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You can use this pattern to send up to 5,000 payouts at once by uploading a .csv file in your PayPal business account dashboard. You can send batch payouts without writing code or setting up servers.
Important: You can send payouts to PayPal accounts and Venmo users.

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Prerequisites

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Send payouts

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1. Create input file

Create a .csv file and add payout records as line items. Use the following format and add each payout you want to send as a separate row. You can add a maximum of 5000 rows.

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Sample payout line items

Example file 1 - Pay PayPal and Venmo recipients in US from your US business account 
mbrown@email.com,100.5,USD,ID001,Here is your payment,PAYPAL
jdoe@venmo.com,100.5,USD,,Here is your payment,VENMO,FRIENDS_ONLY
Example file 2 - Pay a recipient in Germany from your US business account 
mbrown@myco.com,"100,50",EUR,ID001,Here is your payment,PAYPAL
FieldDescriptionNotes
Recipient identifier
Required		Identifier for the payout recipient based on the wallet type.PayPal: Recipient’s PayPal-associated email address or PayPal PayerID (retrieved through PayPal Checkout or Assisted Account Creation).
Venmo: Recipient’s US mobile number or Venmo handle.

Examples: mbrown@email.com, jdoe@venmo.com, mbrown@myco.com
Payment amount
Required		Amount to send.For currencies that use a comma, enclose the amount in double quotes. PayPal validates the format on upload.

Example: 100.5 or "100,50"
Currency
Required		Three-letter ISO 4217 currency code. Each file must contain only one currency type.Use separate files for different currencies. To pay recipients in the local currency, group the recipients by their currency type and create one file for each payout currency. For more information, see Pay in local currency.

Example: USD or EUR
Max length: 3 characters
Customer IDUnique recipient identifier.No spaces allowed. Use double quotes if value contains commas.

Example: ID001
Max length: 30 characters
Note to recipient
Required for Venmo, Optional for PayPal		Custom message sent to the recipient.PayPal: Overrides the default message set in the PayPal UI, if provided.
Venmo: A message must be included for each recipient. The message inherits the recipient’s privacy setting.

Example: Here is your payment
Max length: 400 characters
Recipient wallet
Required		Target wallet for the payout.Default value: PAYPAL

Possible values:
• PAYPAL
• VENMO
Social feed privacy
Venmo only		Visibility setting for the Venmo recipient’s social feed.Default value: PRIVATE

Possible values:
• PUBLIC
• FRIENDS_ONLY
• PRIVATE
Holler URL Deprecated
Venmo only		URL of a Holler sticker to include with the Venmo message.Example: https://example.com/sticker.png
Max length: 151 characters
Logo URL
Venmo only		URL of the business logo shown in the Venmo feed.Image uploaded at the access URL must be a square image of max size 1024 × 1024 px.

Example: https://example.com/logo.png
Max length: 2000 characters
PurposeReason for the transaction.Default value: GOODS

Possible values:
• AWARDS
• PRIZES
• DONATIONS
• GOODS
• SERVICES
• REBATES
• CASHBACK
• DISCOUNTS
• NON_GOODS_OR_SERVICES

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CSV file format specifications

Use the following specifications to ensure your payout file meets the required format and is accepted:
  • Use a period (.) as the decimal separator for currencies like U.S. dollars (USD), Canadian dollars (CAD), and British pounds (GBP). For example: 100.5.
  • Use a comma (,) for currencies such as euros (EUR) and Brazilian reais (BRL), and enclose the amount in double quotes. For example: "100,50".
  • Each file must contain only one currency. For multi-currency payouts, upload a separate file per currency.
  • Preserve the defined column order and ensure all rows include the same number of columns. Leave optional fields blank if not used and do not remove them.
  • Add one row per recipient, adhering to the exact column structure.
  • Wrap values containing commas or special characters in double quotes. For example, "100,50" or "Custom Message with Comma, Here".

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2. Upload the input file

Note: You can upload a sample input file in your Sandbox account, test the payout, and then move to production.
  1. Log in to your PayPal account.
  2. Go to Business Tools > Make Payments > Payouts > Get Started.
  3. On the Send a Mass Payment page:
    • Go to Choose File to select your .csv payment file.
    • Select Open to upload it.
  4. (Optional) Enter additional details:
    • Email subject: Appears in the recipient’s email.
    • Custom message for recipient: Overrides the default message (applies to PayPal payouts only).
  5. Review the consent statement and select the checkbox to acknowledge it.
  6. Select Continue. PayPal validates your file and displays a Review Your Payments Details page.
  7. Select Send Payout to submit the file. If you have set up a payout approval flow for your business account, the payout is submitted for approval. See Set up payout approval flow.
  8. After submission, select one of the following:
    • Send another payout: Process a new .csv file.
    • View activity details: Check payment status and transaction details.
Note: If you reupload the same file within 30 days, PayPal shows a duplicate warning.

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3. Track and manage payouts

You can:
  • Monitor the status of each payment after submitting your .csv file.
  • View payout details on the confirmation page or in the Activity tab of your PayPal business account dashboard.
  • Download reports and transaction logs to review fees, statuses, and currency conversion details.
For more information, see Track payout item status.

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4. Go live

If you tested an input file in Sandbox and the payout is successful:
  1. Modify your input file to reflect actual payouts.
  2. Go to your production business account and upload the input file.
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