PayPal REST API
Global payments trusted by 400 million users worldwide
Paid Only
✓ Verified
🇺🇸 United States
PayPal’s REST API enables payments, subscriptions, invoicing, payouts, and disputes management across 200+ countries. With 400 million active accounts globally, PayPal provides instant buyer trust that few other payment methods match. The API supports standard credit/debit cards, PayPal wallets, Pay Later (BNPL), Venmo, and 100+ local payment methods. Best for B2C e-commerce where buyer recognition matters, international payments, and freelancers/creators monetizing global audiences.
API Details
Auth Method
API Key
Pricing Model
Paid Only
Free Tier
No (2.99% per transaction)
Rate Limit
300 API calls/min
Format
REST / JSON
Versioning
v2
SLA / Uptime
99.9%
Compliance
PCI DSS Level 1, GDPR
Geographic Restrictions
200+ markets globally
Last Verified
2026-02-20
Categories
Frequently Asked Questions
Stripe has a significantly better developer experience with cleaner documentation, more predictable behaviour, and a superior testing environment. PayPal's main advantage is consumer trust u2014 over 400 million users have PayPal accounts and many prefer it over entering card details. Many businesses use both: Stripe as the primary and PayPal as an additional option.
PayPal's standard rate for online transactions is 3.49% + fixed fee (varies by currency, typically $0.49 for USD). International transactions add 1.5%. PayPal Checkout (PayPal button on your site) is 3.49% + $0.49. Micropayments (under $10) have a separate rate of 5% + $0.05. Rates can vary based on account type and volume.
Yes. PayPal Subscriptions API supports recurring billing with fixed, variable, and quantity-based plans. You can create subscription plans, trial periods, setup fees, and manage upgrades/downgrades. However, PayPal's subscription management is less flexible than Stripe Billing u2014 Stripe is generally preferred for complex subscription logic.
Braintree is a payment gateway acquired by PayPal that offers a more developer-friendly API, direct card processing (unlike PayPal which redirects to its own UI), and support for PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and ACH in one integration. Braintree is PayPal's answer to Stripe and is recommended for developers over the legacy PayPal REST API.