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Use Web UI

You can use this method to send up to 5,000 payouts at once by uploading a .csv file in your PayPal business account dashboard. You can send batch payouts without writing code or setting up servers.

Prerequisites​

Send payouts​

1. Create input file​

Create a .csv file and add payout records as line items. Use the following format and add each payout you want to send as a separate row. You can add a maximum of 5000 rows.

Sample payout line items​

Example file 1 - Pay PayPal and Venmo recipients in US from your US business account

mbrown@email.com,100.5,USD,ID001,Here is your payment,PAYPAL
jdoe@venmo.com,100.5,USD,,Here is your payment,VENMO,FRIENDS_ONLY

Example file 2 - Pay a recipient in Germany from your US business account

mbrown@myco.com,"100,50",EUR,ID001,Here is your payment,PAYPAL
FieldDescriptionExampleMax lengthNotes
Recipient identifier
Required		Identifier for the payout recipient based on the wallet type.mbrown@email.com, jdoe@venmo.com, mbrown@myco.com-PayPal: Recipient’s PayPal-associated email address or PayPal PayerID (retrieved through PayPal Checkout or Assisted Account Creation).

Venmo: Recipient’s US mobile number or Venmo handle.
Payment amount
Required		Amount to send.100.5 or "100,50"-For currencies that use a comma, enclose the amount in double quotes. PayPal validates the format on upload.
Currency
Required		Three-letter ISO 4217 Currency code. Each file must contain only one currency type.USD or EUR3Use separate files for different currencies.
To pay recipients in the local currency, group the recipients by their currency type and create one file for each payout currency. For more information, see Pay in local currency.
Customer ID
Optional		Unique recipient identifier.ID00130No spaces allowed. Use double quotes if value contains commas.
Note to Recipient
Required for Venmo, Optional for PayPal		Custom message sent to the recipient.Here is your payment400PayPal: Overrides the default message set in the PayPal UI, if provided.

Venmo: A message must be included for each recipient. If not specified, it defaults to PRIVATE, which restricts visibility to only the recipient.
Recipient Wallet
Required		Target wallet for the payout.PAYPAL or VENMO-Defaults to NONE.
Social feed privacy
Optional, Venmo only		Visibility setting for the Venmo recipient’s social feed.FRIENDS_ONLY-Defaults to PRIVATE.

Possible values:
• PUBLIC
• FRIENDS_ONLY
• PRIVATE
Holler URL Deprecated
Optional, Venmo only		URL of a Holler sticker to include with the Venmo message.https://example.com/sticker.png151-
Logo URL
Optional, Venmo only		URL of the business logo shown in the Venmo feed.https://example.com/logo.png2000Must be a square image.
Max size: 1024 × 1024 px.
Purpose
Optional		Reason for the transaction.GOODS-Defaults to GOODS.

Possible values:
• AWARDS
• PRIZES
• DONATIONS
• GOODS
• SERVICES
• REBATES
• CASHBACK
• DISCOUNTS
• NON_GOODS_OR_SERVICES

CSV file format specifications​

Use the following specifications to ensure your payout file meets the required format and is accepted:

  • Use a period (.) as the decimal separator for currencies like U.S. dollars (USD), Canadian dollars (CAD), and British pounds (GBP). For example: 100.5.
  • Use a comma (,) for currencies such as euros (EUR) and Brazilian reais (BRL), and enclose the amount in double quotes. For example: "100,50".
  • Each file must contain only one currency. For multi-currency payouts, upload a separate file per currency.
  • Preserve the defined column order and ensure all rows include the same number of columns. Leave optional fields blank if not used and do not remove them.
  • Add one row per recipient, adhering to the exact column structure.
  • Wrap values containing commas or special characters in double quotes. For example, "100,50" or "Custom Message with Comma, Here".

2. Upload the input file​

Note: You can upload a sample input file in your Sandbox account, test the payout, and then move to production.

  1. Log in to your PayPal account.
  2. Go to Summary > Money > Send Money, and select Make a Mass Payment.
  3. On the Choose Payouts Recipients page:
    • Go to Browse to select your .csv payment file.
    • Select Open to upload it.
  4. (Optional) Enter additional details:
    • Email subject: Appears in the recipient’s email.
    • Custom message for recipient: Overrides the default message (applies to PayPal payouts only).
  5. Select Continue. PayPal validates your file and displays a Review Your Payments Details page.
  6. Select Send Payout to submit the file. If you have set up a payout approval flow for your business account, the payout is submitted for approval. See Set up payout approval flow.
  7. After submission, select one of the following:
    • Send another payout: Process a new .csv file.
    • View activity details: Check payment status and transaction details.

Note: If you reupload the same file within 30 days, PayPal shows a duplicate warning.

3. Track and manage payouts​

You can:

  • Monitor the status of each payment after submitting your .csv file.
  • View payout details on the confirmation page or in the Activity tab of your PayPal business account dashboard.
  • Download reports and transaction logs to review fees, statuses, and currency conversion details.

For more information, see Manage Payouts.

4. Go live​

If you tested an input file in Sandbox and the payout is successful:

  1. Modify your input file to reflect actual payouts.
  2. Go to your production business account and upload the input file.