Why is PayPal REST api pay by credit card option showing on desktop, not showing on mobile? - rest

Question

After a lot of digging around I have finally managed to get something working with the PayPal REST API, the documentation is awfully confusing.
I'm creating a C#/MAUI mobile app where I need to take payments.
Anyway, I managed to get the PayPal API it to create this URL, below (I can simulate the same thing using Postman)
https://www.sandbox.paypal.com/checkoutnow?token=XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Get an access token (access_token) using the REST API
POST to https://api-m.sandbox.paypal.com/v2/checkout/orders/ this payload
{
"intent": "CAPTURE",
"purchase_units": [
{
"reference_id": "d9f80740-38f0-11e8-b467-0ed5f89f718b",
"amount": {
"currency_code": "USD",
"value": "100.00"
}
}
]
}
The returned payload gives me this json. There are other kinks in the returned payload but this is the one I need.
{
"href": "https://www.sandbox.paypal.com/checkoutnow?token=XXXXXXXXXX",
"rel": "approve",
"method": "GET"
}
Using that URL, on a desktop PC browser I get the option to log-in or "pay by debit or credit-card" but on mobile browser I only get the option to create an account or log-in to an existing account, using that exact same URL.
Does, anybody know whats going on here? How do I get the same options in a mobile browser. I can't find anything in the documentation that explains this behaviour.

Answer 1

Guest availability in the paypal.com checkout depends on very many factors, including the IP address and geographic location of the buyer, the amount of the transaction, the device used, and any number of other things. Other than disabling guest as a possibility in your account options, you cannot control this behavior of the PayPal page.
A 'Debit or Credit Card' button on your own page can be added using the JS SDK for approval, rather than redirecting away. Here is a demo, which would fetch the created order id/token from your server.