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Lovable: Connect Your App to PayPal

LovableView original changelog

Lovable added a PayPal connector so apps can create checkouts, capture payments after buyer approval, issue full or partial refunds and read order details. It is separate from Lovable's built-in Stripe and Paddle payments. Builders can test in sandbox and go live by connecting a second set of live credentials.

Key Takeaways

  • The PayPal connector lets apps create checkouts, capture approved orders, refund and read order status.
  • It is separate from Lovable's built-in Stripe and Paddle payments.
  • Orders are captured server-side after buyer approval, and the secret never reaches the browser.
  • Sandbox is the default, and going live means creating a second connection with live credentials.
  • Listing transactions needs Transaction Search enabled, and listings can lag up to 3 hours.
  • Each connection is one shared PayPal REST app, and PayPal fees apply on top.

Charging Buyers Through PayPal

Lovable added a PayPal connector that links an app to a PayPal account. The app can create a checkout for an order, capture the order after the buyer approves it, refund a capture fully or partially, read an order's status and list recent transactions. It is for charging buyers through PayPal Checkout and is separate from Lovable's built-in payments, which use Stripe or Paddle.

How Payments Flow

Buyers approve payments in PayPal. The app then captures the order on the server and marks it paid after a successful capture. The client secret never reaches the browser, and requests pass through Lovable's connector gateway. Transactions can take up to 3 hours to appear in listings.

Setup

A PayPal account is required, and a live REST app needs a verified PayPal business account. In the PayPal Developer Dashboard, open Apps & Credentials, pick Sandbox or Live, and open or create a Merchant REST app, then copy its client ID and secret. In Lovable, open Connectors, select PayPal and click Connect. Name the connection, choose the environment (Sandbox is the default) and paste the client ID and secret from the same REST app. Connections are private by default and can be shared with specific members or the whole workspace. Lovable checks the credentials with PayPal before saving, and the connection is then linked to projects in the project or through chat.

Testing and Going Live

Test with sandbox accounts from the Developer Dashboard's Testing Tools. To go live, create a second connection with the live REST app's credentials, unlink the sandbox connection from the project and link the live one.

Limits

Each connection is one PayPal REST app shared across its linked projects, so each end user cannot have a separate PayPal business account, although buyers still pay with their own PayPal accounts. Listing transactions requires Transaction Search to be enabled on the REST app. Payments go to the builder's PayPal account and PayPal charges its own fees; Lovable does not handle billing for this. On Business and Enterprise plans, the setting for who can create connections starts at Admins, and some Enterprise workspaces set it to No one, which disables the connector.