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Asked: 2026-06-15T23:48:08+00:00

I can’t find where the key to my Paypal Payments Pro API keys are.

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I can’t find where the key to my Paypal Payments Pro API keys are. (I have a Pro account)
I need to do a DirectPayment, does anyone know where to find the right keys?

I know of this under My Profile > My Selling Tolls> API access
It says: “Manage API credentials to integrate PayPal Express Checkout.“

But that is only for Express Checkout not Direct Payment. Is that the API info I use for direct pay? Because it seems like I cant get it to behave. Is there another setting I need to enable that Im missing?

The error I keep getting is: 

Payment Error: This transaction cannot be processed due 
to an invalid merchant configuration.

Cliff Note: I have gotten this to work on sandbox

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  1. Editorial Team

    I think you’re getting confused (and don’t worry, you’re not the only one) because PayPal recently changed all their terminology for things.

    It used to be called Website Payments Pro, and this used DoDirectPayment and Express Checkout. This was completely separate from their PayFlow Gateway that they acquired from Verisign years ago.

    Now, they’ve dropped the word Website so they’re just calling it Payments Pro, and they’re actually putting people into the PayFlow Manager system instead of the “old” DoDirectPayment system.

    From what you’re saying here it sounds like you’re actually setup with the new Payments Pro. That means you’ll use the PayFlow Gateway to integrate the credit card processing instead of DoDirectPayment. PayFlow uses your manager.paypal.com credentials as opposed to the standard PayPal API credentials you’re looking for.

    Then, to add Express Checkout you would follow the instructions that you’re seeing there, which generates the standard style (username, password, and signature) that you’ll use with those API calls.

    All of that said, technically, when you’re approved for the new Payments Pro you’re supposed to have access to all of the API’s (PayFlow and regular PayPal), and when you generate your API credentials “for Express Checkout” these same credentials should work (in theory) for any other API’s that hit PayPal directly as well. I can’t promise that, though.

    So…what are you supposed to do? Well, you either need to switch to the PayFlow gateway for your integration, or if you’d just rather use DoDirectPayment, you need to call PayPal and request that they convert your account from the new Payments Pro 3.0 to the old Website Payments Pro 1.0.

    2.0 was actually called Payments Pro PayFlow Edition, which just confuses things even more.

    Hope that helps.

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