PHP Cool Paypal Script - Digital Downloads Made Easy

Are you looking for a way to easily allow digital downloads of files after a paypal payment is received? This PHP script uses the latest Paypal Express Checkout method.

Features

This script does the following with one php file, without any other scripts needed:

		1. Request token from paypal
		2. Create a payment by sending payment json object to paypal
		3. Redirect user to Paypal with returned 'approval_url'.
			Paypal will redirect back to this file after payment.
		4. Execute payment with paypal
		5. Create encrypted download link that expires
		6. When user clicks link, send download file to customer
		

Requirements

Paypal requires TLS v. 1.2 which requires OpenSSL 1.0.1c. For more information see: https://github.com/paypal/TLS-update#php

Instructions

1. Create a "Buy Now" link to coolpaypal.php on your html page similar to: coolpaypal.php?file=yourfile.zip

   You can use this code which includes a Paypal Buy Now button: <a href="coolpaypal.php?file=yourfile.zip" target="_blank"> <img src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/webstatic/en_US/i/btn/png/btn_buynow_107x26.png" alt="Buy Now"></a>

2. Create a secret folder on your server and put all your downloads in that folder.
3. Edit coolpaypal.php and edit the $secret_folder variable and set the default price for downloads. You can also set different prices for different filenames.
4. Go to: https://developer.paypal.com/dashboard/
5. Click Log into Dashboard.
6. Select Apps & Credentials.
7. To create a new project, select "Create App".
8. PayPal generates a set of OAuth client_id and secret credentials for your app for both the sandbox and live environments. Go to Apps & Credentials and make sure the "Sandbox" switch is on.
9. Copy your Sandbox Client Id and then copy your Secret into coolpaypal.php in the $client_id and $secret variables.
10. To test it you need to use sandbox accounts. Click on Testing Tools > Sandbox Accounts. The account to test purchases with will look something like "name-buyer@email.com". If you don't know the password then click on the account and click on "Change password".
11. After testing click on your app under App Name at https://developer.paypal.com/dashboard/applications/live and make sure the "Live" switch is on.
12. Copy your Live Client Id and then your copy your Secret into coolpaypal.php in the $client_id and $secret variables. Also in coolpaypal.php change $mode to "live".

Download

   You may download and use the script after a Paypal payment of $25.00. This "Buy Now" button uses the script you are about to download.

Or download the script to setup and test for a donation: dlc_b

Download

History

10/21/2019 - Version 1.2 - This month Paypal started rejecting the payment request with http code 415 (Unsupported Media Type) because something changed on Paypal's servers in detecting Content-Tpye of "application/json" header. Found out it was because the header was previously with a space between Content-Type and the colon. Changed it to 'Content-Type: application/json' throughout the code and now it works again.

12/18/2018 - Version 1.1 - Added support for a download countdown to auto start download and changed the download method from using readfile() to using fopen() with file chunks for better support at downloading larger files on servers with limits.

8/25/2017 - Version 1.0 - Paypal Digital Download Script Created

Last updated on August 21, 2023
Created on August 25, 2017