0

I'm trying to figure out a solution similar to this https://developer.paypal.com/docs/classic/permissions-service/integration-guide/PermissionsAbout/, as it is not available. Currently, I have a marketplace-based website that works like this:

  1. The Buyer initiates a Payment (This is done through the NVP Express Checkout API). A Percentage of that payment goes to the Marketplace, while the rest goes to the Seller (This is done through Parallel Payments)
  2. The payment is processed, and the user receives whatever they purchased

There are some pretty big issues though. If, for example, the Payment to the Seller is successful but the payment to the Marketplace isn't, the buyer is essentially scammed and their only option is the Chargeback the payment to the seller (as I'm not going to process a partially-paid transaction since these happen far too often).

I was thinking I could just refund the transaction that went through and make the buyer go through the checkout process again, but this wasn't working as I'm unable to refund transactions on behalf of the seller. There's also the possibility that something just goes wrong and the buyer has to be refunded, but that isn't possible. This is why I need some method to let the seller easily Grant Permissions to the Marketplace's PayPal Account, but from what I've seen, that doesn't seem to be possible.

I was also considering using Braintree, although when I contacted them they replied with this: 

Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, our Marketplace (payout solution) is unavailable for the foreseeable future.

PayPal for Marketplaces doesn't seem to be an option either. I also have to use PayPal, as the majority of my buyers plan on Purchasing with a PayPal Balance.

Thanks!

sogga
  • 1
  • 1
  • 3

1 Answers1

0

You'll eventually want this: https://developer.paypal.com/docs/partners/

But it's not generally available right now, at least not officially (you could just try it in live and see, talk to a PayPal account manager if you have one)

Meanwhile, the best alternate or interim solutions are one of two things:

1) Marketplace account receives full amount and sends portion to seller via Payouts: https://developer.paypal.com/docs/payouts/ (this requires approval from PayPal to use Payouts)

2) Seller receives full amount and sends portion to marketplace account via an on-file Billing Agreement/Reference Transaction (this requires approval from PayPal to use RTs)

I would not recommend staying with parallel payments, where the payer sees both transactions as separate; it simply causes more confusion than what it's worth. But if you want to keep that, sellers could manually grant refund permission to your API username via https://www.paypal.com/apiaccess . Yes this manual onboarding is a pain point, but probably adequate as an interim solution until PP4P's onboarding is available and working for you

Preston PHX
  • 27,642
  • 4
  • 24
  • 44