Payflow Gateway

Last updated: Sept 18th, 8:18pm

Payflow Gateway is PayPal's secure and open payment gateway. Using the Payflow Gateway APIs, merchants can process debit and credit card payments, PayPal, PayPal Credit^®, authorizations, captures, and credit voids. PayPal Payments Pro internally utilizes Payflow Gateway and its API, providing the same features. PayPal Payments Pro merchants use PayPal as their credit card processor, while Payflow Gateway merchants can choose to process their online store payments with any major payment processor, bank, or card association. Merchants who want total control over the checkout experience can host their own checkout pages and send transactions to PayPal using the open Payflow Gateway API or choose to have PayPal host the checkout pages and manage security for sales and authorizations.

Payflow Gateway lets merchants

Focus on their business

Use almost any merchant account, bank, and processor, including PayPal.

Integrate using any one of the many well-known shopping cart solutions that have pre-integrated Payflow.

Offer customers many ways to pay

Accept all major debit and credit cards supported by their processor, including Visa, Mastercard^®, American Express, Discover, JCB, and Diners Club. Payflow Gateway also supports L2/L3 purchase cards, prepaid cards, foreign currencies, TeleCheck, and ACH.

Add Express Checkout and PayPal Credit^®.

Customize the checkout experience

Completely control and customize the checkout process using APIs.

Merchants can host checkout pages on their website or let PayPal host the checkout on their secure servers.

Get paid quickly

Get paid daily as soon as PayPal sends payment data to processors.

Simplify PCI compliance

PayPal processes payments behind the scenes, helping to reduce the merchant's workload for proving PCI compliance.

Merchants can use PayPal's PCI-compliant hosted templates, or host checkout pages on their own website and let PayPal process payments behind the scenes (requires the Transparent Redirect feature). Both options will help merchants reduce their workload for proving PCI compliance.

Stay informed with reporting

Choose from various reports, including transaction status and settlement.

Customize reporting with APIs that integrate into merchants' back-office applications.

Use post-authorization APIs to send transaction data to your backend solution.

Add levels of fraud protection

Add Basic or Advanced Fraud Protection Services to help protect against fraud risks. Available for an additional fee.

Add Buyer Authentication Service to support the Verified By Visa and Mastercard SecureCode programs. Available for an additional fee.

Set up recurring payments

Add the Recurring Billing Service to automatically debit customers' debit or credit cards. Available for an additional fee.

Payflow refers to a suite of products. The following table explains the main differences between these products:

Product	PayPal hosted checkout page or template	Merchant's checkout page	Processor	Merchant Bank	Availability
PayPal Payments Pro	✓	✓	PayPal	PayPal	US & UK
Payflow Link	✓		Any supported processor	Any supported bank	Legacy *
Payflow Pro	varies	✓	Any supported processor	Any supported bank	CA, AU, NZ, and US

* Legacy products remain available for pre-existing users.

Availability and Support

Create a free developer account using these instructions. Or, sign up for a live Payflow Gateway account today. Select a country in which you conduct business from the following list:

United States
- Payflow Link
- Payflow Pro

Canada
- Payflow Link
- Payflow Pro

Australia
- Payflow Link
- Payflow Pro

New Zealand
- Payflow Link
- Payflow Pro

Payflow Gateway is available in the following countries. If your country does not appear in the list and you use Payflow without PayPal as your processor, Payflow is not available.