PayPal instant payment notification (IPN) sandbox

Question

I am trying to enable PayPal IPN on my website. I am now facing some issues with the tests environment - PayPal sandbox.

I am trying to integrate with PHP, so I am using the code of the file paypal_ipn.php from https://github.com/paypal/ipn-code-samples.

I have a test HTML page with which I send the POST actions to paypal_ipn.php:

<form target="_new" method="post" action="http://example.com/paypal_integration/paypal_ipn.php">

<input type="hidden" name="business" value="your@paypal_email.com">
<input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="product name">
<input type="hidden" name="amount" value="1" >
<input type="hidden" name="item_number" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="custom" value="CUSTOM_CODE_@...">
<input type="hidden" name="currency_code" value="USD">
<input type="hidden" name="quantity" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="no_shipping" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="return" value="http://example.com/paypal_integration/return.php">
<input type="hidden" name="cancel_return" value="http://example.com/paypal_integration/cancel_return.php">
<input type="hidden" name="cbt" value="description">
<input type="hidden" name="rm" value="2">
<input type="hidden" name="notify_url" value="http://example.com/paypal_integration/paypal_ipn.php">   
  <input type="submit" value="submit!" />
</form>

The result is "INVALID". How do I go through this problem, in the sandbox environment and after that in live environment? I.e. how to get "VERIFIED" actions in sandbox?

Answer 1

I have solved this:

• in paypal account go to https://developer.paypal.com/developer/ipnsimulator/ ;
• after that, fill the form: in "transaction type" choose for instance "cart checkout";
• in "IPN handler URL" put the link of the IPN receiver page: http://example.com/paypal_integration/paypal_ipn.php

or:

• in paypal account, create test accounts: https://developer.paypal.com/developer/accounts ;
• log-in with the facilitator account, and then create a test button as indicated here: https://developer.paypal.com/docs/classic/paypal-payments-standard/ht_test-pps-buttons/ (go to: https://www.sandbox.paypal.com/pt/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_button-designer );
• use the button code, eg.: <input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="6RNT8A4HBBJRE">, in the button of the website and then simulate a purchase.