Set up PayPal
With PayPal, your customers pay via their PayPal account, and the money goes directly to your PayPal business account. This payment method doesn't run through Stripe. To use it, you enter the credentials of your own PayPal account in Bookicorn.
PayPal comes in two ways
PayPal can appear in Bookicorn in two ways:
| Way | How it works |
|---|---|
| PayPal with your own credentials | You enter the client ID and secret of your PayPal business account. The customer sees With PayPal. The money goes to your PayPal account. |
| PayPal via Stripe | You enable PayPal in your Stripe account. PayPal then appears as a Stripe payment option, and the money runs through your Stripe account. |
As soon as valid own PayPal credentials are stored, Bookicorn hides PayPal via Stripe so that customers aren't offered PayPal twice. This page describes the first way.
Connect PayPal with your own credentials
- Open Manager → Settings → Payment methods: app.bookicorn.net/einstellungen/zahlungsarten.
- On the PayPal card, tap Activate PayPal.
- Follow the guide How to find your credentials:
- Log in at developer.paypal.com with your PayPal business account. The Open PayPal Developer Dashboard button takes you straight there.
- Switch to Live at the top, not Sandbox, and create an app of type Merchant under Apps & Credentials.
- Copy the client ID and secret.
- Enter both in the Client ID and Secret fields.
- Tap Activate PayPal.
Bookicorn checks the credentials with PayPal right away. If they're valid, the message PayPal activated appears, and the PayPal card shows the status Ready.
Live credentials instead of Sandbox
In the developer console, PayPal gives you two kinds of credentials: Sandbox for testing and Live for real payments. Bookicorn needs the live credentials.
If you enter sandbox credentials, the Manager recognises this and shows: "These are sandbox test credentials. Switch to "Live" at the top of the PayPal developer dashboard and copy the Client ID and Secret of the live app." With sandbox credentials, Bookicorn doesn't offer PayPal to your customers.
If the client ID and secret don't match or are invalid, it says: "The credentials could not be verified. Please check the Client ID and Secret."
Check and replace credentials later
Bookicorn checks your credentials every time you open the payment methods. If PayPal no longer accepts them, the PayPal card loses the Ready status and shows the reason.
You enter new credentials with the same button on the PayPal card. It's called Renew PayPal connection as long as PayPal is ready, otherwise Activate PayPal. New credentials replace the previous ones. For security reasons, Bookicorn never shows the saved secret, which is why the fields stay empty.
The 1-click connection without credentials is marked Soon. It becomes available as soon as PayPal enables this feature in Germany.
Switch on PayPal in offerings and packages
After setup, PayPal is available as a separate line under Payment types in every offering and every prepaid card. Switch it on there for every offering and package that may be paid via PayPal.
With the switch on the PayPal card under Settings → Payment methods, you switch PayPal off and on again for the whole studio.
What customers see with PayPal
When booking or buying, the line With PayPal appears with the note "Secure payment via PayPal". The customer confirms the payment in a PayPal window, after which the booking or purchase is complete.
PayPal works for bookings, for buying prepaid cards, for credit subscriptions and for buying gift vouchers.
As with Stripe, Bookicorn only offers PayPal when booking if the offering confirms bookings automatically. There's no online payment for bookings on request.
PayPal and self-employed trainers
PayPal can't split off a self-employed trainer's share automatically. That's why Bookicorn hides PayPal for offerings linked to a self-employed trainer with a revenue share. For these offerings, payment via Stripe is still required. More on this under Revenue share for self-employed trainers.
Refunds via PayPal
You refund a PayPal payment from within Bookicorn:
- Prepaid card: under Manager → Transactions, tap the purchase and choose Refund. The amount goes back via PayPal, and the card is deactivated.
- Booking: when you cancel a booking paid online, choose Refund automatically.
If PayPal declines the refund, Bookicorn doesn't cancel anything and reports this. In that case, check your PayPal balance and the stored credentials.
Frequently asked questions
Does PayPal run through Stripe? Not with this way. With your own credentials, the money goes directly to your PayPal account. PayPal only runs through Stripe if you enable PayPal in your Stripe account and don't store your own credentials.
The Manager says these are sandbox credentials. What do I do? Open the PayPal developer console, switch to Live at the top and copy the client ID and secret of the live app. Enter both again on the PayPal card via Activate PayPal.
Why don't my customers see PayPal, even though I set it up? Check whether the PayPal card shows the status Ready, whether PayPal is switched on in the offering or package under Payment types and whether the offering confirms bookings automatically. For offerings with a self-employed trainer with a revenue share, PayPal doesn't appear.
Is the PayPal address under "Manual: bank transfer/PayPal" the same thing? No. There you enter a PayPal address customers send money to themselves, and you confirm receipt by hand. PayPal with credentials, on the other hand, records the payment automatically.
Do I pay Bookicorn a fee for PayPal? No. Only PayPal's fees apply. What reaches you is shown by the fee calculator under Settings → Payment methods.