Connect PayPal to Cell Payments
Follow these steps to connect your PayPal business account. Cell Payments uses the PayPal REST API for real-time transaction monitoring and dispute management.
Estimated setup time: 6 minutes
Required Credentials
| Credential | Type | Where to Find |
|---|---|---|
| Client ID | Required | PayPal Developer → Apps → App Details |
| Client Secret | Required | PayPal Developer → Apps → App Details |
| Webhook ID | Optional | PayPal Developer → Apps → Webhooks |
Open the PayPal Developer Portal
Go to developer.paypal.com and log in with your PayPal business account.
Navigate to Apps & Credentials from the dashboard.
Make sure you toggle to Live mode (not Sandbox) to create production credentials.
Create a REST API App
Click Create App. Enter a name like Cell Payments and select your business account as the associated account.
Select Merchant as the app type and click Create App.
Set App Permissions
After creating the app, scroll to the Live App Settings section. Enable the following features:
- Accept payments — Required for reading transaction data
- Transaction Search — Required for historical transaction queries
- Disputes — Required for Cell Defender dispute management
Click Save to apply the permission changes.
Some features may require PayPal approval. If a feature is not immediately available, PayPal will review your request within 1-2 business days.
Copy Your Client ID and Secret
On the app details page, you will see your Client ID displayed. Copy it.
Click Show under Secret to reveal the Client Secret. Copy this as well.
Keep the Client Secret secure. If compromised, you can regenerate it from the app settings page, but the old secret will immediately stop working.
Create a Webhook
In your app settings, scroll to the Webhooks section and click Add Webhook.
Enter the following URL:
https://app.cell-payments.com/api/webhooks/paypal
Select Webhook Events
Select the following event types:
PAYMENT.CAPTURE.COMPLETED— Successful payment capturesPAYMENT.CAPTURE.DENIED— Denied capturesPAYMENT.CAPTURE.REFUNDED— Refunded paymentsCUSTOMER.DISPUTE.CREATED— New disputesCUSTOMER.DISPUTE.UPDATED— Dispute updatesCUSTOMER.DISPUTE.RESOLVED— Resolved disputesPAYMENT.SALE.COMPLETED— Sale completionsPAYMENT.SALE.REFUNDED— Sale refunds
Click Save to create the webhook.
Copy the Webhook ID
After saving, PayPal will display the Webhook ID. Copy this value.
The Webhook ID is used by Cell Payments to verify incoming webhook notifications from PayPal.
The Webhook ID is optional but recommended. It enables Cell Payments to validate that webhooks are genuinely from PayPal using their signature verification.
Paste in Cell Payments
Log in to your Cell Payments account at app.cell-payments.com.
Navigate to Settings → Connections and select PayPal from the processor list.
Paste your credentials:
- Enter your Client ID
- Enter your Client Secret
- Enter your Webhook ID if you created one
Click Connect. Cell Payments will authenticate with PayPal and begin syncing your transaction data.