How do I use Express Checkout with Reference Transactions and Payflow Pro?

We require that you create a token, initiate a Billing Agreement call, and then reference the Billing Agreement ID (BAID) to initiate the payment. To use the Payflow API, you must be approved for Payflow Pro or Website Payments Pro Payflow Edition.

To use Express Checkout with Reference Transactions and Payflow Pro, follow these steps: 

  1. Set up the token using a SetExpressCheckout API request call.
  2. Create a BAID.
  3. Submit a Reference Transaction using the BAID.


To process Reference Transactions, you must enable this feature on both your Payflow Pro and PayPal accounts. You must have PayPal Manager Admin permissions to perform these steps.

Payflow Pro account: 

  1. Log in to your PayPal Manager account.
  2. Click Account Administration.
  3. Click Transaction Settings.
  4. Set Allow Reference Transactions to Yes.
  5. Click Confirm.
    Note: Changes may take up to an hour to take effect. 

PayPal account

To request Reference Transactions for your PayPal account, contact Business Support.

Note: To use the Payflow API, you must be approved for Payflow Pro or Website Payments Pro Payflow Edition. Contact our Sales team to apply. 

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