Set up PayPal integration

In this article: How to connect your PayPal account to Ruzuku so you can accept single payments for your courses. All Plans

PayPal lets you accept single payments from students who prefer to pay with their PayPal account. The setup takes about 5 minutes and involves creating API credentials in your PayPal developer account, then entering them in Ruzuku.

Tip: PayPal supports single payments only. If you want to offer payment plans or subscriptions, you'll need to connect Stripe instead. You can connect both Stripe and PayPal, giving students a choice at checkout for single payments.

Step 1: Get your PayPal API credentials

Log in to your PayPal account at paypal.com/signin.
Go to the PayPal Developer portal at developer.paypal.com.
Make sure you're in Live mode, not Sandbox mode. The toggle is at the top of the developer dashboard.

PayPal developer dashboard showing the Live/Sandbox mode toggle

PayPal developer dashboard in Live mode

Click Apps & Credentials.

The Apps and Credentials option in PayPal developer dashboard

Click Create App.

The Apps and Credentials page with Create App button

Give the app a name (for example, "Ruzuku") and create it.

Creating a new PayPal app

You'll see your app listed. Click on it to view the Client ID and Secret Key.

The app details showing Client ID and Secret Key

Keep this page open. You'll need to copy these values in the next step.

Step 2: Enter your credentials in Ruzuku

In your Ruzuku account, click the dropdown arrow in the upper-right corner and go to Account → Integrations.
Find the PayPal section and paste your Client ID into the corresponding field.
Paste your Secret Key into the corresponding field.

The PayPal integration fields in Ruzuku account settings

Save your changes.

Your PayPal integration is now active. You'll see a confirmation that it's connected.

PayPal integration successfully connected in Ruzuku

What's next

Now that PayPal is connected, you can create Single Payment price points that accept PayPal. Go to Manage Course → Price Points, create a Single Payment price point, and students will see PayPal as a payment option at checkout.

If you've also connected Stripe, students can choose between Stripe (credit card) and PayPal when they check out for single payment price points.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use PayPal for payment plans or subscriptions?

No. PayPal integration with Ruzuku supports single payments only. For payment plans and subscriptions, you need Stripe.

Can I use both Stripe and PayPal?

Yes. When both are connected, students see both options at checkout for single payment price points. This gives students more flexibility in how they pay.

Why do I need to use the PayPal Developer portal?

Ruzuku connects to PayPal through their API, which requires a Client ID and Secret Key from the developer portal. This is how PayPal authorizes Ruzuku to process payments on your behalf. It's a one-time setup.

Does Ruzuku charge transaction fees on PayPal payments?

No. Ruzuku charges 0% transaction fees on all plans. You only pay PayPal's standard processing fees (typically around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction).

What if I see "Sandbox" mode instead of "Live"?

Sandbox mode is for testing and won't process real payments. Make sure the toggle at the top of the PayPal developer dashboard is set to Live before creating your app and copying your credentials.