ECommerce - Payment Processors

Ecommerce enabling your website is usually as simple as cutting and pasting some HTML code from your payment processor's instructions, to your web pages. If you choose another provider from the ones mentioned, or if you have your own Internet merchant account, you'll have to ask your provider how their system works. The recommendations are given because of the low processing costs, and ease of setup offered by both PayPal and iFulfill.

The following HTML code creates a form which looks like an 'Order Now' button on your web page. The form contains all the details necessary for the transaction. The example is from an iFulfill order button:

 <form action="http://www.ifulfill.com/addproduct.asp" method="post">
 <input type="hidden" name="PRODUCT_ID" value="104519">
 <input type="hidden" name="Quantity" value="1">
 <input type="Submit" name="Submit" value="Order Now">
 </form>

The first line starts the form definition, and defines what to do with the data. In this case, it's sent to a script on iFulfill's server called 'addproduct.asp'. This is the script that actually processes the credit card transaction for us.

The form also contains the details of the item you're selling. In this case just a 'product_id' and a 'quantity' are required because of the way iFulfill works - i.e. you would have already added the product details to their database as part of the setup process. PayPal requires that you supply all the product details in the form - there's no 'product setup' - so the details of your products aren't already stored on the PayPal servers.

The details are stored in hidden fields, they are not visible on the web page. It's up to you to provide visible product details to your customer.

In order to use PayPal, you must have a PayPal business account with a credit card that has been verified. You'll also need to allocate a bank account for receiving payments - until you do all payments must be 'manually accepted'. If you haven't already done so, get a PayPal account - it's free. If you don't yet have a personal account, and have 2 credit cards, then get a personal account too - it'll simplify testing.

Login, and go to their 'SELL' section... They provide a Shopping Cart system, and Web Accept - which is the single transaction alternative. Read about these two options and decide for yourself, which is appropriate for you. They will either send a confirmation email to you when an order is taken, or they can trigger a script on your website (see Automation chapter for details).

The instant-webmaster script (ipn.php) that automates PayPal transactions is currently only designed to deal with single item purchases. If you want to use their shopping cart, you need to design a method for automating delivery yourself.

To setup your PayPal order buttons, you'll need to follow their instructions carefully. You can either create your own order buttons in the 'Button Factory', or by hand, following the instructions given in the manual. Follow PayPal's instructions on creating order buttons carefully. Then cut and paste the code that's generated into your web pages.

PayPal have the right to change the way any part of their system works at any time, so you should treat their info as definitive. However, it's unlikely that the button code will, so you can modify the code below and use it in your web pages.


<!-- -------- Begin PayPal Button ----------- -->
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">
<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_xclick">
<input type="hidden" name="business" value="yourname@yourdomain.com">
<input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="yourproductname">
<input type="hidden" name="item_number" value="yourproductid">
<input type="hidden" name="amount" value="24.95">
<input type="hidden" name="image_url" value="http://www.yourdomain.com/img.gif">
<input type="hidden" name="no_shipping" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="return" value="http://www.yourdomain.com/thanks.php">
<input type="hidden" name="cancel_return" value="http://www.yourdomain.com/">
<input type="hidden" name="no_note" value="1">
<input type="image" src="http://images.paypal.com/images/x-click-but5.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="Order Now! PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!">
</form><br>
<!-- End PayPal Button -->

If you want to process your order manually, you can. You need only get acquainted with how PayPal works. If you want to automate things though, there's more to do... Go to the next chapter... Automation.

iFulfill charge 9% of the transaction cost as a flat-fee. They are actually an order fullfillment house and will stock and send tangible products if you have them... They will send a confirmation email on receipt of an order - so it's a good model for handling transactions coming in via email.

Setting up iFulfill is easy. It takes 4 steps:

• 1) Sign up for an account - You should have done this during Preparation, if not, do it now.
  
  
• 2) Go to the Merchant Zone and Login. Go to the Product Maintenance section and add your product information to the database. Just click on 'Add Product', and add them one at a time.
  
  
• 3) Once that's done, you can add the 'order buttons' to your web pages... In their Product Maintenance page, click on the 'Links' button for each product, then cut and paste the appropriate HTML form code into your web pages. (You get a choice of forms with or without quantity fields!)
  
  
• 4) Once this is all complete, email iFulfill (Click on 'Contact') and ask them to 'Activate your products for Credit Card Processing only'. This means you have to handle to product delivery. (Of course if you want them to do your order fulfilment, they will!)
  
  
• 5) Once your website is live you'll need to test the buttons work by making a test purchase from your web page. You can reduce the price of your products for this step to save yourself 9% of each transaction, there's no minimum price!
  
  
• 6) If you sell downloadable products, you can automate your website to process orders automatically. See the chapter on automation for details.
  
  

There are quite a few companies offering similar services, although they usually more expensive to setup and/or run than PayPal. Some will get you your own merchant account. They may or may not provide a better service - please tell us your experiences!

• QuickPayPro.com - More than just a payment processor, they'll also handle your affilaiates program for you, track and follow-up visitors, deliver online products...
  
  
• ClickBank - A very well designed payments and affiliates system. If you have products to sell - you register them with Clickbank. Anyone can then come along and sign up as an affiliate to sell any of the products on Clickbank's database.
  
  
• MerchantSystems.com - Offer to get you your own merchant account (if you must have one) for fairly reasonable rates.
  
  
• iBill
• Verza