PayPal Password Question

[RedRuby]

Isn't it dangerous to have your PayPal password and username in the
paypal.yml file on your server?

What exactly is the username and password needed for?

Say the above is safe, would it cause a problem with the store to have
the PayPal security key? https://www.paypal.com/securitykey

[Andy Kim]

> Isn't it dangerous to have your PayPal password and username in the
> paypal.yml file on your server?

The stuff you put in paypal.yml is not your www.paypal.com username
and password. These are your API credentials. Here's how you get it:

1. Sign-in to PayPal with your account that already has PayPal Website
Payments Pro
2. Click Profile on the top right
3. Request API credentials if you have not already. If you have, click
on "View or Remove Credentials"
4. The information you want is the API username and password.

> What exactly is the username and password needed for?

PayPal needs to know that you are who you say you are when you try to
take money from other people's accounts :)

> Say the above is safe, would it cause a problem with the store to have
> the PayPal security key? https://www.paypal.com/securitykey

From what I can tell, the security key is only for logging in to the
PayPal website. The API access username/password are separate and
should not be affected by the security key.

I don't blame you for getting confused. I'll put in some comments in
paypal.yml to explain how to fill it in and maybe change the variable
name too.

Cheers,
Andy Kim
Potion Factory LLC