On this page
No Headings
Last updated: June 12, 2026
Deprecation notice: The Adaptive Platform API is a legacy API that PayPal continues to support. To access the most current features and security:
The Adaptive Platform includes Adaptive Accounts, Adaptive Payments, the Invoicing Service, and the Permissions Service.
| API / Service | Authentication | Format | Live and Sandbox Endpoints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adaptive Accounts | JSON, NVP, SOAP, XML | AppID | https://svcs.paypal.com/AdaptiveAccounts/<API-Operation>https://svcs.sandbox.paypal.com/AdaptiveAccounts/<API-Operation> |
| Adaptive Payments | JSON, NVP, SOAP, XML | AppID | https://svcs.paypal.com/AdaptivePayments/<API-Operation>https://svcs.sandbox.paypal.com/AdaptivePayments/<API-Operation> |
| Invoicing Service | JSON, NVP, SOAP, XML | AppID | https://svcs.paypal.com/Invoice/<API-Operation>https://svcs.sandbox.paypal.com/Invoice/<API-Operation> |
| Permissions Service | JSON, NVP, SOAP, XML | AppID | https://svcs.paypal.com/Permissions/<API-Operation>https://svcs.sandbox.paypal.com/Permissions/<API-Operation> |
Use the HTTP header X-PAYPAL-REQUEST-DATA-FORMAT to specify the data format the request body. You can send messages in the JSON, NVP or XML format. Use the X-PAYPAL-RESPONSE-DATA-FORMAT header to specify the data format for the response.
Table 2. HTTP Headers for JSON, NVP, and XML Data Formats
| Header | Description |
|---|---|
X-PAYPAL-REQUEST-DATA-FORMAT | The payload format for the request. Allowable values are:
|
X-PAYPAL-RESPONSE-DATA-FORMAT | The payload format for the response. Allowable values are:
|