Laravel and PayPal going to live- what steps do i need to perform

Congratulations on getting ready to take your Laravel and PayPal integration live! Here are some steps you should follow to ensure a smooth transition:

Laravel online payments

1. Obtain a PayPal Business Account

To use the PayPal Checkout Button on your website, you will need a PayPal Business account. If you haven't already done so, sign up for a PayPal Business account and complete the necessary steps to verify your account.

2. Obtain API Credentials

To integrate PayPal Checkout Button with Laravel, you will need to obtain API credentials from PayPal. These credentials include the Client ID and Secret Key, which will be used to authenticate your application's requests to PayPal. To obtain these credentials, log in to your PayPal Business account and navigate to the API Credentials section.

3. Set Up Laravel Environment Variables

To keep your API credentials secure, it's best practice to store them as environment variables in your Laravel application. Create a new .env file or add the necessary variables to your existing file. Here's an example of what your .env file might look like:

                    PAYPAL_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id
PAYPAL_SECRET=your_secret_key
                  

4. Install and Configure Laravel PayPal Package

Laravel provides a wide range of packages that simplify the integration process, and PayPal is no exception. You can use the paypal/rest-api-sdk-php
package to integrate PayPal Checkout Button with your Laravel
application. Install the package by running the following command:

                    composer require paypal/rest-api-sdk-php
                  

After installing the package, add the necessary configurations to your config/services.php file:

                    'paypal' => [
    'client_id' => env('PAYPAL_CLIENT_ID'),
    'secret' => env('PAYPAL_SECRET'),
    'settings' => [
        'mode' => env('PAYPAL_MODE', 'sandbox'),
        'http.ConnectionTimeOut' => 30,
        'log.LogEnabled' => true,
        'log.FileName' => storage_path() . '/logs/paypal.log',
        'log.LogLevel' => 'ERROR',
    ],
],
                  

5. Create a PayPal Checkout Button

To create a PayPal Checkout Button, you can use PayPal's Button Factory tool. Generate a button that suits your needs and copy the generated code.

6. Add the PayPal Checkout Button to Your Laravel Application

To add the PayPal Checkout Button to your Laravel application, create a route that displays the view containing the button. You can use the following code to render the button on your view:

                    <form action="{{ route('paypal.checkout') }}" method="post">
    {{ csrf_field() }}
    <input type="hidden" name="amount" value="100">
    <input type="hidden" name="description" value="Test Payment">
    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">
        Pay with PayPal
    </button>
</form>

                  

7. Process the Payment

Once the user clicks the PayPal Checkout Button, they will be redirected to PayPal to complete the payment. After the payment is completed, PayPal will redirect the user back to your Laravel application, where you can process the payment and display a success or error message.

Perform the manual tests

Before you go live, it is also important to click-trough your complete process to make sure it all works as expected. Same steps you should make after you go live: