Small businesses have long struggled to compete with larger companies, especially when it comes to advertising clout. However, a new tool from PayPal might just change the game. Announced on October 7, 2025, the PayPal Ads Manager is set to enable millions of small businesses to generate new revenue streams directly from their existing store traffic by integrating easily into their websites and apps.
PayPal Ads Manager empowers small businesses by giving them access to high-margin advertisement revenue. Historically, retail media networks—platforms that allow businesses to sell advertising space—have favored large enterprises with significant traffic and resources. This is now shifting dramatically. Mark Grether, SVP and General Manager of PayPal Ads, stated, “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but they’ve been locked out of the retail media revolution that’s transforming how major retailers generate revenue.” With this new manager, small businesses can join a billion-dollar advertising boom that was previously out of reach.
Through the Ads Manager, small businesses can publish high-quality ads that generate revenue without upfront costs or minimum commitments. The process is designed to be straightforward: Business owners simply opt in and integrate a software development kit (SDK) into their storefronts in just minutes. Once that’s done, PayPal takes care of the rest by placing ads relevant to the business’s preferences. This alleviates the manual effort typically required in managing ad campaigns, providing a streamlined solution that fits into the existing PayPal Merchant Portal environment.
For example, a small coffee roaster can easily set the Ads Manager to prevent competing coffee brands from advertising on its site while allowing ads from clothing retailers. This mechanism creates a unique opportunity for businesses to earn revenue that can be reinvested back into operational growth, helping to fund marketing campaigns or seasonal hiring.
The potential applications of this tool extend across various business sectors. By monetizing existing store traffic, small businesses can establish new revenue channels. The Ads Manager can transform how these entities operate, allowing them to optimize their advertising inventory and market effectively to "high purchase intent" shoppers. It further aids small businesses in maintaining unified campaign management within the familiar PayPal ecosystem.
Additionally, the Ads Manager leverages PayPal’s extensive data and analytics capabilities, which tap into a rich transaction graph built over 25 years. This allows businesses to reach consumers based on actual buying behaviors rather than merely browsing habits, giving small businesses a unique edge in targeted advertising. The platform also offers cross-channel campaign management that facilitates running coordinated advertising efforts across various outlets from a single dashboard, making the advertising process far more efficient.
While the benefits are evident, small business owners might face challenges as they adapt to this new tool. Learning to optimize ad placements and interpreting performance metrics could be hurdles for those less familiar with digital marketing. Furthermore, businesses must also be prepared to manage the transitions associated with integrating advertisements into their customer experience effectively.
As PayPal Ads Manager gears up for its launch in early 2026, starting with the United States and expanding to the United Kingdom and Germany, small business owners can join the waitlist to ensure they are among the first to access these capabilities. Interested businesses can sign up at PayPal’s dedicated advertising page.
The PayPal Ads Manager presents an unprecedented opportunity for small businesses to tap into the lucrative world of retail media advertising. With tools designed for ease of use and a commitment to simplifying the ad management process, this initiative could empower small entities to enhance their visibility and revenue streams significantly.
Get more details in the original press release here.
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