PayPal & Secure Trading

[oldcelt]

I'm trying to integrate PayPal into my ST payment system. All is fine for successful transactions. However, I can't see how to return to the website and clear the pending order when PayPal has rejected the payment application for any reason.

If I use the $callbackuserurl variable in the ST script I go back to the receipt page and an email is sent to the client saying that the order is being processed! Obviously not a good idea.

Any help please?

Ken

[TraceyG]

Hi Ken,

I'm afraid that you will have to speak to Secure Trading about this as we can't support this kind of integration. I can only suggest using the separate ST and PP integrations within Actinic.

[oldcelt]

Hi Tracey

It's ok, I've sorted it now.

Ken

[pinbrook]

Ken, would you tell us how this was resolved for the benefit of others in the future

[oldcelt]

Ken, would you tell us how this was resolved for the benefit of others in the future

Sure, although my method may not suit everybody.

I created a payfail.html page which I placed in the root of the website. It tells the customer that the transaction was refused by the bank. It also says that their cart has not been cleared and, if they want to try a different payment method they can go directly to checkout and try again. A button allows them to return to the store.

In the ST failure.html pages I simply remove the reference to the variable $callbackurlback and replace it with a hard coded href to the payfail.html page.

e.g.
<tr>
<td><a href="http://www.userurl.com/payfail.html" class="style1">Return to Website</a>
</td>
</tr>

[grantglendinnin]

I created a payfail.html page which I placed in the root of the website. It tells the customer that the transaction was refused by the bank. It also says that their cart has not been cleared and, if they want to try a different payment method they can go directly to checkout and try again. A button allows them to return to the store.

I am presuming you have created payfail.html outwith Actinic and therefore the file will need to be manually updated when you make layout changes to your site, change the script ID number (in network settings), etc. Why not create a brochure page inside Actinic, check the 'Hide on Website' checkbox, and use Actinic variables to control the cart link, so that it won't go out of sync if you change your script ID.

A tiny bit of hassle setting it up initially, but some time down the line you'll regret not doing this, I know I did when I first started using Actinic!

[oldcelt]

As I'm only putting them back on the home page and not directly to checkout I can't foresee any changes becoming necessary to payfail.html, can you?

You method is better if you send the user directly to checkout of course but I was being expedient as time is pressing at the moment. After all, as soon as they are back on the home page it's only a single button click to checkout.

The link to the home page will never change of course.

[grantglendinnin]

Think of online shopping the same as you would in the supermarket.

You decide that you'd like to buy some Tomato soup, but you're already at the end of the checkout when you remember. Do you tell everyone else waiting in the queue to wait while you run round the shop finding the soup, or do you give in and go elsewhere to buy the soup?

With shopping online, customers will have the same mentality time and time again - for every click they have to do, you're going to lose a high percentage of visitors. Always remember you can click 10 red X's in half the time it takes to hand over your money to the cashier

You need to make the checkout as robust as the product page - first of all to grab the customer, secondly to ensure they are confident enough to use your checkout for entering their personal details.

As I'm only putting them back on the home page and not directly to checkout I can't foresee any changes becoming necessary to payfail.html, can you?

Yes, an easy to understand explanation of what is going on will help your customer know what they are doing. If they end up landing back on the home page they'll be thinking they've been taken back to the supermarket door, their basket emptied, and their money put back in their wallet.

All you need to do is replace your <a href="link">checkout link</a> to the following within Actinic and it'll dynamically update:

<a href="<actinic:variable name="CartLinkText" />">checkout link</a>

[oldcelt]

Thanks for your input - much appreciated.

Ken