Intermittent Succesful PP Checkouts

[gabstero]

Dear Gang -

I am getting reports from certain customers that they completed the checkout process but the paypal transaction didn't get through nor have I a record of their order in my Order List.

Noted that successful transactions get 3 log files (with the same name like 'Paypal_Debug_.....log') within the modules/Paypal/logs folder whereas the ones that didn't get through get only two log files.

Any idea where should I look first?

I am using ZC 1.3.7

Thank you!
Gabstero

[DrByte]

Any idea where should I look first?

I am using ZC 1.3.7

Probably best to patch your obsolete code: http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56216
... or upgrade.

[gabstero]

Thanks DrByte -

I should have mentioned that I am using ZC v 1.3.7.1 that apparently already has the patch as mentioned at the link you sent.

thank you,
gabstero

[gabstero]

I am comparing successful and non-successful PayPal logs and I discovered that there are the following sets:

For sucesful transactions I have the following log types:

- SetExpressCheckout
- GetExpressCheckoutDetails
- DoExpressCheckoutPayment

For transactions that failed I have only the two log file types:

- SetExpressCheckout
- GetExpressCheckoutDetails

thanks,
Gabstero

[DrByte]

Right. That means the customer never completed the actual payment on your site. They started it, but didn't complete checkout on your final checkout page. This is confirmed by the fact that you've not got money in your paypal account for the transaction either. Basically the customer abandoned the checkout.

[gabstero]

Thanks -

but then why are they contacting me saying that they were unable to complete the checkout? In other words they wanted to buy the item but the system apparently didn't complete it -

hope it makes sense -

thanks,
Gabi.

[DrByte]

It would be prudent to find out that detail, for sure. Perhaps *they* can tell you more details.

[gabstero]

DrByte -

I found out more. On a unsuccessful checkout, they went to the paypal payment screen, entered the shipping address, clicked on next, then it just went back to the main site without seemingly making payment.

And connected to this I have a set of unusual long PayPal logs that have the whole category tree and products listed in a strange code.

I have the log set here but I don't want to post them, so I appreciate if you could take a look at them if I send them to you in a private message

VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!

thanks,
Gabstero

[DrByte]

Your logs confirm that the customer got to the PayPal site to login and/or enter payment/cc details and returned to your site. That is normal for Express Checkout. But it doesn't normally end there. At that point the customer is naturally returned to your site to choose shipping options, enter coupons, calculate relevant taxes, and then finally confirm payment on your site. It looks like your customers quit the checkout after coming back from PayPal. The logs show nothing more, which means the customer didn't complete the process.

Additionally, the "categories_tree" you see in the logs appears to come from session data created by a simple-category-tree addon you must have installed on your site. I've not used that addon so I can't say for sure whether it's affecting this, but I doubt there's any correlation between it and your paypal transactions at all.

[gabstero]

Your logs confirm that the customer got to the PayPal site to login and/or enter payment/cc details and returned to your site. That is normal for Express Checkout. But it doesn't normally end there. At that point the customer is naturally returned to your site to choose shipping options, enter coupons, calculate relevant taxes, and then finally confirm payment on your site. It looks like your customers quit the checkout after coming back from PayPal. The logs show nothing more, which means the customer didn't complete the process.

Additionally, the "categories_tree" you see in the logs appears to come from session data created by a simple-category-tree addon you must have installed on your site. I've not used that addon so I can't say for sure whether it's affecting this, but I doubt there's any correlation between it and your paypal transactions at all.

Thanks a lot for looking into it.

The fact that the checkout was interrupted after the customer returned from the PayPal site (showing as if he quit) confirms my suspicions that the problem may be with my site. Can it possibly be the fact that the customer didn't have any billing nor shipping address filled out before hitting the PayPal site?

The funny thing is that each time I try --- it works. But I have certain folks who just can't get through and I cannot find a repetitive pattern.

I wonder if there's any difference in them going via the "Go To Checkout" button or the "Checkout With PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay" button...

Thanks for the help!
gabstero