OVERALL CONTROL / 0.6-customer-control
Grades and scoring
Data access
25% of the overall score before applicability adjustment.
Scored answers and evidence
Read interface 7.5/10
Structured API for the declared product scope
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Structured read interface for the declared product and resources
List transactions ↗
Structured read interface for the declared product and resources · Checked 2026-10-16
Bulk delivery 8.8/10
Batched or iterable API requests
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Documented list/collection retrieval within the stated endpoint scope; whole-product recovery unverified
List transactions ↗
Documented list/collection retrieval within the stated endpoint scope; whole-product recovery unverified · Checked 2026-10-16
Query expressiveness 8.8/10
Documented structured API filters
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Transaction status/type, date windows and page parameters
List transactions ↗
Transaction status/type, date windows and page parameters · Checked 2026-10-16
Access cost barrier -
-
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Reviewed entitlement documentation; minimum eligible plan and fixed route-specific access charges remain unresolved
Authentication ↗
Reviewed entitlement documentation; minimum eligible plan and fixed route-specific access charges remain unresolved · Checked 2026-10-16
Third-party accessibility
20% of the overall score before applicability adjustment.
Scored answers and evidence
Third-party eligibility -
-
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Merchant credentials documented; complete chosen-third-party onboarding and scope approval unresolved
Authentication ↗
Merchant credentials documented; complete chosen-third-party onboarding and scope approval unresolved · Checked 2026-10-16
Downstream permission -
-
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Reviewed access documentation; applicable downstream processing, AI and redistribution terms not established
Authentication ↗
Reviewed access documentation; applicable downstream processing, AI and redistribution terms not established · Checked 2026-10-16
External action
15% of the overall score before applicability adjustment.
Scored answers and evidence
Write interface 2.5/10
Named operations in a limited domain
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
POST /v2/checkout/orders; PayPal-Request-Id header
Create order ↗
POST /v2/checkout/orders; PayPal-Request-Id header · Checked 2026-10-16
Custom application path -
-
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Current chosen-application distribution and approval conditions remain unresolved
Authentication ↗
Current chosen-application distribution and approval conditions remain unresolved · Checked 2026-10-16
Continuity
15% of the overall score before applicability adjustment.
Scored answers and evidence
Refresh mechanism 7.5/10
Documented updated-since filters or webhooks
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Repeat transaction reporting windows; visibility can lag three hours
List transactions ↗
Repeat transaction reporting windows; visibility can lag three hours · Checked 2026-10-16
Limit visibility -
-
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
No numeric route throughput established by authentication or reporting examples
Authentication ↗
No numeric route throughput established by authentication or reporting examples · Checked 2026-10-16
CDC and deletion capture -
-
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Reporting statuses are not a general hard-deletion feed
List transactions ↗
Reporting statuses are not a general hard-deletion feed · Checked 2026-10-16
Replay and gap recovery 7.5/10
Replay/change queries within a documented retention window
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Previous three years of transaction queries; 31-day maximum window; not webhook replay
List transactions ↗
Previous three years of transaction queries; 31-day maximum window; not webhook replay · Checked 2026-10-16
Data exit
20% of the overall score before applicability adjustment.
Scored answers and evidence
Export custody 7.5/10
Customer-held structured files or API records
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Customer-held structured API records within the declared resource scope
List transactions ↗
Customer-held structured API records within the declared resource scope · Checked 2026-10-16
Post-cancellation access Disclosure
-
Disclosure only; does not reduce planned-exit credit.
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Applicable post-cancellation retrieval clause not established by reviewed technical documentation
Authentication ↗
Applicable post-cancellation retrieval clause not established by reviewed technical documentation · Checked 2026-10-16
Planned migration fidelity 7.5/10
Portable structured records on documented routes; whole-product completeness unverified
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Structured resource records can be retrieved; complete attachments, versions, relationships and native configuration remain unverified
List transactions ↗
Structured resource records can be retrieved; complete attachments, versions, relationships and native configuration remain unverified · Checked 2026-10-16
Business logic and customization
5% of the overall score before applicability adjustment.
Scored answers and evidence
Logic authoring 2.5/10
External integration code; native business logic portability not established
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Customer integration code can run outside the provider; native workflow authoring not established
Authentication ↗
Customer integration code can run outside the provider; native workflow authoring not established · Checked 2026-10-16
Rights to custom logic -
-
PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract.
Ownership and reusable export or independent execution of native workflow artifacts remain unresolved
Authentication ↗
Ownership and reusable export or independent execution of native workflow artifacts remain unresolved · Checked 2026-10-16
Scores are out of 10. * Incomplete evidence discounts verified capabilities (unknown answers stay unknown). Planned migration drives data exit. Scoring method ↗
CUSTOMER CHOICE
Third-party accessibility
Client credentials produce an OAuth access token with granted scopes. Merchant-owned credentials and a partner app acting for other merchants have different grants; the chosen-third-party production approval contract remains unresolved.
Confirm who can connect, who owns the credentials and which uses are permitted. Customer consent and provider approval can be separate requirements; the selected plan and contract still matter.
READ / INTEGRATE
API and export routes
Transaction Search covers the previous three years, accepts at most a 31-day query window and pages up to 500 results. Executed transactions can take three hours to appear, and transaction IDs are not unique across all reporting rows.
| Access route | Authentication | Credential owner | Provider approval | Access requirement | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PayPal scoped API access | OAuth client credentials | Customer | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | 2026-10-16 |
Availability depends on your product, plan and agreement. See the documentation below for the requirements of each route.
ECONOMIC ACCESS
Cost, authentication and limits
The minimum merchant account requirements and fixed API or partner access charges remain unresolved. Payment-processing rates do not establish the commercial condition of reporting access.
Check API entitlement, credential ownership and rate limits for the route you intend to use. Include review fees, customer-plan upgrades and ongoing access charges in the total.
ACT FROM OUTSIDE
External action
Orders v2 documents POST order creation and supports PayPal-Request-Id for idempotency. Capturing, refunding or authorizing a payment is a separate operation with additional requirements; an order draft is not a money movement.
Validate the supported operation, acting identity and permission scope (read access does not imply write permission). Ambiguous retries and revoked credentials also affect whether an external workflow can run safely.
KEEP ACCESS USEFUL
Continuity
Transaction windows support repeated reporting and webhooks retry failed deliveries up to 25 times over three days. Neither a reporting row nor a webhook establishes complete hard-delete capture across PayPal products.
CDC, deletions and recovery
| Question | Answer / applicable route | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Can ongoing extraction identify updates and deleted records on the declared route? | -PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Reporting statuses are not a general hard-deletion feed | List transactions ↗Reporting statuses are not a general hard-deletion feedChecked 2026-10-16 |
| How can extraction recover after missed events or an interrupted consumer? | Replay/change queries within a documented retention windowPayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Previous three years of transaction queries; 31-day maximum window; not webhook replay | List transactions ↗Previous three years of transaction queries; 31-day maximum window; not webhook replayChecked 2026-10-16 |
Useful ongoing access includes corrections and deletions, not only the first export. A failed request, changed filter or lost resource permission should not be interpreted as a deleted record.
LEAVE WITH YOUR DATA
Data exit and portability
Structured reporting rows can be copied before cancellation within the three-year window. Reconcile balance-affecting and non-balance-affecting rows separately; payment vault material, older history and complete merchant configuration remain outside the established scope.
Test the output against the destination’s required fields and history. Check stable identifiers, relationships, attachments and extraction time; a sample file proves only the coverage of that sample.
BUILD / INSPECT / REUSE
Business logic and customization
External applications can apply customer rules to merchant records and order creation. Native workflow ownership and independent execution remain unresolved (retaining transaction rows does not transfer PayPal’s risk or settlement systems).
Custom API access, ownership of workflows and the right to export their definitions are separate questions. A custom-app capability alone does not establish that business rules can move to another system.
AGREEMENTS / API DOCS / PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Documented conditions
Answers below come from public provider materials. Every answer retains its source check date, scope (a partner agreement does not describe every customer route). Customer contracts and live behavior still need verification.
| Question | Answer / applicable route | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| What structured read interface is documented? | Structured API for the declared product scopePayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Structured read interface for the declared product and resources | List transactions ↗Structured read interface for the declared product and resourcesChecked 2026-10-16 |
| How can customers retrieve data in bulk? | Batched or iterable API requestsPayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Documented list/collection retrieval within the stated endpoint scope; whole-product recovery unverified | List transactions ↗Documented list/collection retrieval within the stated endpoint scope; whole-product recovery unverifiedChecked 2026-10-16 |
| What queries can a customer issue outside the provider UI? | Documented structured API filtersPayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Transaction status/type, date windows and page parameters | List transactions ↗Transaction status/type, date windows and page parametersChecked 2026-10-16 |
| Who decides whether a chosen third party may connect? | -PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Merchant credentials documented; complete chosen-third-party onboarding and scope approval unresolved | Authentication ↗Merchant credentials documented; complete chosen-third-party onboarding and scope approval unresolvedChecked 2026-10-16 |
| What extra commercial condition applies to the routes supplying the assessed read capability, relative to the lowest paid plan? | -PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Reviewed entitlement documentation; minimum eligible plan and fixed route-specific access charges remain unresolved | Authentication ↗Reviewed entitlement documentation; minimum eligible plan and fixed route-specific access charges remain unresolvedChecked 2026-10-16 |
| What permission is needed for the documented downstream use? | -PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Reviewed access documentation; applicable downstream processing, AI and redistribution terms not established | Authentication ↗Reviewed access documentation; applicable downstream processing, AI and redistribution terms not establishedChecked 2026-10-16 |
| Which external write operations are documented? | Named operations in a limited domainPayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. POST /v2/checkout/orders; PayPal-Request-Id header | Create order ↗POST /v2/checkout/orders; PayPal-Request-Id headerChecked 2026-10-16 |
| How can customers connect an application they build or choose? | -PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Current chosen-application distribution and approval conditions remain unresolved | Authentication ↗Current chosen-application distribution and approval conditions remain unresolvedChecked 2026-10-16 |
| What mechanism supports repeatable extraction of changes? | Documented updated-since filters or webhooksPayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Repeat transaction reporting windows; visibility can lag three hours | List transactions ↗Repeat transaction reporting windows; visibility can lag three hoursChecked 2026-10-16 |
| How are integration limits disclosed? | -PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. No numeric route throughput established by authentication or reporting examples | Authentication ↗No numeric route throughput established by authentication or reporting examplesChecked 2026-10-16 |
| Where can a usable data copy be delivered? | Customer-held structured files or API recordsPayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Customer-held structured API records within the declared resource scope | List transactions ↗Customer-held structured API records within the declared resource scopeChecked 2026-10-16 |
| What retrieval rights are documented at cancellation? | -PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Applicable post-cancellation retrieval clause not established by reviewed technical documentation | Authentication ↗Applicable post-cancellation retrieval clause not established by reviewed technical documentationChecked 2026-10-16 |
| How can customers define their own business logic? | External integration code; native business logic portability not establishedPayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Customer integration code can run outside the provider; native workflow authoring not established | Authentication ↗Customer integration code can run outside the provider; native workflow authoring not establishedChecked 2026-10-16 |
| What rights or portability are documented for custom workflow artifacts? | -PayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Ownership and reusable export or independent execution of native workflow artifacts remain unresolved | Authentication ↗Ownership and reusable export or independent execution of native workflow artifacts remain unresolvedChecked 2026-10-16 |
| What usable data or native definitions can leave before cancellation? | Portable structured records on documented routes; whole-product completeness unverifiedPayPal REST / merchant client credentials for Transaction Search v1 and Orders v2 creation, with app-specific webhooks; third-party merchant onboarding has a separate permission contract. Structured resource records can be retrieved; complete attachments, versions, relationships and native configuration remain unverified | List transactions ↗Structured resource records can be retrieved; complete attachments, versions, relationships and native configuration remain unverifiedChecked 2026-10-16 |
SOURCES / SCOPE / HISTORY
Sources and open questions
This review is based on the documentation below. Live account behavior and customer-specific agreements haven’t been tested.
Still to confirm
- Lowest eligible plan and fixed API access fees
- Applicable downstream-use and customer cancellation terms
- Complete file, history and configuration recovery
- Native workflow artifact ownership and independent execution
- Complete declared update and deletion identity coverage
Documentation
Assessment checked 2026-10-16. Each answer retains its source and applicable route; the check date does not establish live account behavior.