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PayPal Setup

Connect your PayPal Business account to accept payments through your widget.

Prerequisites

Before you start, you’ll need:

  • A PayPal Business account — Sign up here  if you don’t have one
  • API credentials from the PayPal Developer Dashboard

Getting your API credentials

Open the PayPal Developer Dashboard

Go to developer.paypal.com/dashboard/applications  and sign in with your PayPal Business account.

Create or select an app

Under Apps & Credentials, you’ll see your existing apps. Click Create App if you need a new one, or select an existing app to view its credentials.

Make sure you’re viewing the correct environment — use the Sandbox/Live toggle at the top of the page to switch between test and production credentials.

Copy your credentials

You’ll need two values:

  • Client ID — Your public identifier
  • Client Secret — Click Show to reveal it, then copy

Connecting PayPal to your widget

Open the Add-ons tab

  1. Open your widget in the Creator
  2. Click the Add-ons tab
  3. Scroll to Payments and toggle it on

Connect your account

  1. Click Connect Account
  2. Select PayPal as your provider
  3. Enter your Client ID and Client Secret
  4. Choose your environment:
    • Sandbox — For testing with fake money
    • Live — For real payments
  5. Give your connection a name (e.g., “My PayPal”)
  6. Click Connect

Shareables will validate your credentials with PayPal before saving. If the credentials are invalid, you’ll see an error message.

How PayPal checkout works

When a visitor clicks a payment button on your widget:

  1. A payment modal opens with the PayPal checkout buttons
  2. The visitor clicks the PayPal button and logs into their PayPal account in a popup
  3. They review and approve the payment in the PayPal popup
  4. The payment is captured immediately and the modal shows a success message

The entire flow happens without the visitor leaving your widget page. PayPal handles the secure payment processing in their own popup window.

Sandbox testing

PayPal sandbox mode lets you test the full payment flow without real money.

Setting up sandbox test accounts

  1. Go to developer.paypal.com/dashboard/accounts 
  2. You’ll see two default sandbox accounts:
    • Business — Simulates your merchant account
    • Personal — Simulates a buyer
  3. Click the Personal account to view its email and password — use these to log into the PayPal popup during testing

Testing a payment

  1. Connect your widget using Sandbox credentials
  2. Publish your widget and open it
  3. Click a payment button
  4. In the PayPal popup, log in with your sandbox Personal account credentials
  5. Approve the payment
  6. Verify the success message and check that email notifications arrive

Sandbox and Live use different credentials. Make sure to switch to your Live credentials before accepting real payments.

Going live

When you’re ready to accept real payments:

  1. Go to the PayPal Developer Dashboard and switch to Live mode
  2. Copy your Live Client ID and Client Secret
  3. In Shareables, either:
    • Update your existing connection with the live credentials and switch the environment to Live, or
    • Create a new connection with live credentials

Frequently asked questions

What PayPal account type do I need?

You need a PayPal Business account. Personal accounts cannot generate API credentials for accepting payments.

What payment methods can buyers use?

Through PayPal checkout, buyers can pay with their PayPal balance, linked bank account, or credit/debit card — all within the PayPal popup.

In what countries is PayPal available?

PayPal is available in over 200 countries. Check PayPal’s country availability  for the full list.

Are there processing fees?

Shareables does not charge any fees. PayPal’s standard processing fees apply — typically around 2.9% + fixed fee per transaction, but this varies by country and account type. Check PayPal’s fee schedule  for details.

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