# Overview (/platforms/get-started)



Create an onboarding and payments solution for your marketplace or payments platform. Follow these steps for integrating PayPal Complete Payments Platform from onboarding your platform to going live.

## 1. Onboard your platform [#1-onboard-your-platform]

[Fill out this form](/platforms/get-started) to tell us about your platform and business, including what services and products your platform provides. We use this information to determine the most suitable integration for you. A PayPal representative will evaluate your business needs and contact you about your approval.

> **Info:** **Note:** The PayPal Complete Payments Platform is only available to approved partners. Calls to the PayPal Complete Payments Platform APIs without approval will return a `401 Unauthorized` HTTP status code. You can call and test the PayPal Complete Payments Platform APIs with your sandbox credentials before you are approved.

## 2. Configure your sandbox and live accounts [#2-configure-your-sandbox-and-live-accounts]

Log in to your sandbox API caller account to create a Platform REST app and get your API credentials. Then, set up your live account. For instructions, see [Configure your sandbox account, live account, and API credentials](/platforms/create-account/).

## 3. Choose your payment solution [#3-choose-your-payment-solution]

Determine how you want to accept payments and [select a solution](/platforms/get-started) that works best for your use case. Things to consider include:

* How you want to onboard your sellers
* What payment methods you want your sellers to use
* How to manage disputes and refunds
* How to generate reports

## 4. Build and test your integration [#4-build-and-test-your-integration]

Explore what you can do with the platform solution in the sandbox. Test the seller onboarding integration, display specific payment methods, and configure the backend management. For demos of our integrations, see [PayPal Demo](https://demo.paypal.com/us/demo/home) and the [Interactive Buttons Demo](/checkout).

## Onboard sellers [#onboard-sellers]

Your sellers complete onboarding so they can accept PayPal payments on your platform.

There are 3 ways to onboard sellers:

* Onboard sellers before payment
* Onboard sellers after payment
* Build onboarding into software

We recommend [onboarding your sellers before payment](/platforms/seller-onboarding/before-payment/) because it allows you to integrate both PayPal Checkout and Expanded Checkout solutions. It has a few limitations and is the most common way to onboard your sellers.

For more information, see [Onboard sellers overview](/platforms/seller-onboarding/).

## Process checkout [#process-checkout]

There are two packaged solutions for checkout: [PayPal Checkout](/platforms/checkout/standard/) and [Expanded Checkout](/platforms/checkout/advanced/).

### PayPal Checkout [#paypal-checkout]

This solution includes PayPal Checkout to your platform and allows you to,

* Add [Pay Later buttons](/pay-later/overview) and messaging to your checkout.
* Add the [Venmo button](/platforms/checkout/pay-with-venmo/) to your integration.

### Expanded Checkout [#expanded-checkout]

This solution includes the PayPal Checkout solution and customizable credit and debit card fields.

## Manage back-end operations, dispute, and reporting [#manage-back-end-operations-dispute-and-reporting]

You can include the following in your back-end management:

* Issue a [refund.](/platforms/checkout/issue-refund/)
* Include your [PayPal-Partner-Attribution-Id](/platforms/create-account/#link-bncode) in your API call headers.
* Configure [Webhook notifications](/api/rest/webhooks/event-names/) for all events, such as onboarding, transactions, and more.
* Sellers will handle their disputes through the PayPal Account Resolution Center. For more information, see [Understanding disputes](https://www.paypal.com/us/brc/article/customer-disputes-claims-chargebacks-bank-reversals).
* Create an [SFTP User account](/platforms/reports/sftp-access/) to access your reports. Use the [Transaction Search API](/api/transaction-search/v1/) for custom reporting. For set-up instructions, see [Generate reports](/platforms/reports/partner-reports-overview/).

## 5. Complete the integration checklist [#5-complete-the-integration-checklist]

Review and complete the [integration checklist](/platforms/integration-checklist). The checklist provides best practice recommendations.

## 6. Go live [#6-go-live]

Make sure you have [filled out this form](/platforms/get-started) to be an approved partner. Contact your PayPal representative to go live after you've tested your integration. Share the email addresses and client IDs for your sandbox and live accounts with your PayPal representative. When you have completed the integration checklist, a PayPal representative can copy your sandbox configuration to your live account.