Google Checkout module for ZC 1.3.x (beta)

[gxjenkins]

Accepting credit card payments on her site means she is responsible for their data, and anything that happens to it. She will also have to make sure her site is in compliance with the requirements of each card she accepts.

With GCO, and Paypal Express the responsibility is with Google and Paypal not the store owner.

I’m not saying she shouldn’t accept payments on her site, but she should also think about the possibility of having to notify all current and past customers that their credit card information could have been compromised if her store if ever hacked. That would destroy the stores reputation and possible her’s as well.

Even with the risks I'd do it, but I'd use a real Merchant Account, like Authorize.net, or LinkPoint.

Gary

[DivaVocals]

Accepting credit card payments on her site means she is responsible for their data, and anything that happens to it. She will also have to make sure her site is in compliance with the requirements of each card she accepts.

And the same goes for any merchant service (including Authorize.net, or LinkPoint)

With GCO, and Paypal Express the responsibility is with Google and Paypal not the store owner.

These are simply things to consider as a business owner, they are NOT reasons to not directly accept credit card payments..

I’m not saying she shouldn’t accept payments on her site, but she should also think about the possibility of having to notify all current and past customers that their credit card information could have been compromised if her store if ever hacked. That would destroy the stores reputation and possible her’s as well.

And again, the same goes for any merchant service (including Authorize.net, or LinkPoint)

BTW, she's NOT storing credit card data on her site.. (would be in violation of PCI Compliance)

Even with the risks I'd do it, but I'd use a real Merchant Account, like Authorize.net, or LinkPoint.

Gary

And what exactly about PayPal Website Payments Pro service makes it NOT a real merchant service?? PayPal IPN, PayPal Express, 2CO, & Google Checkout are all 3rd party processors. (The purchase transaction is completed on the 3rd party processors site)

Authorize.net, LinkPoint and PayPal PayFlow are all gateway's which both require that the store owner obtain a compatible merchant account. "PayPal's Website Payments Pro combines a gateway and merchant account into a single solution" Certainly from the CUSTOMER's POV (the one that counts) they LOOK and BEHAVE like the same thing..

I get it.. you don't like PayPal.. cool.. Not liking PayPal doesn't mean that ALL of the issues reported here on a regular basis with GCO are NON issues.. They are a BIG deal.. Loss of sales because of a payment processor failure means a sales loss that is often IMPOSSIBLE to recover.. (Customers don't like having to "keep trying" just to make a purchase -- they will move on to a site with less difficulties..)

For my customer it was a matter of the continued loss of sales because of the GCO mod's shortcomings being unacceptable. Whether she decided on Authorize.net or PayPal Website Payments Pro, or LinkPoint (which BTW doesn't seem to be a supported anymore by the Zen Cart team under "Recommended Services"), the fact is processing the payment transaction directly on her site has resulted in no more lost sales due to a failed checkout..

"Most merchants do not like sending customers to another company’s page as part of the purchase transaction. This is why once merchants have a real business they usually switch to a traditional merchant account provider rather than a 3rd party processor."
--Fee Fighters--

[willieWontGo]

I get what people are saying about GCO for Zen not being supported by Google - that is truly a shame.

However, why does it work properly in 1.3.8 and then horribly in 1.3.9?

As already stated, there has been no change in Google's code in the last x-amount of time.

[gxjenkins]

And the same goes for any merchant service (including Authorize.net, or LinkPoint)

These are simply things to consider as a business owner, they are NOT reasons to not directly accept credit card payments..

And again, the same goes for any merchant service (including Authorize.net, or LinkPoint)

BTW, she's NOT storing credit card data on her site.. (would be in violation of PCI Compliance)


And what exactly about PayPal Website Payments Pro service makes it NOT a real merchant service?? PayPal IPN, PayPal Express, 2CO, & Google Checkout are all 3rd party processors. (The purchase transaction is completed on the 3rd party processors site)

Authorize.net, LinkPoint and PayPal PayFlow are all gateway's which both require that the store owner obtain a compatible merchant account. "PayPal's Website Payments Pro combines a gateway and merchant account into a single solution" Certainly from the CUSTOMER's POV (the one that counts) they LOOK and BEHAVE like the same thing..

I get it.. you don't like PayPal.. cool.. Not liking PayPal doesn't mean that ALL of the issues reported here on a regular basis with GCO are NON issues.. They are a BIG deal.. Loss of sales because of a payment processor failure means a sales loss that is often IMPOSSIBLE to recover.. (Customers don't like having to "keep trying" just to make a purchase -- they will move on to a site with less difficulties..)

For my customer it was a matter of the continued loss of sales because of the GCO mod's shortcomings being unacceptable. Whether she decided on Authorize.net or PayPal Website Payments Pro, or LinkPoint (which BTW doesn't seem to be a supported anymore by the Zen Cart team under "Recommended Services"), the fact is processing the payment transaction directly on her site has resulted in no more lost sales due to a failed checkout..

It’s not that I don’t like Paypal. I don’t trust Paypal. I do trust that their module will work better than GCO.
I don’t trust that their service will be better than GCO, 2CO, or any of the other 3rd party processors.

You’re right your client isn’t storing credit card data, but her site is where its being collected. The customer doesn’t know, or care what happens to the data. They just expect that it is safe. I’m not saying there will be a problem, but if there is a problem, to the customer the store is where it happened.

My point was with GCO, and some Paypal options the entire payment process happens someplace else. If there is a problem with the credit card information it has nothing to do with the store.

Gary

[DivaVocals]

It’s not that I don’t like Paypal. I don’t trust Paypal. I do trust that their module will work better than GCO.
I don’t trust that their service will be better than GCO, 2CO, or any of the other 3rd party processors.

And because YOU don't trust PayPal YOU are okay with a module that is no longer supported by Google and does not work reliably or consistently (and this thread contains ample proof of this).

While you seem okay with the potential for lost sales from failed GCO transactions, my point was (and still is) that for many shop owners and their customers this is an unacceptable standard. In the case of my client, she lost clients who could not be convinced to come back to shop in a store where the checkout experience was unreliable EVEN IF there were alternate payment options. (Customers don't like having to "keep trying" just to make a purchase -- they will move on to a site with less difficulties..) I imagine that shop owners like EILabels who've inquired in this thread about the reliability of the GCO module have the very same concerns, and may not be willing to put up with a payment module that CLEARLY has unresolved issues and is NO LONGER SUPPORTED by Google..

You’re right your client isn’t storing credit card data, but her site is where its being collected. The customer doesn’t know, or care what happens to the data. They just expect that it is safe. I’m not saying there will be a problem, but if there is a problem, to the customer the store is where it happened.

The customer also cares that the transaction will be a smooth unencumbered process..

The store owner is not any LESS responsible for the transaction because it is processed by a 3rd party vendor.. Nor are they any MORE repsonsible because it is processed through a merchant account.. The agreements store owners sign off on when they sign up for a 3rd party processor or a merchant account bear this out.. The store owner is ALWAYS responsible for transactions processed in their stores, and through the eyes of the client this is DEFINITELY the case..

My point was with GCO, and some Paypal options the entire payment process happens someplace else. If there is a problem with the credit card information it has nothing to do with the store.

Gary

This is most certainly not true. If there is a problem with the transaction, the store owner may be held responsible and the transaction reversed by the third party processor. In the case of a fraudulent transaction, the storeowner will surely be charged back for any reversals due to fraud.. and the store owner will certainly be charged back in the case of a customer dispute if the dispute is found to be in the favor of the customer.. This can happen with GCO as well as any other 3rd party processor..

[DivaVocals]

My point was with GCO, and some Paypal options the entire payment process happens someplace else. If there is a problem with the credit card information it has nothing to do with the store.

Gary

As I stated in my previous reply, this is not true at all.. If a problem with a transaction processed through a 3rd party processor ocurrs, the 3rd party processor may indeed hold the shop owner responsible for problem transactions processed through their merchant accounts.. The shop owner is not given a free ride on this simply because a 3rd party processor processed the transaction.. Transactional disputes (such as disputes and other chargebacks) can be (and usually are) pushed back to the store owner. (agreements that store owners enter into when using a 3rd party processor usually includes language that the shop owner may be held responsible for any problem transactions)

Here's some additional data on this..

With a true merchant account, you, the merchant, apply with a processing bank (usually through a sales agent) for the right to have a merchant account dedicated solely to your business. The merchant account is for your business alone and you are responsible for it in every way. You’re also responsible for providing a gateway to it, as this is not included with the account. (While some processing companies or sales agents will bundle a gateway with the merchant account for convenience, they’re separate entities and you’re usually free to use any gateway that you prefer). Basically, your merchant account is a direct account with Visa and Mastercard (and American Express and Discover Card, should you choose to accept payments from their members), so you must abide by their rules.

A third-party processor allows businesses and individuals to accept credit card payments through its own merchant account. Instead of applying directly through a processing bank, you apply through the third-party processor, which uses its own set of criteria to decide whether or not you’ll be eligible to use their services — the third party processor’s bank doesn’t even know you exist! A payment gateway of some form is automatically included as you must process all sales through the third-party processor’s system. The third-party processor holds all the cards, as they make all the rules by which you must abide, and they will hold you responsible for how your transactions affect their merchant account (the one that they’re allowing you to share).
-- Solve the Payment Processing Problem (Sitepoint) --
http://www.sitepoint.com/merchant-account-review/

What is a payment gateway?

A payment gateway is a service that authorizes credit card payments and processes them securely with a user’s merchant account. Often, a merchant account and payment gateway are set up in one process through the same company.
What is a “third-party payment processor”?

A third-party processor such as PayPal lets you accept online payments without a merchant account of your own. Instead, they let you use their merchant account under their own terms of service, usually with very little setup required.
-- FAQ (Shopify) --
http://www.shopify.com/faq

A true merchant account is just that, a "true" merchant account. You, the merchant, apply with a processing bank, usually through a sales agent, to have the right to have a merchant account dedicated solely to your business. The merchant account is for your business alone and you are responsible for it in every way. You will also be responsible for providing a gateway as it is not included with the merchant account (some processing companies or sales agents will have one bundled with their merchant account but technically they are separate and you are usually free to use your gateway of choice). Basically, your merchant account is direct with Visa and MasterCard (and American Express and Discover Card if you choose to accept their members' cards) and you must abide by their rules.


A third party processor allows your business, or even you as an individual, to use their merchant account to accept credit card payments. You apply with the third party processor and they make the decision based on their own set of criteria as to whether or not you will be allowed to use their services. The third party processor's bank doesn't even know you exist. A form of a payment gateway is automatically included as you must process all sales through their system. The third party processor holds all of the cards as they make all of the rules that you must obey. They are held responsible for the merchant they are allowing you to share through them and they hold you responsible for how your transactions affect it.

-- Merchant Account Comparison --
http://www.merchant-account-services...ounts-compared

OMG! Is anyone having any luck with GCO? I am new to Zen-Cart and I planned on using GCO instead of a merchant account from the merchant services provider I use for my brick & morter business. GCO seemed to be a better deal.

Is it that hard to work with?

Maybe I should re-consider!

Bringing this back on topic, my opinion is that if you want a payment module that is well supported and reliable, GCO is certainly not that at all.. balihr I think stated it best...

I have GCO working with 1.3.9h, but it's not easy to set it up. Not easy at all. Took me about 3 days to get everything running and I consider myself somewhat advanced with Zen Cart

There are other payment options for Zen Cart that are much easier to setup, and certainly don't come with the baggage of problematic transactions that GCO has.. If providing your customer with an unencumbered checkout experience is important, then you may want to reconsider GCO..

[DivaVocals]

I get what people are saying about GCO for Zen not being supported by Google - that is truly a shame.

However, why does it work properly in 1.3.8 and then horribly in 1.3.9?

As already stated, there has been no change in Google's code in the last x-amount of time.

I'd say the biggest reasons are the HUGE differences between the 1.3.8 codebase and the 1.3.9 codebase.. The GCO code was written based on Zen Cart 1.3.8, and to my knowledge there have been NO updates to GCO to resolve any Zen Cart 1.3.9 issues. The last update for the GCO module available in the free downloads is Dec 26 2007 (v1.4.7). Given that Google withdrew support for GCO for Zen Cart before the 1.3.9 release, I'd say this is the biggest reason WHY GCO works horribly in Zen Cart 1.3.9.

[DivaVocals]

I get what people are saying about GCO for Zen not being supported by Google - that is truly a shame.

However, why does it work properly in 1.3.8 and then horribly in 1.3.9?

As already stated, there has been no change in Google's code in the last x-amount of time.

One last thought.. Another option to consider is to hire a developer to update the GCO code to correct the issues and Zen Cart 1.3.9 compatibility.. Doesn't appear that a community hero is going to be donating an updated version of this module to the free downloads anytime soon..

[delia]

Doesn't appear that a community hero is going to be donating an updated version of this module to the free downloads anytime soon..

Anyone who does then inherits an implied responsibility of supporting this thing. Updating mods and uploading them frequently creates problems for the developer. I know this for a fact!

The mod only requires a few changes to update for 1.3.9h by the way and they are all in this verrrrrrrry long thread.

[DivaVocals]

Anyone who does then inherits an implied responsibility of supporting this thing. Updating mods and uploading them frequently creates problems for the developer. I know this for a fact!

The mod only requires a few changes to update for 1.3.9h by the way and they are all in this verrrrrrrry long thread.

This is very true, and I'm sure this is the BIGGEST reason why no one has volunteered to submit an update to this mod..

BTW, I only suggested paying a developer to make the necessary updates because not everyone is confident in their abilities to make updates themselves.. If they want this mod they may have to consider paying someone to make the updates for them..