PayPal Mass Payouts

PayPal Mass Payments lets you pay multiple affiliates at once using a simple CSV file export from Affonso. This guide walks you through the entire process — from generating payouts to completing bulk payments in PayPal.

Before You Start

Prerequisites

1. Pending payouts in Affonso — Payouts are either generated automatically based on your program settings, or you can manually generate payouts for custom date ranges.

2. PayPal Business account — Mass Payments (Payouts) requires a PayPal Business account with Payouts enabled. Personal accounts cannot send mass payments.

3. Sufficient PayPal balance — You must have enough funds in your PayPal balance to cover all payments. Mass payments can only be sent from your balance, not from a linked bank account or card.

Step 1: Export PayPal Payouts from Affonso

1. Go to your Payments dashboard
2. Select the Pending tab to view all open payouts
3. Click Export and choose PayPal
4. A CSV file will download containing all affiliates who have PayPal as their preferred payment method

The exported file includes:

• Email addresses of recipients
• Payment amounts
• Currency codes

Step 2: Set Up PayPal Payouts

If you haven't enabled Payouts on your PayPal Business account yet:

1. Log in to your PayPal Business account
2. Go to Business Tools → Make Payments
3. Under "Make payments", click Payouts
4. Complete the onboarding process to enable mass payments

Step 3: Process the Mass Payment

1. In your PayPal account, click Pay & Get Paid
2. Under "Make payments", select Payouts
3. Upload the CSV file exported from Affonso
4. Review all recipients and payment amounts
5. Confirm and send the payments

Important Notes

• Currency matching: Your PayPal balance and the mass payment file must be in the same currency. If paying in multiple currencies, create separate files for each.
• Maximum recipients: Each mass payment can include up to 5,000 individual payments.
• Fees: PayPal charges 2% of the total transaction amount (capped at a maximum fee) for Payouts Web uploads, or a flat $0.25 per transaction via API.

Step 4: Mark Payouts as Paid in Affonso

After successfully sending payments through PayPal:

1. Return to your Payments dashboard in Affonso
2. Select the payouts you just processed
3. Mark them as Paid

This updates your records and shows affiliates that their payment has been sent.

Troubleshooting

"Denied" Status in PayPal

If your mass payment shows as "Denied", check that:

• You have sufficient funds in your PayPal balance
• All email addresses in the file are valid
• The currency matches your balance currency

Recipients Without PayPal Accounts

If a recipient doesn't have a PayPal account, PayPal will notify them via email to claim the payment. Unclaimed payments are automatically returned to you after 30 days.

Prefer Hands-Off Payouts?

Don't want to manage PayPal exports and payments manually? With Managed Payouts on the Growth or Elite Plan, Affonso handles everything — you pay one invoice, and we distribute funds to all your affiliates worldwide.

Need help with PayPal mass payments? Contact our support team for assistance with exports or troubleshooting.