Last updated: September 14, 2026
Complete this checklist to ensure you're prepared for the live integration. Have the completed checklist ready before contacting a PayPal representative to go live.
This checklist includes:
Important: Make a separate .txt file for API calls. The remaining checklist items can be in another .txt file. You'll need to send these files to your PayPal representative when all checklist items are done.
Make a .txt file named "API_Calls" and copy-and-paste the following text. Write an entry for each API call in your solution that contains:
Title of Call:
(The title with the name of the API call such as "Create Partner Referral Link" or "Get MerchantID from TrackingID".)
HTTP Request:
(The HTTP request that includes headers and parameters in this call.)
HTTP Response:
(The HTTP response received from the call.)
Make a .txt file named "Integration_Checklist" and copy-and-paste the following text. Record your responses.
Record the test transaction IDs and debug IDs from the PayPal sandbox for:
order IDs: debug IDs
order IDs: debug IDs
order IDs: debug IDs
order IDs: debug IDs
Record the following sandbox information:
email address (sandbox REST App):
client ID (sandbox REST App):
Webhooks (subscribed to):
Add links to your recordings for each of the following scenarios.
Links:
Links:
Links:
Links:
Links:
Answer the questions below and include screenshots when available.
Answer:
Answer:
Answer:
Answer:
Are you waiting to call the Create Order API until after the buyer has clicked on the PayPal checkout button? Answer:
Are you passing individual line-item details as part of the Create Order call? Answer:
Are you able to process a successful payment? Answer:
If you are using delayed disbursement, are you able to issue a refund? Answer:
Are you passing your BN code, which is the PayPal-Partner-Attribution-ID, to PayPal with each payment? Answer:
Have you capitalized the two letter P's when PayPal is mentioned? Answer:
Does your checkout button or payment selection take buyers directly to PayPal without any steps in between? Answer:
If an order does not require any shipping information, such as digital products or services:
When a capture attempt returns an INSTRUMENT_DECLINED error, are you restarting the payment so the buyer can select another funding source? Answer:
Does your checkout work across major browsers on desktop and mobile? Answer:
Are PayPal checkout buttons included with equal prominence as other options on any platform page that starts checkout? Answer:
If you are subscribed to webhooks, are you following any changes to the transaction status? Answer:
If you are using standard checkout with the PayPal button, does your checkout flow allow buyers to checkout in only two steps? Answer:
If you are using the partner features, are you able to connect to your SFTP folder and receive your partner reports?
Answer:
Are you storing the Paypal-Debug-Id header returned in the API Response?
Answer:
List any comments or observations that you have in this walkthrough that was not included in the questions above.
Answer:
You must be an approved partner to go live. You'll be assigned a PayPal representative after you are approved. Contact your PayPal representative to go through the checklist and go live.