diff --git a/app/helpers/registration_helper.rb b/app/helpers/registration_helper.rb
index 5880f23..89fe59a 100644
--- a/app/helpers/registration_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/registration_helper.rb
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@ module RegistrationHelper
       steps -= [:hosting]
     end
 
-    steps -= [:payment] unless registration.conference.paypal_email_address.present? && registration.conference.paypal_username.present? && registration.conference.paypal_password.present? && registration.conference.paypal_signature.present?
-    steps -= [:payment, :workshops] if registration.is_attending == 'n'
+    steps -= [:payment, :workshops] if registration.is_attending == 'n'
     
     steps.each do |step|
       # disable the step if we've already found an incomplete step
diff --git a/app/views/registration_steps/_payment_type.html.haml b/app/views/registration_steps/_payment_type.html.haml
index fe2d7b1..f974d92 100644
--- a/app/views/registration_steps/_payment_type.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/registration_steps/_payment_type.html.haml
@@ -4,7 +4,13 @@
     = save_registration_step do
       .vertical-registration-step-options
         .options
+          - paypal_configured = @this_conference.paypal_email_address.present? && @this_conference.paypal_username.present? && @this_conference.paypal_password.present? && @this_conference.paypal_signature.present?
           - @payment_methods.each do |option|
-            - class_name = [:unstyled]
-            - class_name << :selected if @payment_method.present? && @payment_method.to_sym == option
-            = button "payment_#{option}".to_sym, value: option, class: class_name
+            - if !paypal_configured && option.to_sym == :paypal
+              - class_name = [:unstyled]
+              - class_name << :selected if @payment_method.present? && @payment_method.to_sym == option
+              = button "payment_paypal_fallback".to_sym, value: option, class: class_name
+            - elsif option.to_sym != :paypal || paypal_configured
+              - class_name = [:unstyled]
+              - class_name << :selected if @payment_method.present? && @payment_method.to_sym == option
+              = button "payment_#{option}".to_sym, value: option, class: class_name
diff --git a/config/initializers/paypal_fallback.rb b/config/initializers/paypal_fallback.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..86388b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/initializers/paypal_fallback.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# Monkey-patch for bikecollectives_core gem to gracefully handle missing PayPal credentials
+# This allows the payment flow to work without PayPal configured
+if defined?(RegistrationControllerHelper)
+  module PayPalFallback
+    def paypal_configured?(conference)
+      conference.paypal_email_address.present? &&
+      valid_paypal_credential?(conference.paypal_username) &&
+      valid_paypal_credential?(conference.paypal_password) &&
+      valid_paypal_credential?(conference.paypal_signature)
+    end
+    def valid_paypal_credential?(value)
+      value.present? && value.strip.present?
+    end
+    def payment_type_step_update(registration, params)
+      conference = registration.conference
+      payment_type = params[:value].try(:to_sym)
+      if !paypal_configured?(conference) && payment_type == :paypal
+        registration.data ||= {}
+        registration.data['payment_method'] = 'paypal'
+        registration.save!
+        return { status: :complete }
+      end
+      super
+    end
+    def payment_form_step_update(registration, params)
+      conference = registration.conference
+      username = conference.paypal_username
+      password = conference.paypal_password
+      signature = conference.paypal_signature
+      unless valid_paypal_credential?(username) && valid_paypal_credential?(password) && valid_paypal_credential?(signature)
+        Rails.logger.warn "[PayPalFallback] Missing or invalid PayPal credentials for conference #{conference.id}. Username: #{username.present?}, Password: #{password.present?}, Signature: #{signature.present?}"
+        value = (params[:value] || params[:custom_value] || 0).to_f
+        currency = conference.default_currency
+        registration.data ||= {}
+        registration.data['payment_amount'] = value
+        registration.payment_info = {
+          amount: value,
+          currency: currency
+        }.to_yaml
+        registration.save!
+        return { status: :complete }
+      end
+      super
+    end
+  end
+  RegistrationControllerHelper.prepend(PayPalFallback)
+end
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 3facd0c..064e761 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -2441,6 +2441,7 @@ en:
         cancel_registration: Cancel my registration
         organization_none: None of the above
         payment_paypal: I can pay now online
+        payment_paypal_fallback: I can pay via host provided link
         payment_on_arrival: I can pledge to pay on arrival
         payment_none: Not now
         food_meat: I eat meat and dairy
diff --git a/config/locales/es.yml b/config/locales/es.yml
index e5b0ecc..a606f78 100644
--- a/config/locales/es.yml
+++ b/config/locales/es.yml
@@ -2011,6 +2011,7 @@ es:
         payment_none: Por ahora no
         payment_on_arrival: Puedo comprometerme a pagar a mi llegada
         payment_paypal: Puedo pagar ahora con Paypal
+        payment_paypal_fallback: Puedo pagar mediante un enlace proporcionado por el anfitrión
         reopen_registration: Re-abrir mi registro
         review: Revisar
         'yes': Sí
diff --git a/config/locales/fr.yml b/config/locales/fr.yml
index fedcb8f..ff0d6b0 100644
--- a/config/locales/fr.yml
+++ b/config/locales/fr.yml
@@ -1850,6 +1850,7 @@ fr:
         'no': Non
         maybe: Peut-être
         payment_paypal: Je peux payer à l'instant avec Paypal
+        payment_paypal_fallback: Je peux payer via un lien fourni par l'hôte
         food_vegan: Je suis végétalien
         food_vegetarian: Je suis végétarien
         food_meat: Je mange de la viande et des produits laitiers