Question
Just found out that the PayPal link on my website led to an error message. No way to fix it - they no longer offer a way for people to pay for their entire orders at once, with a single link to the PayPal website with your contact info filled in. Now the only way to do it is to have the customer email and ask for an invoice. How many of our customers are willing to do that?
This isn't even to PayPal's advantage. Their customers will sell less, and they will get 30 cents and a percentage from fewer sales. Makes no sense at all.
The "scenarios" which they support now include shopping carts (don't want one), single item purchases (my customers usually buy several), donations, and subscriptions. The most common (and desirable) "scenario" isn't even listed, and it's the way they did it until recently.
Mentioned this change to a friend I met on eBay. Our consensus is that they have lost their minds.
Does anyone have a workaround for this?
Answer
Originally Posted by Cats
Just found out that the PayPal link on my website led to an error message. No way to fix it - they no longer offer a way for people to pay for their entire orders at once, with a single link to the PayPal website with your contact info filled in. Now the only way to do it is to have the customer email and ask for an invoice. How many of our customers are willing to do that?
This isn't even to PayPal's advantage. Their customers will sell less, and they will get 30 cents and a percentage from fewer sales. Makes no sense at all.
The "scenarios" which they support now include shopping carts (don't want one), single item purchases (my customers usually buy several), donations, and subscriptions. The most common (and desirable) "scenario" isn't even listed, and it's the way they did it until recently.
Mentioned this change to a friend I met on eBay. Our consensus is that they have lost their minds.
Does anyone have a workaround for this?
I'm not familiar with the problem you mention.
I thought the only website payment options were always just single item or shopping carts...
Can you figure out a work-around with single item links?
Answer
I haven't heard of this, either...
I just placed a "mock" order through our web site, and the paypal payment window came up fine.
Perhaps I'm not clear exactly what been "changed".
Answer
Cats-
The "scenarios" which they support now include shopping carts (don't want one),
There is a free shopping cart (all html - just sign up, insert the HTML and *presto* you're done!) that's easy to use, that many here at here use, called Mal's ecommerce. http://www.mals-e.com/home.php
You're sure to get any help you may need either at their site, or from fellow here'ns.
I'm not familiar with the PayPal problem you've experienced, though.
Answer
I have a single link on my website, to the PayPal website, with my contact info filled in...it is still working. I also logged on to create a new link/button and I saw no mention of any changes to the Merchant Tools that would cause this problem.
Sharon
Answer
Yes, there have been changes. The only website payments available now are - theoretically - single-item and shopping-cart.
However, I found out today that we can still get the classic website PayPal that we know and love. It's under the "Donations" tab!
First, see if your PayPal button is still working. Mine wasn't; it went to an error message.
If it's not, first create a button; I just copied the PayPal logo I've always used into my photo program and put it in my web space.
Then choose the "Donations" option, and check the box to use your own logo. Choose "More options" to add a shipping address, etc. There really is nothing there except the button (which you can replace) to say it's a donation, not a payment for goods.
I find that now it's working BETTER than before!! The right shipping amount is showing instead of $0.00, it's one less click away for my customers, and the message area is customized. WHOOPEE!
I only wish PayPal tech support had told me how to do this - and that we'd had some warning of the change. How often do we check our own PayPal buttons? And I had some anguish before I found this on my own. But all's well that ends well.
Answer
Originally Posted by goodworks1
Can you figure out a work-around with single item links?
There is a great work-around with the Donations option - see my previous post.
Answer
I don't know what you are having problems with.
I just went to my site to check the PP buttons and you can buy as many things as you like at one time. There is a "contunue shopping" button that jumps you back to the last page you were on to continue.
I have just used the PP buttons thru the merchant tools, on my site forever. In fact I rarely go to PP to make them any more as it's simple to just find the "name" and "price" to change and make a new button with copy/paste.
Carol