| Variable |
Value |
Description |
| Basic
Information |
| business |
Transaction-specific |
Email address or account ID of
the payment recipient (i.e., the merchant). Essentially an echo of the
"business" variable passed in the website payment button HTML code. |
| receiver_email |
Transaction-specific |
Primary email address of the
payment recipient (i.e., the merchant). If the payment is sent to a non-primary
email address on your PayPal account, the receiver_email will still be your
primary email. |
| receiver_id |
Transaction-specific |
Unique account ID of the
payment recipient (ie., the merchant). This is the same as the receipient's
referral ID. |
| item_name |
Transaction-specific |
Item name as passed by you, the
merchant. Or, if not passed by you, as entered by your customer. If this is a
shopping cart transaction we will append the number of the item (e.g.
item_name1, item_name2). |
| item_number |
Transaction-specific |
Item number as passed by you,
the merchant. If this is a shopping cart transaction we will append the number
of the item (e.g. item_number1, item_number2). |
| quantity |
Transaction-specific |
Quantity as entered by your
customer or as passed by you, the merchant. If this is a shopping cart
transaction we will append the number of the item (e.g. quantity1, quantity
2). |
| Advanced and
Custom Information |
| invoice |
Transaction-specific |
Invoice number as passed by
you, the merchant. Your customer is not able to view or edit this. It must be
unique per transaction. |
| custom |
Transaction-specific |
Custom value as passed by you,
the merchant. This is a pass-through variable that is never presented to your
customer. |
| memo |
Transaction-specific |
Memo as entered by your
customer in PayPal Website Payments note field. |
| tax |
Transaction-specific |
Amount of tax charged on
payment.
If this is a shopping cart transaction, refer to the Shopping
Cart Information section for more information. |
| option_name1 |
Transaction-specific |
Option 1 Name as requested by
you.
If this is a shopping cart transaction, refer to the Shopping Cart
Information section for more information. |
| option_selection1_x |
Transaction-specific |
Option 1 Choice as entered by
your customer.
If this is a shopping cart transaction, refer to the
Shopping Cart Information section for more information. |
| option_name2 |
Transaction-specific |
Option 2 Name as requested by
you.
If this is a shopping cart transaction, refer to the Shopping Cart
Information section for more information. |
| option_selection2_x |
Transaction-specific |
Option 2 Choice as entered by
your customer.
If this is a shopping cart transaction, refer to Shopping
Cart Information section for more information. |
| Shopping Cart
Information |
| num_cart_items |
PayPal Shopping Cart
Transaction-specific |
If this is a shopping cart
transaction, number of items in cart. |
| tax |
Transaction-specific |
PayPal will append the number
of the item (e.g., item_name1, item_name2), where the tax# is only included if
there was a specific tax amount applied to a particular shopping cart item.
Because profile tax may apply to other items in the cart, the sum of tax# may
not total to tax. |
| option_name1 |
Transaction-specific |
PayPal will append the number
of the item (e.g., option_name1, option_name2), where the # represents the
number of the shopping cart detail item. |
| option_selection1_x |
Transaction-specific |
PayPal will append the number
of the item (e.g., option_selection1_x, option_selection2_x), where the #
represents the number of the shopping cart detail item. |
| option_name2 |
Transaction-specific |
PayPal will append the number
of the item (e.g., option_name1, option_name2), where the # represents the
number of the shopping cart detail item. |
| option_selection2_x |
Transaction-specific |
PayPal will append the number
of the item(e.g., option_selection1_x, option_selection2_x), where the #
represents the number of the shopping cart detail item. |
| mc_gross_x |
Transaction-specific for
Multiple Currencies |
The amount is in the currency
of mc_currency, where # is the shopping cart detail item number. The sum of
mc_gross# should total mc_gross. |
| mc_handling# |
Transaction-specific |
The # is the shopping cart
detail item number. The "handling_cart"cart-wide Web Accept variable is also
included in the mc_handling variable; for this reason, the sum of mc_handling#
may not be equal to mc_handling. |
| mc_shipping# |
Transaction-specific |
This is the combined total of
the shipping and shipping2 Web Accept variables, where # is the shopping cart
detail item number. Shipping# is only shown when the merchant applies a shipping
amount for a specific item. Because profile shipping may apply, the sum of
shipping# may not be equal to shipping. |
| Transaction
Information |
| payment_status |
"Canceled_Reversal" |
This means a reversal has been
canceled (e.g. you, the merchant, won a dispute with the customer and the funds
for the transaction that was reversed have been returned to you). |
| "Completed" |
The payment has been completed
and the funds have been added successfully to your account balance. |
| "Denied" |
You, the merchant, denied the
payment. This will only happen if the payment was previously pending due to one
of the "pending reasons" below. |
| "Failed" |
The payment has failed. This
will only happen if the payment was made from your customer's bank
account. |
| "Pending" |
The payment is pending - see
the "pending reason" variable below for more information. Note: You will receive
another instant payment notification when the payment becomes "completed",
"failed", or "denied". |
| "Refunded" |
You, the merchant, refunded the
payment. |
| "Reversed" |
This means that a payment was
reversed due to a chargeback or other type of reversal. The funds have been
removed from your account balance and returned to the buyer. The reason for the
reversal is given by the reason_code variable. |
| pending_reason |
This variable is only
set if payment_status="Pending" |
| "address" |
The payment is pending because
your customer did not include a confirmed shipping address and you, the
merchant, have your Payment Receiving Preferences set such that you want to
manually accept or deny each of these payments. To change your preference, go to
the Preferences section of your Profile. |
| "echeck" |
The payment is pending because
it was made by an eCheck, which has not yet cleared. |
| "intl" |
The payment is pending because
you, the merchant, hold a non-U.S. account and do not have a withdrawal
mechanism. You must manually accept or deny this payment from your Account
Overview. |
| "multi_currency" |
You do not have a balance in
the currency sent, and you do not have your Payment Receiving Preferences set to
automatically convert and accept this payment. You must manually accept or deny
this payment. |
| "unilateral" |
The payment is pending because
it was made to an email address that is not yet registered or
confirmed. |
| "upgrade" |
The payment is pending because
it was made via credit card and you, the merchant, must upgrade your account to
Business or Premier status in order to receive the funds. It may also mean that
you have reached the monthly limit for transactions on your account. |
| "other" |
The payment is pending for a
reason other than those listed above. For more information, contact customer
service. |
| reason_code |
This variable is only
set if payment_status="Reversed" |
| "buyer_complaint" |
A reversal has occurred on this
transaction due to a complaint about the transaction from your
customer. |
| "chargeback" |
A reversal has occurred on this
transaction due to a chargeback by your customer. |
| "guarantee" |
A reversal has occurred on this
transaction due to your customer triggering a money-back guarantee. |
| "refund" |
A reversal has occurred on this
transaction because you have given the customer a refund. |
| "other" |
A reversal has occurred on this
transaction due to a reason not listed above. |
| payment_date |
Transaction-specific |
Time/Date stamp generated by
PayPal system [format: "18:30:30 Jan 1, 2000 PST"]. |
| txn_id |
Transaction-specific |
A unique transaction ID
generated by the PayPal system. |
| parent_txn_id |
Transaction-specific |
In the case of a refund,
reversal, or canceled reversal, this variable contains the txn_id of the
original transaction, while txn_id contains a new ID for the new
transaction. |
| txn_type |
"cart" |
This payment was sent by your
customer via the PayPal Shopping Cart feature. |
| "send_money" |
This payment was sent by your
customer from the PayPal website, using the "Send Money" tab. |
| "web_accept" |
The payment was sent by your
customer via Buy Now Buttons, Donations, or Auction Smart Logos. |
| payment_type |
"echeck" |
This payment was funded with an
eCheck. |
| "instant" |
This payment was funded with
PayPal balance, credit card, or Instant Transfer. |
| Currency and
Exchange Information |
| mc_gross |
Transaction-specific for
Multiple Currencies |
Full amount of the customer's
payment, before transaction fee is subtracted. Equivalent to "payment_gross" for
USD payments. If this amount is negative, it signifies a refund or reversal, and
either of those payment statuses can be for the full or partial amount of the
original transaction. |
| mc_fee |
Transaction-specific for
Multiple Currencies |
Transaction fee associated with
the payment. "mc_gross" minus "mc_fee" will equal the amount deposited into the
"receiver_email" account. Equivalent to "payment_fee" for USD payments. If this
amount is negative, it signifies a refund or reversal, and either of those
payment statuses can be for the full or partial amount of the original
transaction fee. |
| mc_currency |
For payment IPNs,
this is the currency of the payment. For non-payment subscription IPNs, this is
the currency of the subscription. |
| "USD" |
The currency of the payment is
U.S. Dollars. |
| "CAD" |
The currency of the payment is
Canadian Dollars. |
| "GBP" |
The currency of the payment is
Pounds Sterling. |
| "EUR" |
The currency of the payment is
Euros. |
| "JPY" |
The currency of the payment is
Yen. |
| mc_handling# |
Transaction-specific |
This is the total handling
amount associated with the transaction.
If this is a shopping cart
transaction, refer to the Shopping Cart Information for more
information. |
| mc_shipping# |
Transaction-specific |
This is the total shipping
amount associated with the transaction.
If this is a shopping cart
transaction, refer to the Shopping Cart Information for more
information. |
| settle_amount |
Transaction-specific |
Amount that is deposited into
the account's primary balance after a currency conversion from automatic
conversion through your Payment Receiving Preferences or manual conversion
through manually accepting a payment. |
| settle_currency |
Transaction-specific |
Currency of
settle_amount. |
| exchange_rate |
Transaction-specific for
Multiple Currencies |
Exchange rate used if a
currency conversion occurred. |
| payment_gross |
Transaction-specific for USD
payments only |
Full USD amount of the
customer's payment, before transaction fee is subtracted. Will be empty for
non-USD payments. This is a legacy field replaced by
"mc_gross". If this amount is negative, it signifies a refund or
reversal, and either of those payment statuses can be for the full or partial
amount of the original transaction. |
| payment_fee |
Transaction-specific for USD
payments only |
USD transaction fee associated
with the payment. "payment_gross" minus "payment_fee" will equal the amount
deposited into the "receiver_email" account. Will be empty for non-USD payments.
This is a legacy field replaced by "mc_fee". If this
amount is negative, it signifies a refund or reversal, and either of those
payment statuses can be for the full or partial amount of the original
transaction fee. |
| Auction
Information |
| for_auction |
"true" |
This is an auction payment.
(Payments made using Pay for eBay Items or Smart Logos, as well as Send
Money/Money Request payments with the type "Goods-Auction") |
| auction_buyer_id |
Transaction-specific for
Auctions |
This is set to the auction
buyer's ID. |
| auction_closing_date |
Transaction-specific for
Auctions |
This is set to the closing date
of the auction. |
| auction_multi_item |
Transaction-specific for
Auctions |
This is a counter used for
multi-item auction payments. It allows you to customize your script to only
count the mc_gross or payment_gross for the first IPN you receive from a
multi-item auction (auction_multi_item=1), since each item from the auction will
generate an Instant Payment Notification showing the amount for the entire
auction. |
| Buyer
Information |
| first_name |
Transaction-specific |
Customer's first
name. |
| last_name |
Transaction-specific |
Customer's last name. |
| payer_business_name |
Transaction-specific |
Customer's company
name. |
| address_street |
Transaction-specific |
Customer's street
address. |
| address_city |
Transaction-specific |
City of customer's
address. |
| address_state |
Transaction-specific |
State of customer's
address. |
| address_zip |
Transaction-specific |
Zip code of customer's
address. |
| address_country |
Transaction-specific |
Country of customer's
address. |
| address_status |
"confirmed" |
Customer provided a Confirmed
Address. |
| "unconfirmed" |
Customer provided an
Unconfirmed Address. |
| payer_email |
Transaction-specific |
Customer's primary email
address. Use this email to provide any credits. |
| payer_id |
Transaction-specific |
Unique customer ID. |
| payer_status |
"verified" |
Customer has a Verified PayPal
account. |
| "unverified" |
Customer has an Unverified
PayPal account. |
| IPN
Information |
| notify_version |
"1.6" |
Version of Instant Payment
Notification. |
| Security
Information |
| verify_sign |
Transaction-specific |
An encrypted string used to
validate the authenticity of the transaction (see below). |
| Mass Pay
Information |
| txn_type |
"masspay" |
This payment was sent by your
customer via Mass Pay. |
| payment_status |
"Completed" |
For Mass Pay payments, this
means that all of your payments have been claimed, or after a period of 30 days,
unclaimed payments have been returned to you. |
| "Denied" |
For Mass Pay payments, this
means that your funds were not sent and the Mass Payment was not initiated. This
may have been caused by lack of funds. |
| "Processed" |
Your Mass Payment has been
processed and all payments have been sent out. |
| payment_date |
Transaction-specific |
For Mass Pay payments, this
means that the 1st IPN is the date/time when the record set is processed and the
2nd IPN is the date/time when all payments are completed/returned. |
| masspay_txn_id_x |
Transaction-specific |
For Mass Pay payments, a unique
transaction ID generated by the PayPal system, where x is the record
number. |
| receiver_email_x |
Transaction-specific |
For Mass Pay payments, the
primary email address of the payment recipient, where x is the record
number. |
| mc_gross_x |
Transaction-specific for
Multiple Currencies |
For Mas Pay payments, x is the
record number. |
| mc_fee_x |
Transaction-specific for
Multiple Currencies |
For Mass Pay payments, the
transaction fee associated with the payment, where x is the record
number. |
| mc_currency_x |
Transaction-specific for
Multiple Currencies |
For Mass Pay payments, the
currency of the amount and fee, where x is the record number. Currently, this
currency can only be in USD; however, there are plans to add multi-currency in
the future. |
| payment_gross_x |
Transaction-specific for USD
payments only |
If the payment is USD, then the
value for this is the same as that for the mc_gross_x, where x is the record
number; if the currency is not USD, then this is an empty
string. |
| status_x |
For Mass Pay
payments, the status of the payment, where x is the record number. |
| "Completed" |
The payment has been processed,
regardless if this was originally a unilateral payment. |
| "Failed" |
The payment failed because
there was not enough funds in the balance. |
| "Reversed" |
This is for unilateral payments
that were not claimed after 30 days and have been returned to the Sender. Or the
funds have been returned because the Receiver's account was locked. |
| "Pending" |
This is for unilateral payments
that are unclaimed. |
| payment_fee_x |
Transaction-specific for USD
payments only |
If the payment is USD, then the
value for this is the same as that for the mc_fee_x, where x is the record
number; if the currency is not USD, then this is an empty
string. |
| unique_id_x |
Transaction-specific |
For Mass Pay payments, the
unique ID from input, where x is the record number. This allows the merchant to
cross-reference the payment. |
