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Enable a Google Checkout Payment Gateway for Auctiva Commerce

Auctiva Commerce integrates with Google Checkout to process orders using Google's unique checkout system. This tutorial will discuss the benefits of using Google Checkout and show you how to set up a Google Checkout payment gateway in your Auctiva Commerce store.

What is Google Checkout?

Google Checkout is a comprehensive shopping experience that allows customers to purchase products using their Google account. Google Checkout shoppers often do Google searches for items that eventually lead to purchases that Google Checkout will process.

Benefits and limitations of Google Checkout

When you add Google Checkout as a payment method on your Auctiva Commerce store, you can tap into Google's network of online shoppers. The benefit of using Google Checkout is that you enable Google's users to easily make purchases on your store. To learn more about Google Checkout, including the fees associated with this service, please visit Google Checkout.

When customers use Google Checkout on your storefront to make a purchase, they are directed to Google Checkout's website to finalize the transaction. The customer will also use Google Checkout to select the shipping method which is passed on from your Auctiva Commerce shipping methods. IMPORTANT NOTE: Not all shipping methods will work with Google Checkout, and Google Checkout only allows three seconds for Auctiva Commerce to pass the shipping charge data to Google Checkout. To minimize the occurrence of timeouts in this process it is recommended that you offer no more than 5 shipping methods when using Google Checkout. This does not ensure that you will not receive timeouts but should minimize their occurrence.

Known Google Checkout Limitations

The following issues have been identified in the Google Checkout system. Please make sure you understand these limitations before implementing Google Checkout in your Auctiva Commerce store.

  • Live Shipping Rates: As noted above Google has a maximum 3 second response time to obtain live shipping rates from Auctiva Commerce. When using integrated shipping carriers, you will need to limit the number of shipping methods available to your customers. An exact figure cannot be determined, however, our testing show that 3-5 TOTAL shipping methods will typically work.

    If you use live shipping rates and the allowed response time is exceeded, the default shipping rate may cause the final order amount to be incorrect or allow your customer to pick an invalid shipping service. This will likely require you to contact your customer directly to resolve any issues. With AucCom release 2.1.2 we added the ability for you to specify separate default rates per shipping method for Google Checkout. These default rates allow you to protect yourself in the event of a time-out when generating Live Shipping Rates with Google Checkout.

  • Multiple Shipments: Google Checkout does not allow you to ship products to multiple addresses in a single order.

  • Multiple Warehouses: Using multiple warehouses in Auctiva Commerce will create multiple shipments if there are items in the Cart from more than one warehouse. To allow store owners with multiple warehouses to use Google Checkout we have added logic to our Cart page which will analyze the cart contents. If there are items from multiple warehouses in the Cart the Google Checkout button will be disabled and a message will be presented to the buyer. This allows you to confidently use Google Checkout even if you have multiple warehouses.

  • Product Personalization: Auctiva Commerce allows a user to enter customized text for a product. Google Checkout does not support this feature.

  • Product Restrictions: Some products are unacceptable for use with Google Checkout. In Auctiva Commerce, you can exclude a product from using Google Checkout. If a customer purchases an item that has been excluded, the Google Checkout button will not appear as a checkout option. For a complete list of exclusions, see Google's content policy

  • Shipping Coupons: Auctiva Commerce shipping coupons will not work with Google Checkout. Order and Product coupons can be still be used.

  • Customer Profiles: Google's privacy policies prohibit Auctiva Commerce from creating a user account based on the order data. This means that your customer's will not be able to return to your store and use the customer account features such as viewing order history. However, Google does provide an option for your customer to track their order within Google Checkout.

  • Credit Card authorizations: Google Checkout authorizations will expire in 7 days.

  • Duplicate Shipping Methods: If you have identically named shipping methods (duplicates) Google Checkout will fail. It is strongly recommended that you do not create duplicate shipping methods.

Add a Google Checkout Payment Gateway

Adding a Google Checkout payment gateway will allow your Auctiva Commerce store to automatically process Google Checkout payments. To set up this payment gateway on your store, you'll first need to create a merchant account with Google Checkout.

Step 1. Create a merchant account with Google Checkout.
  • Go to Google Checkout to set up a merchant account. Please carefully review Google's terms of agreement before you set up an account. Take important note of the product restrictions when using Google Checkout to ensure that you are not in violation of the Google Checkout terms.

After completing the setup for a Google Checkout merchant account, you will need your merchant ID and merchant key to complete Step 2. To locate these values, sign in to your Google Checkout merchant account, go to the Settings tab, and then click the Integration menu item. Your ID and key will be listed to the right. While you are viewing your Google Checkout integration settings, also be sure that you check the option to only accept signed XML carts. You will provide the correct value for the API callback URL later in this tutorial.

Step 2. Add a Google Checkout payment gateway.
  • Log in to your Auctiva Commerce administration.
  • Go to Store > Payments.
  • Click on the Add Gateway button.
  • Click on the Set up Google Checkout link.
  • Locate the Callback URL field and copy it. You'll need this URL in Step 3.
  • Merchant ID: Type in your Google Checkout merchant ID (see Step 1 for details).
  • Merchant Key: Type in your Google Checkout merchant key (see Step 1 for details).
  • Expiration Minutes: Enter in the number of minutes after which the Google Cart expires. The default is set to 30 minutes.
  • Default Ship Rate: Enter in the default value of the shipping rate that is used if the merchant calculated shipping fails. The default is zero. NOTE: The Default Ship Rate value will be applied to all shipping methods that do not have a specific per method default rate set in the event that merchant calculated shipping fails. To protect yourself set the Default Ship Rate to a value which will cover your shipping costs in most (if not all) instances.
  • Check the Enable Google Checkout button.

You have completed the Google Checkout payment gateway in Auctiva Commerce, but there are a few more steps to complete before this payment gateway is ready. Next, you'll configure Google Checkout to work with your Auctiva Commerce store.

Step 3. Configure Google Checkout.
  • Log in to your Google Checkout merchant account.
  • Click on the Settings menu item.
  • Click on the Integration link in the left column.
  • Check the box for Shopping Cart Post Security.
  • Enter (or paste) the Callback URL in the API Callback URL field. This is the URL that you copied in Step 2.
  • Choose XML for the Callback Method. Note that this option will not appear until you enter a value in the API Callback URL field.
  • Click the Save button.
  • Next, click on the Preferences link in the left column.
  • Find the Order Processing option and choose the "Automatically authorize the buyer's credit card for the full amount of the order" option if you want to the order to be authorized but not immediately captured. We recommend this order processing method as it is a better practice in handling orders in the case when shipping methods are not returned to Google Checkout.
  • Click the Save Preferences button to finish.

The Google Checkout configuration is now complete. You're ready to start processing Google Checkout orders in your Auctiva Commerce store.

Google Checkout is one of many Payment Methods that will work with Auctiva Commerce as a billing processor. You can create additional payment gateways for your store so that your customers have multiple ways to make a purchase.

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