No option to pay without an account

Hi, I'm running a fresh installation of Zen Cart 1.3.9b with minimal customization at this point. I have installed the PayPal Website Payments Standard module and communication with my PayPal account seems to be happening - no errors at this point.

My issue is that when I check out with a test item, I do not have the option to pay without a PayPal account (either logging into one or creating a new one). I get the split screen referenced in the FAQ (https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=29), but there is no option (not even a tiny text link) to pay by credit card without creating or logging into a PayPal account.

I have double- and triple-checked that I have set up my PayPal account correctly:

• PayPal Account Optional is set to "on"
• IPN and auto-return are set up correctly (I have verified that with some other tips I picked up around here)

I have also called PayPal customer service to find out if there's something missing that I haven't run across online. They essentially wash their hands of my problem because I'm using a third-party app instead of their own buttons.

I've done a lot of searching for a solution to this and ran across a few other snippets: "How do customers use PayPal to pay with their Credit Card?" and "Why can't my customers pay without having a PayPal account?". According to those, it seems like I shouldn't be having a problem.

So I'm here to ask...is there something I'm missing? Are there other settings I could check in Zen Cart or PP?

If I understand your post correctly, what you want to install is Paypal Express. Paypal Express is the version that will put a paypal button in your shopping cart and allow an alternate checkout without an account.

I have had customers tell me that they do not see the option to pay without a PayPal account if they use FireFox on a Macintosh computer. That would make the problem a PayPal issue due to a compatibility issue with that browser. That could be another explanation if you are using that combination and switching to PayPal express does not resolve your issue.

I'm using the PayPal IPN (standard) module and most of my customers pay without setting up a PayPal account. If you see the word "Unregistered" on the PayPal confirmation page, they have not set up an account.

Thanks for the quick replies.

Tech-E, I don't have regular access to a Mac, but I have tested this cart in IE 8, Firefox 3.5, and Chrome 4 on a Windows machine. If it's a browser issue, then it's a BIG one. It's good to know that you have customers who are successful in checking out without creating a PP account...I'm in the process of setting up Express Payments and crossing my fingers that doing so will resolve my issue.

Alright, I've got Express Checkouts set up. After some trial-and-error and lots of frustration with GoDaddy (silly clients, buying 6 YEARS of hosting service with them!), I am up and running...sort of. Still no option to pay without creating or logging into a PayPal account.

Any other thoughts? I'd be happy to PM the URL if anyone would like to see.

Sure enough, I misread your original post. :blush: I just needed some sleep. :sleep1:

I thought you wanted your customers to be able to checkout with paypal without first creating an account in your Zencart. Whereas you want them to checkout with paypal without a paypal account.

I don't think Paypal Express will have any effect on your problem. On the bright side, paypal express will definitely improve your sales, so I don't think you'll regret enabling it.

I would try clearing your browser's cache and cookies to be sure that's not affecting the login on Paypal's site. Or, install a fresh browser, like Opera or something just for testing.

Sleep will do wonders for a person. :thumbsup:

Since Express Payments isn't solving my problem, I'm going to uninstall the module. It adds a layer of complexity that I don't want my users to deal with - they're largely aging academics and getting them to use PayPal at all, even without an account, has been a pretty big deal.

I've been clearing my browsers' cache and cookies frequently - between each test. Installed Opera, too.

PM'd the URL to you.

And...solved. Thanks much for the help, slomojojo.

So what kind of problem did it turn out to be, for the edification of others with possibly the same root issue?

It was partially a matter of changing from Web Payments Standard to PayPal Express, and partially my own fault. Basically, installing PayPal Express solved the problem, and I was too tired to see that.

Submitting a message to Merchant Technical Support at paypal.com/mts revealed that I had made two careless errors: in ZenCart I configured my paypal email address to be something that didn't exist among email addresses configured in my PayPal account. I though it was there, but it wasn't even if it HAD been there, it would not have been my "primary" address in PP. So I created it, and made it the Primary, and now the problem is solved. Customers can checkout as a PayPal "guest", using just their credit card number, without being forced to create a PayPal account.