If PayPal Standard is my only payment method do I need an SSL?
[quote name=‘Len Backus’]If PayPal Standard is my only payment method do I need an SSL?[/QUOTE]
If you are storing payment info such as Credit card data, then yes you need to use a SSL…
However, PayPal uses their own site to process payments and returns the client back to your site…so no you don’t need one if using regular PayPal.
Sorry for my “bluntness”, however often I just like to say it the way it is! 
Basically, if you cannot afford an SSL Certificate for your site in the year 2009/2010, then you really have no business running an online store.
You can pick them up for like a whopping $30.00/Year now (.08219178 per Day)
Rest assured, not having one (even though it may not be absolutely necessary to have one) will cost you far more than that per year in lost sales!
Ok, so maybe they are as little as $50.00/Year, so what, they are CHEAP…
Struck
A nicer and more effective way to say that would be:
[QUOTE]Welcome to the forum, glad to have you here, we hope you enjoy it.
And by the way, did you know that the SSL only costs…$[/QUOTE]
Maybe you think that isn’t as effective as the way you presented it, some advantage in “being blunt”?
Hello Len,
Only trying to help in the quickest, most efficient way I could at the time!
But yes, truly welcome aboard!
You need to have a dedicated IP if you want to install your own SSL. Some of the hosts with cheap plan do not support dedicated IP and thus you are not able to install your own SSL. However, many of them do provide shared SSL free of charge. The issue with shared SSL is when your client logged into the secure page, the URL will change to your host’s URL instead of yours.
Len Backus,
Welcome to CS-Cart. Don’t mind Struck. He is really helpful, just not feeling the holiday joy right now! 
I would strongly recommend SSL even though you are using PayPal. You are still storing customer information.
Check with your host for Shared SSL as a lot of people have that.
Best of luck!
Adam
Thanks for the welcome, Struck.
I do have a dedicated IP with my VSP plan so I’ll probably get an SSL.
Hello Len,
Yeah, I didn’t mean to come across quite so harshly, I just wanted to get to the point without “sugarcoating” this one!
I should have explained my thoughts further regarding this as that would have helped. I think alot of people overlook the fact that when running an online storefront, it is our responsibility to not only protect your customers credit card details, but to also protect the rest of their personal details being entered into your online site at various times!
The other thing to consider is that considering online security is such a hot topic in today’s world, just the benefit of giving your shoppers the feeling of security on your site is “priceless”.
And as I am sure you have already discovered, they are so inexpensive today that it truly does not make any good business sense to not have one for your site.
Good Luck!