Agent skill
paypal-integration
Integrate PayPal payment processing with support for express checkout, subscriptions, and refund management. Use when implementing PayPal payments, processing online transactions, or building e-commerce checkout flows.
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/lifangda/claude-plugins/tree/main/cli-tool/skills-library/payment-processing/paypal-integration
SKILL.md
PayPal Integration
Master PayPal payment integration including Express Checkout, IPN handling, recurring billing, and refund workflows.
When to Use This Skill
- Integrating PayPal as a payment option
- Implementing express checkout flows
- Setting up recurring billing with PayPal
- Processing refunds and payment disputes
- Handling PayPal webhooks (IPN)
- Supporting international payments
- Implementing PayPal subscriptions
Core Concepts
1. Payment Products
PayPal Checkout
- One-time payments
- Express checkout experience
- Guest and PayPal account payments
PayPal Subscriptions
- Recurring billing
- Subscription plans
- Automatic renewals
PayPal Payouts
- Send money to multiple recipients
- Marketplace and platform payments
2. Integration Methods
Client-Side (JavaScript SDK)
- Smart Payment Buttons
- Hosted payment flow
- Minimal backend code
Server-Side (REST API)
- Full control over payment flow
- Custom checkout UI
- Advanced features
3. IPN (Instant Payment Notification)
- Webhook-like payment notifications
- Asynchronous payment updates
- Verification required
Quick Start
// Frontend - PayPal Smart Buttons
<div id="paypal-button-container"></div>
<script src="https://www.paypal.com/sdk/js?client-id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID¤cy=USD"></script>
<script>
paypal.Buttons({
createOrder: function(data, actions) {
return actions.order.create({
purchase_units: [{
amount: {
value: '25.00'
}
}]
});
},
onApprove: function(data, actions) {
return actions.order.capture().then(function(details) {
// Payment successful
console.log('Transaction completed by ' + details.payer.name.given_name);
// Send to backend for verification
fetch('/api/paypal/capture', {
method: 'POST',
headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
body: JSON.stringify({orderID: data.orderID})
});
});
}
}).render('#paypal-button-container');
</script>
# Backend - Verify and capture order
from paypalrestsdk import Payment
import paypalrestsdk
paypalrestsdk.configure({
"mode": "sandbox", # or "live"
"client_id": "YOUR_CLIENT_ID",
"client_secret": "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET"
})
def capture_paypal_order(order_id):
"""Capture a PayPal order."""
payment = Payment.find(order_id)
if payment.execute({"payer_id": payment.payer.payer_info.payer_id}):
# Payment successful
return {
'status': 'success',
'transaction_id': payment.id,
'amount': payment.transactions[0].amount.total
}
else:
# Payment failed
return {
'status': 'failed',
'error': payment.error
}
Express Checkout Implementation
Server-Side Order Creation
import requests
import json
class PayPalClient:
def __init__(self, client_id, client_secret, mode='sandbox'):
self.client_id = client_id
self.client_secret = client_secret
self.base_url = 'https://api-m.sandbox.paypal.com' if mode == 'sandbox' else 'https://api-m.paypal.com'
self.access_token = self.get_access_token()
def get_access_token(self):
"""Get OAuth access token."""
url = f"{self.base_url}/v1/oauth2/token"
headers = {"Accept": "application/json", "Accept-Language": "en_US"}
response = requests.post(
url,
headers=headers,
data={"grant_type": "client_credentials"},
auth=(self.client_id, self.client_secret)
)
return response.json()['access_token']
def create_order(self, amount, currency='USD'):
"""Create a PayPal order."""
url = f"{self.base_url}/v2/checkout/orders"
headers = {
"Content-Type": "application/json",
"Authorization": f"Bearer {self.access_token}"
}
payload = {
"intent": "CAPTURE",
"purchase_units": [{
"amount": {
"currency_code": currency,
"value": str(amount)
}
}]
}
response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=payload)
return response.json()
def capture_order(self, order_id):
"""Capture payment for an order."""
url = f"{self.base_url}/v2/checkout/orders/{order_id}/capture"
headers = {
"Content-Type": "application/json",
"Authorization": f"Bearer {self.access_token}"
}
response = requests.post(url, headers=headers)
return response.json()
def get_order_details(self, order_id):
"""Get order details."""
url = f"{self.base_url}/v2/checkout/orders/{order_id}"
headers = {
"Authorization": f"Bearer {self.access_token}"
}
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
return response.json()
IPN (Instant Payment Notification) Handling
IPN Verification and Processing
from flask import Flask, request
import requests
from urllib.parse import parse_qs
app = Flask(__name__)
@app.route('/ipn', methods=['POST'])
def handle_ipn():
"""Handle PayPal IPN notifications."""
# Get IPN message
ipn_data = request.form.to_dict()
# Verify IPN with PayPal
if not verify_ipn(ipn_data):
return 'IPN verification failed', 400
# Process IPN based on transaction type
payment_status = ipn_data.get('payment_status')
txn_type = ipn_data.get('txn_type')
if payment_status == 'Completed':
handle_payment_completed(ipn_data)
elif payment_status == 'Refunded':
handle_refund(ipn_data)
elif payment_status == 'Reversed':
handle_chargeback(ipn_data)
return 'IPN processed', 200
def verify_ipn(ipn_data):
"""Verify IPN message authenticity."""
# Add 'cmd' parameter
verify_data = ipn_data.copy()
verify_data['cmd'] = '_notify-validate'
# Send back to PayPal for verification
paypal_url = 'https://ipnpb.sandbox.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr' # or production URL
response = requests.post(paypal_url, data=verify_data)
return response.text == 'VERIFIED'
def handle_payment_completed(ipn_data):
"""Process completed payment."""
txn_id = ipn_data.get('txn_id')
payer_email = ipn_data.get('payer_email')
mc_gross = ipn_data.get('mc_gross')
item_name = ipn_data.get('item_name')
# Check if already processed (prevent duplicates)
if is_transaction_processed(txn_id):
return
# Update database
# Send confirmation email
# Fulfill order
print(f"Payment completed: {txn_id}, Amount: ${mc_gross}")
def handle_refund(ipn_data):
"""Handle refund."""
parent_txn_id = ipn_data.get('parent_txn_id')
mc_gross = ipn_data.get('mc_gross')
# Process refund in your system
print(f"Refund processed: {parent_txn_id}, Amount: ${mc_gross}")
def handle_chargeback(ipn_data):
"""Handle payment reversal/chargeback."""
txn_id = ipn_data.get('txn_id')
reason_code = ipn_data.get('reason_code')
# Handle chargeback
print(f"Chargeback: {txn_id}, Reason: {reason_code}")
Subscription/Recurring Billing
Create Subscription Plan
def create_subscription_plan(name, amount, interval='MONTH'):
"""Create a subscription plan."""
client = PayPalClient(CLIENT_ID, CLIENT_SECRET)
url = f"{client.base_url}/v1/billing/plans"
headers = {
"Content-Type": "application/json",
"Authorization": f"Bearer {client.access_token}"
}
payload = {
"product_id": "PRODUCT_ID", # Create product first
"name": name,
"billing_cycles": [{
"frequency": {
"interval_unit": interval,
"interval_count": 1
},
"tenure_type": "REGULAR",
"sequence": 1,
"total_cycles": 0, # Infinite
"pricing_scheme": {
"fixed_price": {
"value": str(amount),
"currency_code": "USD"
}
}
}],
"payment_preferences": {
"auto_bill_outstanding": True,
"setup_fee": {
"value": "0",
"currency_code": "USD"
},
"setup_fee_failure_action": "CONTINUE",
"payment_failure_threshold": 3
}
}
response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=payload)
return response.json()
def create_subscription(plan_id, subscriber_email):
"""Create a subscription for a customer."""
client = PayPalClient(CLIENT_ID, CLIENT_SECRET)
url = f"{client.base_url}/v1/billing/subscriptions"
headers = {
"Content-Type": "application/json",
"Authorization": f"Bearer {client.access_token}"
}
payload = {
"plan_id": plan_id,
"subscriber": {
"email_address": subscriber_email
},
"application_context": {
"return_url": "https://yourdomain.com/subscription/success",
"cancel_url": "https://yourdomain.com/subscription/cancel"
}
}
response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=payload)
subscription = response.json()
# Get approval URL
for link in subscription.get('links', []):
if link['rel'] == 'approve':
return {
'subscription_id': subscription['id'],
'approval_url': link['href']
}
Refund Workflows
def create_refund(capture_id, amount=None, note=None):
"""Create a refund for a captured payment."""
client = PayPalClient(CLIENT_ID, CLIENT_SECRET)
url = f"{client.base_url}/v2/payments/captures/{capture_id}/refund"
headers = {
"Content-Type": "application/json",
"Authorization": f"Bearer {client.access_token}"
}
payload = {}
if amount:
payload["amount"] = {
"value": str(amount),
"currency_code": "USD"
}
if note:
payload["note_to_payer"] = note
response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=payload)
return response.json()
def get_refund_details(refund_id):
"""Get refund details."""
client = PayPalClient(CLIENT_ID, CLIENT_SECRET)
url = f"{client.base_url}/v2/payments/refunds/{refund_id}"
headers = {
"Authorization": f"Bearer {client.access_token}"
}
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
return response.json()
Error Handling
class PayPalError(Exception):
"""Custom PayPal error."""
pass
def handle_paypal_api_call(api_function):
"""Wrapper for PayPal API calls with error handling."""
try:
result = api_function()
return result
except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
# Network error
raise PayPalError(f"Network error: {str(e)}")
except Exception as e:
# Other errors
raise PayPalError(f"PayPal API error: {str(e)}")
# Usage
try:
order = handle_paypal_api_call(lambda: client.create_order(25.00))
except PayPalError as e:
# Handle error appropriately
log_error(e)
Testing
# Use sandbox credentials
SANDBOX_CLIENT_ID = "..."
SANDBOX_SECRET = "..."
# Test accounts
# Create test buyer and seller accounts at developer.paypal.com
def test_payment_flow():
"""Test complete payment flow."""
client = PayPalClient(SANDBOX_CLIENT_ID, SANDBOX_SECRET, mode='sandbox')
# Create order
order = client.create_order(10.00)
assert 'id' in order
# Get approval URL
approval_url = next((link['href'] for link in order['links'] if link['rel'] == 'approve'), None)
assert approval_url is not None
# After approval (manual step with test account)
# Capture order
# captured = client.capture_order(order['id'])
# assert captured['status'] == 'COMPLETED'
Resources
- references/express-checkout.md: Express Checkout implementation guide
- references/ipn-handling.md: IPN verification and processing
- references/refund-workflows.md: Refund handling patterns
- references/billing-agreements.md: Recurring billing setup
- assets/paypal-client.py: Production PayPal client
- assets/ipn-processor.py: IPN webhook processor
- assets/recurring-billing.py: Subscription management
Best Practices
- Always Verify IPN: Never trust IPN without verification
- Idempotent Processing: Handle duplicate IPN notifications
- Error Handling: Implement robust error handling
- Logging: Log all transactions and errors
- Test Thoroughly: Use sandbox extensively
- Webhook Backup: Don't rely solely on client-side callbacks
- Currency Handling: Always specify currency explicitly
Common Pitfalls
- Not Verifying IPN: Accepting IPN without verification
- Duplicate Processing: Not checking for duplicate transactions
- Wrong Environment: Mixing sandbox and production URLs/credentials
- Missing Webhooks: Not handling all payment states
- Hardcoded Values: Not making configurable for different environments
Recommended Agent Skills
Expand your agent's capabilities with these related and highly-rated skills.
metabolomics-workbench-database
Access NIH Metabolomics Workbench via REST API (4,200+ studies). Query metabolites, RefMet nomenclature, MS/NMR data, m/z searches, study metadata, for metabolomics and biomarker discovery.
zinc-database
Access ZINC (230M+ purchasable compounds). Search by ZINC ID/SMILES, similarity searches, 3D-ready structures for docking, analog discovery, for virtual screening and drug discovery.
drugbank-database
Access and analyze comprehensive drug information from the DrugBank database including drug properties, interactions, targets, pathways, chemical structures, and pharmacology data. This skill should be used when working with pharmaceutical data, drug discovery research, pharmacology studies, drug-drug interaction analysis, target identification, chemical similarity searches, ADMET predictions, or any task requiring detailed drug and drug target information from DrugBank.
pubmed-database
Direct REST API access to PubMed. Advanced Boolean/MeSH queries, E-utilities API, batch processing, citation management. For Python workflows, prefer biopython (Bio.Entrez). Use this for direct HTTP/REST work or custom API implementations.
reactome-database
Query Reactome REST API for pathway analysis, enrichment, gene-pathway mapping, disease pathways, molecular interactions, expression analysis, for systems biology studies.
alphafold-database
Access AlphaFold's 200M+ AI-predicted protein structures. Retrieve structures by UniProt ID, download PDB/mmCIF files, analyze confidence metrics (pLDDT, PAE), for drug discovery and structural biology.
Didn't find tool you were looking for?