Paypal Business Integration Not Working
PayPal Business integrations break in 2026 at three common points: the order creation (wrong currency code, amount format, or missing required fields), the capture step (trying to capture before the buyer approves the payment, or capturing with the wrong order ID), or the IPN/webhook handling (missing payment confirmations because IPN is not configured or webhooks are not set up).
Why This Happens
- Configuration gaps between tools or services
- Missing integrations or manual workarounds that weren't designed to scale
- Changes in vendor behavior, pricing, or API that weren't communicated clearly
What To Check First
- Verify your current setup matches the vendor's latest documentation
- Look for recent changes — platform updates, new team members, configuration drift
- Check if the problem is consistent or intermittent (different root causes, different fixes)
When To Escalate
- The problem is costing you money or customers per week
- You've spent more than 2 hours on it without progress
- A vendor quoted you more than $500 and you're not sure if it's necessary
Dealing with this right now?
For PayPal Checkout (the modern SDK): use the PayPal JS SDK with the `createOrder` / `onApprove` / `onError` callbacks — this is the most reliable path and handles edge cases automatically. For the REST API: always follow the create → approve → capture sequence, and never skip the approval step even for known customers. For webhook setup: go to developer.paypal.com → My Apps → Webhooks and add `PAYMENT.CAPTURE.COMPLETED` and `PAYMENT.CAPTURE.DENIED` — these are the two events that tell you whether money actually moved.
