Invoicing software/platform with API to generate PayPal invoices

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baldidiot

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Does anyone know of an invoice or accounting platform that allows you to generate invoices through PayPal? I know you can you it via the PayPal API, but it would be much easier if something already existed rather than having to come up with a custom solution.

I'm specifically looking for something that can generate an actual PayPal invoice, not a third party invoice that has a PayPal payment option (eg: stripe).

Ideally it would also show basic data on the invoice in the dashboard as well - eg: payment status (paid / not paid) and fee charged. Not the end of the world if it doesn't, but would be a nice brucey bonus.

Before anyone starts... yes, I know PayPal isn't ideal and the fees suck. We have a side gig going on where well over 90% of people want to pay via PayPal and if you send a non-PayPal invoice, half of the time they kick up a stink and make you send it again through PayPal. Or they send the wrong payment amount and you end up having to chase them (eg: $100 instead of £100).

Obviously we could just invoice through PayPal, but it's not out main business and long term we want it to be almost entirely run by VA's and I'd rather not give the VA's PayPal access.
 
Most of the major providers of accounting platforms allow customers to pay via PayPal. QuickBooks being one (it's shit). Try Xero: https://www.xero.com/uk/partnerships/paypal/

The feature you're describing though is likely only possible with a custom solution using the API.
 
Yeah we already have the pay via PayPal option with our current invoice platform, but it's not sufficient. Half the time they ask for it to be reissued through PayPal and the other half they ignore the payment link and send it manually to the address, very few people actually use the payment links.

Then we get the problem that some people then manage to cock up the payment amount somehow - eg: paying in the wrong currency, wrong amount - or they don't mention anything to do with what it's for etc... which means we have to chase our tails to figure out who it was from (there's obviously a payment email, but it often doesn't align with who we sent the invoice to).

Basically it would massively cut down our admin if we could just link up an invoicing system directly to PayPal to issue the invoices.
 
You can turn off the ability for people judtvto 'send money' which IME having integrated PP into a number of systems, solves most of the ptoblems :)
 
astutiumRob said:
You can turn off the ability for people judtvto 'send money' which IME having integrated PP into a number of systems, solves most of the ptoblems :)
Click to expand...

Yeah true, but I just want to avoid having loads of sub accounts. Especially as PayPal can be a bit funny sometimes and lock accounts willy nilly. The less we can do to rock the boat, the better.
 
baldidiot said:
I know you can you it via the PayPal API, but it would be much easier if something already existed rather than having to come up with a custom solution.
Click to expand...

For an alternative perspective, you may have already considered using AI but in case you haven't...

Spurred on by your post I spent under an hour yesterday with a pot of coffee, my PayPal Developer account and most importantly my new best friend ChatGPT and can now send PayPal invoices directly via the API. I would also imagine that the WIBNIFs you mention (basic data on the invoice in the dashboard etc.) would be trivial for ChatGPT to implement.

If you already have a web server and at least a basic understanding of how scripts work you might be surprised at what AI can do.
 
Tbh if I was going to go down that road, I'd probably need to learn a bit more about how it all works, because the idea of plugging chatgpt into my API worries me a bit... but I see your point that it sounds relatively uncomplicated.
 
Could you control the workflow a little more to stop users doing what you do not want them to do (pay direct etc)? Perhaps use a form provider and integrate with PayPal?

www.jotform.com

How to Integrate PayPal with Jotform

PayPal is a service tailored for small to large-sized businesses, offering tools for managing payments, invoicing, and online transactions. It...
www.jotform.com www.jotform.com
 
We'd still have the issue of the people insisting on a paypal invoice though, so not a complete solution.
 
I suppose this is my point. Control the workflow, dont let the users/customers control you. Really helps if/when volume ramps up. Is this B2C or B2B sales?
 
B2B, but a lot of it are freelancers working on behalf of other companies. Actually a lot of the time it's freelancers working on behalf of companies who are working on behalf of other companies, which is probably why they just want a paypal link as that's what they've been asked for by the person before them and it gets sent up the line.

We're not selling a set product, so we can't just use an order form. The details need to be discussed beforehand - so they have our email and
if we tried the form approach they'd come back moaning that they didn't want to use a form, or that they need a paypal invoice/link.

Currently we have it set up that a competent VA could pretty much handle the whole thing with very little involvement from us, this is the last sticking point.
 
baldidiot said:
Tbh if I was going to go down that road, I'd probably need to learn a bit more about how it all works, because the idea of plugging chatgpt into my API worries me a bit... but I see your point that it sounds relatively uncomplicated.
Click to expand...

The AI simply generates code that you upload to your web server and the code is either standalone (e.g. shows you a web form where you enter the details and it creates and sends a Paypal invoice) or integrates with existing software (where it grabs the customer/sale details and generates the Paypal invoice.)

ChatGPT itself never actually connects to your existing systems, it just tells you what to do, how to do it and creates code for you to upload. In fact, for example, if you tell the AI that you are concerned about passwords etc, it will rightly show you how to create a file containing your PayPal credentials, explain how to save that securely where only you can access it and will subsequently create code that grabs your credentials from the secure location that ChatGPT doesn't have access to.

For straightforward coding tasks like this, ChatGPT really is a game changer. :cool:
 
Sorry my previous reply wasn't very clear, I mean "the idea of plugging chatgpt code into my API".

I'm not really a "code with AI" person though. If I'm doing it myself I would want to learn how to do it properly.
 
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