PayPal is one of the most widely used payment gateways, but when importing transactions into accounting software, you will encounter a specific problem: PayPal does not support variable symbols. This article explains how Biatec.cz handles this and which settings to choose for different accounting systems.
Why PayPal Does Not Have Variable Symbols
The variable symbol (VS) is specific to the Czech and Slovak banking system. It is a 10-digit number used to match payments with invoices. As an international payment gateway, PayPal does not recognize this concept. Instead, it uses its own identifiers:
- Transaction ID - a unique alphanumeric transaction code (e.g. "5TJ12345AB678901C")
- Invoice Number - the invoice number, if provided with the payment
- Reference Txn ID - a reference to a related transaction (e.g. the original payment for a refund)
The problem is that Transaction ID contains both letters and numbers, while the GPC format requires a purely numeric variable symbol with a maximum length of 10 digits.
VS Settings for GPC Format
When exporting to GPC, we recommend the "Digits only" mode. This mode extracts only numeric characters from the Transaction ID and truncates the result to 10 digits. For example, "5TJ12345AB678901C" becomes "5123456789".
Although a VS created this way is not identical to the original Transaction ID, it is sufficiently unique for matching in the accounting system. Most accounting programs (Pohoda, Money S3, FlexiBee) work with such a VS without issues.
VS Settings for SEPA XML Format
SEPA XML does not have a 10-digit limit or a purely numeric content restriction. Therefore, we recommend the "All characters" mode, which preserves the entire Transaction ID including letters. In the accounting system, you will see the complete PayPal identifier, which greatly simplifies matching.
If you use POHODA and import SEPA XML, check the /VS tag setting. If you want to transfer the entire alphanumeric Transaction ID to the variable symbol field, it is advisable to turn off the /VS tag. Otherwise, Pohoda expects a numeric VS and alphanumeric content may cause problems during import.
Two Types of PayPal Exports
PayPal offers various export formats in the "Reports" section. Biatec.cz supports two main variants that differ in column structure and filtering method:
PayPal Description
This variant contains a Description column, which is used to filter transactions. Typical values are "Express Checkout Payment" (payment income), "PayPal fee" (fees), or "Transfer to bank" (transfers to bank account). This format is simpler and suitable for most users.
PayPal Type & Status
This variant distinguishes transactions by two columns: Type (Payment, Fee, Transfer, Refund) and Status (Completed, Pending, Denied). It allows more precise filtering - for example, you can include only completed payments (Type = Payment, Status = Completed) and ignore pending transactions.
Practical Example: PayPal CSV to GPC
Let us walk through the entire process with a simple example. Consider a PayPal CSV export with three transactions:
| Date | Description | Gross | Currency | Transaction ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15/03/2026 | Express Checkout Payment | 1 250,00 | CZK | 5TJ12345AB678901C |
| 15/03/2026 | Express Checkout Payment | 890,00 | CZK | 8KL98765CD432109F |
| 16/03/2026 | PayPal fee | -45,00 | CZK | 2MN11111EF222233G |
After transformation with VS mode set to "Digits only", the resulting GPC file will contain:
- First transaction: VS =
5123456789(from "5TJ12345AB678901C") - Second transaction: VS =
8987654321(from "8KL98765CD432109F") - PayPal fee: VS =
2111112222(from "2MN11111EF222233G")
If the filter was set to "Express Checkout Payment", the PayPal fee would be automatically excluded and only the two payment transactions would appear in the GPC file.