PayPal Payouts REST API availability?

[NSAU]

We implemented the Mass Pay API to do mass payments from our app. When I went to create an NVP/SOAP API app to do this in our Prod environment, the form asked what APIs we planned on using. Sure enough, the Mass Pay API had (deprecated) next to it and told us we should be using the Payouts REST API.

As we were not live yet and still had time before go live, we bit the bullet and rewrote and retested the app to use the Payouts REST API. After creating the REST API app, I noticed Payouts was not 'ticked' for our Live environment, and has a "Contact us" button. So contacted PayPal to enable it, and after 2-3 months and half a dozen calls/emails and being told "it will be enabled in 24-72 hours", decided to contact merchant support.

Merchant support have now told us that the Payouts REST API is only available in the US (we are an Australian company and have an Aus PayPal account).

Yet the documentation clearly says Payouts is available in 150 countries?https://developer.paypal.com/docs/payouts/

I really don't know where to go from here - has anyone tried to do this? Any PayPal reps can shed some light on this?

[sharpiemarker]

Enable payouts

By default, the Payouts feature is enabled in the sandbox environment. Merchants in the U.S. with a business account can enable Payouts in the live environment.

Note: Merchants in other countries must contact their account manager or customer service to enable Payouts in the live environment.

[NSAU]

Thanks for the fast reply.

Yes, as mentioned in my OP, I've contacted Paypal customer service 6 times; 3 by phone and 3 by email. After spending 5 minutes each time explaining what I want, then being placed on hold for 5-10 minutes, the standard reply has always been "it will be enabled in 24-72 hours" - but it never happens. The last time I called I was told it was not possible by customer service and I would need to contact merchant technical support. 

Again, as mentioned, I contacted merchant technical  support and they told me it isn't available outside the US, yet quite clearly on that page:

Payouts API is supported in over 150 countries in over 20 currencies. Note that currency restrictions do not allow conversion of Argentine Pesos, Brazilian Real, or Malaysian ringgit. PayPal currency conversion rates apply should the sender or the recipient choose to convert the payments. For more information, see the Mass Payments Overview.

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[theother]

I've been going through a similar painful thing with PayPal.

We heavily relied on PayPal Payouts when building our platform. Then after many phone calls we were told today that we can't have it! We are a limited company start up in the UK and PayPal just said we are not eligible for Payouts and that was the end!

I'm very disappointed. We wasted so many resources. The website does not make it clear that you might not get Payouts. Why enable it in the sandbox when you can't have it live?

When we spoke with PayPal, we got different answers every time we called.

In the end one person from PayPal told us that we don't have enough volume do get the feature. When I asked how we can get off the ground as a startup when payoputs is an essential feature of our business, she had no answer. Chicken/egg. They don't care.

This is so stupid! I'm really angry. We are a proper incorporated company and there is no reason to withhold the feature. The CEO has a trading history with PayPal for years, but they said that doesn't matter because this is a new business.

Time for a new financial company to offer what PayPal can't do. Similar to Stripe, whose success is due to PayPals arrogance and complacency.

Shame Stripe can't do mass payouts.

All other companies I researched have a monthly fixed fee of $1000+ which is not good for us as a small startup. We'd rather pay higher rates and no fixed fee in the beginning!

[SilentSword]

I'm experiencing the same situation.  However, in my case, I'm trying to help my clients automate their PayPal Payouts via our API Payout Platform www.paymentrails.com (like a Stripe for Payouts)

A lot of clients use PayPal to payout, so we are trying to help them continue to offer PayPal along with the ability to offer other solutions.  

Our client in Canada called PayPal as was told it's only available in the US, although the website says it's available in many other countries.