ExpressCheckout with recurring payments -- Cannot find solution

Question

I have been trying to set up an ExpressCheckout with recurring payments but I don't find the solution.

Having a look at the documentation (Recurring Payments With the Express Checkout API), the diagram gives a sequence where "CreateRecurringPaymentsProfile" is invoked at the end.

Now, having a look at the other documentation (How to Create a Recurring Payments Profile with Express Checkout), the different steps which are explained give a different sequence order, where "CreateRecurringPaymentsProfile" comes directly after "GetExpressCheckoutDetails".

I tried to follow this second example but I systematically receive an error.

Could someone tell me what I exactly need to do? Of course a practical example would be more than welcome...

In advance, many thanks

Additional information:

The error I am receiving is "INVALID TOKEN".

Here is the information I send:

VERSION=84.0
METHOD=CreateRecurringPaymentsProfile
LOCALECODE=FR
TOKEN=[the one I received from SetExpressCheckout]
PROFILESTARTDATE=[the date of the next payment]
BILLINGPERIOD=Month
BILLINGFREQUENCY=6
TOTALBILLINGCYCLES=0
AMT=[the same as I mentioned in PAYMENTREQUEST_0_AMT]
AUTOBILLAMT=AddToNextBilling
CURRENCYCODE=EUR
MAXFAILEDPAYMENTS=3
DESC=[the same as I mentioned in L_BILLINGAGREEMENTDESCRIPTION0]
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_NAME0=[the same as I used in SetExpressCheckout]
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_DESC0=[the same as I used in SetExpressCheckout]
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_AMT0=[the same as I used in SetExpressCheckout]
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_QTY0=[the same as I used in SetExpressCheckout]
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_TAXAMT0=[the same as I used in SetExpressCheckout]

Do I also need to mention: L_BILLINGAGREEMENTDESCRIPTION0 & L_BILLINGTYPE0 ?

Answer 1

In case you get 11502 Invalid token, you will need to pass the following variables in your SetEC API request:

BILLINGAGREEMENTDESCRIPTION=Your billing agreement name
BILLINGTYPE=RecurringPayments

Please, check below how EC+RP flow works:

1) SetExpressChekout + BILLINGAGREEMENTDESCRIPTION and BILLINGTYPE variables

VERSION = 86.0
METHOD = SetExpressCheckout
RETURNURL = http://www.website.com/return.php
CANCELURL = http://www.website.com/cancel.php
PAYMENTREQUEST_0_CURRENCYCODE = USD
PAYMENTREQUEST_0_PAYMENTACTION = SALE
L_BILLINGTYPE0 = RecurringPayments
L_BILLINGAGREEMENTDESCRIPTION0 = SameEveryTime
PAYMENTREQUEST_0_AMT = 1.00
PAYMENTREQUEST_0_ITEMAMT = 1.00
PAYMENTREQUEST_0_DESC = Labs
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_NAME0 = Lab 1
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_NUMBER0 = 10101
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_QTY0 = 1
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_AMT0 = 1.00
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_DESC0 = Download

2) Login into your PayPal account and click on “Accept and Continue”

https://www.sandbox.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_express-checkout&token=EC-2EJ022116H3067544

Buyer logs into his PayPal account and click on the button “Agree and Continue”, then he will be redirect to RETURNURL+ token+ PayerID:

http://www.website.com/return.php?token=EC-2EJ022116H3067544&PayerID=HHHAPCFUM9ULW

3) Then you can run CreateRecurringPaymentsProfile + token:

PROFILEREFERENCE=RPInvoice123
PROFILESTARTDATE=2016-08-17T14:30:00Z
SUBSCRIBERNAME=Mr Sub Scriber
METHOD=CreateRecurringPaymentsProfile
TOKEN=XXXXXXXXXXXXX
DESC=SameEveryTime
AMT = 1.00
BILLINGPERIOD=Day
BILLINGFREQUENCY=3
VERSION=86.0
MAXFAILEDPAYMENTS=1
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_AMT0=1.00
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_NAME0=Lab 1
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_NUMBER0=10101
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_QTY0=1
L_BILLINGTYPE0=RecurringPayments
L_BILLINGAGREEMENTDESCRIPTION0=SameEveryTime
L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_ITEMCATEGORY0=Digital

and this is the NVP Response:

PROFILEID=I-TOKEN123456
PROFILESTATUS=ActiveProfile
TIMESTAMP=2013-11-22T04:06:50Z
CORRELATIONID=2b5be15a871ff
ACK=Success
VERSION=86.0
BUILD=5908853

Documentation: ECRecurringPayments

API references (NVP)
SetExpressCheckout API request
CreateRecurringPayment API request