How To Integrate Paypal With Clickfunnels

You’ve built your ClickFunnels page. You’ve got an offer ready. And then you hit the wall that stops more people than anything else: how do you actually collect money? If you want to accept PayPal payments inside ClickFunnels, the setup is not obvious. The option is buried inside payment gateway settings, and there’s one silent killer mistake — switching sandbox to live — that causes people to run fake transactions for days without realizing it.

This post walks you through the exact steps Alston covers in the video: both the ClickFunnels side and the PayPal developer side, in the right order, so you finish with a working payment connection and real money flowing in.

What You’ll Walk Out With

A working PayPal Version 2 connection inside your ClickFunnels account
A live (not sandbox) PayPal app that accepts real payments
Your PayPal Client ID and Secret copied into the right fields
An understanding of what the REST API integration is and why ClickFunnels needs it
Clarity on what ClickFunnels plan level is required for payment gateways
The ability to offer PayPal as a checkout option for your digital products, courses, or affiliate offers
Confidence to troubleshoot the sandbox vs. live mistake before it wastes your time
A clear path to figuring out what to sell through your new PayPal-connected funnel — start with finder.platformproof.com

Why PayPal Inside ClickFunnels Matters

ClickFunnels is built for more than just collecting email addresses. Once you upgrade to the premium version, you can sell digital guides, run your own online course, host web pages, and even pay out affiliates who refer customers to your products. All of that requires a payment processor connected to your account.

PayPal is one of the most trusted payment options online. When buyers see PayPal at checkout, they’re more likely to complete the purchase because they already have an account and they trust the platform. That’s a real conversion advantage. Connecting PayPal to ClickFunnels means your visitors can pay the way they’re comfortable paying — and you don’t leave money on the table by only offering credit cards.

Beyond direct sales, PayPal inside ClickFunnels also lets you pay affiliates if you have a team promoting your products. It’s a two-way system: money in from buyers, money out to partners. That’s the kind of infrastructure that scales.

What You Need Before You Start

There are two requirements and both are non-negotiable. First, you need a PayPal account. If you already use PayPal personally, you can use that same account — you’ll just be adding developer API access to it. If you don’t have one, create a free PayPal account before you proceed.

Second, you need the premium upgraded version of ClickFunnels. The basic plan does not include payment gateway integrations. Alston mentions this explicitly in the video: the payment gateway settings only appear once you’re on the paid, upgraded plan. If you haven’t upgraded yet, ClickFunnels offers a two-week free trial — check the description of the video for that link.

With both of those in place, you’re ready to connect them. The process has two parallel tracks: you set up an app inside PayPal’s developer portal, and you enter the credentials that app generates into ClickFunnels. Both sides have to be done in the right order or neither works.

Step 1: Start on the ClickFunnels Side — Account Settings

Log in to your ClickFunnels account and go to the main dashboard. From there, look at the top right corner of the screen. You’ll see your account profile area — click on it and go to Account Settings.

Inside Account Settings, scroll all the way down until you see the section labeled Payment Gateway. This is where ClickFunnels stores all your connected payment processors. It’s not under “Integrations” or “Billing” — it’s specifically labeled Payment Gateway, so scroll until you find it.

Once you’re in the Payment Gateway section, look for a yellow button in the top right corner of that section. Click the yellow button and it will open a dropdown or modal to add a new payment gateway. From the options that appear, select PayPal Version 2. You’ll see there may be other PayPal options listed, but Version 2 is the current REST API-based integration and it’s the one you want.

At this point, ClickFunnels will show you two fields: one for your Client ID and one for your Client Secret. Leave this tab open. You now need to go get those credentials from PayPal’s developer portal. Don’t close ClickFunnels — you’ll be coming back to paste those values in a moment.

Step 2: Switch to PayPal — Find the API Settings

In a new browser tab, go to your PayPal account and log in. Once you’re in, look for the settings icon — Alston describes it as a gear or widget icon — located near the top of the screen. Click that icon and then click Account Settings.

Inside your PayPal Account Settings, look for a section or link called API Access. When you find it, click the Update button or link next to it. This takes you into PayPal’s API configuration area where you can set up third-party integrations.

In the API Access section, you’re looking for REST API Integration. There will be a link that says something like Manage REST API Apps and Credentials — click that link. This is the gateway to PayPal’s developer portal where your ClickFunnels app will live.

Step 3: The Critical Mistake — Sandbox vs. Live

When PayPal for Developers opens, you’ll see a toggle or mode selector somewhere in the middle of the screen. By default, it is set to Sandbox. Sandbox mode is a testing environment. You can create fake payments, run test transactions, and play around without any real money changing hands. That sounds useful — but here’s the problem.

If you create your app in Sandbox mode and connect it to ClickFunnels, your checkout page will appear to work. Customers will go through the payment flow. But no real money will be collected. Every transaction is fake. People may actually try to pay you and the system will process it as a test payment and disappear.

Alston flags this in the video as an easy mistake to make because the default is sandbox and nothing tells you to change it. Before you do anything else inside the PayPal developer portal, change the toggle from Sandbox to Live. Do this first. Once it’s set to Live, every app you create here will generate real credentials that process real money.

This is the step most tutorials skip. They show you how to create the app but they don’t warn you that if you’re still in sandbox mode, you’re setting up a fake payment system. Change it to Live before touching anything else.

Step 4: Create Your PayPal App

With the mode set to Live, click Create App. PayPal will ask you for an app name. This name is just for your reference inside the PayPal developer dashboard — your customers will never see it. You can name it anything: “ClickFunnels,” “My Funnel Store,” or even just “Test” as Alston does in the video. The name doesn’t affect how the integration works.

After you name it and click Create, PayPal will generate the app and show you its credentials. You’ll see a section that shows your PayPal account (usually your email address), and below that you’ll see two critical pieces of information:

Client ID — a long string of letters and numbers that identifies your app
Secret — a hidden value you have to click “Show” to reveal

The Secret is sensitive. Treat it like a password. Do not share it, screenshot it publicly, or paste it anywhere you don’t control. In the video, Alston blocks it out from the screen for this exact reason. Your Client ID is less sensitive — it’s more like a username — but your Secret should be kept private.

Step 5: Copy the Credentials to ClickFunnels

Go back to the ClickFunnels tab you left open. You should still see the PayPal Version 2 setup with two fields waiting for input.

Copy the Client ID from PayPal and paste it into the corresponding client ID field in ClickFunnels. Then go back to PayPal, click Show on the Secret field, copy it, and paste it into the Client Secret field in ClickFunnels.

Make sure you’re not mixing them up. Client ID goes into the client ID field. Secret goes into the secret field. They’re different values and swapping them will cause the connection to fail.

Once both fields are filled in, click Create PayPal v2 App inside ClickFunnels. That’s the button that finalizes the connection. ClickFunnels will attempt to verify the credentials with PayPal. If the credentials are valid and your PayPal account is set to Live mode, the connection should complete successfully.

Not sure what to sell through your new PayPal funnel?

Find the offer that matches your existing skills and audience at finder.platformproof.com.

What Happens After the Connection

Once PayPal Version 2 is connected to ClickFunnels, PayPal becomes an available payment option on any order form you build inside the platform. When a visitor lands on your funnel and clicks to buy, they’ll see PayPal as a checkout option alongside whatever other payment methods you have enabled.

When someone pays via PayPal, the money goes to your PayPal account. The digital product, course access, or affiliate download you configured in the funnel gets delivered to the buyer. The whole transaction runs automatically once the integration is in place.

If you have an affiliate program set up through ClickFunnels, PayPal can also be used to pay your affiliates their commissions. This makes it a flexible payment layer that handles both incoming revenue and outgoing partner payments.

Honest Drawbacks to Know Before You Go Live

PayPal inside ClickFunnels works well, but there are a few realities worth knowing so you don’t run into surprises.

PayPal charges transaction fees on every payment you receive. The exact fee depends on your account type, transaction volume, and country. Check your PayPal account’s fee schedule before you price your products — those fees come out of your revenue, not on top of it, so if you price a product at $27 you will receive slightly less than $27 per sale.

PayPal also has buyer-protection policies that can result in chargebacks or disputes. If a buyer opens a dispute, PayPal may hold or reverse the funds while it investigates. For digital products this is an occasional risk you need to be aware of. Having clear refund policies and delivery confirmation helps reduce this.

The integration requires the premium ClickFunnels plan. If you’re still on a trial or basic plan, you won’t see the payment gateway settings. That’s a prerequisite, not a bug. The upgrade is worth it if you’re serious about selling online — the payment infrastructure alone justifies the cost once you have a product to sell.

Finally, PayPal occasionally places holds on new accounts or accounts that suddenly spike in transaction volume. If you’re just launching and start processing a lot of payments quickly, PayPal may hold some funds temporarily while it verifies your account history. This is standard practice and usually resolves on its own as your account establishes a track record.

The Complete Step-by-Step Checklist

Here’s the full process in order so you can run through it without missing anything:

Confirm you have a PayPal account (personal or business)
Confirm you’re on the ClickFunnels premium plan
Log in to ClickFunnels and go to Account Settings (top right corner)
Scroll down to Payment Gateway
Click the yellow “New Payment Gateway” button
Select PayPal Version 2
Leave that tab open and open PayPal in a new tab
In PayPal, click the Settings gear icon and go to Account Settings
Find API Access and click Update
Click on REST API Integration
Click “Manage REST API Apps and Credentials”
In the PayPal for Developers portal, change the mode from Sandbox to Live first
Click Create App
Give the app any name and click Create
Copy the Client ID
Paste the Client ID into the Client ID field in ClickFunnels
Go back to PayPal and click Show to reveal the Secret
Copy the Secret and paste it into the Client Secret field in ClickFunnels
Click “Create PayPal v2 App” in ClickFunnels to finalize the connection
Test by previewing your order form and confirming PayPal appears as a payment option

Find Your X

Getting PayPal connected is the infrastructure. But infrastructure without an offer is just an empty checkout page. The question most people get stuck on isn’t “how do I take payments?” — it’s “what should I sell?” If you’ve been circling that question, the Platform Proof Finder cuts through it. You answer a few questions about your experience, your audience, and your goals, and it matches you with the online income model that fits where you actually are right now. Start at finder.platformproof.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a PayPal business account or will a personal account work?

A personal PayPal account can access the REST API and developer portal, so technically it works. That said, if you’re running a real business and processing regular payments, upgrading to a PayPal business account gives you better buyer dispute protections, higher transaction limits, and access to more detailed reporting. For getting started, personal works. For scaling, business is better.

What ClickFunnels plan is required to connect PayPal?

You need the premium upgraded version of ClickFunnels. Alston confirms this directly in the video. The payment gateway settings section doesn’t appear on the basic plan. ClickFunnels does offer a two-week free trial that includes access to these features, so you can complete the integration and test it during the trial period.

What’s the difference between PayPal Version 1 and PayPal Version 2 in ClickFunnels?

PayPal Version 2 uses the REST API integration, which is PayPal’s current and supported method for third-party connections. Version 1 used an older API that PayPal has been deprecating. Always use Version 2 when you see both options — it’s more stable, more secure, and the one PayPal actively maintains.

I set up the app in sandbox mode. How do I switch to live?

Go back to the PayPal for Developers portal and look for the toggle that says Sandbox at the top of the page. Switch it to Live. Then create a new app in Live mode — the sandbox app you created earlier generated sandbox credentials that won’t work for real transactions. Copy the new Live credentials and update the fields in ClickFunnels. Delete the sandbox app when you’re done to avoid confusion.

Where exactly is the Settings gear icon in PayPal?

In PayPal’s standard web interface, the gear icon (settings icon) appears near the top right of the screen when you’re logged in. It may look slightly different depending on whether you’re on a personal or business account and which version of the PayPal interface you’re seeing. If you don’t see a gear icon, look for a menu labeled “Account” or “Settings” in the navigation. Both routes take you to the same Account Settings page where API Access lives.

Can I use one PayPal account for multiple ClickFunnels funnels?

Yes. Once you connect your PayPal account to ClickFunnels via the payment gateway settings, that connection is available to any order form you build inside ClickFunnels. You don’t need a separate PayPal app for each funnel. One connection covers your whole account.

What should I do if the connection fails after I paste in the credentials?

The most common causes are: (1) you created the PayPal app in Sandbox mode instead of Live, (2) you mixed up the Client ID and Secret fields, or (3) there was a copy/paste error that added a space or cut off part of the string. Go back to PayPal’s developer portal, confirm you’re in Live mode, click Show on the Secret to view it fresh, and carefully copy both values again. Paste them into a plain text editor first to check for extra spaces, then paste into ClickFunnels.

Does ClickFunnels take a cut of PayPal transactions, or does PayPal handle all the fees?

PayPal handles the transaction fees on its side — ClickFunnels doesn’t add a percentage on top of PayPal payments in the same way it does with some other integrations. You’ll pay PayPal’s standard processing fees per transaction. ClickFunnels charges you the monthly subscription for the platform itself. Check both PayPal’s fee schedule and your ClickFunnels plan details to understand your full cost structure before you price your products.

Sources

Alston Godbolt, “How To Integrate Paypal With Clickfunnels,” YouTube, https://youtu.be/1mW-p3v38s4
PayPal Developer Portal: REST API Integration — developer.paypal.com
ClickFunnels Account Settings — Payment Gateway documentation, app.clickfunnels.com