You can connect PayPal to heyhey to receive payments into your own PayPal account. The connection needs two credentials from a PayPal app: the Client ID and the Secret. You don’t give heyhey your PayPal password, and you don’t install any extra plugin.
This guide takes you from creating the app to checking a purchase. It also covers confirming that subscriptions are ready as a separate step, because a working connection for one-off payments doesn’t always mean subscription notifications are active yet.
1. Prepare your PayPal account
You need a PayPal Business account and access to its developer dashboard. If you’re just starting out, complete the details PayPal asks for and check that the account can receive payments. Requirements depend on your country. Account verification happens on PayPal’s side; heyhey doesn’t replace it.
Open two tabs:
- PayPal Developer, where you’ll create an app and copy its credentials;
- Sales → Payments in your heyhey dashboard, where you’ll save the connection.
An "app" in the PayPal dashboard is simply the name for a set of access settings for heyhey. It doesn’t mean you have to build a mobile app or write an integration yourself.
2. Create an app and choose the environment
- Log in to PayPal Developer with the account linked to your sales.
- Go to Apps & Credentials.
- Choose Live if you’re setting up real sales, or Sandbox if you’re doing a trial run.
- Click Create App and name the app heyhey. If the form asks for a type, choose a merchant app (Merchant) for your own sales.
- Open the app you created and find the Client ID and Secret (sometimes labelled Client secret). You may need to click a button to reveal the secret.
PayPal’s guide to creating REST API credentials explains how Live and Sandbox are kept separate. Credentials from one environment don’t work in the other.
3. Copy the credentials into the right heyhey fields
On the payments page in heyhey, find the PayPal card.
| Field in heyhey | What to paste | What not to enter here |
|---|---|---|
| Client ID | The ID of the PayPal app you created | Your email address or merchant ID |
| Secret | The secret of that same app | Your account password or another app’s credentials |
| Sandbox / test mode | Turn on only for Sandbox credentials | Don’t turn on with Live credentials |
- Copy the whole Client ID and paste it into the first field.
- Copy the Secret from the same app and paste it into the second field.
- Check the Sandbox switch.
- Click the button to connect PayPal.
- Wait for the message and the status on the provider card.
The most common mistake is pairing the Client ID from one app with the secret from another. To avoid it, copy both while you have the same app’s details open.
4. Check notifications and subscriptions too
heyhey verifies the app credentials and tries to register a webhook. A webhook is an automatic message from PayPal to heyhey about a change to a payment or subscription. It means the order status can be updated even if the buyer has closed the browser.
You may see one of two results on the card:
- Connected and subscriptions enabled: the connection and the required notifications are ready.
- One-off payments work, subscriptions aren’t ready: PayPal hasn’t accepted the webhook registration yet. Use the retry button on the card. If the problem comes back, check that the app has access to the features it needs and contact heyhey support.
Don’t create several identical webhooks by trial and error. heyhey registers its own endpoint automatically. When troubleshooting, what matters is the result of that registration, not just the PayPal logo appearing at checkout.
5. Test a one-off payment
- Open your product, set a price and turn on sales. Use a product whose access you can easily check, such as an ebook.
- Open the checkout link outside your editing session and choose PayPal.
- Complete the test with a buyer account that matches the environment. In Sandbox you use a test buyer account, separate from the test merchant account.
- Go back to Sales → Orders in heyhey and find the purchase by email address.
- Compare the order status with the transaction in PayPal. Then check the purchase email and access to the content.
PayPal explains how to set up an app and test accounts in its getting started guide. Before you start selling, connect your Live credentials, turn off Sandbox and check the status again.
6. If you sell a subscription
Choose a product with a recurring price and test the whole purchase separately from a one-off payment. The PayPal card should show that subscriptions are ready. After approving the purchase, check that heyhey has created the customer’s subscription and granted access.
Don’t treat a single successful ebook purchase as a subscription test. It’s a different payment flow. If something goes wrong, note the order number, the subscription ID and the exact time of the attempt.
Common problems
| Problem | Next step |
|---|---|
| The credentials don’t pass verification | Copy the Client ID and Secret again from one app and check Live/Sandbox |
| It works in testing but not for real sales | Connect the Live app credentials and make sure the account is ready to receive payments |
| Subscriptions aren’t ready | Retry the webhook registration from the PayPal card in heyhey |
| The buyer came back to your page but the purchase isn’t paid | Compare the PayPal transaction with the order status; returning to the page doesn’t confirm payment |
| The payment is in PayPal but the content isn’t available | Check the notifications, the order and the assigned product, then send the record numbers to support |
| PayPal doesn’t appear for a particular product | Check the sales settings, the currency (PayPal only supports certain currencies) and the connection status for this heyhey account |
Payouts, fees and disconnecting
You manage your funds and payouts in PayPal. PayPal’s fees follow the terms of your account, and connecting heyhey doesn’t change that agreement.
Don’t disconnect an app with active subscriptions just to rename it or check its settings. Removing access can disrupt billing. If you want to change the app or the account, it’s best to agree it with heyhey support first. Never include your Secret or PayPal password in your message.
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