Accept Sofort payments

Use the JavaScript SDK to render payment fields and buttons and process payments with Orders API.

Buyer experience

Note: The payment button is disabled in the buyer experience demo. On button click, the user is redirected to their bank to authorize the transaction.

Know before you code

• Complete the steps in Get started to get your sandbox account information from the Developer Dashboard:
  • Client ID: Authenticates your account with PayPal and identifies an app in your sandbox.
  • Client Secret: Authorizes an app in
your sandbox. Keep this secret safe
and don't share it.
  • Business account credentials
• Make sure the preference for receiving payments in your PayPal business account is set to accept and convert them to the default currency. In your profile, select Account Settings > Payment preferences > Block payments and click Update to mark this preference.
• This client-side and server-side integrations uses the following:
  • PayPal JavaScript SDK
  • Webhooks Management REST API
  • Orders REST API
• Make sure you're subscribed to the following webhook events:
  • CHECKOUT.ORDER.APPROVED - Listen for this webhook and then capture the payment.
  • CHECKOUT.PAYMENT-APPROVAL.REVERSED - This webhook tells you when an approved order is cancelled and refunded because it wasn't captured within the capture window. Let the payer know about the problem and the reversed order.
• By adding funding sources to your checkout integration, you agree to the PayPal alternative payment methods agreement. This is in addition to the user agreement applicable to the country in which your business is physically located.
• Request approval to enable iDEAL by visiting these Sandbox and Live links. Replace MERCHANT-COUNTRY in the URL with the 2-character country code for the merchant's country of operation:
  • Sandbox: https://www.sandbox.paypal.com/bizsignup/entry?product=ideal&capabilities=IDEAL&country.x=MERCHANT-COUNTRY
  • Live: https://www.paypal.com/bizsignup/entry?product=ideal&capabilities=IDEAL&country.x=MERCHANT-COUNTRY

Note: The integration steps for implementing alternative payment methods are similar. If you've integrated another alternative payment method before, you can likely reuse that code with adjustments for this payment method.

• Use Postman to explore and test PayPal APIs.

1. Add PayPal JavaScript SDK

Add or update the JavaScript SDK script on your web page.

<script src="https://www.paypal.com/sdk/js?client-id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&components=buttons,payment-fields,marks,funding-eligibility&enable-funding=sofort&currency=EUR"></script>

See the JS SDK reference for a list of parameters you pass to the JavaScript SDK.

2. Render payment mark

You can use a mark integration for payment fields components to present the payment method options to the buyer as radio buttons.

const sofortButton = paypal.Buttons({
  fundingSource: paypal.FUNDING.SOFORT
});

You can also render a set of eligible payment methods.

3. Render payment fields

Use payment fields to collect payment information from buyers. Fields dynamically render based on the selected funding source and you can customize the fields to align with your brand.

Choose from a single page checkout flow or a multi-page checkout flow.

paypal.PaymentFields({
  fundingSource: paypal.FUNDING.SOFORT,
  /* style object (optional) */
  style: {
    /* customize field attributes (optional) */
    variables: {},
    /* set custom rules to apply to fields classes (optional) */
    rules: {},
  },
  fields: {
    /* fields prefill info (optional) */
    name: {
      value: "John Doe",
    },
  }
})
.render("#sofort-container");

For style parameters, please reference this style page: Custom style for payment fields

4. Render payment button

paypal.Buttons({
  fundingSource: paypal.FUNDING.SOFORT,
  style: {
    label: "pay",
  },
  createOrder() {
    return fetch("/my-server/create-paypal-order", {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
      },
      // use the "body" param to optionally pass additional order information
      // like product skus and quantities
      body: JSON.stringify({
        cart: [
          {
            sku: "YOUR_PRODUCT_STOCK_KEEPING_UNIT",
            quantity: "YOUR_PRODUCT_QUANTITY",
          },
        ],
      }),
    })
    .then((response) => response.json())
    .then((order) => order.id);
  },
  onApprove(data) {
    return fetch("/my-server/capture-paypal-order", {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        orderID: data.orderID
      })
    })
    .then((response) => response.json())
    .then((orderData) => {
      // Successful capture! For dev/demo purposes:
      console.log('Capture result', orderData, JSON.stringify(orderData, null, 2));
      const transaction = orderData.purchase_units[0].payments.captures[0];
      console.log('Transaction Status:',  transaction.status);
      console.log('Transaction ID:', transaction.id);
      // When ready to go live, remove the alert and show a success message within this page. For example:
      // const element = document.getElementById('paypal-button-container');
      // element.innerHTML = '<h3>Thank you for your payment!</h3>';
      // Or go to another URL:  window.location.href = 'thank_you.html';
    });
  },
  onCancel(data, actions) {
    console.log(`Order Canceled - ID: ${data.orderID}`);
  },
  onError(err) {
    console.error(err);
  }
}).render("#sofort-btn");

• createOrder

  Implement the createOrder function to allow the JavaScript SDK to submit buyer information and set up the transaction on the click of the button.

  Note: Create Sofort orders in EUR/GBP currency.

  Use your server-side Create order call to set up the details of a one-time transaction including the amount, line item detail, and more.

  If order creation fails, the Orders API can return an error in the console.

  After order creation, orders are confirmed with buyer selected payment source. If the order cannot be processed with the selected payment source, the relevant errors are returned in the console.

• onCancel

  Implement the optional onCancel() function to show a cancellation page or return to the shopping cart.

• onError

  Implement the optional onError() function to handle errors and display generic error message or page to the buyers. This error handler is a catch-all. Errors at this point are not expected to be handled beyond showing a generic error message or page.

5. Capture the transaction

Implement the onApprove function, which is called after the buyer approves the transaction.

Captures the funds from the transaction and shows a message to the buyer to let them know the transaction is successful. The method is called after the buyer approves the transaction on paypal.com.

Because this is a client-side call, PayPal calls the Orders API on your behalf, so you don't need to provide the headers and body.

capture() - Promise returning the order details.

paypal.Buttons({
  fundingSource: paypal.FUNDING.SOFORT,
  createOrder() {
    return fetch("/my-server/create-paypal-order", {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
      },
      // use the "body" param to optionally pass additional order information
      // like product skus and quantities
      body: JSON.stringify({
        cart: [
          {
            sku: "YOUR_PRODUCT_STOCK_KEEPING_UNIT",
            quantity: "YOUR_PRODUCT_QUANTITY",
          },
        ],
      }),
    })
    .then((response) => response.json())
    .then((order) => order.id);
  },
  onApprove(data) {
    return fetch("/my-server/capture-paypal-order", {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        orderID: data.orderID
      })
    })
    .then((response) => response.json())
    .then((orderData) => {
      // Successful capture! For dev/demo purposes:
      console.log('Capture result', orderData, JSON.stringify(orderData, null, 2));
      const transaction = orderData.purchase_units[0].payments.captures[0];
      console.log('Transaction Status:',  transaction.status);
      console.log('Transaction ID:', transaction.id);
      // When ready to go live, remove the alert and show a success message within this page. For example:
      // const element = document.getElementById('paypal-button-container');
      // element.innerHTML = '<h3>Thank you for your payment!</h3>';
      // Or go to another URL:  window.location.href = 'thank_you.html';
    });
  }
}).render('#sofort-button-container');
//This function displays payment buttons on your web page.

For the capture call details and example responses, see Capture payment for order in the Orders API reference.

If order capture fails, the Orders API can return an error in the console.

6. Handle webhook events

A webhook handler is a script you create on your server that completes specific actions on webhooks that hit your listener URL.

• We recommend subscribing to CHECKOUT.ORDER.APPROVED webhook event in case a customer accidentally closes the browser and exits the checkout process after approving the transaction through their APM but before finalizing the transaction on your site.
• Listen for the CHECKOUT.PAYMENT-APPROVAL.REVERSED webhook as an indication that an approved order wasn't captured within the capture window resulting in a cancellation of the order and a refund the buyer's account. Then notify your buyer of the problem and the reversed order.
• PAYMENT.CAPTURE.PENDING, PAYMENT.CAPTURE.COMPLETED, and PAYMENT.CAPTURE.DENIED webhooks indicate capture status.

See Subscribe to checkout webhooks for more information.

Here are some additional resources as you create webhook handler code:

• Webhook Management API - Manage webhooks, list event notifications, and more.
• Webhook events
  • Checkout webhook events - Checkout buyer approval-related webhooks.
  • Order webhook events - Other order-related webhooks.
• Show order details endpoint - Determine the status of an order.

Sample integration

See a sample Sofort integration in the PayPal GitHub repository.