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How to integrate PayPal with Disputifier

Connecting PayPal to Disputifier lets us access the dispute and transaction data we need to fight and analyze your PayPal disputes on your behalf. This guide walks you through the two things you need to do: add Disputifier as a user on your PayPal account

Please note: PayPal's interface, menu names, button labels, and navigation paths can vary depending on your region, account type, and any recent updates PayPal has made. If something appears under a slightly different name or in a different place than described here, the overall process is the same, use these steps as a guide and look for the closest matching option in your own PayPal account.

Part 1: Add Disputifier as a user in PayPal

Adding Disputifier as a user on your PayPal account is required so our team can help manage and review your disputes when human assistance is needed.

In this step, you’ll:

a. Add Disputifier as a user to your PayPal account.

b. Grant the permissions needed for dispute management.

Important: Start from your regular PayPal dashboard. Do not use the PayPal Developer dashboard yet. You’ll use the Developer dashboard in Part 2

  1. Click Account Settings

  2. Select Account Access, under Manage Users, click Update

  3. Click Add User

  4. On the Add a new user form, fill in each field for Disputifier as shown below. The form is divided into three sections:

  • User information

  • User login information

    • Create user ID: Enter an ID that starts with disputifier and ends in 4 unique numbers, for example, disputifier9174. You choose the 4 numbers; they just need to be unique. You'll re-use this exact user ID in Part 2, Step 8, so write it down.

  • Optional user information:

    • Phone type: Work

    • Code: +1

    • Phone number: 512-270-1514

5. Select the following permissions for the user:

  • Access APIs and developer support site

  • Process refunds and resolve disputes

  • Access Message Center

6. Save the new user

Once you've saved, Disputifier will be listed as a user on your PayPal account with the three permissions above.

Add the phone number, even though PayPal marks it optional. When you add Disputifier as a user, PayPal may show the phone number field as optional. Please enter it anyway, we need the phone number to access the account.

If you see an error saying the phone number needs to be verified, this is not something Disputifier can resolve, phone number verification is handled entirely on PayPal's side. Please contact PayPal Support directly to complete the verification.

If PayPal asks for an address when you send the user invite: In certain regions, PayPal requires an address to send a user invitation. Use the Disputifier address below:

  • Country or Region: United States

  • Street Address: 500 W 2nd St Suite 1900

  • City: Austin

  • State: TX

  • Zip Code: 78701

Part 2: Connect PayPal inside Disputifier

In this second part, you'll create PayPal API credentials and enter them into Disputifier to complete the connection. You'll move between your Disputifier dashboard and your PayPal Developer dashboard, so it helps to have both open.

  1. In your Disputifier dashboard, click the Settings tab in the left sidebar

  2. Select Integrations

  3. Scroll down to Payment Processors

  4. On PayPal, click the Add button

  5. Click Add new and keep that window open

  6. Log in to your PayPal account, then click the Developer icon

  7. Click Apps & Credentials.

  8. Make sure the toggle at the top is set to Live (not Sandbox)

  9. Click Create App. Name the app Disputifier, or any name you prefer

  10. Copy your credentials from PayPal
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  11. Go to Disputifier (open window from step 5):

    • Copy the Client ID from PayPal and paste it into Disputifier

    • Copy the Secret key from PayPal and paste it into Disputifier

    • Enter the same user ID you set for Disputifier in Part 1, Step 4

    • Click Save
      ​​

  12. Back in PayPal, select the Customer disputes and Transaction search permissions for the app, then click Save changes

Once you've saved changes in both Disputifier and PayPal, your PayPal account is connected.

Connecting more than one PayPal account: You can integrate multiple PayPal accounts. In the Disputifier PayPal integration, just click Add - Add new to add each additional account, repeating the steps in Part 2 for each one.

Troubleshooting and verifying your PayPal integration

The PayPal integration is a manual, multi-step process, you add Disputifier as a user, create an app, and copy credentials by hand between PayPal and Disputifier. Small mistakes in these steps are the most common reason a connection doesn't work. Use the checklist and common issues below to verify your setup before contacting us.

Verify your setup before you finish

Run through this checklist to confirm each part of the PayPal integration was completed correctly:

  • Disputifier is added as a user in PayPal with all three permissions: Access APIs and developer support site, Process refunds and resolve disputes, and Access Message Center (Part 1, Step 5)

  • The phone number was entered for the Disputifier user, using +1 (512) 270-1514 (Part 1)

  • The Apps & Credentials toggle is set to Live, not Sandbox, in the PayPal Developer dashboard (Part 2, Step 8)

  • The Client ID and Secret key were copied in full from PayPal and pasted into Disputifier, with no extra spaces or missing characters (Part 2, Step 10-11)

  • The user ID in Part 2 matches the user ID you set in Part 1, Step 4

  • The app permissions Customer disputes and Transaction search are selected and you clicked Save changes in PayPal (Part 2, Step 12)

Common issues and how to fix them

I get an error that the phone number needs to be verified. Phone number verification is handled entirely on PayPal's side, not by Disputifier. Contact PayPal Support directly to complete the verification, then continue with the integration.

My credentials aren't working or the connection won't save. This is usually caused by copying the credentials incorrectly or using the wrong environment. Confirm that the Apps & Credentials toggle was set to Live (not Sandbox) when you created the app, and re-copy both the Client ID and Secret key from PayPal into Disputifier, making sure the full value is pasted with no extra spaces. If you created the app while the toggle was on Sandbox, create the app again with the toggle set to Live and copy the new credentials.

The integration saved, but disputes or transactions aren't coming through. This usually means a permission is missing. In PayPal, confirm the Disputifier user has all three user permissions from Part 1, Step 5, and that the app has both the Customer disputes and Transaction search permissions from Part 2, Step 10. If you changed any permissions, click Save changes in PayPal.

I set the wrong user ID. The user ID you enter in Part 2, Step 9 must exactly match the user ID you set for Disputifier in Part 1, Step 4 (the one ending in 4 unique numbers). If they don't match, re-enter the correct user ID in Disputifier and save.

I have more than one PayPal account and only one connected. Each PayPal account must be added separately. Use the Add new button to add more accounts in the Disputifier PayPal integration and repeat the Part 2 steps for each account.

If you've checked everything above and the PayPal integration still isn't working, contact the Disputifier team through the live chat option in the app. Include your store or website URL and the user ID you set for us, and let us know which step the issue occurs at so we can help.

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