Integration Guide

Table Of Contents
PayPal Payments Pro Integration Guide April 2012 77
Getting Started With the PayPal Name-Value Pair API
Obtaining API Credentials
A
1. Invoke an API operation, such as SetExpressCheckout, that sets up the return URL to
which PayPal redirects your buyer’s browser after the buyer finishes on PayPal. Other
setup actions also can be performed by this API operation.
2. Invoke additional API operations after receiving the buyers permission on PayPal, for
example, GetExpressCheckoutDetails or DoExpressCheckoutPayment.
The following diagram shows the execution flow between your site and PayPal:
Token Usage
Typically, the API operation that sets up a redirection to PayPal returns a token. This token is
passed as a parameter in the redirect to PayPal. The token also might be required in related
API operations.
Obtaining API Credentials
To use the PayPal API, you must have API credentials that identify you as a PayPal Business
or Premier account holder who is authorized to perform various API operations. Although you
can use either an API signature or a certificate for credentials, PayPal recommends you use a
signature.
IMPORTANT: Although you can have both a signature and certificate, you cannot use both at
the same time.