> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://developer.paddle.com/llms.txt). # What is Paddle? Paddle is the developer-first merchant of record, built for modern SaaS, mobile app, AI, and digital product companies. It helps you increase your revenue, decrease your costs, and reduce your risk. --- Paddle is an all-in-one payments and billing platform for modern SaaS, mobile app, AI, and digital product companies. You can use Paddle to add checkout, subscriptions, global tax compliance, metrics, fraud protection, and retention tooling to your app through one unified API. Thousands of software businesses run on Paddle, including [n8n](https://www.paddle.com/customers/how-paddle-helped-n8n-io-grow-mrr), [Runna](https://www.paddle.com/customers/how-mobile-app-runna-monetized-on-the-web), [Nexus Mods](https://www.paddle.com/customers/helping-nexus-mods-unlock-the-gaming-community), [Relay.app](https://www.paddle.com/customers/relayapp-live-in-weeks-sells-globally-without-barriers), and [CrashPlan](https://www.paddle.com/customers/crashplan-doubled-sign-ups-with-paddle). [Lovable Payments](https://developer.paddle.com/get-started/ai/lovable.md) is powered by Paddle, empowering the new generation of software builders to monetize in minutes. Across our customer base, moving to Paddle typically delivers: {% card-group cols=3 %} {% card title="Higher payment acceptance" stat="~25%" statColor="blue" %} Global payment methods, smart routing, and fraud protection come as standard. {% /card %} {% card title="Improved net revenue retention" stat="~20%" statColor="green" %} Compliant workflows and world-class payment recovery help you retain more revenue. {% /card %} {% card title="Lower cost of revenue delivery" stat="~35%" statColor="purple" %} One single integration and full tax and regulatory compliance reduces your costs. {% /card %} {% /card-group %} ## What you get with one integration Payments is never just payments. Building a billing stack is a complex engineering effort that requires a lot of time and attention. It typically involves stitching together a bunch of systems and services, each with their own APIs and conventions. With Paddle, it's one integration: - **Global payments in minutes.** Accept payments in 30+ currencies across 200 markets, with one-click access to digital wallets and payment methods, routed across multiple acquirers. - **Modern subscription billing engine.** Offer any billing model, and handle all of the subscription lifecycle with proration, trials, pauses, upgrades, one-off charges, invoicing, and credit notes. - **Worldwide sales tax - handled.** Paddle calculates, collects, and remits taxes for you across the world. No need to register for VAT, GST, or sales tax in the countries where you operate. - **Enter new markets without the complexity.** Grow your sales volume by pricing for countries, offering localized payment methods, and automatically presenting prices in a way buyers expect. - **Compliance in a changing regulatory landscape.** Never think about payment, subscription, or invoicing legislation again. Paddle is fully compliant with regulations across the globe. - **World-class payment recovery.** Let Paddle Retain automatically recover failed payments for you, with a recovery rate of over 50%. - **Fraud, chargebacks, and buyer support.** Paddle screens transactions, fights chargebacks, and handles buyer support for you, so you can focus on growing your business. ## The merchant of record model A merchant of record (MoR) is a legal entity responsible for selling goods or services to an end customer. Your MoR manages payments and takes on the associated liabilities, such as collecting sales tax, ensuring PCI compliance, and honoring refunds and chargebacks. From your perspective: - You don't register for VAT, GST, or sales tax in the countries where you operate. - You don't carry chargeback or PCI scope. - You don't operate a buyer support function for billing issues. - You don't need local entities to accept local payment methods. From a customer's perspective: - Customers go through a modern checkout experience, with Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, cards, and local payment methods. - Checkout appears branded or fully embedded as part of your app or website. - Paddle handles the transaction, including collecting sales tax and handling refunds and chargebacks. - Your name appears on the customer's statement alongside Paddle's. ## Built for developers and AI builders Paddle is built for developers and AI builders. We ship the developer surfaces you'd expect from a modern platform: {% card-group cols=2 %} {% card title="A single REST API" icon="carbon:api" url="/api-reference" %} Resource-oriented, versioned, with idempotency keys and structured errors. {% /card %} {% card title="Webhooks" icon="carbon:webhook" url="/sdks/webhooks" %} A rich event stream with a built-in simulator for local development. {% /card %} {% card title="SDKs" icon="carbon:package" url="/sdks/libraries" %} Official libraries for Node.js, PHP, Python, and Go for your backend. {% /card %} {% card title="Paddle.js" icon="carbon:code" url="/sdks/paddle-js" %} A modern JavaScript library for building checkout experiences in your frontend. {% /card %} {% card title="MCP and AI tooling" icon="sparkles" url="/sdks/ai" %} MCP servers for agents, docs that plug in your IDE, and skills to integrate fast. {% /card %} {% card title="Starter kits" icon="carbon:rocket" url="/sdks/starter-kits" %} Complete demo apps so you can build on a solid foundation, or rework for your app. {% /card %} {% /card-group %} [Paddle is the merchant of record powering Lovable Payments, so you can take an app from prompt to payment in minutes.](https://lovable.paddle.com/) ## Multiple paths to integration You don't have to build a custom checkout to start selling. Most teams pick one of these and mix as needed: {% definition-list %} {% definition term="Hosted checkout" %} Fastest path for mobile apps. Configure in the dashboard, add to your app. {% /definition %} {% definition term="Overlay checkout" %} Open a modern checkout in a few lines of code. {% /definition %} {% definition term="Inline checkout" %} Embed a checkout directly in your app or website, with full control over layout. {% /definition %} {% definition term="Starter kits" %} Everything you need to build an app from signup to subscription management. {% /definition %} {% definition term="Customer portal" %} Drop in a self-service portal for your customers to manage their subscriptions. {% /definition %} {% definition term="SDKs" %} Build fully integrated subscription management. {% /definition %} {% /definition-list %} ## Next steps - Learn more about how Paddle works for [SaaS](https://developer.paddle.com/get-started/how-paddle-works/saas.md), [mobile apps](https://developer.paddle.com/get-started/how-paddle-works/mobile-apps.md), [AI companies](https://developer.paddle.com/get-started/how-paddle-works/ai-companies.md), and [one-time products](https://developer.paddle.com/get-started/how-paddle-works/one-time.md). - Build your first checkout with our [quickstart](https://developer.paddle.com/get-started/quickstart.md). - [Grab a starter kit](https://developer.paddle.com/get-started/starter-kits.md) and build your first app. - Build with [Lovable Payments](https://developer.paddle.com/get-started/ai/lovable.md), powered by Paddle.