Web Tools the SonicSpider Way!
Welcome to Sonic Web Technologies! This article is an overview/roadmap for the development of our web tool products. We feel we have a different approach to web tools in that our focus is on business functionality and not just "cool" gadgets that lose their appeal and soon become annoying.
SonicWebTech Community Process Program
The Web Developer Affiliate Program is still in beta. Following are a number of ideas and areas that we want to address. You feedback and participation is needed..
How do I setup custom shipping options or calculatons? (WPS)
You PayPal shopping cart can be configured for domestic or international shipping methods with these options:
- Total order amount (flat rate or percent rate)
- Total order weight (lbs or kg)
- Total item quantity (flat rate)
Custom shipping calculations can also be configured for your website. Here's how:
- Go to the PayPal website and log in to your account.
- Click the "Profile" link at the top of the page.
- Click the "Set Up Shipping Calculations" link.
- Select either "Domestic" or "International Shipping Methods," and then click "Start."
- Follow the instructions on each page to set up shipping charges.
If you need additional shipping calculations, again go to your profile, click the Shipping Calculations link, click "Add Another Shipping Method," and follow the instructions.
My customers only see the 'Login to PayPal'. How do I make payment by Credit Card available? (WPS)
There are a number if settings that affect the Credit Card Option:
(Note: Your generated Button Code does not require no special coding. It's related to how your Account is setup.)
- Account must be either Premier or Business.
- PayPal Account Optional is turned on - this enables non PP Members to pay by Credit Card
- The email address you use to log into your PayPal Account must be verified.
- The same email address should be used in your HTML Button Code.
- Bank account registered and verified/tested - so you can transfer funds
- Credit card registered - (optional)
To turn on the PayPal Account Optional feature, do the following:
- Login to your PayPal Account,
- Select "Edit Profile", under "Selling Preferences"
- Select "Website Payment Preferences"
- Scroll down to "PayPal Account Optional".
There are also other reasons the Credit Card Option may not be available.
- You are using Express Checkout. Express Checkout requires a PayPal Account
- The country you reside in. Not all countries have all the PayPal features available.
- The country your customers reside in. Not all countries have all PayPal features available.
- The IP address of your hosted site is on a blocked list.
If you have checked all of the above: You have your PayPal Account setup properly and non of the other possibilties seem to apply, but, you still don't see the Credit Card Option or only see a small link to the Credit Card Option.
The PayPal payment screens are designed to be displayed in a specific way based on the cookies and/or your PayPal Account configuration.
Cookies are used to track where your customer is in the sales process, and whether that customer is new or returning. The PayPal cart will retain certain info about your customer and therefore the screen that is displayed may not be the screen you expect them to see. If they are a new customer visiting PayPal for the first time, the Credit Card Option will be clearly displayed.
If this is their second or third visit to PayPal and their previous cookie has not expired, Paypal now views you as a returning customer. They will get a screen with a small link to the Credid Card Option. Although this is not as obvious to the customer as you might like, the Credit Card Option is still available. Generally the cookie that holds the cart info will retain that info for 21 days. The only way it will change is if they remove the items selected from the cart or delete the cookie.
You may be seeing this problem because your are testing your web pages, creating new code or making changes, etc... To fix this, simply delete your web browser's cookies, then close your web browser, reopen it and try the web pages again. When you view the PayPal Screens, you will now get the screen with the Credit Card Option because PayPal views you as a new visitor.
What do the button types: hosted, clear text, and encrypted mean? (WPS)
There are three 3 options when using the PayPal Online Button Creator.
- Hosted (Save on PayPal Servers)
- Encrypted (Protected code)
- Clear text (Unprotected code)
Each options has its purpose and use, so understanding the difference will help you make that decision.
PayPal button not working on IE6 browser. (WPS)
This problem is related to the security setting. In most cases it has been set to "HIGH". Go to your Internet Options/Security and lower your setting.
How do I insure that my email address is not available in the HTML code? (WPS)
There are two options:
Option #1
Assumptions: Non-Hosted and Non-encrypted button, PayPal Business Account
Use your PayPal Business ID or Merchant Referral ID instead of your verified email address.
Login to your PayPal account.
Merchant Referral ID:
- Scroll down toward the bottom to "Referrals".
- Click on "Referrals" in the bottom list of menu choices.
- Next page is displays the Merchant Referral Bonus Program.
- You will see a link something like this:
https://www.paypal.com/uss/mrb/pal=QERQ34QER56435T. - Copy the QERQ34QER56435T.part of this URL
PayPal Business ID
- Edit your Profile.
- On the Profile Summary page your will see:
- Secure Merchant Account ID: 3452QWER6DGSD78
- Copy this number
Replace the value of "business" variable with this ID code in your button code as shown in this example:
Before:
<input type="hidden" name="business" value="your.paypal.email">
After:
<input type="hidden" name="business" value="QERQ34QER56435T.">
Option #2
This option is to use an email address encoder.
It transforms your ascii email address into its equivalent decimal entity. The encoded e-mail address can be read and translated back into its original ascii text by almost any web browser without any further action on your part. You just replace your e-mail address with the code, and you won't have to worry a whole lot about spam lists. This technique is not by any means a foolproof - high end software such as that used by Google's™ search engine can still detect your email address.
How do I display my company name in the PayPal shopping cart? (WPS)
If you are seeing your email address, then you very likely have a personal or premier account. You need to upgrade that account to a Business account.