Two Stores - One Paypal Express Setup?

Will this work? Can two different zen cart stores use the same paypal express setup? Or will we need to open another paypal account?

The reason I ask is... as soon as the second store was set up and running the paypal express payment mod, we had 2 errors come through on the first store on orders using paypal express

ALERT: PayPal Express Checkout Error (81117)
81117 Missing Parameter - Token : Required parameter missing


ALERT: PayPal Express Checkout Error (10736)
10736 Shipping Address Invalid City State Postal Code - A match of the Shipping Address City, State, and Postal Code failed.

ksoup:

Will this work? Can two different zen cart stores use the same paypal express setup? Or will we need to open another paypal account?

You can use the same PayPal account on multiple stores. There are no limitations to it. Express Checkout and IPN both can be used on multiple stores if the security identifiers are identical on all of them.

Dr. Byte -

Are you saying that once I have my PayPal API Security settings -

Specifically: API Signature -- Username
API Signature -- Password
API Signature -- Signature Code

- that these can be used for multiple Zen Cart stores/shopping carts, and I can still personalize the carts for the different stores they represent?

BUT - We have to specify a URL at PayPal in the IPN Preferences - and we can only specify one URL. That's one store. What happens when payments come from other URLs - from the other stores? Not sure how that works but you are usually good at making these things sensible.

Thanks again, in advance!

brodybro1:

Dr. Byte -

Are you saying that once I have my PayPal API Security settings -

Specifically: API Signature -- Username
API Signature -- Password
API Signature -- Signature Code

- that these can be used for multiple Zen Cart stores/shopping carts, and I can still personalize the carts for the different stores they represent?

yes

brodybro1:

BUT - We have to specify a URL at PayPal in the IPN Preferences - and we can only specify one URL. That's one store. What happens when payments come from other URLs - from the other stores?

As long as you have 'something valid' in there, PayPal will have the feature enabled. Zen Cart sends an override for the "real" URL for each transaction, which PayPal honors when processing the details.

Looks like I'll be buying coffee and donuts for the support crew soon - Thanks again for making things clearer.

Followup: I appear to have PayPal functional for both sites - but only one business name appears on their forms for my businesses.

In other words, whether my customer is coming from Biz A or Biz B, the form header and text shows Biz A. This will be confusing for my customers. Especially when I eventually get to Biz X, Y and Z.

Only thing I know to do is customize the form headers with logos for both businesses (go to Profile/Custom Payment Page Styles in your PayPal Business account for a tutorial).

This does not allow me to change the biz name in the text within the form(s) my customers will encounter at PayPal and I see no way to change or modify my business name through my PayPal account preferences. I can't even insert a statement that one biz is a subsidiary/affiliate of the other.

Are there options I am missing?

Thanks - BB

brodybro1:

but only one business name appears on their forms for my businesses.

In other words, whether my customer is coming from Biz A or Biz B, the form header and text shows Biz A. This will be confusing for my customers. Especially when I eventually get to Biz X, Y and Z.

Only thing I know to do is customize the form headers with logos for both businesses (go to Profile/Custom Payment Page Styles in your PayPal Business account for a tutorial).

This does not allow me to change the biz name in the text within the form(s) my customers will encounter at PayPal and I see no way to change or modify my business name through my PayPal account preferences. I can't even insert a statement that one biz is a subsidiary/affiliate of the other.

That's correct. Your PayPal Account Name will always show the same information regardless which store you come from.

You have three options:
a) create separate PayPal Business Accounts for each business.
b) rebrand with visuals and hope that the customer doesn't get confused by the business name
c) ask PayPal to rename your account's business name to something more generic (You'll meet with some resistance there unless you have a compelling argument).

Option (a) is really the most appropriate if these stores are separate businesses.

Thanks, I will get with PayPal and find out what they allow. I know they say they only allow one business account per member - but maybe if each biz has a dedicated bank account they would consider the Business a "member" and I can have a separate PayPal account for each biz. I can't imagine there aren't thousands of people with multiple businesses who all use PayPal.

brodybro1, I am in a similar situation to yourself. My business model determines that i must have eStore A B C etc etc. With an integrated PayPal backend servicing all stores. My plan is to have a registerd limited company (PayPal and Nochex and SSL represents my Ltd co name). From the individual url / store-names perspective i have merely integrated my Ltd Co logo into the banners and where appropriate i am declaring that "eStore A is a trading name of XYX Ltd.) Abit confusing but was the most efficient way i could manage my business plan yet avoid multiple accounts.

So what does one suggest if you have 2 stores and they are completely different niches .... any advice? Having multiple paypal accounts seems like overboard

PayPal has not yet answered my queries about this. Think they lost my messages - Twice?

PS - posting that donation tonight, Thanks for all your help - BB

A little late followup but I did eventually hear back from PayPal. They finally sent me a reply which stated that they "believe" they already answered my question - though I don't see anything from them at all to that effect in my email archives - and that if I needed further assistance I have to call their support number. I have not yet made that phone call. Guess I have to spend phone time on this issue, though.

I've made the same inquiry to Paypal. Their answer;

"Yes it is possible. It would involve some additional coding. Please go to the below URL:
https://www.paypal.com/IntegrationCenter/ic_std-variable-reference.html
Then go to HTML Variables for Displaying PayPal Payment Pages. That is how you make the custom payment pages on two different sites. Please reply if you have additional questions"

The relevant code for the main logo seems to be;

cpp_header_image
Sets the image at the top left of the payment page. The image's maximum size is 750 pixels wide by 90 pixels high, and it must be URL-encoded. PayPal recommends that you provide an image that is stored only on a secure server (https).

I think the code to alter the business name is this one;

image_url
The URL of the 150x50-pixel image displayed as your logo in the upper left corner of PayPal's pages. Must be URL-encoded.
Default: your business name (if you have a Business account) or your email address (if you have Premier account).

Just where this code would go I have absolutely no idea. Someone that knows more about coding than me (this wouldn't be hard!) might have some ideas.

That won't change the fact that your business name will still show the same on both sites.

Nevertheless, as a response to PayPal's reply to you ...

1. You can do the same thing by creating separate Page Styles in your PayPal profile, and specifying the appropriate profile name in your store PayPal module settings.

or

2. You can simply uncomment the appropriate line in your /includes/languages/english/modules/payment/paypalwpp.php file ... and it'll automatically pass the appropriate parameters.

////////////////////////////////////////
// Styling of the PayPal Payment Page. Uncomment to customize.  Otherwise, simply create a Custom Page Style at PayPal and mark it as Primary or name it in your Zen Cart PayPal WPP settings.
  //define('MODULE_PAYMENT_PAYPALWPP_HEADER_IMAGE', '');  // this should be an HTTPS URL to the image file
  //define('MODULE_PAYMENT_PAYPALWPP_PAGECOLOR', '');  // 6-digit hex value
  //define('MODULE_PAYMENT_PAYPALWPP_HEADER_BORDER_COLOR', '');  // 6-digit hex value
  //define('MODULE_PAYMENT_PAYPALWPP_HEADER_BACK_COLOR', ''); // 6-digit hex value
////////////////////////////////////////

I strongly recommend option #1 ahead of #2, because it doesn't require any code changes, and lets you change the style on-the-fly.

seany:

brodybro1, I am in a similar situation to yourself. My business model determines that i must have eStore A B C etc etc. With an integrated PayPal backend servicing all stores. My plan is to have a registerd limited company (PayPal and Nochex and SSL represents my Ltd co name). From the individual url / store-names perspective i have merely integrated my Ltd Co logo into the banners and where appropriate i am declaring that "eStore A is a trading name of XYX Ltd.) Abit confusing but was the most efficient way i could manage my business plan yet avoid multiple accounts.

I am looking at doing a similar set up (multiple stores using one PayPal Express account). Mind sharing some store URLs that are sharing a single account so I can see how you handled the account name being the same?

Thanks,
Tom

Bumping this thread.

Is anybody currently using a single Paypal Express account for more than one web store front? If so, how are you dealing with the links from the Paypal login page back to your stores having the account name in them? Would love to see some example URLs. You can PM me with them if you don't want to post here.

Tom