Google Checkout module for ZC 1.3.x (beta)

Some of you may recall the problem I was having trying to get Free Shipping for US addresses to work with Google Checkout. (See post http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpo...postcount=2893 on this thread.) I finally tracked the problem down to the Zen Cart zones table. The Armed Forces "state" abbreviations are incorrect in the table as originally given in ver. 1.3.8a. USPS may have changed the usage on these zones since the release. Now instead of the six Armed Forces zones each having a unique abbreviation, the AE abbreviation is reused for four of them. The correct values can be found at http://www.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/abbreviations.html

What this meant for my Google Checkout problem was that, in applying a "United States" shipping zone to the freeoptions module, I was sending the invalid Armed Forces abbreviations out to GCO on every transaction, and they were all failing with an "Oops! Null" page for the user to see, and a long complicated entry on the Integration Console for me to see (which actually managed to set me on the right track once I'd parsed it). That's a different behavior than I described on the earlier post, but after this last fix, I seem to have it working as we wanted it. (If I had wanted to include US territories and possessions, I could have used the more inclusive US country zone. But to omit the possessions, I had to pick and choose all the states, DC, and Armed Forces one by one, and that's where I picked up the bad zones data.)

I thought if anyone else were trying to use the US Armed Forces zones, you might run into similar problems. You can refer to the USPS page I linked above, and correct the zones table using admin > Locations/Taxes > Zones, select each of the incorrect United States Armed Forces zones, and Edit to make the correction.

Zencart version 1.38
Clean site no upgrade
google analytic
google base feeder
google site map
pdf order centre
google checkout
search engine urls

I have installed google checkout and all is working apart from the vat. The figure that transferes to googel = the net price excluding vat. I have seen that the figure should pull across. I have tried rebuilding locations etc and still the figure excludes vat

I discovered that on my ZC 1.3.8a site, Google Checkout (googlecheckout 1.4.7 mod) was showing up as a radio button on the checkout_payment page, which it should not do. When it was selected, the checkout would proceed to confirmation, but when the submit button was pressed, the customer would be taken back to the shopping cart with no action taken. No order would be created, but the customer might assume that the order was complete, and abandon it.

I don't know if this was the best solution, but I decided to hack into the template file for the checkout_payment page (.../templates/tpl_checkout_payment_default.php) and skip the iteration of the "for" loop building the display of radio buttons, if the id of the module for that iteration is "googlecheckout."

Specifically, where the original version of tpl_checkout_payment_default.php (around lines 136-139) has this:

PHP Code:

---

<?php
    if (sizeof($selection) > 1) {
        if (empty($selection[$i]['noradio'])) {
 ?>

---

I inserted a one-line if statement like this:

PHP Code:

---

<?php
    if (sizeof($selection) > 1) {
        if (empty($selection[$i]['noradio'])) {
            // AJ 03/12/2009 - Skip Google Checkout
            // which should not appear on the checkout_payment page
            if ($selection[$i]['id']=="googlecheckout") { continue; }
 ?>

---

Admittedly this is a rather ugly workaround, but it seems to work. Does anyone have a better solution?

I wonder if there's a thread specific to UK store owners?

I am based in the UK and would love to use Google Checkout, but having installed it on my site www.limelites.co.uk I simply cannot get it to configure correctly.

I have all the settings in Admin correct but when I use shipping_method_generator.php tool I am getting very confused.

There doesn't seem to be a readme that explains:

• Cart Description
• Weight:
• Quantity:
• Total Price:

What are we supposed to put in these boxes? Are we supposed to put every possible combination of weights, values and qtys? That'd take me an eternity... Can anyone explain please?

Also, when I just use the default values that load, it generates a PHP code. When I overwrite my shipping_methods.php with the generated code, then upload the file, it takes away the error messages underneath my Google Checkout button on the cart page but when I click on the checkout button it only gives Store Pick up as an option in the drop down menu on GC.

Anyone point me in the right direction here?

GC is changing its transaction fees. Going foreword it is 2.9% and 30cents, which is equal to paypal's
:frusty:

and no more adwords credit

:frusty:

Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out how to install or GC to Zen cart? Do I simply upload the file to me server or do I have to install and config it?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nathanhayles

Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out how to install or GC to Zen cart? Do I simply upload the file to me server or do I have to install and config it?

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There is a README and a INSTALLATION file included in the zipped download. They open with any text editor.

For a very detailed step-by-step, complete with gotchas, see this:

http://www.creativeshoptalk.com/inde...ic,2747.0.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gobrinton

Yes, sort of...

There are two different options to choose from, CCS and Real Time.

CCS means that Google Checkout (GC) ignores any shipping info that comes from your site. Instead GC looks up the shipping costs from a database, (I assume it is based on "to and from" locations that the carriers have calculated in advance.) It presents the buyer with rates from two or three different carriers. Some feel that these rates are not always up to date and accurate. On the other hand, some like it because it is a no-fuss no-muss method.

Real Time means that GC makes every attempt to use whatever "real time look up" method your site has done. The module files that come with Google Checkout already know about all of the default or built-in modules that are in ZC. It also comes with a handy utility to add new shipping modules (to the list) that you have added to ZC yourself. However, if the new modules are too complicated, then there is no guarantee that they will work correctly.

With both modes of operation, you can provide a list of rock bottom "Default" rates, just in case any of the look-ups would fail.

Some store owners seem to get it working well and some don't. What have you got to lose?

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Finally got back to this.

Where do you choose between CCS and Real Time?


Regards

Philip

Quote:

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Originally Posted by philip56

Where do you choose between CCS and Real Time?

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Admin > Modules > Payment > googlecheckout
Edit the module, and find the setting for "GoogleCheckout Carrier Calculated Shipping". Set it true or false as needed. It's a little hard to see between the long area for "Default Values for Real Time Shipping Rates" and the similar area for "Carrier Calculater Shipping Configuration". (I'm using ver. 1.4.7 of the googlecheckout mod. Other versions might locate it differently, or not provide it.)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by alan_powerbrixx

Admin > Modules > Payment > googlecheckout
Edit the module, and find the setting for "GoogleCheckout Carrier Calculated Shipping". Set it true or false as needed. It's a little hard to see between the long area for "Default Values for Real Time Shipping Rates" and the similar area for "Carrier Calculater Shipping Configuration". (I'm using ver. 1.4.7 of the googlecheckout mod. Other versions might locate it differently, or not provide it.)

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Thank you very much.

Philip