Connect a PayPal Payout Method

Before you start

You need:

An API key with the payout:destination:read and payout:create_destination scopes.
PayPal login enabled on the account. Contact Whop to turn it on. While it’s off, supports_paypal_login is false and POST /payouts/paypal_link_sessions returns 403.
A completed payout setup. Whop matches the PayPal account holder’s name against the name collected there.
An https page on your site where PayPal sends the user back.

This flow is optional. POST /payouts/methods still accepts a typed PayPal email through fields. Use this flow when the payout method should be verified before it’s saved.

How the redirect works

The whole login happens in the account holder’s browser, in one tab. You never talk to PayPal directly and you register nothing with PayPal.

You start a PayPal login and send the browser to the returned authorize_url. This is a PayPal page.
The holder logs in and consents. PayPal redirects the browser to Whop’s callback, https://api.whop.com/api/v3/redirects/paypal_login.
Whop exchanges the code with PayPal, reads the account’s email, name and verification status, and mints a paypal_link_token.
Whop redirects the browser to your return_url with either ?paypal_link_token=… or ?error=… appended.
Your page reads the query string and calls Whop to save the payout method.

Whop verifies the account at step 3. Step 5 only saves the result and can run from your backend.

1. Find the payout method

List supported payout methods and pick the one with supports_paypal_login: true.

import { WhopClient } from "@whop/sdk";

const client = new WhopClient({ token: process.env.WHOP_API_KEY });

const methods = await client.payouts.supportedMethods.list({
	account_id: "biz_xxxxxxxxxxxxx",
	destination_currency: "usd",
});
const paypal = methods.data.find((method) => method.supports_paypal_login);
if (!paypal) throw new Error("PayPal login is not enabled for this account");

curl "https://api.whop.com/api/v1/payouts/supported_methods?account_id=biz_xxxxxxxxxxxxx&destination_currency=usd" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WHOP_API_KEY"

Create a PayPal link session and send the account holder to the returned authorize_url. It stops working at the returned expires_at, 15 minutes later.

const login = await client.payouts.paypalLinkSessions.create({
	account_id: "biz_xxxxxxxxxxxxx",
	supported_payout_method_id: paypal.id,
	destination_currency: "usd",
	return_url: "https://yourapp.example/settings/payouts",
});
// redirect the browser to login.authorize_url

curl "https://api.whop.com/api/v1/payouts/paypal_link_sessions" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WHOP_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "account_id": "biz_xxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "supported_payout_method_id": "podst_xxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "destination_currency": "usd",
    "return_url": "https://yourapp.example/settings/payouts"
  }'

The browser arrives at your return_url with paypal_link_token or error added to its query string:

Query string	Meaning
`?paypal_link_token=…`	Logged in. Spend the token in the next call.
`?error=paypal_login_canceled`	The holder backed out. Let them start again.
`?error=paypal_login_failed`	PayPal refused, the link was reused, or the exchange failed. Start again.

The token is single use and lasts 15 minutes. If the holder opens authorize_url after expires_at, Whop shows a plain “Invalid or expired link” page instead of redirecting.

3. Save the payout method

Create the saved payout method with the token in place of fields. Use the same account_id, supported_payout_method_id and destination_currency the session started with. The token is bound to them. Whop saves the email PayPal returned and names the method.

const paypalLinkToken = new URL(request.url).searchParams.get("paypal_link_token");
if (!paypalLinkToken) throw new Error("PayPal login did not complete");

const method = await client.payouts.methods.create({
	account_id: "biz_xxxxxxxxxxxxx",
	supported_payout_method_id: paypal.id,
	destination_currency: "usd",
	paypal_link_token: paypalLinkToken,
});

curl "https://api.whop.com/api/v1/payouts/methods" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WHOP_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "account_id": "biz_xxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "supported_payout_method_id": "podst_xxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "destination_currency": "usd",
    "paypal_link_token": "'"$PAYPAL_LINK_TOKEN"'"
  }'

{
	"object": "payout_method",
	"id": "potk_xxxxxxxxxxxxx",
	"nickname": "PayPal j•••@example.com",
	"institution_name": "PayPal",
	"destination_currency": "usd"
}

If Whop refuses the account, the call returns 400 with a message written for the holder. Show it as is. The token survives a refusal, so a transient error can be retried. A verification or name refusal needs a fresh login once they fix it. The method now works like any other and can receive a payout.

What your user sees

PayPal’s consent screen names Whop as the app requesting their email, name, and verified status. The redirects back to your return_url all happen in the same tab, so if you opened PayPal in a pop-up, your return page must notify its opener and close.

​Before you start

​How the redirect works

​1. Find the payout method

​2. Start the login

​3. Save the payout method

​What your user sees

Before you start

How the redirect works

1. Find the payout method

2. Start the login

3. Save the payout method

What your user sees