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Merchant not enabled for reference transaction

Returns from the Payments V1 API.

MERCHANT_NOT_ENABLED_FOR_REFERENCE_TRANSACTION indicates that the merchant account is not configured to perform reference transactions.

CauseImpactResolution
- Unconfigured account: The merchant account is not configured or approved to handle reference transactions. Reference transactions require specific permissions and account settings that PayPal does not enable by default on all accounts.
- Failed attempt: The merchant attempts a reference transaction without enabling the necessary permissions or account settings.
- Failed payment attempt: The merchant cannot process reference transactions for recurring billing, subscriptions, or other post-payment transactions.
- Business disruptions: Services that depend on automated billing fail to operate.
- Contact customer support: Send a request to customer support to enable reference transactions for your account. Enabling reference transactions may require you to provide additional information about your account.
- Review account settings: Configure your account settings to support reference transactions.
- For more information, see Initiate future transactions.