2023 consulting study and an undated figure.
- All vendor-reported. None is an independent test, and the same is true of Bolt's own figures below.
The number that matters is conversion on your own traffic, measured against a control.
Requirements side by side
| Fastlane by PayPal | Shop Pay | Stripe Link | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | You must process card payments with PayPal, on the Orders v2 API [P2] | Shopify Payments. Off Shopify, your business must be eligible for Shopify Payments, in a country where it's available [SP2] | Stripe. Link payments settle to your Stripe balance [L2] |
| Where it runs | Partner platform integrations, or a direct integration; PayPal says direct-integrated merchants can enable it in as little as 2 to 4 weeks [P1] | Shopify checkout. Other platforms through the Shop Pay Wallet API, which needs API integration experience [SP2] | Stripe Checkout, Payment Links, Web and Mobile Elements and Invoicing [L2] |
| How shoppers are recognized | A Fastlane email field, shown alongside PayPal as a payment option [P2] | Off Shopify, your checkout must collect the shopper's email before payment [SP2] | Email, phone number or browser cookie, then a one-time passcode [L2] |
| Network size, as stated | More than 171M eligible US accounts, as of October 2024 [P1] | 150M+ global shoppers [SP1] | Over 300 million consumers worldwide [L1] |
Network figures are each company's own and are counted differently (US eligible accounts, global shoppers, worldwide consumers), so they don't compare directly.
Which one fits your stack
- On Shopify with Shopify Payments. Shop Pay is the default. Bolt also runs on Shopify, through Managed Checkout.
- Processing cards with PayPal. Fastlane fits your current setup.
- Processing with Stripe. Link is built into Stripe's checkout products.
- On another processor, or more than one. Each of the three needs its own processor. Bolt works with Bolt Payments or your existing processor, with 11 processors supported, including Stripe.
Can you run more than one?
Partly. Fastlane, Link and Bolt each recognize shoppers from the email entered at the start of checkout, so pick one for that step. Button-style options, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, can sit alongside it.
How to test which converts better on your store
- Pick one metric. Use checkout completion: orders divided by sessions that start checkout.
- Split the traffic. Run the new checkout against your current one on the same traffic, at the same time.
- Measure recognition. Track the share of shoppers recognized at the email step, for new and returning shoppers.
- Break out mobile. Report mobile and desktop separately.
- Compare revenue, not just conversion. Track revenue per visitor and average order value alongside conversion.
For reference ranges, see our checkout conversion rate benchmarks.
Where Bolt fits
Bolt is one-click checkout for US merchants, and it isn't tied to one processor or platform.
- Processor choice. Bolt Payments, or your existing processor: Bolt works with 11 processors, including Stripe. PayPal is offered as an alternative payment method within Bolt Hosted Checkout.
- Platforms. Shopify (through Managed Checkout), Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, or custom via API.
- Recognition. A one-click checkout network of over 100 million shoppers. Bolt recognizes shoppers by email plus a one-time code, on their first visit to your store, and the store keeps the customer data.
- Results. Bolt account holders convert 50% better than guest shoppers (Bolt internal data). Revolve saw a 10% lift in checkout conversion and 4% higher revenue with Bolt.
- Fraud. Total Fraud Protection covers 100% of fraud chargebacks on approved orders*.
*Qualifying transactions, under your Bolt agreement.
See Bolt checkout, how Bolt compares and pricing. For all five major one-click options in one table, see one-click checkout providers compared.
Sources
All read November 11, 2026.
- [P1] PayPal, Fastlane guest checkout. https://www.paypal.com/us/business/accept-payments/guest-checkout
- [P2] PayPal Developer, Integrate Fastlane, last updated October 14, 2026. https://developer.paypal.com/platforms/checkout/fastlane/integrate
- [SP1] Shopify, Shop Pay. https://www.shopify.com/shop-pay
- [SP2] Shopify Help Center, Shop Pay on any platform. https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/payments/shop-pay/shop-pay-on-any-platform
- [L1] Stripe, Link. https://stripe.com/payments/link
- [L2] Stripe Docs, Link. https://docs.stripe.com/payments/link/what-is-link
FAQ
Which converts better: PayPal Fastlane, Shop Pay or Stripe Link?
No public test compares all three. PayPal says Fastlane users convert around 37% higher than other guest shoppers, Shopify says Shop Pay converts as much as 50% better than guest checkout, and Stripe says Link raises returning-user conversion by 14% on average for businesses with many repeat customers. Each uses a different baseline. The one that fits your processor and platform, tested against a control on your own traffic, is the fair answer.
Does Fastlane require PayPal processing?
Yes. PayPal's integration guide says you must process card payments with PayPal, on the Orders v2 API.
Can I use Shop Pay if my store isn't on Shopify?
Shopify says you can add it through the Shop Pay Wallet API if your business is eligible for Shopify Payments, you're in a country where Shopify Payments is available, and your checkout collects the shopper's email before payment.
Does Stripe Link work without Stripe?
Link works with Stripe's checkout products, and Link payments settle to your Stripe balance, so you process with Stripe to use it.
Is there a one-click checkout that works with my current processor?
Bolt works with Bolt Payments or your existing processor, with 11 processors supported, including Stripe. It runs on Shopify through Managed Checkout, and on Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and custom stacks. Bolt serves US merchants.
Talk to Bolt
If you're choosing between these three, we can show how Bolt would run on your platform and processor, and how to test it against your current checkout. Contact sales.
PayPal and Fastlane are trademarks of PayPal, Inc. Shop Pay and Shopify are trademarks of Shopify Inc. Stripe and Link are trademarks of Stripe, Inc. Apple Pay and Google Pay are trademarks of their owners. Bolt is not affiliated with or endorsed by these companies.