Overview
PayPal Business payouts let you send rewards to members using your connected PayPal Business account. Referral Rock initiates the payout; members receive the reward to the PayPal email address on their profile.
Note: This is a premium payout type that requires an add-on purchase. Contact support to have it enabled, as it is not active by default.
What we'll cover in this article:
Before You Start
You must have an Admin or Manager role to configure payout settings.
You must be on the Professional Plus or Engage Plus plan. Contact support if you are unsure whether this feature is enabled on your account.
Have your PayPal Business account credentials ready before connecting.
Review Payouts Explained to understand how the payout workflow operates.
Where to Find PayPal Business
Set up a PayPal Reward Rule: Programs > [Program name] > Open Editor > Rewards
Configure Payouts: Rewards > Payouts > PayPal icon > Manage Account
Create a PayPal Reward Rule
PayPal reward rules must be set up before you can manage individual PayPal payouts. See Set up Reward Rules for more detailed info on creating a PayPal reward rule.
1. Go to Programs > [Program name] > Open Editor > Rewards.
2. Select Add Member Rule or Add Referral Rule.
3. Complete the Reward Rule Summary fields (Enable/Disable, optional internal description).
4. In the Reward With step, choose Add New Reward.
5. Select PayPal as the payout type..
6. Complete the remaining reward details (Trigger Reward When and Reward Delivery).
7. Select Finish.
You should see a green checkmark confirming the reward rule is set up.
Connect Your PayPal Business Account
For full connection instructions, see PayPal Business setup guide.
Link Your Account
Go to Rewards > Payouts.
Select the PayPal icon.
Select Setup.
While in PayPal Business, follow the instructions in our PayPal Business setup guide.
Access your Client ID and Client Secret from your PayPal Business account, then copy and paste them in Referral Rock.
Decide on your low balance notification amount (you will receive an email when your balance falls below this threshold).
Select Save.
Note: Funding added to your PayPal account can take 3–5 business days to appear.
Manage Your PayPal Account Settings
Configure Account Options
Go to Rewards > Payouts.
Select the PayPal icon.
Select Manage Account.
Set up low balance alerts to receive notifications when your PayPal balance drops below a threshold.
Optional: Customize the text and layout of the Recipient Email (this is the email sent to the member or referral when they earn the reward.)
Note: PayPal's available balance cannot be displayed in Referral Rock. Only PayPal partners can view account balance. Check your balance directly in your PayPal account.
Collect Member PayPal Email Addresses
Members do not need to connect a PayPal account directly in Referral Rock. They only need to provide the email address associated with their PayPal account.
Prompt Members to Provide Their Email
Update your member dashboard copy to ask members to submit their PayPal email address.
Members can update their email in the PayPal Account section of their member portal at any time.
Note: If no PayPal account exists under the recipient's email address, PayPal will prompt them to create one.
Add or Edit a Member's PayPal Email (Admin)
Open the member's profile.
Select Edit Properties.
Enter or update the email in the PayPal Account field.
Save the changes.
What's Next?
Issue PayPal Payouts
Once your account is connected and recipients have earned rewards, you can begin issuing those rewards through the Payouts workflow. See Payouts Explained for details.
Reissue a Reward
If a reward rolls back or needs to be reissued, see Can I Reissue a Reward?
Check Out the Recipient Reward Experience
Learn how recipients view and receive PayPal rewards. See PayPal Reward Experience.
FAQ
Do members need to connect their PayPal account in their settings?
Do members need to connect their PayPal account in their settings?
No. Members only need to provide the email address associated with their PayPal account. You can update your member dashboard copy to prompt them to submit it. Admins can also add or edit a member's PayPal email via their member profile — select Edit Properties > PayPal Account.
If no PayPal account exists under the email provided, the recipient will be asked to create one.
A member's PayPal account is linked to a different email than they signed up with. How can they make sure payouts go to the right address?
A member's PayPal account is linked to a different email than they signed up with. How can they make sure payouts go to the right address?
The member can update their email in the Account section of their member portal. You may want to add a prompt to your member dashboard to make members aware of this option.
Admins can also manually update the PayPal email via the member profile — select Edit Properties > PayPal Account.
What fees are associated with PayPal payouts?
What fees are associated with PayPal payouts?
Each PayPal payout includes a flat $0.25 fee. For example, a $10 reward costs $10.25 in total ($10 to the member + $0.25 PayPal fee).
If a payout is rolled back, the $10 reward amount is credited back to your account. The $0.25 PayPal fee is not refunded, as it was already charged by PayPal when the payout was issued.
Some PayPal rewards were already paid out but are still showing as Pending. How do I mark them as paid without sending duplicate payouts?
Some PayPal rewards were already paid out but are still showing as Pending. How do I mark them as paid without sending duplicate payouts?
Create a custom payout option to replace the stuck PayPal reward. We recommend naming it "Custom Reward" so it is easy to identify.
Select Actions (top right) > Add Reward.
Select the recipient. Under Reward Type, choose your custom reward.
Complete the remaining fields, then mark the reward as issued. Because this reward is fulfilled outside of Referral Rock, no duplicate payout is sent.
Delete the original PayPal rewards that were paid out but remained on Pending.
What happens if a recipient doesn’t claim a PayPal reward before the deadline?
What happens if a recipient doesn’t claim a PayPal reward before the deadline?
If they don’t claim the reward before the deadline (usually 30 days), the reward will be rolled back and the funds will go back to your account. You can then reissue the reward if you wish.