ZC 'go to checkout' vs PayPal's Checkout Buttons in Shopping Cart?

If I go to the Shopping Cart- I have 2 buttons. One is the standard ZenCart button that says 'go to checkout'. The other is the 'Check out with PayPal' button.

If I choose the ZenCart 'go to Checkout' button- I go through a series of pages/steps. Step 1- Delivery Information (here my only shipping method is pre-selected as USPS Priority). Step 2- Payment Information (I can change my billing address and enter a discount coupon code). Step 3 - Order Confirmation. At this point I hit 'Confirm Order' button, and am taken to the PayPal login screen.

NOW- backing up... if I hit the 'Checkout with PayPal' button from right within my Shopping Cart- I bypass those previous 3 steps, and go directly to the PayPal login screen.

Here's my question- if I hit the 'Checkout with PayPal' button and continue to pay... does it completely bypass those 3 steps, where the customer doesn't have to confirm their billing/shipping info, OR give them the option to enter a discount coupon? Or will it come back to the site after the PayPal login, and give them those options afterwards?

Related question- is it better (or do most people) REMOVE the ZenCart 'go to checkout' button from the shopping cart, and ONLY USE THE 'CHECKOUT WITH PAYPAL' BUTTON instead? Or do most of you guys keep both on there? To me, it may seem a little confusing for people to have all these buttons/steps.

Thanks for the help guys!

anyone? I'd really appreciate the help!

eyal8r:

Here's my question- if I hit the 'Checkout with PayPal' button and continue to pay... does it completely bypass those 3 steps, where the customer doesn't have to confirm their billing/shipping info, OR give them the option to enter a discount coupon? Or will it come back to the site after the PayPal login, and give them those options afterwards?Evidently you haven't tried it.

Yes, it brings the customer back to the shipping page, to choose shipping options, then to the payment page to enter any coupons or apply any gift certificates, and then on the final confirmation page, the payment is actually completed and funds transferred to you, after the customer clicks the Submit button.

Be sure you test your checkout fully yourself before you go live! It's definitely confusing if you've never even done it ;)

eyal8r:

Related question- is it better (or do most people) REMOVE the ZenCart 'go to checkout' button from the shopping cart, and ONLY USE THE 'CHECKOUT WITH PAYPAL' BUTTON instead? Or do most of you guys keep both on there? To me, it may seem a little confusing for people to have all these buttons/steps.Best to leave it alone. If you have feedback for PayPal about it being confusing, please inform them directly: https://www.paypal.com/mts

Yeah, for accounting reasons, I don't want a bunch of transactions going in/out that I have to then refund. Plus, pay PayPal fees on it everytime I am testing out a page.

So, do you take the extra button OUT? Or leave 2 buttons in there, one that says 'Checkout with Paypal' and the other that takes you to all the shipping options? Seems redundant to have both, doesn't it?

I appreciate your input! Thanks!

eyal8r:

Yeah, for accounting reasons, I don't want a bunch of transactions going in/out that I have to then refund.A small inconvenience for getting some experience using your own store so you know what your customers' experience will be from start to finish. Plus the comfort in knowing it actually works, having seen it with your own eyes, rather than getting blindsided when a customer says "hey something's broken".
There is NO substitute for full testing of your store.
eyal8r:

Plus, pay PayPal fees on it everytime I am testing out a page.Fees are also refunded when you refund a transaction.
eyal8r:

So, do you take the extra button OUT? Or leave 2 buttons in there, one that says 'Checkout with Paypal' and the other that takes you to all the shipping options?
If adding the word "or" between the 2 buttons would help minimize your confusion, feel free to add it.

LOL- great points. All of them! Thanks for the help, I'll just go ahead and bite the bullet and fully test. Thanks for your time!

DrByte:

If adding the word "or" between the 2 buttons would help minimize your confusion, feel free to add it.

Having 2 buttons is really confusing everyone... how do you add "OR" in between them?

If adding the word "or" between the 2 buttons would help minimize your confusion, feel free to add it.

I'd be interested in knowing this is as well.... Also, I'd like the "Go To Checkout" button to appear ABOVE the Paypal button. Is there a way of accomplishing that?

Thanks.

In the default template the buttons are stacked - Ask your template designer?

Sorry, I didn't mean part of my post (a copy and paste issue).

My buttons are stacked, so my question was just around how to add the word "OR" between the two buttons (and maybe how to switch the order, so the "Go To Checkout" button is on the top).

However, I decided that I just didn't like how prominent the PayPal option, so I switched to the PayPal Website Payments option, so that PayPal is only shown in step 3, and I can make the PayPal payment option appear below the credit card option.

aaelghat,
In the default template, using the current version of Zen Cart, you can switch off that EC Shortcut button on the shopping cart/login pages via a switch in your admin, thus resulting in the same situation as you've got now with PayPal only showing on the checkout_payment page.
Also, when the EC Shortcut button is displayed in the shopping cart, the 2 buttons are stacked vertically. Adding the word "Or" in between them is a simple addition you can make in your template file.