Customers unable to continue checkout past page 2

All was well and something changed. The only change was that i did a PCI compliance questionnaire and passed it no other changes to the site. Then, sales stopped..thought it was a slump but customer alerted me that he could not continue checkout after putting his card info in. I put my card in, then diff card, three times total...it's not a card issue. I changed the transaction key... it's not that either. Just unable to go onto page 3..the continue checkout button won't even click. Checked the debug and it says this, I put OMITTED in place of private info:

[02-Mar-2022 20:32:15 America/Boise] Request URI: /shopping/OMITTED/index.php?cmd=modules&set=payment&module=authorizenet_aim, IP address: OMITTED
#1 include() called at [/OMITTED/modules.php:201]
#2 require(/OMITTED/modules.php) called at [/OMITTED/index.php:11]
--> PHP Deprecated: Required parameter $data follows optional parameter $subject in /includes/modules/payment/paypaldp.php on line 1133.


why it says paypal i don't know, i removed paypal because it's intrusive about what we can sell. Any insights much appreciated.

And now this info too.

[02-Mar-2022 20:39:29 America/Boise] Request URI: /shopping/index.php?main_page=checkout_payment, IP address: REMOVED
#1 require_once(/includes/init_includes/init_sessions.php) called at [/includes/autoload_func.php:37]
#2 require(/includes/autoload_func.php) called at [/includes/application_top.php:222]
#3 require(/includes/application_top.php) called at [/index.php:25]
--> PHP Warning: Undefined array key "SSL_SESSION_ID" in /includes/init_includes/init_sessions.php on line 132.

Hi, for anyone with the same problem... all of this was caused by the web host who upped the PHP without any notice to me. This upgrade still allowed my site to be functional up until authorize.net was used. At that point, credit cards just stopped, could not move to page 3 of checkout. I called them, they moved the php back to 7.2. Everything works again.

I need to upgrade Zen is the bottom line. I've lost money due to this situation and was in the dark until a faithful customer stuck it out alerting me to the problem more than once.. New customers, seem to have been spooked and it cost me money.

Note that PHP 7.2 is old and out of support. You should be running PHP 7.4 on Zen Cart 1.5.7.

Thank you for that. That's what they told me at bluehost...i'll ask them about this right now.

Okay, more drama.
As I started this thread, my customers were unable to check out. At page two of checkout process, where they enter the card, it just stops there..the continue button is not working, the page not able to move to page 3 of the checkout process. I call into blue host, they say they are moving me back to 7.2 and everything worked again. I get an email this morning saying that I need to up it to 7.4 as they are retiring 7.2 for security purposes. I come back on Zen to check and find that SWGUY graciously replied that I need to bump it to 7.4. Therefore, I contact blue host and burn an hour and this is how it went...

Why they moved me to 7.2 was the question. I had them make it 7.4 and so far, it works with check out. I asked them why they would bump me to 7.2 when it's being retired soon and the answer was, scripts work best with 7.2. So, I check another site and it's at PHP8 and working fine on 157c version.
My question, I realize that I need to upgrade from 1.57c to make it work on php8 so why is PHP 8 working fine so far with 1.57C. As far as I know, there are no checkout issues or any other issues. But with the first site, checkout issues. Same version, same addons except PHP 8 doesn’t work with one and works with the other.
I know I need to upgrade Zen and as soon as I can get a breather. I need to keep this working as is until May.

Two sites, both 1.57c. PHP 7.4 needed for site one to work. PHP8 works find with second site. Same addons, same bones... just different products. even same templates! Thanks