PayPal

You can connect to PayPal APIs through the PayPal MCP server, enabling you to access a wide range of PayPal services via function calling. This MCP server lets you run the PayPal connector locally or within your MCP host, exposing tools for invoices, payments, disputes, shipments, catalog management, subscriptions, and reporting.

How to use

Use an MCP client to interact with PayPal through the PayPal MCP server. Start the server using the provided command, then issue tool calls from your MCP client to perform common PayPal tasks such as creating invoices, processing payments, managing subscriptions, and querying transactions. You supply your PayPal access token and choose the environment (SANDBOX for testing or PRODUCTION for live transactions). Ensure your MCP client is configured to point to the PayPal MCP server instance you run.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before installing the PayPal MCP server are a Node.js runtime and access to an MCP client you will use to talk to the server.

Step 1. Install Node.js. Install Node.js version 18 or newer from the official Node.js site on your machine.

Step 2. Run the MCP server with npx. Use one of the following commands to start the PayPal MCP server and enable all tools.

npx -y @paypal/mcp --tools=all PAYPAL_ACCESS_TOKEN="YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" PAYPAL_ENVIRONMENT="SANDBOX"

Alternatively, configure an environment variable for the access token and run the MCP server without embedding the token in the command.

If you prefer to wire this into a local configuration for an MCP host, you can reuse the configuration example that defines the PayPal MCP server connection.

Additional setup details

You can integrate the PayPal MCP server with an MCP host such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, or GitHub Copilot by adding a PayPal connector configuration to your host’s MCP setup. The PayPal MCP server supports environment variables for your access token and environment, which you provide in the host configuration or through environment variables.

Configuration snippets

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "paypal": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@paypal/mcp",
        "--tools=all"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PAYPAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "YOUR_PAYPAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
        "PAYPAL_ENVIRONMENT": "SANDBOX"
      }
    }
  }
}

This example configures a PayPal MCP server named paypal with the npx launcher, includes all tools, and sets the required environment variables.

Available tools

create_invoice

Create a new invoice in the PayPal system

list_invoices

List invoices with optional pagination and filtering

get_invoice

Retrieve details of a specific invoice

send_invoice

Send an invoice to recipients

send_invoice_reminder

Send a reminder for an existing invoice

cancel_sent_invoice

Cancel a sent invoice

generate_invoice_qr_code

Generate a QR code for an invoice

create_order

Create an order in PayPal system based on provided details

get_order

Retrieve the details of an order

pay_order

Process payment for an authorized order

create_refund

Process a refund for a captured payment

get_refund

Get the details for a specific refund

list_disputes

Retrieve a summary of all open disputes

get_dispute

Retrieve detailed information of a specific dispute

accept_dispute_claim

Accept a dispute claim

create_shipment_tracking

Create a shipment tracking record

get_shipment_tracking

Retrieve shipment tracking information

create_product

Create a new product in the PayPal catalog

list_products

List products with optional pagination and filtering

show_product_details

Retrieve details of a specific product

update_product

Update an existing product

create_subscription_plan

Create a new subscription plan

update_plan

Update an existing plan

list_subscription_plans

List subscription plans

show_subscription_plan_details

Retrieve details of a specific subscription plan

create_subscription

Create a new subscription

show_subscription_details

Retrieve details of a specific subscription

update_subscription

Update an existing subscription

cancel_subscription

Cancel an active subscription

list_transactions

List transactions with optional pagination and filtering