Table of Contents
1. Set up a PayPal bank account
2. Automatically import PayPal transactions
3. Add a PayPal 'Pay Now' button to statements
1. Set up a PayPal bank account
You will need to add a PayPal bank account in Clear Books to be able to use the import statements feature or to show the PayPal pay not button on customer statements.
Step 1.
Navigate to Money > Bank accounts. Click on the Add Account button.
Step 2.
Click the plus icon next to Online payments to create a Paypal account in Clear Books.
Step 3.
Configure the bank account as shown below. Select payment provider as Paypal and set the default currency to your PayPal account's currency.
Please note: To import statements from PayPal, ensure the email account is linked to the PayPal account you wish to use. After saving this setting, a verification email will be sent to you. You must complete this verification before you can begin importing.
2. Automatically import PayPal transactions
This tool automatically imports transactions and can create entities automatically from your Paypal merchant account. This feature supports PayPal business accounts only. Click here to register for a PayPal account. A PayPal account must be set up on your Clear Books account first before these steps can be completed.
Step 1.
Login to your PayPal business account and navigate to the Account Settings page by clicking on the cog icon to the top right.
Step 2.
Click on the Account Access tab.
Step 3.
Next to API Access click on update.
Step 4.
Click on the Grant API permissions link under the Pre-built payment solution.
Step 5.
Add tim_api1.clearbooks.co.uk as the third party permission user name.
Step 6.
Set these third party permissions -
Obtain your PayPal account balance.
Obtain information about a single transaction.
Search your transactions for items that match specific criteria and display the results.
Step 7.
Log in to Clear Books and navigate to Money > Bank accounts. Click on the "Edit" link next to your Paypal account. You may need to click on the down arrow beside your PayPal account to view the full list of options.
Step 8.
Enable the "Automatic Import" setting if you would like statements to be automatically imported,
Please note: Contacts are not created in this automation. To trigger automatic imports, there must be at least a single statement transaction imported / or at least 1 transaction manually.
IMPORTANT the email account must be set to the email address of the PayPal account you intend to import from. Once this has been done hit the Save button. You will then be sent a verification request email which you must verify before you begin importing.
If you deal in multiple currencies within PayPal and would like to show the balance of each currency in Clear Books, you will need to create a PayPal account for each currency.
If you would like Clear Books to convert all multi currency transactions into the currency of the Paypal account, click on the Settings link and tick the Currency Conversion Handling check box.
Please note: Due to a limitation of the PayPal API, this tool cannot match the original description for transactions involving currency conversion within your PayPal account. For example, if you have a GBP PayPal account and make a payment in USD, the PayPal transaction description will appear as "Conversion from USD to GBP" instead of the original description, such as "Purchase of xyz."
Step 9.
Navigate to Money > Bank accounts and click the Direct import link for your PayPal account.
Step 10.
If this is the initial import then a start date for the import must be set. Choose whether to create suppliers/customers automatically for each transaction. When ready, click the Import button.
All statements should be imported on the next hour and will appear on the Money > Bank accounts menu under the table Imported statements that need explaining.
Any PayPal transaction fees will link to the appropriate transaction and be automatically explained with the account code bank charges.
3. Add a PayPal 'Pay Now' button to statements
PayPal can be used to collect payments from customers. A PayPal account must be set up on your Clear Books account first before these steps can be completed.
Step 1.
Navigate Money > Bank accounts and click on the "Edit" link next to your PayPal account. You may need to click on the down arrow beside your PayPal account to view the full list of options.
Step 2.
Make sure to select Yes in the Show payment button drop-down box and hit the Save button.
The PayPal button will now appear beside all unpaid invoices on the full statement link. This link is sent within all invoices and customer statements by default.
To preview how the PayPal button appears on the statement link, head to Contacts > Customers and click on the amount currently due for any customer with an outstanding balance:
Click on the Full (this view) link to view the statement sent to your customer in emails.
