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Shopping cart/ecommerce tutorial

Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:00 pm
by Bill H
I have been "piggybacked" on a friend's ecommerce site for selling online and have finally lost that access so am having to set up my own. What I was doing was that his system would process a credit card only to the extent of verifying that it was a valid number. It would then provide the cc number etc to me and I would go to LinkPoint and log in with my account and password, enter the cc and sale data and it would process the sale.

So here's what I have:
Shared hosting with ssl and eCommerce as part of the deal, also Zen Cart and Cube Cart
A LinkPoint/Cardservice account that logs in manually. (Don't know about any interface with the above pkgs.)

I have no idea whatever about how to put any of this together. Is there any sort of tutorial anywhere that someone can point me to? I have been online for several days now and there is tons of information, but all of it seems to be in bits and pieces and I understand almost none of it.

At this point I'm feeling pretty much like a complete idiot, so any help will be greatly appreciated.

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:46 am
by Maugrim_The_Reaper
Can you replicate your friend's system and buy yourself time to investigate a final solution? It could take a while to get a final one in play, but at least the original system would let you carry on while that's taking shape.

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 7:18 am
by Bill H
Unfortunately, no. Until I can get something going on my own I am out of business, which is (of course) part of my problem.

I suspect that implementing OS Commerce (or whatever) once it's installed is not going to be a big issue, as I only have a few products. It's getting the SSL (which I know nothing about) and the eCommerce/payment link in place that is the problem.

Mt site is here and the ordering page is here. Don't click on the "Place order" button, as that's what is now dead.

Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:25 am
by Bill H
Just for information, I installed OS Commerce and found it to be hugely overdesigned for my purposes. I just have six software products (6 individual items) that I want people to be able to purchase and download. I don't need all the product categories, catalogs, specials advertised on the sides, banners, etc.

I already have the form for them to select the product(s) they want. All I need is a way for them to enter their credit card data. Any ideas?

amazon store front

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 2:00 pm
by yacahuma
Why dont you try one of those services like amazon store front?? They have a 1 month free trial so you can see if it is a good fit for you.

Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 8:47 pm
by Bill H
As I interpret Amazon Store Front it offers a website, which I already have and a shopping cart, which I don't need which processes sales through their merchant account and not through my merchant account which I already have. So what would I then do with my present website, my present gateway and my present merchant account?

The problem I'm trying to solve is how do I tie my existing website to my existing gateway and existing merchant account?

Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 8:58 pm
by Kieran Huggins
There's usually an API for each, more often than not accessed through form POSTs.

Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 11:50 pm
by Bill H
Yeah, my gateway is LinkPoint. I have contacted them asking the format of the POST data and they have been less than helpful. They do not reply to emails, even when I include my client number, and when I use the telephone I get left on hold for indefinite periods. I downloaded the API from their site, but it does not appear to come with any documentation. I have, at this point, been unable to ascertain if the LinkPoint gateway API includes the forms (etc.) for the buyer to enter cc data.

It may be that my level of service with them is limited to my logging on as a merchant and entering the sale from my point of sale, and that I would have to sign up for some additional level of access to interface my website, but I have not been able to find that out so far.

I do not, as you might imagine, have a high opinion of LinkPoint right now.

I'm hoping to encounter someone who is using LinkPoint who can describe their types of services, since I cannot get that information from LinkPoint.

Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 12:11 am
by ianhull
Bill here is the link for the integration of Link Point API

I am not a user, but just found this on their site.

http://www.linkpoint.com/support/lpintg ... _help.html

Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 7:58 am
by Bill H
Smaller merchants can quickly and easily begin payment processing through the API. By contacting a participating sales agent, a merchant is guided through the online or paper application process. Upon approval, the same merchant can be running transactions within 24 hours.
You would not believe how difficult it is to find out who the "participating sales agent" is and how to contact them. Since I already have an account with LinkPoint, the sales agent, apparently, has nothing to sell me and therefor has no interest in talking to me.

Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 10:40 am
by Kieran Huggins
PayPal FTW?

Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 12:14 pm
by Bill H
PayPal would certainly work, but would render obsolete the gateway and merchant account for which I am presently paying a monthly fee. (And for which I paid a signifint amount to set up.) Perhaps trying to salvage the use of those accounts is merely throwing good money after bad.