PAYPAL IPN custom field missing

Question

I'm facing troubles implementing paypal recurring payment with the API process and the sandbox. I succeed to create the subscription button and redirect the user to the paypal express checkout page. But the custom field is missing in some IPN generated by paypal and I really need this field.

Here are the requests I send while generating the subscription button:

METHOD=SetExpressCheckout
&VERSION=94.0
&PWD=123456
&[email protected]
&SIGNATURE=mySignature
&PAYMENTREQUEST_0_AMT=5.00
&PAYMENTREQUEST_0_PAYMENTACTION=Sale
&PAYMENTREQUEST_0_CURRENCYCODE=EUR
&RETURNURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myWebSite.com?ok
&CANCELURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myWebSite.com?ko
&L_BILLINGTYPE0=RecurringPayments
&L_BILLINGAGREEMENTDESCRIPTION0=test+paypal
&REQCONFIRMSHIPPING=0
&NOSHIPPING=1
&L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_ITEMCATEGORY0=Digital
&L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_NAME0=test+paypal
&L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_AMT0=5.00
&L_PAYMENTREQUEST_0_QTY0=1
&PAYMENTREQUEST_0_CUSTOM=custom_var1%3Dvalue1%7Ccustom_var2%3Dvalue2

After the user has confirmed the transaction, he is coming back to my website and I have to verify the informations and to create the recurring profil. Here are the requests I do :

METHOD=GetExpressCheckoutDetails
&VERSION=94.0
&PWD=123456
&[email protected]
&SIGNATURE=mySignature
&TOKEN=theToken


METHOD=CreateRecurringPaymentsProfile
&VERSION=94.0
&PWD=123456
&[email protected]
&SIGNATURE=mySignature
&TOKEN=theToken
&AMT=5.00
&CURRENCYCODE=EUR
&PROFILESTARTDATE=2013-02-04T15%3A16%3A24%2B01%3A00
&BILLINGPERIOD=Day
&BILLINGFREQUENCY=1
&DESC=test+paypal


METHOD=DoExpressCheckoutPayment
&VERSION=94.0
&PWD=123456
&[email protected]
&SIGNATURE=mySignature
&TOKEN=theToken
&PAYERID=JZUVX4TAHRHRU
&PAYMENTREQUEST_0_PAYMENTACTION=Sale
&PAYMENTREQUEST_0_AMT=5.00
&PAYMENTREQUEST_0_CURRENCYCODE=EUR
&PAYMENTREQUEST_0_NOTIFYURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myWebSite.com?notify
&PAYMENTREQUEST_0_CUSTOM=custom_var1%3Dvalue1%7Ccustom_var2%3Dvalue2

After doing this I receive these IPN :

Array
(
    [transaction_subject] => test paypal
    [payment_date] => 06:01:52 Feb 04, 2013 PST
    [txn_type] => express_checkout
    [last_name] => numerik
    [residence_country] => FR
    [item_name] => 
    [payment_gross] => 
    [mc_currency] => EUR
    [payment_type] => instant
    [protection_eligibility] => Ineligible
    [verify_sign] => myVerifySign
    [payer_status] => verified
    [test_ipn] => 1
    [tax] => 0.00
    [payer_email] => [email protected]
    [txn_id] => 6XC11065S3796804E
    [quantity] => 1
    [receiver_email] => [email protected]
    [first_name] => buyer
    [payer_id] => myPayerId
    [receiver_id] => myReceiverId
    [item_number] => 
    [handling_amount] => 0.00
    [payment_status] => Completed
    [payment_fee] => 
    [mc_fee] => 0.42
    [shipping] => 0.00
    [mc_gross] => 5.00
    [custom] => custom_var1=value1|custom_var2=value2
    [charset] => windows-1252
    [notify_version] => 3.7
    [ipn_track_id] => ab76ea3421261
)

Array
(
    [payment_cycle] => Daily
    [txn_type] => recurring_payment_profile_created
    [last_name] => numerik
    [next_payment_date] => 02:00:00 Feb 04, 2013 PST
    [residence_country] => FR
    [initial_payment_amount] => 0.00
    [currency_code] => EUR
    [time_created] => 06:01:47 Feb 04, 2013 PST
    [verify_sign] => myVerifySign
    [period_type] =>  Regular
    [payer_status] => verified
    [test_ipn] => 1
    [tax] => 0.00
    [payer_email] => [email protected]
    [first_name] => buyer
    [receiver_email] => [email protected]
    [payer_id] => myPayerId
    [product_type] => 1
    [shipping] => 0.00
    [amount_per_cycle] => 5.00
    [profile_status] => Active
    [charset] => windows-1252
    [notify_version] => 3.7
    [amount] => 5.00
    [outstanding_balance] => 0.00
    [recurring_payment_id] => myRecurringPaymentId
    [product_name] => test paypal
    [ipn_track_id] => a8adfdf8b61d3
)

As you can see in the 1st IPN the field custom is available but not in the second one. Does anyone know what I'm missing for retrieving the custom field in the 2nd IPN ?

Answer 1

Your DoExpressCheckoutPayment request includes the custom parameter which is why you're getting it back for that transaction. Your CreateRecurringPaymentsProfile request does not have a custom parameter included, so it would not come back.

That said, it doesn't look like the custom parameter is available to CRPP so you'll need to save your data locally and include your local record ID in the PROFILEREFERENCE paramter of your CRPP request. This way it will come back in IPN as rp_invoice_id like Matt Cole suggested, and you can pull your custom data back out of your database using that record ID accordingly.

Answer 2

Your best bet is to add PROFILEREFERENCE to your CreateRecurringPaymentsProfile call. It will come back in the IPN as rp_invoice_id.