Actinic Payments first review

[TraceyHand]

With regards the images, are these going to be on the same server as the payment pages, if they are called from you own site will this not break the SSL if they are link to external sites?

which is probably why we have to email them ourselves to Protx so they can host them along with the payment pages.

[pinbrook]

WP give you an online facility to customise checkout with your own images, you upload to the WP server.

It would be nice to see AP adpot this, rather than the Protx method of emailing images. - make it less labour intensive for actinic and place control with the user

[TraceyHand]

WP give you an online facility to customise checkout with your own images, you upload to the WP server.

It would be nice to see AP adpot this, rather than the Protx method of emailing images. - make it less labour intensive for actinic and place control with the user

I completely agree, Jo
I wasn't suggesting emailing the images was a good idea ... it isn't...who knows when they might (if ever) actually get done at the other end! (although Protx, to be fair, have always done mine within a day, even at the weekend)

I was more emphasizing Darren's point that uploading alongside a customised CSS isn't going to work properly but, definitely, images need to be uploadable, by the merchant, somewhere.

[RuralWeb]

WP give you an online facility to customise checkout with your own images, you upload to the WP server

Securehosting has the best method I have used. You download a template - customise it and upload - job done.

[Darren B]

To be honest, why is there alwasy a need to over complicate things i will never know, as Mal said and template to download, change and upload would be the best option.

If you break it then thats your fault for removing required elements.

D

[cbarling]

Just a few comments.

As has been stated, you can customise elements of the Actinic Payments payment page. However, if you do, then currently you must store the alternate CSS file and images under an SSL certificate to avoid a security warning. Providing an improved way of customising the site is one of the further developments being considered.

All developments involve a series of compromises. In this particular case, there was a time pressure because of the pressure being put on merchants to comply with PCI DSS. It meant that less of the requirements could be delivered in the time than we might have liked. However, we are planning further developments.

I will put up my hand to one particular mistake. During testing, we identified that you get a security warning when using Firefox. In technical terms it is totally benign, although not necessarily in business terms. To solve it required changes at both Creditcall's and Actinic's ends. Also, I believe that Paypal suffers from the same problem. In the light of this, we decided not to fix this until 9.0.2 (the actual fix has already been coded). We've now decided that this was a wrong decision and we will be releasing a small 9.0.2 with this and a few other critical fixes within the next (very) few weeks.

What was previously v9.0.2 (with performance improvements) will now be v9.0.3.

Another thing. We have been using Actinic Payments live for some time ourselves and have seen no drop off in orders, and many problems solved. From direct feedback received, this seems to be the experience of Actinic merchants who have gone live with Actinic Payments too.

Chris

[TraceyHand]

As has been stated, you can customise elements of the Actinic Payments payment page. However, if you do, then currently you must store the alternate CSS file and images under an SSL certificate to avoid a security warning.

Can I clarify this?
If we choose to customise the payment page then, in order to avoid a security warning (which is a bad, bad thing on payment pages, IMO) , we need our OWN SSL certificate to host the CSS/images on?

[Darren B]

Can I clarify this?
If we choose to customise the payment page then, in order to avoid a security warning (which is a bad, bad thing on payment pages, IMO) , we need our OWN SSL certificate to host the CSS/images on?

Thats the way i read it so another cost to be added on, i know its small, but i got a beating for stating actinic payments were not loads cheaper than others, but this only makes the gap even less, dont shoot me just raising the point

D

[cbarling]

You are right, Tracey.

So today, there are really two choices:
- use the Actinic Payments branded page as is
- use your own branding, but you need an SSL certificate on your site

The development we are considering is to have some additional central Actinic Payments servers where merchant's CSS and images can be stored free of charge under an SSL certificate.

We don't want to allow any uploads directly to the actual payment servers because that presents a possible compromise to security and is another avenue for a performance attack.

Chris

[RuralWeb]

We don't want to allow any uploads directly to the actual payment servers because that presents a possible compromise to security and is another avenue for a performance attack

Others seem to manage ok in this area

[pinbrook]

Why not simply offer an interim alternative of just adding text to the pages, at least then you can get a company name on the checkout pages - in my mind this is crucial.

Actinic does not have a big enough worldwide brand awareness to be able to get away with only having its own branding on checkout pages. There are numerous posta about brand awareness issue in the checkout - this is in reference to protx, worldpay etc.

I was really looking forward to AP - now i am going to take a back step and wait a year or so until all these silly issues are resolved - most of which could have been integrated if more consultation had taken place with seasoned developers and shop owners.

[Darren B]

I was really looking forward to AP - now i am going to take a back step and wait a year or so until all these silly issues are resolved - most of which could have been integrated if more consultation had taken place with seasoned developers and shop owners.

You and me both Jo, to me this is another one of actinics "missing the point" exercises im not saying they should listen to everyone but they really need to get there heads out of the sand and take a good look around, as i said earlier my discussions with CB were obviously a complete waste of time as it was more about an investigation on what people currently pay, and the conversation about what is required was just flannel.

The development we are considering is to have some additional central Actinic Payments servers where merchant's CSS and images can be stored free of charge under an SSL certificate.

LMFAO i should bloody hope it is free aswell

[RuralWeb]

at least then you can get a company name on the checkout pages - in my mind this is crucial.

Its madness not to have this - who in the world missed that off.

most of which could have been integrated if more consultation had taken place with seasoned developers and shop owners.

This is so obvious the marketing/devolpment team should be shot. Within seconds of seeing the page it is obvious what is missing. If its aimed at Actinics current SSL user base then they would not spot the seriousness of the errors.

Another thing. We have been using Actinic Payments live for some time ourselves and have seen no drop off in orders,

Yes of course it works well on the Actinic website as CB says but that is to be expected as it is an Actinic branded payment page - DOOOOOH

[Darren B]

Yes of course it works well on the Actinic website as CB says but that is to be expected as it is an Actinic branded payment page - DOOOOOH

I cant believe i am pissing myself here on such and important issue

[Ginnys Attic]

I'm a little curious from looking at the screenshots etc where AP is getting the customers First and Last Names (seperate fields shown on AP) from as i can only see a Full Name field within Actinic?