Paypal is not sending notifications - php

Question

I am using PHP REST APIv1 (I believe) to integrate with paypal.
My request code looks as follows:
include '../../classes/db.connect.php';
use PayPal\Api\Amount;
use PayPal\Api\Payer;
use PayPal\Api\Payment;
use PayPal\Api\Item;
use PayPal\Api\ItemList;
use PayPal\Api\RedirectUrls;
use PayPal\Api\Transaction;
require 'bootstrap.php';
if (empty($_POST['buy_now'])) {
throw new Exception('This script should not be called directly, expected post data');
}
$setitem = strip_tags($_POST['item']);
$stmt=$db->prepare("SELECT * FROM shopping WHERE id = :id");
$stmt->bindParam(':id', $setitem);
$stmt->execute();
$row = $stmt->fetch();
$payer = new Payer();
$payer->setPaymentMethod('paypal');
$currency = 'USD';
$amountPayable = $row['price'];
$item1 = new Item();
$item1->setName($row['name'])
->setCurrency('USD')
->setQuantity('1')
->setPrice($amountPayable);
$invoiceNumber = uniqid();
$amount = new Amount();
$amount->setCurrency($currency)
->setTotal($amountPayable);
$itemList = new ItemList();
if (isset($item1) && isset($item2)) {
$itemList->setItems(array($item1, $item2));
} elseif (isset($item1)) {
$itemList->setItems(array($item1));
} elseif (isset($item2)) {
$itemList->setItems(array($item2));
}
$transaction = new Transaction();
$transaction->setAmount($amount)
->setItemList($itemList)
->setDescription('Website '.$row['name'].' Purchase')
->setInvoiceNumber($invoiceNumber)
->setNotifyUrl("https://REDACTED/notify.php")
->setCustom($username);
$redirectUrls = new RedirectUrls();
$redirectUrls->setReturnUrl($paypalConfig['return_url'])
->setCancelUrl($paypalConfig['cancel_url']);
$payment = new Payment();
$payment->setIntent('sale')
->setPayer($payer)
->setTransactions([$transaction])
->setRedirectUrls($redirectUrls);
try {
$payment->create($apiContext);
} catch (Exception $e) {
throw new Exception('Unable to create link for payment');
}
header('location:' . $payment->getApprovalLink());
A payment goes through just fine, but notify_url is not called by paypal. There are no errors at all. The user can make a payment, the payment goes through, the user is returned to setReturnUrl but setNotifyUrl seems to get ignored.
I have done a var_dump on $transaction and the notify_url is sent to paypal, but it is not called by paypal - thus I get no notifications of transactions/nothing updated in the database.
I have done the most basic test I can think to ensure paypal is not calling notify_url. The php in the file is simply set to:
include '../../classes/db.connect.php';
$stmt = $db->prepare("INSERT INTO test (info) VALUES ('1122')");
$stmt->execute();
I realize REST is intended to work with webhooks - but I am not wanting to use them for several various reasons. My understanding is that setting a notify_url will allow paypal to use that url as an IPN. However I am finding paypal is just ignoring this variable.
Also I should mention I have tried this with IPN enabled and IPN status updates disabled, I have tried with IPN enabled and status updates enabled, and I have tried it with IPN disabled. All three ways has the same result - no errors, everything work, but no notifications sent nor received by paypal.
My IPN istory page on paypal is completely empty.
Am I doing something wrong? Misunderstanding something?
I cannot find any solid information about this.

Answer 1

Paypal IPNs setup through your Paypal account are sent irrespective of the method used to create the transactions.
https://developer.paypal.com/docs/classic/ipn/integration-guide/IPNSetup/
You can use the IPN simulator to test your receiving code, or by signing up for a sandbox account as configuring the IPN setting there.