Consignify Documentation

Paying through PayPal

Consignify can send a payout to a consignor's PayPal account from your own PayPal Business account. The money moves directly from your PayPal balance to the consignor; Consignify never holds it. PayPal payouts are available on the Large Shop plan.

Before you start

  1. You need a verified PayPal Business account with PayPal Payouts enabled. PayPal doesn't turn on Payouts for every account: if yours doesn't have it, ask PayPal Business support to enable it (PayPal decides and may refuse). If you're unsure, connect first: Settings and setup › More › Payout methods warns you while Payouts isn't enabled, and PayPal refuses payments until it is.
  2. Sign in to PayPal's developer dashboard, switch to Live, and create a REST app (or open an existing one).
  3. Copy the app's Client ID and Secret. Use the Live values: sandbox credentials don't work for real payments.
  4. In Consignify, open Settings and setup › More › Payout methods, paste the Client ID and Secret, accept the Payment integration terms, and choose Connect PayPal. Consignify checks the credentials with PayPal before saving them, and stores the Secret encrypted.

Consignors' PayPal emails

Once PayPal is connected, consignors with portal access can enter their own PayPal email. In the portal they open Payouts, choose Edit on the Payment details card, and type the email twice. This saves you data entry and typing mistakes. You can still enter an email yourself on a consignor's form, in a CSV import or through the API.

When a consignor has entered their email, the consignor's form shows who set it and when. The field is locked: choose Edit next to it to change it yourself, then save. CSV imports and the API can't overwrite an email the consignor set.

Every change to the PayPal email of an existing consignor, including one you make, emails the consignor at the contact email on their record. The message names the old and new address and tells them to contact you if they didn't make the change. When a consignor changes or removes their own email, you also get a notice under Notifications that opens their form.

If a change looks wrong, contact the consignor before you pay them, for example by phone or at their contact email. If the new address isn't theirs, correct it on their form with Edit. A payment PayPal has already sent can't be redirected (see Unclaimed payments and canceling).

Fund your PayPal balance

PayPal sends each payment from your PayPal balance in the payout's currency. Keep enough balance before you send. If it's too low, PayPal declines the payment, nothing is sent, and you can add funds and send again.

Sending a payment and its statuses

  1. Make sure the consignor has a PayPal email on their profile (see Consignors' PayPal emails). Without one, Consignify doesn't offer PayPal for them.
  2. Open a saved payout and choose Pay with PayPal. You can also send while you create or edit one.
  3. If the button says Send payment because the consignor can also be paid in store credit, choose it, then choose PayPal under Payment method.
  4. Check the amount and the consignor's PayPal email. Optionally tick Email the consignor a receipt once it's paid.
  5. Choose the button with the amount, for example Send $45.00.

While PayPal works on the payment, the payout shows Processing and can't be edited; its sales stay unpaid until PayPal confirms. Consignify checks with PayPal automatically and marks the payout Paid once the payment succeeds. If PayPal's answer was unclear, or PayPal blocked the payment, the payout shows Needs review: look the payment up in your PayPal Activity, then choose It was paid or It wasn't paid. See Payment statuses for every status.

Automatic payment updates

Consignify adds a webhook to your PayPal app for fast status updates. Don't delete it; if you do, choose Check connection in Settings and setup › More › Payout methods.

Unclaimed payments and canceling

If the email has no PayPal account yet, the payment card shows Unclaimed (Waiting to be claimed) and the payout stays Processing. PayPal emails the consignor, who has 30 days to claim it; after that, PayPal returns the money to your balance. To get it back sooner, for example when the email was wrong, cancel the unclaimed payment in your PayPal account, under Activity. Either way, the payment card then shows Returned (at Consignify's next check, or right away with Check now) and the payout is Unpaid again, so you can correct the email and send again.

Failed payments

When PayPal declines a payment, the payout shows the reason (for example, a low balance or a recipient who can't receive payments), stays unpaid and unlocks. Fix the cause and send again.

Fees

PayPal charges its fee to your PayPal account; the consignor receives the full payout amount. Fees depend on your PayPal agreement and the countries and currencies involved. Once PayPal reports the fee, Consignify shows it on the payment.

Returns after a payment

A paid payment can still come back, for example if the recipient refunds it or PayPal reverses it. Consignify keeps checking for 30 days after a payment succeeds and shows a return on the payout. The payout stays paid until you choose Mark as unpaid, so you decide whether to pay again. After 30 days, if PayPal returns a payment, use Mark as unpaid on the payout yourself.

Disconnecting

To stop using PayPal, choose Disconnect in Settings and setup › More › Payout methods. Consignify deletes the stored credentials. If you stop using Consignify or no longer need the app, also delete the app in PayPal's developer dashboard, so its credentials stop working.