Request for Architectural Guidance: Best Way to Integrate PayPal for Shared Group Booking Payments (Laravel + Vue.js + Flutter)

[cswaqaas]

Description:

Hello PayPal Dev Community 👋,

We’re planning to integrate PayPal payments into our multi-platform application and are seeking expert advice on the best model, architecture, and integration method for our specific use case — shared-table bookings with individual user payments and real-time confirmation.

Platform Stack:

• Backend: Laravel 10 (REST API; Stripe integration already in place)
• Admin Dashboard: Vue.js 3 with Quasar Framework
• Mobile App: Flutter (Dart) for Android/iOS

Use Case Overview:

We run a hospitality platform (Freazy) where users book shared tables at venues. Key user flow:

• A user creates a shared table (the "owner").
• Other users join the table (pending approval).
• Each member must pay their portion individually (via PayPal or other methods).
• Payment must be confirmed within 8 hours, or the booking expires.
• Once all payments are received, the booking is confirmed, and a group chat opens.

What We Want to Achieve with PayPal:

1. Each user taps “Pay with PayPal” on their screen (web or mobile).
2. A unique invoice/transaction is generated.
3. We detect payment confirmation via webhook or return URL.
4. User’s payment status is marked complete.
5. Once all users have paid, finalize the booking and trigger group chat access.

Key Questions We’d Like Advice On:

1. Best PayPal Payment Flow for This Use Case

• Should we use Smart Payment Buttons, Orders API, or Invoices API?
• Which method works best for individual user payments in a group transaction?

2. Architecture

• How can we track multiple individual payments tied to a single booking?
• Can we use PayPal Subscriptions creatively here? (e.g., one-time shared billing?)

3. Frontend Integration

• How to implement PayPal flow in:
• Vue.js (Quasar): Hosted buttons vs. server-initiated checkout
• Flutter: Best way to handle approval flow (WebView, redirect, native SDK?

4. Webhook / IPN Considerations

• What's the best practice to verify payment success in Laravel securely?
• Should we rely only on return_url parameters or always wait for webhook?

5. Group Payment Strategy

• Each user pays a fixed amount (e.g., $25 of a $100 table).
• Should we create one order with multiple payers, or separate orders per user?

6. EU Legal/Compliance

• As we are EU-based, do we need additional KYC/AML measures?
• Can we use PayPal’s buyer protection and fraud screening for shared payments?

💬 Final Notes:

This is our first PayPal integration. We’ve worked with Stripe before and successfully manage group logic, booking expiry, and webhooks. Now we want to offer PayPal as an alternative for users preferring wallets or non-card payments.
We’d love any technical guidance, best practices, or even references to similar case studies for this “shared group booking” model.

Thanks for the amazing developer tools and for your support! 🙏