PayPal introduced a Beta release of Web Services, a set of application programming interfaces (APIs) to the PayPal platform. PayPal Web Services enables more streamlined and automated access to the PayPal platform for ecommerce developers and merchants.

"Through PayPal Web Services, we are able to expand the availability of advanced online-payment capabilities to a new class of developers, third-party tool vendors and merchants," said Dave McClure, Director of PayPal's Developer Network.

PayPal Web Services is based on open standards, supporting Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and Web Services Description Language (WSDL). The new offering expands PayPal's existing family of Website Payments functionality and reporting features, and includes PayPal's Instant Payment Notification (IPN) service.

Developers and merchants can setup and access the PayPal Web Services at the newly launched PayPal Developer Central, which offers information on how to set up developer certificates, get started with PayPal APIs, and access developer forums for discussion and questions. Developers can also use the new PayPal Sandbox, a testing environment for PayPal Web Services. The PayPal Web Services architecture shares a common API structure with eBay's Web Services offerings.

Developers can learn more about the eBay and PayPal platforms at the eBay Developer Conference taking place June 23-24 in New Orleans, preceding the eBay Live user conference.

https://developer.paypal.com