How to configure PayPal payment gateway (Sandbox)

This guide shows how to configure PayPal Sandbox for Giftflow so you can test donations safely before going live.

Prerequisites

• Admin access to your WordPress site running Giftflow
• A PayPal/Developer account

Step 1: Go to the PayPal Developer Dashboard

1. Open https://developer.paypal.com/
2. Sign in.

Step 2: Create a Sandbox app and get credentials

1. In the dashboard, go to Apps & Credentials.
2. Switch to the Sandbox tab (not Live).
3. Click Create App.
4. Name the app (example: “Giftflow Sandbox”).
5. After the app is created, copy:
   • Client ID (Sandbox)
   • Client Secret (Sandbox)

Step 3: Configure PayPal in Giftflow

In your WordPress Admin:

1. Open Giftflow → Settings → Payments → PayPal (or the PayPal settings screen in your Giftflow plugin).
2. Set Environment to Sandbox.
3. Paste:
   • PayPal Client ID (Sandbox)
   • PayPal Client Secret (Sandbox)
4. Save changes.

Step 4 (Recommended): Create Sandbox test accounts

To simulate real donations, PayPal provides sandbox “buyer” accounts.

1. In the PayPal Developer Dashboard, go to Testing Tools → Sandbox Accounts.
2. Create (or use) a Personal account as the donor/buyer.
3. Save the email/password so you can log in during checkout.

Step 5 (Optional but recommended): Enable PayPal webhooks

Webhooks help Giftflow stay in sync with PayPal payment results (especially if a donor closes the tab during checkout).

1. In the PayPal Developer Dashboard, open your Sandbox app.
2. Find Webhooks and click Add Webhook.
3. For the webhook URL, paste the webhook endpoint shown in Giftflow’s PayPal settings (if your plugin provides one).
4. Subscribe to these events:
   • PAYMENT.CAPTURE.COMPLETED
   • PAYMENT.CAPTURE.DENIED
   • PAYMENT.CAPTURE.REFUNDED
5. Save the webhook.

Note: PayPal event names are case-sensitive. The correct prefix is PAYMENT (singular), not PAYMENTS.

Step 6: Test a sandbox donation

1. Open a campaign donation form on your site.
2. Select PayPal as the payment method.
3. Complete checkout using a sandbox personal (buyer) account.
4. Confirm Giftflow records the Donation and sends the expected emails (admin + donor).

Troubleshooting

• PayPal button doesn’t load: confirm the environment is Sandbox and the Client ID is from the Sandbox app.
• Checkout works but status doesn’t update: enable webhooks and ensure the webhook URL is publicly reachable.
• Wrong account during testing: make sure you’re using the sandbox login from Sandbox Accounts, not a real PayPal account.