Sync WooCommerce tracking to PayPal and Stripe with AST PRO

You fulfill an order, add the tracking number, and move on. But your payment gateway still shows that transaction as shipped-with-no-proof. When a customer opens a dispute, PayPal and Stripe ask you to produce tracking evidence, and if it isn’t already attached to the transaction, you’re scrambling to upload it manually before a deadline you might miss.

There’s a better way to handle it.

AST PRO — Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce can push tracking numbers, carrier names, and ship dates straight to the matching PayPal and Stripe transaction the moment you fulfill an order. No manual uploads, no dispute-deadline panic, and stronger seller-protection coverage on both gateways.

This guide shows you how to connect AST PRO to PayPal and Stripe and control exactly which orders sync.

Why sync tracking to your payment gateway

Both PayPal and Stripe reward sellers who attach tracking to transactions. PayPal uses it for Seller Protection eligibility and resolves many disputes automatically once valid tracking is on file. Stripe stores it in payment metadata, which strengthens your evidence when you respond to a chargeback. Doing this by hand across every order is the part nobody keeps up with, so automating it is where the value sits.

How to set up PayPal tracking sync

1. Open the PayPal Tracking section
   Go to WooCommerce → Shipment Tracking, then open the PayPal Tracking tab from the settings sidebar. This is where every option below lives.
2. Get your PayPal REST API credentials
   You’ll need a Client ID and Client Secret from a REST API app in your PayPal Developer dashboard. Create an app under the live account you take payments with, then copy both values.
3. Enter your Client ID and Client Secret
   Paste them into the PayPal API Client ID and PayPal API Client Secret fields. These authorise AST PRO to write tracking data to your PayPal transactions.
4. Decide on Sandbox mode
   Leave Enable PayPal Sandbox off for a live store. Only turn it on if you’re testing with PayPal sandbox credentials, and remember to swap back to live keys before going live.
5. Choose which payment methods sync
   Use PayPal Payment Methods to pick the gateways that should push tracking to PayPal. Select only your PayPal-based methods here, since syncing a non-PayPal order to PayPal does nothing useful.
6. Turn on the buyer notification (optional)
   Enable Send tracking email to the customer from PayPal if you want PayPal itself to email the buyer when tracking lands on their transaction. Leave it off if your store already sends its own tracking emails and you’d rather not double up.
7. Enable PayPal Tracking and save
   Switch on Enable PayPal Tracking and save. Keep Enable log on so any sync errors get written to WooCommerce → Status → Logs for troubleshooting.

How to set up Stripe tracking sync

1. Open the Stripe Tracking section
   In WooCommerce → Shipment Tracking, open the Stripe Tracking tab. Stripe uses fewer fields than PayPal, so this is a quicker setup.
2. Get your Stripe API secret key
   Grab your secret key from your Stripe API keys dashboard. Use your live key for a live store.
3. Enter your Stripe API Client Secret
   Paste the key into the Stripe API Client Secret field. This lets AST PRO write tracking details into your Stripe payment metadata.
4. Choose which payment methods sync
   Under Stripe Payment Methods, select the gateways that should push tracking to Stripe. Restrict this to your Stripe-based methods so the sync only fires on relevant orders.
5. Enable Stripe Tracking and save
   Turn on Enable Stripe Tracking and save. Leave Enable log on so any API errors are recorded under WooCommerce → Status → Logs.

PayPal vs Stripe sync setup

What happens after setup

Once enabled, every time you add tracking to an order, AST PRO sends the tracking number, carrier, and date to the matching PayPal or Stripe transaction automatically. Your dispute evidence builds itself in the background, and your Seller Protection coverage stays intact without another task on your fulfilment checklist.