Invoicing
DocsCurrentLast updated: February 14th 2025, @ 12:02:01 pm
Use the PayPal Invoicing APIs to easily build an online payment solution that meets your business needs.
PayPal offers both REST and NVP/SOAP Invoicing APIs.
- Recommendation for new integrations
- Overview
- Use cases
- Availability
- Support, documentation, and other resources
Recommendation for new integrations
PayPal recommends the REST Invoicing API for new integrations.
Overview
You can use the Invoicing APIs to create invoices that are customized to your exact business needs. After you create an invoice, you send it to a customer. When you do, PayPal sends an email message to your customer that includes a link to your invoice. The link enables the customer to view the invoice on the PayPal website. The customer can choose to pay the invoice with PayPal, a debit card, or a credit card. Or, you can record off-line payments, such as check.
Use the Invoicing APIs to automate your accounts receivable workflow. You can verify the status of on-line invoice payments or use the record-payment and refund-payment APIs to track off-line payments, such as cash and checks. A reminder API is available to remind customers of overdue payments.
You can also search for, show details for, update, cancel, and delete invoices.
Invoicing APIs enable you to automate your accounts receivable work flow. You can verify the status of online invoice payments or you can use record-payment and refund-payment APIs to track offline payments, such as cash and checks.
You can remind customers about overdue payments.
You can also list all or a filtered set of invoices, view invoice details, update, cancel, and delete invoices. You can also use PayPal’s Instant Payment Notification (IPN) service to automatically notify you of online invoice payments. To learn more about the IPN service, see the IPN Integration Guide.
The REST API also supports the generation of a QR code to display on your paper invoices. Customers can then scan an invoice with their smart phone and pay through PayPal’s mobile optimized payment experience.
Use cases
The Invoicing APIs are flexible enough to meet a wide variety of billing needs.
You can:
Move your billing and payment processes from paper to the cloud. Customers appreciate how easy and secure it is to pay.
Couple PayPal Invoicing APIs with PayPal’s other payment APIs to support phone- and email-based orders. To collect card and shipping information, you need your customer's email address.
Develop industry-specific invoicing apps.
Integrate with complementary software, such as inventory management, CRM software, and more.
Enable a partner service provider to manage your invoices. When partner service providers call the Invoicing APIs on behalf of a merchant, the provider uses Log in with PayPal to get merchant authorization.
To learn more about Log in with PayPal for invoicing, see the REST Invoicing overview and Integrate Log in with PayPal.
Availability
Any account type can use PayPal Invoicing but you must have a PayPal Premier account or Business account to use the Invoicing APIs. PayPal does not charge a fee to use the Invoicing APIs. You can use the Invoicing APIs in any country where PayPal is accepted.
The fee for receiving payments varies by country. Fees also apply for currency conversion and to receive payments from another country.
For details, see: