What are the benefits of using the REST API from PayPal compared to the Classic API for PHP developers working on payment integration?

When working on payment integration, PHP developers may find that using the REST API from PayPal offers several benefits compared to the Classic API. The REST API provides a more modern and streamlined approach to handling transactions, with simpler authentication and easier integration. Additionally, the REST API supports more payment methods and currencies, making it more versatile for global transactions.

// PHP code snippet using PayPal REST API for payment integration

// Set up PayPal REST API credentials
$clientId = 'YOUR_CLIENT_ID';
$clientSecret = 'YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET';

// Create a new PayPal payment using REST API
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, 'https://api.sandbox.paypal.com/v1/payments/payment');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array('Content-Type: application/json'));
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_USERPWD, $clientId . ':' . $clientSecret);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, '{"intent": "sale", "payer": {"payment_method": "paypal"}, "transactions": [{"amount": {"total": "10.00", "currency": "USD"}}]}');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);

$result = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

// Process the PayPal payment response
$response = json_decode($result, true);
if(isset($response['id'])) {
    // Payment was successful, process further
} else {
    // Payment failed, handle error
}