This sucks, using paypal express getting more registrations but fewer orders

I just started using paypal express recently. Before that I used paypal IPN.

When I had paypal IPN, 99% of the time when I had a new registration it was accompanied by an order.

Since I started using paypal express, I've had many more registrations, but getting less orders. For every 10 new registrations I only get 2 or 3 orders.

I did some test orders and insured everything was working fine before going live with using paypal express.

I'm sure, this has something to do with the module somehow scaring customers away. When I use the 'Who's online' feature, I see most customers complete the whole checkout process, but don't seem to be completing payment at paypal. I'm reading other threads right now and doing some more testing to see if I can find out the reason for the decline in orders.

I'll post back with my findings. In the meantime, please let me know if anyone else has experienced something similar and has any recommendations.

Same here, seems there is a bug in it. Search other threads this is exactly whats happened to me.....

Rang a customer who appeared in admin with no order. He said he ordered went to paypal clicked to pay with a card ie no paypal account and it all went through, but he didnt get any emails from me, or from paypal which he normally does.

The order doesnt show in my admin either.... needs fixing asap!

I'm having this problem and it's probably related.

I installed the IPN module and was not happy. Customers on final payment are forwarded to paypal where they are forced to create a paypal account.
All the info from my site is posted to their fields with no chance to pay with credit card without having to create a paypal account.

Not what I want. So I installed Paypal Express.

Paypal Express checkout button shows on my screen before customer has selected shipping method????? So I proceeded to test this and off to paypal site I go without having selected a ship method.

I then get the option to "Don't have a paypal account pay with cc"

Proceed to next page - enter all applicable fields then paypal errors saying
"password has to be at least 8 characters" but I didn't see a password field box.
Tried several times same error... Then I looked at the bottom of the page and there was a hidden pulldown menu saying "Have paypal remember my info" - so they have to enter another password? Why can't they just pay with credit card?
No extra passwords required?

Not only is this completely hidden - I just want my customers to pay with a credit card... no hassles and no paypal account needed.... Is this possible???

Help!!!!!!!!!!

PayPal is a Merchant Account and just one of many. As Zen Cart is already setup to use; Authorize.net & LinkPoint.com, they would be good Merchant Accounts to check into.

Whatever Merchant Account one wants to use, they must first setup their own account. Their information can then be plugged into Zen Cart and allow for another payment method.

Thats not entirely correct as Paypal in my case is a 3rd party payment processor and as such the customer and info leave my site to goto paypal. It is not a merchant account.

They also dont have to set up a zen cart account ie the express....

I got a nochex merchant account so people can just pay with a credit card easily, however for the nochex module to work you need the paypal IPN installed (not enabled just there)

However when people click to pay by card the blooming paypal option pops up again which some people are clicking on and then getting this problem.

For me this is not a problem with IPN its express checkout, pay by card, somehow fails....

Ok, I think I know what's causing the decreased number of sales, but before I get to that I'll answer some of the previous posts.

Same here, seems there is a bug in it. Search other threads this is exactly whats happened to me.....

Rang a customer who appeared in admin with no order. He said he ordered went to paypal clicked to pay with a card ie no paypal account and it all went through, but he didnt get any emails from me, or from paypal which he normally does.

The order doesnt show in my admin either.... needs fixing asap!
That kind of appears to be the paypal stuck orders issue, have you applied the latest patch. I had that issues a long while ago, but was fixed with one of the patches provided by DrByte.

I'm having this problem and it's probably related.

I installed the IPN module and was not happy. Customers on final payment are forwarded to paypal where they are forced to create a paypal account.
All the info from my site is posted to their fields with no chance to pay with credit card without having to create a paypal account.

Not what I want. So I installed Paypal Express.

Paypal Express checkout button shows on my screen before customer has selected shipping method????? So I proceeded to test this and off to paypal site I go without having selected a ship method.

I then get the option to "Don't have a paypal account pay with cc"

Proceed to next page - enter all applicable fields then paypal errors saying
"password has to be at least 8 characters" but I didn't see a password field box.
Tried several times same error... Then I looked at the bottom of the page and there was a hidden pulldown menu saying "Have paypal remember my info" - so they have to enter another password? Why can't they just pay with credit card?
No extra passwords required?

Not only is this completely hidden - I just want my customers to pay with a credit card... no hassles and no paypal account needed.... Is this possible???

Help!!!!!!!!!!
This is not related. What you are describing is normal behavior. It appears you have your paypal settings to require a paypal account. To fix this, log in to your paypal account > Profile > Website Payment Preferences and make sure 'paypal account optional' is on.

PayPal is a Merchant Account and just one of many. As Zen Cart is already setup to use; Authorize.net & LinkPoint.com, they would be good Merchant Accounts to check into.

Whatever Merchant Account one wants to use, they must first setup their own account. Their information can then be plugged into Zen Cart and allow for another payment method
PayPal is a payment processor, not a merchant account.

OK, so now let me tell you why I think I get fewer sales with PayPal Express.

The main reason is that when customers get to the paypal payment page, the total amount shown there is the SUBTOTAL.
This is a big issue if you use discounts, which I use lot.
I issue discounts up to 50% for volume buyers.

Imagine this, a customer purchase $2000 worth of goods and uses a 50% discount coupon. So the total shown in during the checkout process in ZenCart is $1050 ($2000 - 50% discount + $50 shipping), but when they get to the payment page on paypal the amount shown there is $2000.

Now this would be a big turn off for potential customers, wouldn't it?
If I didn't know how the whole thing works, I'd definitely cancel the transaction right there and probably never even come back because I'd though it was 'bait and switch'.

Regardless of the amount shown on the paypal payment page, only the correct amount will be charged. But how are people supposed to know this.
Anyone agrees this might cause the decrease in sales?

Now, luckily there's a fix for this. Anyone having this issue please apply this fix given by DrByte on this post http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=68412&page=2

I just wish I'd know sooner, there are several small fixes that have appeared since the last paypal patch.
DrByte, I think it might be time for another paypal patch release including all the small fixes that have come up since the last one.

I applied the fixes I mentioned above last night and so far things seem to have improved.
I've gotten 10 new registrations and 5 orders. I expect in a few days that this number would increase to the more normal 9 orders for every 10 new registrations.

Here's another "advantage" of paypal IPN vs paypal express.

With paypal IPN, when you get to the paypal payment page, the total amount to pay is displayed at the top and it also has a nice pull down.

Please refer to the attached images.

With paypal express, you don't see the amount you will pay anywhere when you get to the payment page. Only until you enter the payment info or log in you see the amount on the next page.

Does anyone know if you can edit some file so that you get the amount displayed on the first screen when you get to paypal, similar to paypal IPN?
Thanks.

Does anyone know if you can edit some file so that you get the amount displayed on the first screen when you get to paypal, similar to paypal IPN?

You will have to suggest that to PayPal, we have no control over their process.

Thanks Kim, that's what I thought.

I'll send my suggestion. If anyone else would like to see this, please also send in your suggestion.