PayPal® IPN/PDT Services / Multiple Site Configurations

[Jason Caldwell]

I called PayPal, they said that I am not allowed to have 2 paypal accounts (so much for the easy solution!) - and while it is possible to do what I want to do, it is too complicated for them to explain.

Any ideas or suggestions? How do I set it up with Web Payments Standard for two different domains? Anyone else try this before?

PayPal® IPN/PDT Services / Multiple Site Configurations

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PayPal IPN Service:

*Quick Tip* In addition to the default IPN settings inside your PayPal® account, the IPN URL is also set on a per-transaction basis by the special PayPal® Button Code that s2Member provides you with. In other words, if you have multiple sites operating on one PayPal® account, that's OK. s2Member dynamically sets the IPN URL for each transaction. The result is that the IPN URL configured from within your PayPal® account, becomes the default, which is then overwritten on a per-transaction basis. In fact, PayPal® recently updated their system to support IPN URL preservation. One PayPal® account can handle multiple sites, all using different IPN URLs.

*NOT True w/ PayPal® Pro* With PayPal® Pro integration you absolutely MUST set an IPN URL inside your PayPal® account. PayPal® Pro integration does NOT allow the IPN location to be overridden on a per-transaction basis. If you're using a single PayPal® Pro account for multiple cross-domain installations, and you need to receive IPN notifications for each of your domains; you'll want to create a central IPN processing script that scans variables in each IPN response, forking itself out to each of your individual domains. In rare cases when this is necessary, you'll find two variables in all IPN responses for s2Member. The originating domain name ( i.e. www.example.com ) will always be included somewhere within, either: custom and/or rp_invoice_id; depending on the type of transaction. These variables can be used to test incoming IPNs, and fork to the proper installation. For your convenience, an example script has been provided inside: /s2m-pro-extras/paypal-central-ipn.php.

You can download all Extras here: s2m-pro-extras.zip.

PayPal® Auto-Return/PDT Service:

*Quick Tip* In addition to the default Auto-Return/PDT configuration inside your PayPal® account, the Auto-Return URL is also set on a per-transaction basis from within the special PayPal® Button Code that s2Member provides you with. In other words, if you have multiple sites operating on one PayPal® account, that's OK. s2Member dynamically sets the Auto-Return URL for each transaction. The result is that the Auto-Return URL configured from within your PayPal® account, becomes the default, which is then overwritten on a per-transaction basis.

*PayPal® Pro Tip* The tip above, is ALSO true for PayPal® Pro integration. There are no conflicts with Auto-Return/PDT.

[mariamar]

Hi, thanks for this. If I understand correctly, then:
1. The buttons, subscription and flow will work without me setting IPN or PDT auto-return in PayPal. Do I have to set the IPN inside the plugin settings? How?

2. I only have to use the button code provided in the buttons for purchase, and the system will work, generating a temporary IPN/PDT for each sale.

3. The subscription will flow as planned in this case.

If this is all correct, please confirm. If not, please clarify.

Thanks a million,
Maria Mar

[Jason Caldwell]

1. The buttons, subscription and flow will work without me setting IPN or PDT auto-return in PayPal. Do I have to set the IPN inside the plugin settings? How?

No, just be sure that you DO have IPN enabled for your PayPal account. With PayPal Standard Button integration, it doesn't matter what the IPN URL is set to in your PayPal, so long as IPN has been enabled. That's it, nothing to do inside s2Member with respect to IPN though, s2Member handles this automatically through the Shortcode for PayPal Buttons that you generate in your Dashboard.

2. I only have to use the button code provided in the buttons for purchase, and the system will work, generating a temporary IPN/PDT for each sale.

That's correct. Just be sure that IPN, Auto-Return and PDT are enabled in your PayPal account. The URLs for these options are set on a per-Button basis by s2Member, so the only requirement is that these services are enabled in your PayPal account. The default URLs that you configure inside your PayPal account are unimportant when you integrate with Standard PayPal Buttons though, because these are set on a per-Button basis for each transaction anyway.

[mariamar]

Thank you so much, Jason. I really appreciate the attention I'm getting in this forum. MM

[checkers1811]

If you have a business account, you can call PayPal business solultions. They allow as many paypal accounts as you want as long as they all have different eMail addresses. You can tie each one to a different domain and still have all of the money flow into the same bank account.

This can only be done if you call them first. They will have to set up the multiple accounts to one bank account manually.

1-888-818-3909

This solution would ,of course, allow you to have multiple IPN processes - one for each PayPal account / domain pair.

[mariamar]

Hi, I did call and they told me that no, I cannot. I can have another account, but it would have to be linked to ANOTHER business bank account, which I don't have and don't want to open just for this. Maybe it was just that person who did not know, but that's what the rep said. Perhaps I'll call again and talk to someone else. Thanks for your information. MM

[checkers1811]

Just to be sure, the business reps are in the office during regular business hours 8:00-5:00 M-F Pacific time.
Be sure to call during the day.

[mariamar]

Hi, Jason and Checkers,

I'm in my PayPal and reading the instructions. I tried to enable IPN without enterign a URL, but it's not possible. I would have to enter a URL, and this is what the PayPal representative told me that would clash with my PDT-autoreturn, set to the shoppingcart.

So yes, theoretically perhaps I can enable to IPN, but in fact, the only way to do this is by entering an URL which would then clash with my shoppingcart.

So I'm going to call PP tomorrow to verify about opening another account, as Checkers, said we could do. I'll ask them again about the IPN then.

Still working on it! Thanks for everything,
MM

[Jason Caldwell]

Thanks for the follow-up.

Well, if your current PayPal account did NOT have IPN enabled at all, then turning it on and setting it to any valid URL should not cause a conflict to occur, because your existing cart is obviously not using it?

However, Auto-Return/PDT could cause a conflict. That being said, Auto-Return/PDT is NOT required to use s2Member. It's recommended, but not required. So you could just leave that off and setup your IPN URL to the one provided by s2Member. You should be good then, even without another account.

[mariamar]

Hi, Jason,
What the PayPal rep said was that if I enable IPN (and place the membership URL there, for example) this URL would clash with the PDT, which has the URL of my shopping cart. Since I HAVE to put a URL to use IPN, then I cannot enable IPN. In other words, I cannot enable IPN and leave the URL entry blank, so that I can use it with the membership. I'll check all of this tomorrow for confirmation. Thanks.

[Jason Caldwell]

Thanks for the follow-up.
Just to clarify, IPN and PDT are two completely different services. Enabling IPN and entering the s2Member URL will not create any conflict with PDT, because Auto-Return/PDT is a completely separate service, and is in no way affected by your IPN configuration. IPN communication occurs behind-the-scene, and PDT works to transmit data immediately after checkout. If your current cart-system is NOT even using IPN communication, then enabling it now won't create any conflict for you. If your current cart-system IS using IPN communication, then you WOULD have an issue; and you would need a central IPN processing script, provided by s2Member Pro (s2m-pro-extras.zip), but that's not needed in your case, as I see it.

[mariamar]

Jason, I am hearing you, but the PayPal rep, like I've said several times told me NOT to enter a URL in the IPN or it would conflict with the PDT. I know they are different, but that's what this person said. I am going to call to talk to someone else and hopefully we get this madness clarified. If not, I also check what Checker said about another account, which she also said it could not be done. Maybe that rep had a bad hair day. (LOL). I'll let you know. BUt thanks again. MM

[Jason Caldwell]

Sure thing. Let us know what you come up with. Thanks!

[michealsavoie]

My client was told he would have to open another account (for $30 per month) if he needed to use a paypal signature instead of his paypal certificate which he is already using on another site. They told him that the IPN would not be a problem, as long as the URL would ignore any IPN coming from sales on the other site.

But can we use the certificate instead of the paypal signature?

[Jason Caldwell]

My client has an API certificate and not an API signature. What is the difference and what can be done to use the certificate instead of the signature?

Micheal

Sorry, s2Member uses PayPal's NVP API, and we use the recommended API Signature, not an API Certificate. The last time I spoke with PayPal about this, they were unable to have one account with both an API Signature and also an API Certificate ( I know, weird ). Anyway, I was told they would be working to make this possible. You might check with PayPal support to see if they can swing this on your account.

Reference article: https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd= ... PAPIBasics

[weseoin]

However, Auto-Return/PDT could cause a conflict. That being said, Auto-Return/PDT is NOT required to use s2Member. It's recommended, but not required. So you could just leave that off and setup your IPN URL to the one provided by s2Member. You should be good then, even without another account.

First of all, hi to Jason and all forum members! I'm a new entrant, and let me be honest in saying that from my limited experience of using various membership software I find s2member really fantastic!

I've a query, Jason. I have IPN, PDT, and Auto-Return enabled in one of my sites where I use DAP. Now in another website I'm trying out s2member...and I wish to know if I can proceed with button-level notify_URL settings or perhaps something else for the same PayPal account in the new website with s2member w/o altering the present settings at PayPal..!

Hope I could put my question clearly!

Thanks in advance.

[Jason Caldwell]

Thanks for your inquiry, and for the KUDOS! ~ Much appreciated.

I don't think you'll have any trouble with this at all.
You'll find this information is available in your Dashboard as you configure s2Member.

*Quick Tip* In addition to the default IPN settings inside your PayPal® account, the IPN URL is also set on a per-transaction basis by the special PayPal® Button Code that s2Member provides you with. In other words, if you have multiple sites operating on one PayPal® account, that's OK. s2Member dynamically sets the IPN URL for each transaction. The result is that the IPN URL configured from within your PayPal® account, becomes the default, which is then overwritten on a per-transaction basis. In fact, PayPal® recently updated their system to support IPN URL preservation. One PayPal® account can handle multiple sites, all using different IPN URLs.

*Quick Tip* In addition to the default Auto-Return/PDT configuration inside your PayPal® account, the Auto-Return URL is also set on a per-transaction basis from within the special PayPal® Button Code that s2Member provides you with. In other words, if you have multiple sites operating on one PayPal® account, that's OK. s2Member dynamically sets the Auto-Return URL for each transaction. The result is that the Auto-Return URL configured from within your PayPal® account, becomes the default, which is then overwritten on a per-transaction basis.

[weseoin]

Thanks very much, Jason!

[member99]

hello,

i am a new user. just need help on the multi site configuaration for 1 paypal accounts. i am not entirely sure. suppose i have 2 different sites selling 2 products. if people purchase 1 product from my second site (not my first site i installed s2 member) . so if i enable IPN settings in my paypal account , if sale occurs, s2 member will automatically create a correct email reply message with the right email address , not the email address i use for my first site, am i right ? i don't want people receive confirmation email reply from a completely different site name, do i ? a question is that will s2 member use the default paypal login email address for all my sites or it use the email setting in s2 member? please clarify my confusion . thanks

yk

[Cristián Lávaque]

Your business PayPal email will remain the same, it's the one shared between the sites. The IPN and PDT info is set dynamically by s2Member for each site based on the info you entered in your PayPal Options. WP Admin -> s2Member -> PayPal Options

[member99]

ah , thanks

yk

[member99]

hello,

just have a thought. on the last check out page at paypal. will it use my primary email address for customer contact or my email address to login ? for primary email address, i can change it but for paypal login i can't , can i ?

yk

[Cristián Lávaque]

At PayPal it'll show your PayPal email, if I'm not mistaken.

[member99]

primary email address , you mean ?

yk

[Peanut]

I'm a bit of a dope and having trouble figuring out how to set this up on two different sites.

I set up s2 on a website and followed all the instructions for setting up paypal. now i have a different site and all the data in paypal of course matches my first site.

i have no idea on how to make this work correctly for the second site. anybody have "second site s2member and paypal setup for beyond dummies"?