Paypal QR code gives wrong secret

Sort of thread necro, but then again I provide a workaround:
Yes the issue is real and it seems to be with PayPal.

1) If I scan the code with a different **offline** QR reader I got a 75 byte TOTP string.
2) Using an **offline** QR generator I got a working code working perfectly in the Authenticator.
3) The codes look completely different.

I suspect PayPal uses a QR library that doesn't check properly for the best mask pattern:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:QR_Code_Mask_Patterns.svg

Using bad mask patterns creates noise in some readers, making it hard for the Authenticator extension.

However Aegis authenticator on Android (zxing java) can read PayPal codes just fine, but given how hard it can be to find a decent JS library (zxiing js) I guess there is not much we can do.

Unless the developer here wants to switch:
NPM: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@zxing/library
Demo: https://zxing-js.github.io/library/examples/qr-image/
Github: https://github.com/zxing-js/library

FLOSS ready MIT license.

_Originally posted by @vaporwave9 in https://github.com/Authenticator-Extension/Authenticator/issues/371#issuecomment-642637733_