Class Paypal
In: lib/ruby-paypal/paypal.rb
Parent: Object
Author:Chang Sau Sheong (sausheong.chang@gmail.com)
Author:Philippe F. Monnet (pfmonnet@gmail.com)
Copyright:Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Chang Sau Sheong & Philippe F. Monnet
License:Distributes under the same terms as Ruby
Version:0.0.5

Installing Ruby-PayPal

A lightweight ruby wrapper for PayPal NVP (Name-Value Pair) APIs. To install type the following at the command line:

  $ gem install ruby-paypal

Using Ruby-PayPal

It‘s critical that you understand how PayPal works and how the PayPal NVP API works. You should be relatively well-versed in the NVP API Developer Guide and Reference - see:

You should also visit and register yourself with the PayPal Developer Network and get a Sandbox account with in the PayPal Development Central (developer.paypal.com/).

Note that this library only supports the API signature method of securing the API credentials.

By setting Paypal.debug=true, the API will "pretty-print" the PayPal parameters to the console.

Direct Payment

To use credit card payment through PayPal, you need to use the DoDirectPayment APIs:

        username = <PayPal API username>
        password = <PayPal API password>
        signature = <PayPal API signature>

        ipaddress = '192.168.1.1' # can be any IP address
        amount = '100.00' # amount paid
        card_type = 'VISA' # can be Visa, Mastercard, Amex etc
        card_no = '4512345678901234' # credit card number
        exp_date = '022010' # expiry date of the credit card
        first_name = 'Sau Sheong'
        last_name = 'Chang'

    paypal = Paypal.new(username, password, signature) # uses the PayPal sandbox
    response = paypal.do_direct_payment_sale(ipaddress, amount, card_type,
                           card_no, exp_date, first_name, last_name)
        if response.ack == 'Success' then
          # do your thing
        end

The above code is for a final sale only.

Note that the credit card number is checked against a modulo-10 algorithm (Luhn check) as well as a simple credit card type check. For more information please refer to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luhn_algorithm and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card_number

Express Checkout

To use the customer‘s PayPal account for payment, you will need to use the ExpressCheckout APIs:

<to be documented>

PayPal Subscriptions

PayPal Subscriptions is a service offering allowing you to sell subscriptions, consisting of an initial payment followed by several recurring payments. For a good technical overview, review the following guide:

Using the subscriptions service involve understanding the series of exchanges to perform using the NVP API. There are 3 key phases of a subscription:

  1. Creating a subscription request (and button for the customer)
  2. Customer review and confirmation on the PayPal site
  3. Processing of a subscription agreement

Each phase involves specific APIs.

Phase 1 - Subscription Request

In this phase, the do_set_express_checkout method will be called. PayPal will return a token we can use in subsequent API calls.

Let‘s create a subcription request with the details of our subscription:

        subscription_request = create_monthly_subscription_request(
                name='_Why's Ruby Camping Adventures',
                id='MNWRCA',
                description='_Why's Ruby Camping Adventures - Monthly Tips And Tricks For Camping Development',
                invoice_number='INV20091122',
                amount='5.00')

Let‘s call do_set_express_checkout to get a token back:

        response = paypal.do_set_express_checkout(
                return_url='http://www.yoursite.com/subscription-confirmed',
                cancel_url='http://www.yoursite.com/subscription-aborted',
                amount='5.00',
                other_params=subscription_request)

        token = (response.ack == 'Success') ? response['TOKEN'] : ''

Let‘s use the token to create a PayPal button to request payment via the sandbox:

        form( { :method => 'post' ,
                                :action => 'https://www.sandbox.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr' #sandbox
                                } ) do

                        input :id => 'cmd', :name => 'cmd', :type => 'hidden',
                                  :value => "_express-checkout";

                        input :id => 'token', :name => 'token', :type => 'hidden',
                                  :value => "#{token}";

                        input :id => 'submit_subscription_request', :name => 'submit', :type => 'submit',
                                  :value => 'Subscribe Via PayPal'
        end #form

Phase 2 - Customer Review and Confirmation

The customer will see the details of the subscription agreement we created previously. Upon confirmation, PayPal will redirect the customer to the return_url we specified passing the token back as well as the payerid.

Phase 3 = Subscription Processing

First we will retrieve the details of the check-out:

        response = paypal.do_get_express_checkout_details(token)

Then we will execute the actual payment:

        response = paypal.do_express_checkout_payment(token=token,
                payment_action='Sale',
                payer_id=payerid,
                amount='5.00')

        transaction_id = response['TRANSACTIONID']

Now we can create the actual PayPal subscription

        response = @paypal.do_create_recurring_payments_profile(token,
                start_date='2009-11-22 14:30:10',
                profile_reference='INV20091122',
                description='_Why's Ruby Camping Adventures - Monthly Tips And Tricks For Camping Development',
                billing_period='Month',
                billing_frequency=1,
                total_billing_cycles=11,
                amount='5.00',
                currency='USD')

        profile_id = @response['PROFILEID']

The profile_id can then be used in the future to access the details of the subscription, suspend it, reactivate it or cancel it using the following methods:

  • do_get_recurring_payments_profile_details
          response = paypal.do_get_recurring_payments_profile_details(profile_id)
    
  • do_manage_recurring_payments_profile_status
          # Suspend
          response = paypal.do_manage_recurring_payments_profile_status(profile_id,
                  action='Suspend',
                  note='The subscription is being suspended due to payment cancellation by the customer')
    
          # Re-Activate
          response = paypal.do_manage_recurring_payments_profile_status(profile_id,
                  action='Reactivate',
                  note='The subscription is being reactivated due to new payment by the customer')
    
          # Cancel
          response = paypal.do_manage_recurring_payments_profile_status(profile_id,
                  action='Cancel',
                  note='The subscription is being cancelled due to cancellation of the account by the customer')
    

The customer information associated with the subscription can be retrieved using:

Note: all subscriptions methods also accept an optional other_params hash for any other NVP you need to pass.

More information

Check for updates in our blogs:

Methods

Included Modules

CreditCardChecks

Public Class methods

Controls whether or not PP debug statements will be produced and sent to the console

Create a new object with the given user name, password and signature. To enable production access to PayPal change the url to the live PayPal server. Set url to :production to change access to PayPal production servers.

Public Instance methods

Checks and returns information on the card based on the given BIN (Bank Identification Number). Currently inactive since bindatabase.com is down.

Does authorization of a request.

Equivalent of DoAuthorization.

Creates a payment subscription based on a start date, billing period, frequency, number of periods and amount

Equivalent to CreateRecurringPaymentsProfile

Performs credit card payment with PayPal.

Equivalent of DoDirectPayment.

Performs Luhn check and a simple credit card type check based on the card number.

Performs credit card payment with PayPal, but only requesting for authorization. You need to capture the funds later. Calls do_direct_payment.

Equivalent of DoDirectPayment with the PAYMENTACTION of ‘authorization‘

Performs credit card payment with PayPal, finalizing the sale. Funds are captured immediately. Calls do_direct_payment.

Equivalent of DoDirectPayment with the PAYMENTACTION of ‘sale‘

Gets payment through PayPal for Express Checkout.

Equivalent of DoExpressCheckoutPayment

Retrieves the customer details for the billing agreement associated with the current token Equivalent to GetBillingAgreementCustomerDetails

Retrieves the details of a express checkout for a given token

Equivalent to GetExpressCheckoutDetails

Retrieves the details of a payment subscription for a given profile id Will return for e.g. the start date, billing period, frequency, number of periods and amount

Equivalent to GetRecurringPaymentsProfileDetails

Retrieves the details of a transaction for a given transaction id

Equivalent to GetTransactionDetails

Manages a recurring subscription profile in terms of status:

  - Cancel
  - Suspend
  - Reactivate

Equivalent to ManageRecurringPaymentsProfileStatus

Perform mass payment to a group of recipients

Equivalent to MassPay

Re-authorizes an authorized transaction.

Equivalent of DoReauthorization.

Performs payment through PayPal.

Equivalent of SetExpressCheckout.

Gets the details of the request started through set_express_checkout.

Equivalent of GetExpressCheckoutDetails.

Makes the call to the PayPal NVP API. This is the workhorse method for the other method calls.

[Validate]