paypal ipn

[Archon]

Hi everyone

This might sound like dumb question. I'd like to get my paypal ipn off the ground.

 

So I log in to paypal, etc and click on the ipn tick box in the enbale ipn section. Next stage is to fill in the url.

 

Is this just my basic url? ie http://www.mydomain.com or is it along the lines of http://www.mydomain.com/mypaypalnotificationpage.htm

 

I think i'm overanalyzing here. But when the notification is posted from paypal to me, where does it go? How do I know where it is? I'm having dramas visualizing it here.

thx.

Archon

[besheer]

I would also like to know the answers. I don't even know why I should use it. I just clicked the Paypal shipping module to green, and it seems to be working fine. Why is IPN necessary? Are there any FAQs about it?

[dahammer2]

Ok go into the admin section, then to paypal ipn, highlight paypal ipn, then click edit.

 

You will see a notifyurl.

This is the url that paypal ipn will send back its response,

it will look something like this, which is correct for a standard install:

 

www.yourdomain.com/catalog/paypal_notify.php

 

You only need to turn IPN on in your paypal account, I don't think you need to specify a URL since this module does that when it talks to paypal.

 

For the second poster, why would you want it?

Because it gives your shop notification of whether the sale was succesful etc. And means you don't have to manually process paypal orders from the emails that are sent to you. Which for a large shop is a headache.

Not to mention you get a central transaction history for paypal, without having to log into paypal. Since its for your shop, it should be listed IN your shop..

 

Also alot of people won't complete the transaction and return to your shop after they pay, so its another way of notifying oscommerce that a transaction actually WAS completed, so it can remove stock etc.

 

 

I'm not 100% how everything is implemented on it.. but there are a couple of sound reasons to consider it.

 

Thanks

 

Hamish

[besheer]

Thanks Hamish. Which IPN module should I download and use? There are many in the contributions section. Or is it available in the new snapshots? I'm going to reinstall OS anyway.

[dahammer2]

Ok if you re-install the lasted snapshot then download the last IPN module made for the new checkout procedure. I don't think it comes standard (yet).

 

it'll be something like "paypal ipn v <highest num>- new checkout code"

 

If you have a snapshot that you want to keep pre november I guess you keep the version without the "new checkout code".

 

Thanks

Hamish

[besheer]

Thanks again. You've been very helpful.

[Archon]

Thx heaps Hamish

 

Most helpful. Makes sense now as to how it all works. Good old paypal though.

 

Paypal does ask you to put in the url. But it gives no specific example or adequate explanation in its instruction or help section.

 

Just kinda says "specify url" ha, ha...what does that mean if you are a newbie, etc.

 

anyway, thx again. Hopefully when i install the new snapshot it will all work fine. I've been reading too many bloody posts of this ipn thing not working, shipping not being included properly, etc, etc.

 

Nothing is easy as they say :)

 

Archon

[besheer]

One last question about this...once I enable IPN through Paypal, I won't be able to receive payments other than through OS, right? It will only work for website sales?

[dahammer2]

No, it shouldn't make any difference.

 

I guess since paypal forces you to enter in a IPN url, you should put a fake one in their options.

That way when a non shop transaction goes thru, it won' t be recorded.

 

Should avoid that problem

[pbreit]

There is, in fact, quite a bit of information about IPN and how to utilize it:

 

https://www.paypal.com/ipn

 

I'm not sure exactly how the OSCommerce PayPal modules have PayPal set up but they do *not* need to instruct the merchant to add a Notification URL to their account Profile. IPN can be triggered by the inclusion of a "notify_url" in the PayPal FORM.

[pbreit]

Also, developer discussion boards are available at:

 

http://www.paypaldev.org

[dahammer2]

Ok cool

 

Thats something I didn't know, last time I read the docs I had the impression that you had to still turn it on. Its more likely just the example I looked at was implemented in that method, where you manually entered in the ipn url.

 

Thanks

[pbreit]

We specifically made it possible to trigger IPN from the "pay" button (by including a "notify_url") so that third party providers would not need to worry about the merchant configuring anything in their PayPal account.

[Archon]

Hi Patrick

 

Thx for that. My mistake. I didn't know there was all that pdf info. The brief FAQ section wasn't too clear, but all that info you posted is very detailed. Thx again.

[Guest]

Paypal how much do you lose per transaction ?

Any 1 :D

[Guest]

Go to PayPal and read the terms. They are pretty competitive.

[besheer]

Paypal's pricing is awesome but the fact that the users have to leave my website is really setting me back a lot. I get all sorts of calls and emails from people asking if they could just do it over the phone. Then they never place their order. :?

[Archon]

Yeah, I agree, Paypal's pricing is very, very competitive. Some people still have an aversion to it, but I don't think they fully realise that in one way their credit card details are actually safer. The merchant never sees the card number and therefore the details cannot be stolen off the merchants computer or the like. This has been know to happen. for example, when there's a burglary or someone hacks the machine, etc, etc.

 

I guess its an educational issue that merchant's and Paypal can continue to do. Also, I think that paypal is a little more forgiving with chargebacks, especially when the merchant has a high risk account with the banks. And on massive application fees, software that takes forever to set up, etc, etc.

 

However, I do have a question for the people at Paypal as I haven't had any luck getting an official answer from Paypal or from anyone else.

 

Most people would know that if you are USA business and have a merchant account, or are having a 3rd party process your payments (eg ibill, pswbilling, etc), that you now have to pay VISA an initial charge of US$750 and then US$350/year. Plus have VISA accept or deny your account if they deem your web site as unacceptable.

 

If you don't pay the fee, then you can't accept VISA. Who have like 70% or so of the market cornered. And if they knock you back, well you're basically out of business. This policy only applies to USA businesses that have a deal with USA Visa. If your 3rd party processor operates from Sweden say, then you are exempt. As that's Europe Visa. (so far at least).

 

No policy update from Paypal touches on this. The deadline for VISA was November 15, 2002. No emails have been sent from Paypal to me. Most chat rooms or discussion boards have conflicting reports.

 

Could someone from Paypal please, please, please give us the 'correct' answer to this issue. Thanks very much.

[Guest]

Most people would know that if you are USA business and have a merchant account, or are having a 3rd party process your payments (eg ibill, pswbilling, etc), that you now have to pay VISA an initial charge of US$750 and then US$350/year. Plus have VISA accept or deny your account if they deem your web site as unacceptable.

 

Where did you get this information? I have a regular merchant account and have not recieved any official notification of this.

[pbreit]

Only applies to "high risk" merchants such as "adult content".