Error Message for credit card authorization

Help!
I am getting an error message whenever someone tries to checkout. It says, "We apologize for the inconvenience, but we are presently unable to contact the Credit Card company for authorization. Please contact the Store Owner for payment alternatives."
I am using version 1.3.7.1 and I haven't changed anything. This error message started on July 20th and no orders can go through. I contacted my server, my bank and my gateway companies and they say it is a Zen Cart error, but I can find no information on how to fix this.

Can anyone help please?

The error message means exactly what it says: When trying to process the credit card, the gateway didn't respond. It's probably not a Zen Cart thing, but rather a hosting/server thing.

Please click the "Reply" button below. That will open a new window, and in that window is a section that says 'Posting Tips'. Please answer all the questions in that list as part of your reply.

In addition, please also list which payment modules you're using, your gateway company name, your hosting company, etc.

Without details there's no way we can guess how to help you.

Sorry about that! I'm really new to this and very uneducated in this area. My host/server is SRL.net and my gateway company is Global Direct Linkpoint. I've contacted all of these companies and they keep saying it is not their problem! I keep trying to get an answer from them because to me, it seems like there is a problem with the communication from the cart to the processing center. Anyway, I haven't made any changes, upgrades or addons at all. SRL.net said on their end everything is correct, but so does my gateway credit card company so I'm at a loss! I've done test transactions several times, and get the same error message every time as do my customers. I didn't do any customization when I installed the cart, just followed the directions in the Zen Cart book I bought. It's been working perfectly for over a year now, so I can't figure out what has changed!
Thanks for your help.

Horsegirrl:

my gateway company is Global Direct Linkpoint
I gather from what you said that you're using the Linkpoint API payment module built-in to Zen Cart?

If so, then your hosting company needs to make sure your server can talk freely on port 1129 from the server, thru the firewall, to Linkpoint/FirstData.
Related FAQ: https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=298

Horsegirrl:

My host/server is https://www.SRL.net

... SRL.net said on their end everything is correct
I have no idea who "SRL.net" is. Trying to go to SRL.net takes me to a generic yellow-pages search site entitled
"fi n dl ink s.c om" (spaces added by me) ... much like a 'parked' website would have.
If that's the URL for your hosting company, I'd be RUNNING someplace else FAST.

Thanks again for your information. I have contacted my server and they made sure the port was open when I first started having this problem so now I'm not sure where to go. I guess I'll talk to the hosting company again and see if I can get anywhere. I gave you the wrong info on my host company, it's srlnet.com not srl.net. Sorry about that!

What is the URL of your website?

https://www.store.northforkoutdoors.com
I've called everyone, my hosting company and linkpoint and everything is set up fine but I still cannot process credit cards. They said it is a Zen Cart problem. I don't know how this happened and how to fix it! I didn't change anything and all of a sudden my zen cart is not communicating with the credit card authorization company. Should I just install another cart? I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to do that even though it is a huge time consuming problem.

Put the curltest script on your server, and post a link for it here.
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpost.php?p=434187&postcount=2

Is this what you need? I am soooo lost here I cannot stand it! Thanks. Cailin
*
<contents of curltest.php script removed>*

I mean, download the curltest.php file. (if it's zipped, unzip it). The upload the curltest.php file to your website. Then post here a link to that file on your website.
I want to use that script to show you whether your server is properly able to contact the Linkpoint server. But since you're using an older version of Zen Cart and not the current one which already includes that file, you'll have to put it on your server manually.