Do YOU Use PayPal ORDER Buttons? Then Read Here...

[Emmanuel Betinis]

EDIT: I solved the original problem.
Anything up until thread #6 here
does not pertain to my new problem.

Here's the new problem:
PayPal allows me to have a
"special instructions to seller"
text field but it is only limited to
40 characters?!

Also, during "button creation"
PayPal also allows me to
insert up to two text fields
just above the BUY NOW button
but again it is only limited to 40
characters!

Just 40 characters is not nearly enough
room to allow my clients to clearly type
out their instructions, URLs, transcripts,
etc. with the order.

I need the user to be able to type
more than just 40 characters
in a text box along with the
PayPal order.

How can I do this with PayPal?

[Kim Standerline]

lol does the new paypal code have a few bugs.

I haven't used buy now buttons since the interface etc changed, I'm hoping when I come back into IM at the end of this month I can still find my way around

Kim

edit

To answer your question, yes I always just copy and pasted

[Tomwood]

I have recently copied and pasted a paypal button on to my site with no problems

[lharding]

Hi,

From looking at your HTML, you've missed the starting <FORM> tag for the PayPal button. Perhaps you didn't select the entire PayPal code properly. So, at the moment the form is submitting to the same URL that your email option is, an you're getting an invalid URL (hence the holding page you got). Just re-paste the PayPal code.

Cheers, Lee.

[masonpan]

Hi Emmanuel. I just paste it in and it works fine. I think Iharding must be right. try it again. Good luck

[lharding]

Ah, you're right (hard to see on view source mode), I've pasted into my editor and it looks like the "PayPal form" is part of the "email form" and I can only find ONE </form>, so I suspect that your paypal submit button is actually submitting the email form. You probably need to separate them, so each is <form>email</form> then <form>paypal</form>.

So, I think the error is in the email form, rather than the paypal.

Cheers, Lee.

[Emmanuel Betinis]

Originally Posted by lharding

Ah, you're right (hard to see on view source mode), I've pasted into my editor and it looks like the "PayPal form" is part of the "email form" and I can only find ONE </form>, so I suspect that your paypal submit button is actually submitting the email form. You probably need to separate them, so each is <form>email</form> then <form>paypal</form>.

So, I think the error is in the email form, rather than the paypal.

Cheers, Lee.

Thanks for your time so far, Lee.

You'll notice I've changed the OP:

Here's the new problem:
PayPal allows me to have a
"special instructions to seller"
text field but it is only limited to
40 characters?!

Also, during "button creation"
PayPal also allows me to
insert up to two text fields
just above the BUY NOW button
but again it is only limited to 40
characters!

Just 40 characters is not nearly enough
room to allow my clients to clearly type
out their instructions, URLs, transcripts,
etc. with the order.

I need the user to be able to type
more than just 40 characters
in a text box along with the
PayPal order.

How can I do this with PayPal?

[Rosie Cottis]

Most sellers seem to send buyers to a form to fill out on the seller's website after they pay, i.e. a form where the download page would normally be. This is my experience from ordering graphics etc. They don't try to have the buyer put everything into PayPal.

[darrin_cooper]

You can create a TEXT BOX with additional special instructions. But this will not be on the Buy Button, this will be AFTER they have clicked on the button.

You can instruct people to fill out more information.

[Barbara Wilson]

I don't think the Special Instructions text box is limited to 40 characters - It's the "Name" of the Special Instructions text box that is limited. I check this option "Yes" and I've had customers send me messages that are longer than 40 characters.

However, if you need for them to give you a lot of information, it may be better to direct them to a form after a successful checkout. That option is in the same section, it says "Take customers to a specific page (URL) after successful checkout". Just click the radial button for that option and fill in the URL for the form on your site and they'll be redirected to the form as soon as the payment is completed. I do that to get more information about their order and it works well. You can ask for specific details that you need and also add a text field where they can give you additional information that they feel is pertinent to their order.

[Emmanuel Betinis]

Originally Posted by Rosie Cottis

Most sellers seem to send buyers to a form to fill out on the seller's website after they pay, i.e. a form where the download page would normally be. This is my experience from ordering graphics etc. They don't try to have the buyer put everything into PayPal.

Right...but why not have the user
enter the info "all in one crack"
versus having to sift through
TWO separate messages
per order?

I'd like to streamline my order
process by simply having
the payment info and
customer info all in
one message.

Don't you think it would keep
things more organized and
easier for the merchant
to keep track of orders
and customers?

Originally Posted by darrin_cooper

You can create a TEXT BOX with additional special instructions. But this will not be on the Buy Button, this will be AFTER they have clicked on the button.

You can instruct people to fill out more information.

Right.

This is what I was talking about in the OP.
The problem with this box is I think it's limited
to a certain amount of characters.

I do voiceover work, so I need the user to be
able to send me a transcript of the work they
need done, and I wasn't sure how much text
would fit into that box.

Does anyone know what the limit is on it?

I would test this myself but I can't because when I try
to buy it won't let me go through and log in
with my own details (since I'm also the merchant).

Originally Posted by Barbara Wilson

I don't think the Special Instructions text box is limited to 40 characters - It's the "Name" of the Special Instructions text box that is limited. I check this option "Yes" and I've had customers send me messages that are longer than 40 characters.

Hmmm...interesting. I would test this myself
to discover what the limit REALLY is but I can
not because of the reason(s) mentioned above.

Perhaps someone kind enough here could shed
some light on this (or test it for me somehow?)

Originally Posted by Barbara Wilson

However, if you need for them to give you a lot of information, it may be better to direct them to a form after a successful checkout. That option is in the same section, it says "Take customers to a specific page (URL) after successful checkout". Just click the radial button for that option and fill in the URL for the form on your site and they'll be redirected to the form as soon as the payment is completed. I do that to get more information about their order and it works well. You can ask for specific details that you need and also add a text field where they can give you additional information that they feel is pertinent to their order.

I am using that already for my "Thank you" page, yes,
but like I stated above I would prefer NOT to do this
just because it's "an extra step" that should be
condensed into a single streamlined process
as I mentioned above (ie. Customer goes to
Voice Over Help, selects the package
he/she wants to order, clicks ORDER NOW button,
enters all the instructions for the order, and finishes
all in one smooth transaction WITHOUT having to
fill out ANOTHER form after the PayPal payment
is complete).

A company like PayPal certainly should be
capable of providing this simple request
(you'd think, right?)

I'll try calling their customer support to see if
we can shed some light on this by talking to
someone of the company directly.

[Emmanuel Betinis]

UPDATE:

After calling PayPal, I've discovered the
Special Instructions To Seller is limited
to 1,200 characters - a bit better
than 40.

That should be enough.

To everyone in this thread: thank you for your input & help.