Problem Purchasing Backlight

Ken · 2016-07-17 21:53:01

I added Backlight + Pages + Cart to my shopping cart. When trying to check out, PayPal offers the option of paying with PayPal or a credit card. I want to pay with a credit card and fill in all of the necessary information. When I try to check out, PayPal tries to force me to create a PayPal account, but I already have a PayPal account, so it tries to force me to log in to my PayPal account, which I do not want to do, since I want to pay with a credit card. This has never happened in the past, PayPal trying to force me to log in to my PayPal account even though I simply want to pay with a credit card. How do I purchase the Backlight upgrades with a credit card?

This raises an extremely important issue. I have been using CE4 Cart since it came out. Customers can purchase my prints using a credit card and are not forced to create a PayPal account, at least in the past they were not. However, having now just experienced the check out process for the TTG software, I am concerned that this a change for all PayPal checkouts, people who simply want to use their credit card to pay for their print order are now being forced to create a PayPal account. If so, this is very bad, and significantly decreases the value of the CE4 Cart and the Backlight Cart. I haven't tested out a purchase from my website to see if in fact PayPal now forces people to create a PayPal account, even though they simply want to pay with their credit card, but if PayPal does this when attempting to purchase the TTG software, then I assume it now does it for my website.

This is a disappointing state of affairs and I hope I mistaken in what I am experiencing. Please explain what is going on?

Ken · 2016-07-17 22:06:47

I went through the check out procedure on my site and it appears that PayPal only gives the option of creating a PayPal account for customers wanting to pay with their credit card. This is a relief, though I do not like it that this option even appears on the page. There is still the problem with purchasing the Backlight upgrades using a credit card, in this case PayPal forces you to log-in to your account or create a new account, rather than giving the option.

So I am still stuck, how do I simply purchase the upgrades using a credit card?

rod barbee · 2016-07-17 22:07:33

In my tests, it looks like you can still purchase via the cart using PayPal and be given the choice of bypassing the use of a PayPal account.
You can check it out for yourself here, just don't actually go through with the purchase because the PayPal is live
http://backlight-rb-test.barbeephoto.co … cart-test/

Ben · 2016-07-17 22:16:29

Hi Ken, that's not good for our business.

I have tested the PayPal integration from CE4 Cart (which works in an identical to Backlight Cart), and I am able to pay by credit card. The CE4 and Backlight Cart use a different method of working with PayPal, which could explain the difference between your experience on the TTG Store and the behaviour of our Cart product.

Ben · 2016-07-17 22:19:17

Another factor for our Cart product is that PayPal will attempt to have the purchase made with your account if you are logged in. In that case, clicking 'Not you?' should give you the option to pay by credit card.

Ben · 2016-07-17 22:25:08

There is a seller preference to control whether PayPal accounts are required. See this link here: https://help.shopify.com/manual/payment … ut-account

Ken · 2016-07-17 22:33:30

When I attempted to purchase the Backlight upgrades, I was not logged in to my PayPal account, so this should not be an issue. So I still do not know how to purchase using my credit card and not being forced to log in to my PayPal account.

Regarding my current CE4 website cart versus the new Backlight cart, I am confused. Ben you state "CE4 Cart (which works in an identical to Backlight Cart)" and " CE4 and Backlight Cart use a different method of working with PayPal" These statements seems contradictory, please clarify.

To summarize: there are two issues

1. I can not purchase the upgrades using a credit card.
2. Will there be an issue with the Backlight Cart PayPal check out forcing my customers to create a PayPal account, or will it function in the same way the CE4 Cart does and simply give an option to create a PayPal account?

Thanks for your help.

Matthew · 2016-07-18 01:20:20

When I try to check out while not logged into PayPal, I see this:

Looks to me like it will allow me to checkout by credit card.

PayPal should be able to process credit cards, though specifics may vary depending on your account type and settings, your region, or the region of your buyer. What also doesn't help is that PayPal continually changes their policies and practices, and lately keeps changing their website so that settings are in different places than before, or have gone missing completely.

Matthew · 2016-07-18 01:22:56

Also, in case it's relevant, The Turning Gate is setup to sell through SendOwl, using PayPal Express for payments.

Daniel Leu · 2016-07-18 02:06:36

Hi Ken, even if you have to log-in with your PayPal credentials, you always can select a credit card as an alternative payment method.

Ken · 2016-07-18 03:07:03

I took a screen capture of the PayPal site. I am not sure how to attach it to this forum reply? My PayPal screen looks like yours, except below the credit card billing address is a section titled "Create Your PayPal Account", and below this section is the Agree and Continue button. After filling in my credit card number and clicking on this button, PayPal highlights the input fields under the Create Your PayPal Account section. In other words it is forcing me to create a PayPal accounting instead of accepting my credit card information. When I enter in my email address in this section, it recognizes the email address and that I already have a PayPal account and then tells me to login. So in short, it refuses to let me use a credit card and instead is forcing me to log in to my PayPal account.

I can try what Daniel suggests, but it is a hassle because I keep my PayPal login info encrypted and so I have to go through a special process to access my account.

It used to be simple purchasing the TTG plugins and upgrades. This is why I am worried for my customers, who may know nothing about PayPal and feel comfortable just entering their credit card information. If this simplicity is interfered with and customers feel they have to create a PayPal account to purchase my prints, then I will loose them as customers.

Matthew wrote:

When I try to check out while not logged into PayPal, I see this:
http://community.theturninggate.net/att … eckout.jpg
Looks to me like it will allow me to checkout by credit card.
PayPal should be able to process credit cards, though specifics may vary depending on your account type and settings, your region, or the region of your buyer. What also doesn't help is that PayPal continually changes their policies and practices, and lately keeps changing their website so that settings are in different places than before, or have gone missing completely.

Ken · 2016-07-18 03:28:43

I tried Daniel's suggestion and it did not work, when I logged into my PayPal account, I was not given an option to pay with a credit card. I ended up using my PayPal balance to purchase the software. From my standpoint, this is not a good way to purchase software for my photography business. For my accounting records I like to have purchases made with a credit card, not by debiting a bank account (which is what I consider PayPal).

I order the Backlight Pages+Gallery separately from ordering Backlight Cart, since the ordering process would not accept two coupon codes, which is OK. Just thought I would mention this.

It would be nice if the problems with PayPal could be corrected for other TTG customers. I wasted an hour of time trying to use my credit card plus forum exchanges. I realize this isn't your fault but has something to do with PayPal. I do not know if it would do any good for you to ask PayPal not to require customers to create a PayPal account, when they only want to use their credit card.

I am looking forward to setting up a BackLight test site.

Thanks for your help,

Ken

Last edited by Ken (2016-07-18 03:29:29)

rod barbee · 2016-07-18 05:51:14

I took a screen capture of the PayPal site. I am not sure how to attach it to this forum reply?

Upload your screen capture to your server and then put the URL to it between IMG tags:
For example:

[img]http://yoursite.com/screen_caps/your-image.jpg[/img]

Daniel Leu · 2016-07-18 05:58:21

I agree, I try to get all my business expenses on the same credit card too.

So I just tied to for myself....

1) At first, Paypal wants me to log in. When I select create another account, I get the option to pay with a credit card.
2) If I am logged in, it wants me to pay with my balance. But there is a "Change ?" option where I can select a different payment method or "+ Add" a debit or credit card.

So for me, I get twice the option to pay with my credit card. Obviously, they are a bit hidden.... Maybe Paypal behaves a bit different depending on the location.

Ben · 2016-07-18 06:24:03

To clarify, CE4 Cart and Backlight Cart use the same approach to talking to PayPal, which is different from the method used by the TTG shop.

As has been shown in the previous posts, there is no indication that the CE4 or Backlight Cart checkouts require a PayPal account.

Though the steps to reach the PayPal sellers option to allow checkouts without PayPal accounts differs as PayPal had a habit of frequently redesigning their portal, it's only a matter of finding your way to your profile. Once there, the interface is fairly consistent between redesigns.

Community @ The Turning Gate

#1 2016-07-17 21:53:01

Problem Purchasing Backlight

#2 2016-07-17 22:06:47

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

#3 2016-07-17 22:07:33

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

#4 2016-07-17 22:16:29

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

#5 2016-07-17 22:19:17

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

#6 2016-07-17 22:25:08

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

#7 2016-07-17 22:33:30

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

#8 2016-07-18 01:20:20

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

#9 2016-07-18 01:22:56

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

#10 2016-07-18 02:06:36

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

#11 2016-07-18 03:07:03

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

#12 2016-07-18 03:28:43

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

#13 2016-07-18 05:51:14

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

#14 2016-07-18 05:58:21

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

#15 2016-07-18 06:24:03

Re: Problem Purchasing Backlight

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