# PayPal setup for PopMCP

You end up pasting the Client ID and Secret of a REST app from the PayPal developer dashboard. Every PayPal business account already has a Default Application you can use; PopMCP works out on its own whether the app is a live or a sandbox one.

- Auth: API credentials
- Setup time: 5 min
- API base URL: https://api-m.paypal.com
- Credentials screen: https://developer.paypal.com/dashboard/applications/live
- Provider docs: https://developer.paypal.com/api/rest/

## Before you begin

- A PayPal business account (going live and testing outside the US both need one); a free developer account is enough for sandbox testing in the US
- Access to developer.paypal.com with that PayPal login
- Transaction search, Invoicing, Subscriptions and Customer disputes are app features you tick yourself; nothing to apply for
- Payouts only: PayPal support has to switch Payouts on for a live account before payouts can be sent

## Get your credentials

### 1. Open Apps & Credentials

Log in at `developer.paypal.com` with your PayPal business account and open Apps & Credentials. Use the Live toggle for your real account, or Sandbox to try PopMCP with test money first.

Screen: https://developer.paypal.com/dashboard/applications/live

### 2. Create an app for PopMCP (optional)

Click Create App, name it `PopMCP`, keep Merchant as the Type and click Create App. On the Sandbox toggle, also pick the sandbox business account the app should act for. The app's details page opens.

Screen: https://developer.paypal.com/dashboard/applications/live

### 3. Tick the features the AI should use

On the app's page, scroll to Features and tick what you want PopMCP to reach: Transaction search (sales totals, transaction history and balances), Invoicing, Subscriptions, Customer disputes, and Payouts if you send money out. Click Save Changes.

Screen: https://developer.paypal.com/dashboard/applications/live

### 4. Copy the Client ID and Secret

On the same page, copy the Client ID, then show the Secret under Secret key 1 and copy it too. Both must come from the same app.

Screen: https://developer.paypal.com/dashboard/applications/live

### 5. Connect in PopMCP

Paste the Client ID and the Secret into PopMCP's PayPal form and click Connect PayPal. PopMCP checks the pair with PayPal, finds out whether it is a live or a sandbox app, and shows the account it belongs to.

Screen: https://developer.paypal.com/api/rest/

## Fields PopMCP asks for

- Client ID (clientId) [required]: At developer.paypal.com, log in with your PayPal business account, open Apps & Credentials (Live or Sandbox), choose your app and copy the Client ID.
- Secret (clientSecret) [required]: On the same app's page, under Secret key 1. Stored encrypted and used only on our servers to get PayPal access tokens.

## Verify

PopMCP shows the PayPal connector as Connected with the account name (marked sandbox for a sandbox app) and lists any of the features above that are still turned off in the app.

## Troubleshooting

### PayPal did not accept this Client ID and Secret

Cause: The two values come from different apps, the Secret was copied with a space or cut short, or the app was deleted.

Fix: Open the app in Apps & Credentials, copy the Client ID and Secret key 1 from that one page again, and paste only the values.

### A tool says a feature is turned off

Cause: PayPal refuses calls for an app feature that is not ticked, such as Transaction search for sales totals and balances.

Fix: Tick the feature under the app's Features and click Save Changes. A feature ticked after connecting can take a few hours to start working.

### Nothing with that id was found

Cause: Live and sandbox are separate systems: an order, invoice or dispute id from one is not found on the other.

Fix: Check the connection is the system the id came from (the connector card says sandbox for a sandbox app), and connect the other app if needed.

### Transactions from today are missing

Cause: PayPal's transaction search can take up to three hours to show a new transaction, and covers at most 31 days per call.

Fix: Check again later; for longer ranges ask for a sales summary, which splits the range for you.

### Payouts are refused on a live account

Cause: Payouts is not switched on for the account, or the app's Payouts feature is not ticked.

Fix: Ask PayPal support to enable Payouts for your business account, then tick Payouts in the app's Features.

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Source: https://www.docs.popmcp.com/docs/integrations/paypal/