Error: The API certificate is not valid.

[gsohxxx]

Hey all,

I've a PayPal business account, created the API Certificate, with username, password, fingerprint and downloadable API Certificate. I've entered all this information (minus the fingerprint as it doesnt seem to want to ask for that) into Woocommerce paypal checkout configuration. Now it is giving me an error message

Error: The API certificate is not valid.

I checked the account was verified and thats all good. Even tried renewing the certificate and making sure I deleted the old one. But nothing changed and I still got the error message.

Anyone got any ideas what I've done wrong?

My last option is to dump the Paypal check out and revert to the Paypal token method.... which I understand is via a button? But would prefer to go with the Paypal checkout if possible as it seems to be more feature rich.

[PrinceCharles23]

so what's the story here? anyone care to reply to that issue?

[Pawzzazzy]

Seems a few of us have this problem but no one knows how to address and fix it? I have searched everywhere and can't find a solution. Will paypal checkout work without it?

[islamelazab]

On WordPress Woocommerce PayPal Checkout plugin

1- FIRST problem everyone will encounter:
When entering a valid certificate from Paypal, you will have a error saying “the API certificate is not valid”
You try to re-upload. renew and try again to From there you will spend time try to see what wrong. So then you will want to go for the SIGNATURE instead of the CERTIFICATE. Which leads to the seconds problem

2- SECOND problem everyone will encounter:
You now generate on Paypal your signature API and enter the signature in the plugin and do not select any certificate as you need one method or the other.
You save and… even though you will put a signature you and NO CERTIFICATE then you still end up with the error: “API certificate is not valid”

3- Now how to fix it?
The problem is the certificate is saved in the database and not erased when you put a signature. Stupid bug right?
So go to your mysql phpmyadmin (or directly download your SQL DB and work from there if you know what you do), then
1- search for TABLE wp_options

2- locate the woocommerce_ppec_paypal_settings value

3- locate the characters that starts and ends like that: …s:15:\”api_certificate\”;s:4552:\”LS0tificate\”;s:4552:\”LS0tLS1CRUdJTiBQUklWQVRFIS1CRUdJTiBQUklWQV…………………….S1CRUdJTiBQUklWQVEtFWBDRVJUSUZJQ0FURS0tLS0tCg==\”;s:11:\”api_subject\”;s:0:\”\”;s:20:\”sandbox_api_username\…

4- remove everything that is between
s:15:\”api_certificate\”;s:4552:\”LS0tificate\”;s:4552:\”
and
“;s:11:\”api_subject\”;s:
that is you delete the key:

…s:15:\”api_certificate\”;s:4552:\”LS0tificate\”;s:4552:\”LS0tLS1CRUdJTiBQUklWQVRFIS1CRUdJTiBQUklWQV…………………….S1CRUdJTiBQUklWQVEtFWBDRVJUSUZJQ0FURS0tLS0tCg==\“;s:11:\”api_subject\”;s:0:\”\”;s:20:\”sandbox_api_username\…

5- you end up with
…s:15:\”api_certificate\”;s:4552:\”LS0tificate\”;s:4552:\””;s:11:\”api_subject\”;s:0:\”\”;s:20:\”sandbox_api_username\…

6- save your line (note you may receive a syntax error and will fix by itself)

7- go to Worpress Paypal login; put your SIGNATURE; save your page; NO MORE ERRORS and you are done

Hope it helps

[Ausworkshop]

or just deactivate it as I have done and maybe in another year or two these things will be easier to set up.  I thought I read somewhere that it was one click to install and I wouldn't have to copy and paste all those API credentials anymore to make it work in Woocommerce but no! Here I am searching through help articles and I read the post above.  Time for bed, it can wait another year, I'm not doing all that and fiddling with stuff I shouldn't be, likely to break my whole site just to get PayPal working, no thanks. Deactivated!  again

[Guilherme_Amara]

Thank you islamelazab, it worked for me.

One easier way to do this change suggested is copy the whole value to an Excel cell and run a "Text to Columns" tool with fixed delimiter ";".

You will see the values in a better shape, easier to find and edit the "corrupt" string.

Best regards,

G