PayPal Billing Agreement - No approval_url or redirect_url after creation

Question

I am trying to set up Billing Agreements using PayPal REST API with paypal-rest-api-sdk for Java on PayPal Sandbox. So, far I've been able to create a billing plan and pass it's id to create a Billing Agreement. However, the response that I get after creating a Billing Agreement does not have approval_url and redirect_url. The following is my request

{
 "name": "MYOP Recurring Contribution Agreement",
 "description": "Agreement for MYOP Recurring Contributions",
 "start_date": "2014-12-13T06:26:32Z",
 "payer": {
            "payment_method": "credit_card",
            "funding_instruments": [
               {
                 "credit_card": {
                   "number": "XXXXXXXXXXXX",
                   "type": "visa",
                   "expire_month": 1,
                   "expire_year": 2015,
                   "cvv2": 874,
                   "first_name": "Joe",
                   "last_name": "Young",
                   "billing_address": {
                      "line1": "52 N Main ST",
                      "city": "Johnstown",
                      "country_code": "US",
                      "postal_code": "43210",
                      "state": "OH"
                    }
                 }
             }
          ]
      },
"plan": {
    "id": "P-85A16162MC374104FU7KAYMQ"
 }
}

As a response to my create Billing Agreement request, I receive only the following:

{
  "id": "I-77GK9WNNV04U",
  "links": [
      {
        "href": "https://api.sandbox.paypal.com/v1/payments/billing-agreements/I-77GK9WNNV04U",
        "rel": "self",
        "method": "GET"
      }
   ]
}

When I fetch the created Billing Agreement with a GET request on the agreement id, I receive information about the agreement that has a 'links' array that does not contain approval_url or redirect_url.

I am unable to proceed to send the payer to an approval url to then execute the agreement. Help please.

Answer 1

The approval and the redirect url is only applicable when you make the PayPal Payments so that the buyers can login to their PayPal account and approve the transaction .

Since you are making the billing agreement on credit card , the recurring profile will be created right away and need not go thru any redirect url .

Answer 2

You are using ("payment_method":"credit_card") Change the ("Payment_method":"PAYPAL")

 '{
        "name": "T-Shirt of the Month Club Plan",
        "description": "Template creation.",
        "start_date": "2016-03-31T00:37:04Z",
        "plan": {
            "id":"'.$plan_id.'"
        },
        "payer": {
            "payment_method": "PAYPAL"
        },
        "shipping_address": {
            "line1": "111 First Street",
            "city": "Saratoga",
            "state": "CA",
            "postal_code": "95070",
            "country_code": "US"
        }
    }';
Thanks