s2Member Pro ( v1.0.8 now available, requires WP 3.0+ )

[Jason Caldwell]

Check out s2Member Pro @ ( http://www.s2member.com/ )
s2Member Pro is an add-on module for the free version of s2Member. s2Member Pro adds PayPal® Pro integration, a PayPal® Pro Form Generator, User Import/Export tools, and more. New features will be added in future versions of s2Member Pro. Your purchase of s2Member Pro includes free lifetime upgrades.

== Changelog ==

= s2Member v1.0.8 =

• Updated minimum requirements to WordPress® 3.0+. There were changes in the s2Member Framework @ v3.1.1, which now require WP 3.0+ ( `apply_filters_ref_array` ). WordPress 2.9.2 is no longer compatible.

= s2Member v1.0.7 =

• SSL Port. You can use `s2member_force_ssl -> yes` as a Custom Field with any Post/Page. This feature comes in handy if you need to force SSL on pages hosting PayPal® Pro Forms, implemented by the s2Member Pro Module. You can set `s2member_force_ssl -> yes` to force *https://*. If your server runs SSL over a special port number, or your server requires the port number to actually be in the URL ( i.e. HOST:port ), you can set `s2member_force_ssl -> 443`; or to whatever port you need. In addition to forcing *https://*, s2Member is also capable of forcing SSL compatibility in your theme, and in quirky plugins. If your theme is NOT 100% compatible with SSL, s2Member can sometimes correct flaws automatically, but not always. For maximum compatibility with SSL, we recommend a premium WordPress® theme from PriMoThemes.com, or from another trusted source that states "SSL Compatible".
• Bug fix. References to the Constant `WP_CONTENT_URL` have been removed, in favor of `content_url()`, which is SSL-friendly.
• Tweak. References to `$_SERVER["HTTPS"]` have been abandoned, in favor of `is_ssl()`, which is native to WordPress®.
• Windows®. Although full testing on Windows® IIS is not completed, one bug report indicated a problem with `["dir_url"]`. This has been corrected in v1.0.7, using `DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR`.
• Bug fix. PHP 5.3.x reference value on option filters. The `apply_filters()` call was changed to `apply_filters_ref_array()`. This has been corrected in v3.1.1 of the s2Member Framework. If you're getting an error in PHP 5.3.x, please upgrade to the latest version of the s2Member Framework.

s2Member v1.0.6 is now available.
== Changelog ==

= 1.0.6 =

• Updated to support both ionCube® and the Zend® Optimizer.
  s2Member Pro will NOW work with either of these extensions.
• The `/extras/check-my-server.php` file has been updated to
  support both ionCube® and the Zend® Optimizer.
• ionCube® loaders are now bundled with the s2Member Pro distribution file.

If ionCube® is not loaded on your server, s2Member will provide you with instructions inside WordPress automatically. It just takes one line in your php.ini file. Either that, or a quick ticket to your web host.

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.5 =

• New feature. s2Member Pro now allows you to customize a list of Recipients for both the Pro Signup Confirmation Email, and also the Specific Post/Page Confirmation Email. This makes it possible to prevent these emails from going out ( definitely NOT recommended though ). More importantly, it allows you to have copies of these messages sent to various departments, or even to a list server; such as AWeber/MailChimp. It should also be noted that your list of Recipients, your Subject Line, and your Messages; can all be modified easily, and ALL of these fields support the full list of Replacement Codes listed in those sections. For further details, see: `s2Member -> PayPal® Options`.
• New feature. PayPal® Pro Shortcodes now support two new attributes. You can set accept="paypal,visa,mastercard,amex,discover,maestro,solo", and then set accept_via_paypal="paypal,amex,discover,maestro,solo" for any Billing Methods you want to accept exclusively through PayPal®, instead of through on-site processing with the PayPal® Pro API. It is NOT likely that you'll want to do this. However, if you're operating with a non-USA PayPal® account, and you can only process Visa/MasterCard on-site; this may come in handy. In other words, if you have to, you can use this attribute accept_via_paypal="paypal,amex,discover,maestro,solo", so that your Customers can still use these alternate methods by routing them directly through PayPal®. Here is a full list of international Billing Methods accepted directly through PayPal®. Again... if you're operating with PayPal® Pro in the USA, you will probably NOT need this at all.
• New feature. s2Member Pro can now maintain a raw log file of all communication with the PayPal® Pro API. This is 100% optional. You can enable logging in your WP Dashboard, under: `s2Member -> PayPal® Options -> Account Details -> Logging`. The log file will be stored inside `/plugins/s2member-logs/paypal-pro-api.log`. Raw log files will NOT reveal a full credit card number. Only the last four digits ( i.e. ************1234 ).

= 1.0.4 =

• Bug fix. Two code sample files introduced in v1.0.2 were being encoded by Zend® Guard. Corrected in v1.0.4.

= 1.0.2 =

• Updated to support Replacement Codes in this Shortcode attribute: `success="http://..."`. This is documented under `s2Member -> PayPal® Pro Forms -> Custom Success Pages`.
• Change. s2Member Pro NO longer sends a response message in the `success=""` attribute unless you specifically request it with a Replacement Code. Documented under `s2Member -> PayPal® Pro Forms -> Custom Success Pages`.

= 1.0.1 =

• There is a new WordPress® Filter for responses returned by the PayPal® Pro API. For instance, it is now possible to do this: `add_filter("ws_plugin__s2member_pro_paypal_response", "my_filter");`. This allows you to filter the response array coming from the PayPal® Pro API, with a possible `"__error"` message; where ( `__error` is an array element ) that s2Member Pro generates in certain instances, as a result of this response. This is only useful for advanced web developers integrating s2Member Pro in extremely creative ways. The response array passed to your function by this Filter, is the same response array documented in the PayPal® Pro API, which is included with the s2Member Pro distribution, see: `/s2member-pro/includes/paypal-pro-api.pdf`. Again, you do NOT need to use this, it is only intended to provide advanced web developers with additional control over the response returned by the PayPal® Pro API.

= s2Member Pro v1.0 =

• Credit card processing for Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express®, Discover®, Maestro®, Solo®, and PayPal® Express Checkout.
  
• Advanced User Import/Export tools. Supporting `"ID", "Username", "Password", "First Name", "Last Name", "Display Name", "Email", "Website", "Level[0-4] or Role ID", "Custom Capabilities", "Registration Date ( mm/dd/yyyy )", "Last Payment Date ( mm/dd/yyyy )", "Auto-EOT Date ( mm/dd/yyyy )", "PayPal® Custom String", "PayPal® Subscr. ID", "Custom Field1 Name", "Custom Field1 Value", "Custom Field2 Name", "Custom Field2 Value", ...`.
  
• Full PayPal® Pro integration, PayPal® Pro w/Express Checkout, and PayPal® Pro w/Recurring Billing enabled. Including Free Registration Forms, PayPal® Pro Membership Registration Forms ( supporting all the same features as the free version of s2Member, including Custom Capabilities ). Plus, PayPal® Pro Modification Forms, PayPal® Pro Billing Update Forms, PayPal® Pro Cancellation Forms, and PayPal® Pro Specific Post/Page "Buy Now" Forms.
  
• A full set of PayPal® Pro Form Generators; very much like the free s2Member Button Generators; only these generate Shortcodes that produce "Forms" you can place on your site; then add your own visuals around them. All forms are compatible with PayPal® Pro, and PayPal® Pro w/Recurring Billing support enabled.
  
• Although it's not necessary, the default CSS Styles for all Forms can be overwritten by your theme. This allows a developer to further customize the display of all PayPal® Pro Forms. The default Stylesheet is very basic, providing maximum compatibility with any WordPress® theme. You will probably NOT need to use custom CSS, but it is possible; should the need arise in rare cases.
  
• Additional features coming very soon. Every purchase of s2Member Pro comes with free lifetime upgrades. Visit [s2Member.com](http://www.s2member.com/) to purchase your License Key.

== Coming Soon, In A Future Release Of s2Member Pro ==

• Support for coupon codes.
• Support for recurring payment reminders.
• Support for Google® Checkout integration.
• Support for ClickBank® Checkout integration.
• Improvements to Custom Field support w/ additional features.

Purchase now and receive future upgrades FREE, as they're released.
[s2Member Pro](http://www.s2member.com/prices/)

[johnmont]

Awesome news, Jason...thanks so much for your efforts on this.

[Jason Caldwell]

Thanks John, ~and you're very welcome!
* Please report all bugs.

[Jason Caldwell]

No longer applicable. s2Member Pro now comes with full source code. None of this is required anymore.

s2Member Pro has been encoded with Zend® Guard. In order to run s2Member Pro, you will need the Zend® Optimizer, or contact your hosting provider and ask them to enable Zend® Optimizer for you.

Zend® Optimizer is pre-installed with most installations of PHP. For instance, all of these approved WordPress® hosting providers have the Zend® Optimizer already installed: http://wordpress.org/hosting/

Some other hosting providers have it pre-installed, but not configured. Once Zend® Optimizer is installed, you'll need these lines in your php.ini file. They should look something like this:

Code: Select all

; Configure the Zend Optimizer.
zend_optimizer.enable_loader = 1
zend_optimizer.optimization_level = 15
zend_extension = /path/to/ZendOptimizer.so


My top choice is MediaTemple (gs)
http://mediatemple.net/webhosting/gs/

If your hosting provider does not have the Zend Optimizer installed, chances are, they can & will install it for you. In addition to performance-improvement, the Zend® Optimizer also allows PHP to transparently load files encoded by Zend® Guard. The Zend® Optimizer is a freely-available product from Zend® Technologies. Zend® Technologies is the company that develops the PHP scripting engine, also known as the Zend® Engine.

[rossagrant]

Wow Jason, you have been working hard!

Would love the Pro module but right now can't justify the cost of a monthly payment for the pro account at Paypal.

Particularly interested in Google Checkout though.
I have always been impressed with Google's speed for checkouts and was wondering if this gateway will ever be implemented into the regular S2 member or is it a case of having to pay Google a fee like for paypal pro payments?

Thanks again,
Ross

[Jason Caldwell]

Hi Ross.
I'm sending you a free copy of s2Member Pro.
You've been a huge help here in the forums.

Google Checkout will be released as part of s2Member Pro.
http://www.s2member.com/

[rossagrant]

Jason,
That is super generous of you, I cannot thank you enough!

Helping out on here is a pleasure and I really appreciate your gift!
As soon as I get a Paypal pro account with Paypal I'll give it a good test run and keep you informed on how it all works with my site!

Thanks once again mate, your plugins and approach to developing really does astound me. Keep up all of the hard work!

THANKS AGAIN!

[drbyte]

I agree, $30 per month plus 3 to 4% commission it
somehow too much for start-ups. Not that I want one too Jason

Sam

[Jason Caldwell]

I agree, $30 per month plus 3 to 4% commission it
somehow too much for start-ups. Not that I want one too Jason

Sam

Hi Sam. You have an s2Member.com account heading your way. Unlimited domain license with s2Clean theme package. Please send in a list of domains that you need licenses for, and I'll update your account.

Thanks for all your help here in the forums. I have no problem giving freebies out in exchange for assistance in the forums. If anyone else has the time/expertise to help answer questions, please feel free to contact me.

[Jwrbloom]

Hope this isn't the wrong place to ask this, but are there any plans to include more than 4 user levels?

[Jason Caldwell]

s2Member can be extended well beyond the default Levels [0-4].
But first, I should explain that the concept of "Levels" are really NOT that powerful all on their own. Don't get me wrong, they work wonders in lots of cases, and they're really simple to work with. However, they're not easily extended for complex situations, and thus, have become an outdated way of handling on-site permissions that require lots of complexity.

In other words, even if we designed s2Member to support up to 100 Levels, or even unlimited, that still would not resolve common problems ( limitations ) associated with Levels.

The best way to extend s2Member is through the application of Custom Capabilities. Please see s2Member's section on Custom Capabilities under: s2Member -> API / Scripting -> Custom Capability Packages.

Using Custom Capabilities, you can apply special permissions for different packages, while using just ONE, or possibly TWO of s2Member's built-in Levels. This is the same concept that WordPress® Roles/Capabilities are based on, and is the main reason why the concept of Levels is slowly being deprecated.

[drbyte]

I agree, $30 per month plus 3 to 4% commission it
somehow too much for start-ups. Not that I want one too Jason

Sam

Hi Sam. You have an s2Member.com account heading your way. Unlimited domain license with s2Clean theme package. Please send in a list of domains that you need licenses for, and I'll update your account.

Thanks for all your help here in the forums. I have no problem giving freebies out in exchange for assistance in the forums. If anyone else has the time/expertise to help answer questions, please feel free to contact me.

Jason, You are the man......I had this tingling feeling in my spin when I saw your email...Thank you so much..You just made my year. I will email you the info soon

Thank you so mush again..I'm glad to help in here...

Sam

[Jason Caldwell]

No problem Sam. I really appreciate the assistance you've been providing!

[thomas e]

Hi there,

I have 2 questions:

1) Is the credit card info visitors give on my website with s2m pro save? with paypal it would be an https page, but I have no idea how to do this on my own site. How can I make sure nobody else gets my customers credit card details?

2) I have an international website, but am also making a Dutch website. For that site I am planning on using paypro (www.paypro.nl) as the payment processor. Is there any chance that I would be able to use s2member with this payment option in the future?

Thanks for your help,

Thomas Engberts

[Jason Caldwell]

1) Is the credit card info visitors give on my website with s2m pro save? with paypal it would be an https page, but I have no idea how to do this on my own site. How can I make sure nobody else gets my customers credit card details?

Yes. In order to comply with PayPal® and PCI Compliance policies, as set forth by major credit card companies; you will need to host all of your PayPal® Pro Forms on an SSL enabled site. Please check with your hosting provider to ask about obtaining an SSL certificate for your domain. Please note... when you create PayPal® Pro Forms using the Form Generator provided by s2Member; you'll be supplied with WordPress® Shortcodes, which you'll insert into Posts/Pages of your choosing. These special Posts/Pages will need to be displayed in SSL mode, using links that start with ( https:// ). In other words, when you link to these Posts/Pages, you'll need to make sure your links start with https://.

You can skip the SSL certificate during Sandbox testing. SSL is not required until you officially go live. Once you're live, you can add the Custom Field s2member_force_ssl = 1 to any Post/Page. s2Member will buffer output on those special Posts/Pages, converting everything over to https:// for you automatically, and forcing those specific Posts/Pages to be viewed over a secure SSL connection; so long as your server supports the https protocol. This will help you eliminate the dreaded Secure/Insecure errors in Internet Explorer®.

Tip: All themes available at PriMoThemes.com include full support for SSL enabled Posts/Pages. Also, with s2Member installed, you can add the Custom Field s2member_force_ssl = 1 to any Post/Page ( using any theme ). s2Member will buffer output on those special Posts/Pages, converting everything over to https:// for you automatically, and forcing those specific Posts/Pages to be viewed over a secure SSL connection; so long as your server supports the https protocol.

WordPress® is perfectly compatible with SSL enabled ( https:// ). However, not all themes/plugins are designed to behave properly with SSL enabled. For instance, some WordPress® themes/plugins embed links to images, scripts, and/or style sheets; all starting with http://, instead of https://, ( or just //: - which is cross-protocol compatible ). For this reason, you should be very careful when choosing a WordPress® theme/plugin to use with s2Member Pro. Otherwise, your visitors could see the famous "Secure/Insecure" warnings in Internet Explorer® browsers. A good web developer can fix this minor issue with ease, but novice site owners are advised to get help from a professional.

2) I have an international website, but am also making a Dutch website. For that site I am planning on using paypro (http://www.paypro.nl) as the payment processor. Is there any chance that I would be able to use s2member with this payment option in the future?

No, it is NOT likely that s2Member Pro will ever support that particular gateway. We do have plans for integrations with several other gateways, but we'll be sticking with the big boys. PayPal®, Authorize.net, ccBill, Google Checkout, PayDotCom, eJunkie, etc.

PayPal® Pro is already available with s2Member Pro, and it's the MOST powerful in our opinion. We also have plans to integrate with the PayPal Adaptive API in the near future. ccBill is also coming soon, because it opens the door for s2Member to work in the adult industry as well.

1) Is the credit card info visitors give on my website with s2m pro save? with paypal it would be an https page, but I have no idea how to do this on my own site. How can I make sure nobody else gets my customers credit card details?

No, even though s2Member facilitates on-site credit card processing through the PayPal® Pro API, s2Member does NOT store any financial details in your WordPress® database or anywhere else on your site. This is a feature; because it makes your site more secure overall, and maximizes the benefit of having a PayPal® Pro account. All financial details can be managed through powerful interfaces inside your PayPal® Pro account.

On this same note. One of the greatest things about PayPal® Pro, is that it consolidates ALL of your financial information into one easy-to-use interface at PayPal. Most site owners have something like an Authorize.net account, or a Bank gateway that requires separate logins ( and separate reports ); and then they also offer PayPal as another payment option. This creates a very unorganized approach to e-commerce.

With PayPal® Pro, everything is consolidated into ONE financial tool that is used by millions. You can accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Amex, Maestro, Solo, and PayPal - and all of your merchant tools/reports are inside a single PayPal® account. In other words, you don't need a separate merchant account.

[thomas e]

Thanks a lot Jason for the explanation, I already use the S2clean theme, so that should not be a problem

I asked my hosting company about the SSL certificate, now waiting for their reply.

In the meantime I have another question, which I'm not sure you can answer but I'll ask it anyway:

I charge my customers in Thai Baht (My bussiness is based in Thailand), but all my clients are expats who can't speak thai. Yet the paypal checkout form is being shown in Thai. I asked the paypal tech support how I could change this, and they gave me the following answer:

"You can pass a variable in your button code called "lc" and "country" that will determine what language appears on the checkout page. If you want it to appear as English, you can pass "US" or "GB" as values. So you'll have:
<input type=hidden name=lc value=US>
<input type=hidden name=country value=US>

If you're using a button you created through PayPal, you can add "lc" and "country" into Step 3 of the Button Factory. If you're not sure how to modify an existing button, you can follow these steps:
- Log into your PayPal account
- Click on the "Profile" subtab
- Click on the "My Saved Buttons" link under "Selling Preferences"
- Choose the button you want to edit
- Click the "Action" button and then the "Edit button" option
- Make the necessary changes and click "Save changes" at the bottom

When you're adding the variables in Step 3 you'll type them in like this:
lc=US
country=US"

Now of course I don't generate my buttons in paypal, but within the S2member interface.

However, in the button code generated by S2member I can't find these variables.

Do you have any idea how I can put these variables into the S2member generated code?

Thanks a lot,

Thomas

[gwc_wd]

Wow Jason, you have been working hard!

Would love the Pro module but right now can't justify the cost of a monthly payment for the pro account at Paypal.

I'm quite confused. I just bought the Developer License without fully understanding the credit card functionality. I assumed because I already create PayPal buttons that present a credit card purchase option or "have an existing paypal account" option, that I would be able to do the same with subscriptions.

Is the requirement for PayPal Pro linked to the recurring payment? So if I change it to a fixed annual fee, without annual recurring payment, then I can continue to offer the credit card option?

Will s2Member Pro support such buttons or can I just build one on my PayPal Merchant account and do some customizing to ensure s2Member knows about it?

[Jason Caldwell]

I'm quite confused. I just bought the Developer License without fully understanding the credit card functionality. I assumed because I already create PayPal buttons that present a credit card purchase option or "have an existing paypal account" option, that I would be able to do the same with subscriptions.

With PayPal® Pro, you don't send Customers to PayPal® at all. You keep them on your site throughout the entire checkout process, and credit cards are processed "from your site" using s2Member Pro Forms that connect to the PayPal® Pro API. This is what makes the s2Member Pro Module so powerful.

The s2Member Pro Forms can be integrated exactly the same way as PayPal Buttons are, you just pop a Shortcode into any Post/Page, and voila! You have a powerful PayPal® Pro integration. Customers use the checkout Forms generated by your Shortcodes, and they never leave your site.

Unlike many online services, such as eJunkie, 2Checkout, PayDotCom... s2Member Pro gives you full control. The checkout forms are nested seamlessly into your existing WordPress theme, making it easier to smooth over your Customers, instead of sending them off to a pre-fab checkout system.

Is the requirement for PayPal Pro linked to the recurring payment? So if I change it to a fixed annual fee, without annual recurring payment, then I can continue to offer the credit card option?

s2Member Pro has been designed to work "with" or "without" the PayPal® Pro Recurring service. If you are only doing Buy Now transactions, there is no need to pay for PayPal's Recurring service. That being said, if you intend to charge a recurring fee, and/or offer a trial period, you WILL need the Recurring Service for your PayPal® Pro account. There are additional details on this subject in the FAQ:
http://www.s2member.com/support/#paypal ... count-type
( a full PayPal® Pro account with support for Recurring billing is $60/mo )
( this fee is charged by PayPal, and is much cheaper than other solutions of its kind )
What this DEMO Video: https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/m/d ... 0x355.html

If it works in the free version, it just works better in the Pro version. The s2Member Pro Module requires the s2Member Framework ( the free version ) to be installed first. So if you've already been using s2Member, you won't have anything new to learn. The s2Member Pro Module "adds to" what you already have. The s2Member Pro Module adds full support for PayPal® Pro integration. The PayPal® Pro integration has been specifically designed for compatiblity with all s2Member Framework features. In other words, everything that works in the free version, will ALSO work with PayPal® Pro integration.

Including, but not limited to: Standard PayPal Buttons, Membership Levels, Custom Capabilities, Access Restrictions, List Server integrations, API Notifications, Tracking Codes, Shortcode attributes, API Conditionals, API Constants, General Options, Content Dripping, etc.

Will s2Member Pro support such buttons or can I just build one on my PayPal Merchant account and do some customizing to ensure s2Member knows about it?

Yes. Go to: s2Member -> PayPal Buttons, and generate a "Buy Now" button with Lifetime access. This is already built into the free version of s2Member; and it does NOT require PayPal® Pro. I suggest using only the s2Member Button Generator, because s2Member customizes the Button Codes for a tight integration with your WordPress® installation. That being said, if you know what you're doing, yes.. s2Member will work with just about any Button Code that can be created for a PayPal® transaction.

Is the requirement for PayPal Pro linked to the recurring payment? So if I change it to a fixed annual fee, without annual recurring payment, then I can continue to offer the credit card option?

Just to elaborate on this topic a bit more. I highly recommend a PayPal® Pro account, "with" Recurring Billing enabled. It's only $60/mo and well worth every penny. When your PayPal® Pro account has Recurring service enabled, the total cost is $60/mo. This will give you the ability to utilize ALL of the features made available through Pro integration, instead of a limited subset with Buy Now functionatlity. https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/m/d ... 0x355.html

Why is it worth it? Read this: http://www.s2member.com/support/#greatest-benefits