Paypal Express Checkout - type of account?

[sfatula]

Ok, all the marketing stuff on the Paypal site has me totally confused.

Reading the description for the 1.3.7 express paypal payment module for Zen cart, I only HAVE to have a Paypal business or premier account. Yes, I do understand there is no direct payment from the web site option for "website payments pro", I understand that is likely in 1.3.8.

BUT, what I cannot find out is this - CAN I currently have a website payments pro account (to get ready for the future), and, still use the express checkout module with it? Or, need I just start for now with a regular or premier account, and, upgrade somehow to the payments pro account type once it is ready? So, more asking what type(s) of Paypal accounts CAN I have with express checkout? I also want to be able to use the Paypal Virtual Terminal.

Steve

[Kim]

Hi Steve,

You may have to double check with PayPal, but in order to qualify for the WPP, which you already have(?), I believe you already have a business or premier account. Did I understand correctly?

[sfatula]

I don't know, it's confusing to me. I signed up for a business account. Paypal is asking on the overview page for me to sign up for website payments pro, which i don't think I can as that REQUIRES a shopping cart that can do payments on the web site, which zen cart cannot yet. Likely it's more of a Paypal question than anything else, still, I had hoped someone here could answer that has experience.

MUST I sign up for either WPP or WPS with my Paypal business account to use express checkout? Or, is just a business account by itself ok?

[DrByte]

To use Express Checkout, you only need a PayPal business account. Setup instructions are here: http://www.zen-cart.com/getpaypal

To use Website Payments Pro, you will need to sign up for that. You are free to attempt signup in advance, esp if you want Virtual Terminal access sooner than later. Then, once Zen Cart supports Website Payments Pro, then you'll be able to benefit from that also.

[sfatula]

Virtual Terminal appears to be an option off of good old regular Paypal. So, it appears I do not HAVE to sign up for web payments pro. It looks like I can just do that later if I wish.

So, just a normal business account, from what I am reading, I can add virtual terminal for $20 per month. But, then it implies I MUST then have my own internet merchant account.

It's so confusing as far as why I might want one over the other! According to their site, WPS does NOT allow express checkout, meaning, I can't use it. Their comparison chart says I MUST have an internet merchant account to use simple ol "Accept Paypal". I didn't think that was necessary. If I did sign up for WPP, I could not use it as their TOS says I MUST support on site checkout, which I cannot.

I am wanting to avoid an internet merchant account. That is, until WPP comes out with Zen Cart. But, I want to use virtual terminal (rarely), and, support express checkout. Every chart I see confuses the issue more. What I read, confuses it more.

Can you tell me if a plain business account can do all of the above, without any internet merchant account? The virtual terminal would merely be for phone in orders.

[DrByte]

Applying for Website Payments Pro essentially gives you an internet merchant account (using PayPal as the bank), along with the requisite credit checks etc.

While Virtual Terminal can be added to a regular Business account, it also comes "with" the Website Payments Pro service when apply and are approved for it.

They will tell you that "Express Checkout is required if you use Website Payments Pro". However, since you'll not be "using" Website Payments Pro features *on* your website, you don't need to worry about that at this stage.
If they give you any trouble when reviewing your application and your website, you can probably get them to understand that when you *do* actually use Website Payments Pro (after it's available for your store), then you *will* offer Express Checkout.

I'm pretty sure there are folks out there who only have Virtual Terminal and not Website Payments Pro, and are using it happily.

For further clarification on what you get with Virtual Terminal and the technical requirements around it, you're best to contact the PayPal sales office. I'm sure they'll be glad to sign you up.