I get paid, but my orders page doesn't show an order

[EatStayPlay]

I have a copy of the e-Start book and I've followed it step by step so I'm not sure where this is broken!

Hosted on GoDaddy. Windows Server.

http://www.EatStayPlay.com/shop

I'll be selling digital products (eBooks) and am still trying to get it all set up. I am using PayPal.

I can buy items and the money is transferred out of my personal PayPal and into my business PayPal BUT ZenCart shows no orders for that item.

Somewhere along the line, the setup of something didn't work. But I'm not sure where. The $0.01 testing item doesn't show in orders nor does the $0.01 ebook but they BOTH will complete transactions through PayPal.

Suggestions? I've browsed the FAQ but I'm not sure what's WRONG do I don't know where to look to fix it.

Thanks!

[DrByte]

click "Remove" on "PayPal Website Payments Standard", and click "Install" on "PayPal Express Checkout" and follow the setup instructions: www.zen-cart.com/getpaypal

[CoolCarPartsOnline]

Had similar problems with PayPal last month. It's hard to figure out why. It only happened to me 3 times last month only on one of my websites that use 1.39, the older sites on 1.38 still run with no problems.

So I just activated the PayPal Express for the site that was having the problems.

PayPal standard payment is good because customers can track their orders by logging into their accounts. When using PayPal express customers have no method of tracking their orders on your website or PayPal so they have to call you.

I had to install the Order Status page to allow customer to check status without an account.

[DrByte]

PayPal standard payment is good because customers can track their orders by logging into their accounts. When using PayPal express customers have no method of tracking their orders on your website or PayPal so they have to call you.

Um ... no, that's not true. At least, not with a normal install of Zen Cart. Maybe you've got additional addons that break the normal built-in ability for a registered customer to review their orders.

[CoolCarPartsOnline]

I guess you miss understood me. With Express Checkout customers don't have to register for an account on your website. How are they suppose to track their orders on your website?

[DrByte]

If you have it set to automatically create an account for them, it will email them their (randomly generated) password, thus allowing them to check status of their orders. They can of course change or reset that password at their convenience.

[CoolCarPartsOnline]

After running a busy store for 2 years. Even customers who have to create an account don't remember passwords and call to ask about status. Imagine having the system automatically generate passwords and email it to them which most customers don't even realize password was emailed to them.

The whole idea of Express Checkout, Google Checkout and even Yahoo, Facebook and Google APIs is to minimize the amount of account each customer have.

I don't know if this applies to other stores or not BUT 20% of my customers don't realize they can check status online, 50% off people that use Google Checkout call in with their Google order number which is even harder to trace down on Zen Cart.

By having the customer create an account first then checkout at least some of them will get the idea that they can use that account for order related information.

[DrByte]

Good reason to have them create an account first, especially if they're purchasing things that might give them good reason to be coming back to check on status of something.

But now we're *way* off topic of the original discussion. And the direction you're heading has been hashed about all over repeatedly. There's no need to drudge it up again.

[CoolCarPartsOnline]

Sorry, My bad

[EatStayPlay]

Thanks, I'll look into the PayPal thing. But what I'm not understanding is why on my admin side I don't see any PAYING orders. It's like that whole process didn't register with the zen cart system!

I've had problems with my Windows server before. Do you think that this is related to Windows or PayPal? Or neither?

Thanks!