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

11 replies
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? :confused:
#buttons #order #paypal #read
  • Profile picture of the author 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
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  • Profile picture of the author Tomwood
    I have recently copied and pasted a paypal button on to my site with no problems
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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    Lee Harding
    The Architect
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    • Profile picture of the author Emmanuel Betinis
      [DELETED]
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      • Profile picture of the author 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.
        Signature
        Lee Harding
        The Architect
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        • Profile picture of the author Emmanuel Betinis
          Originally Posted by lharding View Post

          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?
          :confused:
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  • Profile picture of the author masonpan
    Hi Emmanuel. I just paste it in and it works fine. I think Iharding must be right. try it again. Good luck
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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    • Profile picture of the author Emmanuel Betinis
      Originally Posted by Rosie Cottis View Post

      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 View Post

      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 View Post

      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 View Post

      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.
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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  • Profile picture of the author 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.
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