Google Checkout Available Now

[immy79]

Google has finally released info on their new payment system. Here's the address: http://checkout.google.com

Of more interest is the info for sellers at: http://checkout.google.com/sell

So, what do you all think? Good idea? Bad idea? Think you'll use it? Think your customers will want it?

[wcw]

They don't appear to be ready yet. The info on API integration refers to a Developer's Guide which links to a non-existant page at
http://checkout.google.com/support/sell/bin/answer.py?answer=42917
I guess their spider hasn't crawled their own pages to check for bad links.

[Wendy]

Google is starting to get scary! They're getting like eBay and taking over the world! :eek:

[chucklasker]

Google is starting to get scary! They're getting like eBay and taking over the world! :eek:

Now you've done it, Wendy! Google will see your post, and they will remove your identity from all computer systems.

My fear is when the Google computer becomes self aware. Hopefully it doesn't decide that the best way to serve humanity is to destroy it. I hate when that happens - having to scortch the sky, send robots back in time...

Seriously, though, anyone who competes against eBay and PayPal is a friend of mine. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

[David Pontius]

It looks interesting. If I understand this correctly, Google pays the merchant fees, so that offsets some of the Google Checkout fees. Plus it integrates with your website, like a Paypal checkout. I hate paypal though. Most of our customers are not paypal users, and when we tried it, it was more confusing than helpful.

[lumasis]

So- are any of you developers working on miva integration? If so...ETA?

Jamie

[bgik77]

Can't wait until someone make a module for this I love anything google =D

[emione]

So- are any of you developers working on miva integration? If so...ETA?
Jamie

I have the same question. Developers, let us know when you have something.

[immy79]

First, it looks like their API is up now at: http://code.google.com/apis/checkout

Second, after looking through the seller information for Google Checkout, it looks like there are a lot of limitations and restrictions with this new service. See policies: http://checkout.google.com/seller/policies.html

For one, they are very strict about how you use their button. It has to appear anywhere on your store that your current checkout button is. Plus, it needs to be the same size as your checkout.

I also don't like the fact that one of the benefits they promote to purchasers is that they can minimize the marketing emails they get from the merchant. While it's not good to spam, I don't like how Google seems to want to take over control of the customer relationship. They even don't want merchants to send order confirmation emails for Google Checkout purchases.

Other restrictions:
- "Do not create additional buyer accounts using Google Checkout information."
- "Google Checkout must be available as a checkout option at least 95% of the time."

Google Checkout manages the orders for them, shows shipping status, etc. It gives the impression to the shopper that Google is the one doing all the work and the merchant just provides the product. It doesn't help merchants develop relationships with their customer. It pretty much hinders that.

[Bruce - PhosphorMedia]

Good catch. From what you describe, i would have a hard time recommending that payment option to clients.

Making a sale is mearly "opening the door" to obtaining a customer. Customer's are where the money is at, rather than just "orders".

[bgik77]

I still think that if Google can convince enough big retailers to use it, small retailers is going to have a hard time not to offer the same option. But this is too early to predict how things will fall either way. But hey at least PayPal have some serious competition and we might benefit from these mover and shaker.

[immy79]

I don't think it necessarily competes with PayPal, though. I view Google Checkout as more of an online wallet, like what Microsoft tried to do a few years ago.

On the flip side, PayPal really is a different type of payment method besides the standard credit cards. True, it can connect to credit cards to draw funds, but you can also pull funds from bank accounts. Right now, Google Checkout can only be used with credit cards. And it simply stores them in one location online so you don't have to re-enter them.

Google Checkout is more of a simplified checkout process than a payment gateway type of service. It competes more with PayPal's "buy buttons" than their main payment service.

[bgik77]

Just like everything else that are Google it not going to stay that way, give it a few month I'm sure Google already have all the Paypal functionality on a check list and are adding it as we speak Checkout is only the starting point.

[leroymiller]

Is anyone developing a google checkout module for miva 4.0?

[wmgilligan]

In development - but no ETA.

[youngj@upublish.com]

Do you know if anyone is planning to offer an API payment module that will integrate the Merchant shopping cart with Google Checkout?

[bgik77]

(http://extranet.miva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2284)http://extranet.miva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2284 (http://extranet.miva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2284)

gilligan said he working on one

[zgaspar]

Hi,

I started making a module for the google checkout. Opened a topic for developers on the google groups: http://groups.google.com/group/google-checkout-api-other/browse_frm/thread/7638acd6543fa5c5

I am developing it for Miva Merchant 5 with mysql database for my company. Our main questions are:

Is there interest in a paymant gateway for google checkout?- if no I will live it as a company custom project, if yes I will put the extra effort to lunch it on market

2) for what platform do you need it? MM4 MM5?

3) What are the must have features? operating with xxx shiping module etc.

4) are you using complex tax calculations? google checkout has a powerfull support for this but does anyone need it?


I would appreciate some answers to these questions in order to make a usefull module for you (if there is need for a module like this)

Thanks,
Zoltan Gaspar
Lead Developer
Miron Enterprises, LLC

[bgik77]

Hi,

I started making a module for the google checkout. Opened a topic for developers on the google groups: http://groups.google.com/group/google-checkout-api-other/browse_frm/thread/7638acd6543fa5c5

I am developing it for Miva Merchant 5 with mysql database for my company. Our main questions are:

Is there interest in a paymant gateway for google checkout?- if no I will live it as a company custom project, if yes I will put the extra effort to lunch it on market

2) for what platform do you need it? MM4 MM5?

3) What are the must have features? operating with xxx shiping module etc.

4) are you using complex tax calculations? google checkout has a powerfull support for this but does anyone need it?


I would appreciate some answers to these questions in order to make a usefull module for you (if there is need for a module like this)

Thanks,
Zoltan Gaspar
Lead Developer
Miron Enterprises, LLC

Please make it available for Miva 4
Currently I'm using:

CBS - Shipping SuperMod?
Price Table Based Shipping
and VC's UPS? Custom Integration

as shipping module in my store. As for tax I'm just using standard 1 state tax

[chucklasker]

I have MM4 and MM5 clients who would be interested. The only "complex" tax requirements is Tax Exemption, which we use the B2B Tax Exempt module - both v4 and v5.

[jason - jmh web services]

Hi,

I started making a module for the google checkout. Opened a topic for developers on the google groups: http://groups.google.com/group/google-checkout-api-other/browse_frm/thread/7638acd6543fa5c5

I am developing it for Miva Merchant 5 with mysql database for my company. Our main questions are:

Is there interest in a paymant gateway for google checkout?- if no I will live it as a company custom project, if yes I will put the extra effort to lunch it on market

2) for what platform do you need it? MM4 MM5?

3) What are the must have features? operating with xxx shiping module etc.

4) are you using complex tax calculations? google checkout has a powerfull support for this but does anyone need it?


I would appreciate some answers to these questions in order to make a usefull module for you (if there is need for a module like this)

Thanks,
Zoltan Gaspar
Lead Developer
Miron Enterprises, LLC

Definitely make it available for both v4 and v5

Jason

[directforsale]

Please take into account, when creating modules the need for tracking pixels.

When a customer currently checks out from our store, he goes to a thank you page (INV Page). There we are able to put tracking pixels (Commision Junction, Bizrate, etc...)

How woulds this work with google? Could this be implemented in a module?

gene

[Vic - WolfPaw Computers]

This is completely unrelated to a payment module and should NOT be included.

Tracking of ROI belongs in the store's global footer or INVC screen footer.


Please take into account, when creating modules the need for tracking pixels.

When a customer currently checks out from our store, he goes to a thank you page (INV Page). There we are able to put tracking pixels (Commision Junction, Bizrate, etc...)

How woulds this work with google? Could this be implemented in a module?

gene

[directforsale]

Sorry if I did not fully explain my thought.

The issue I am having is that when you use the google checkout, there is no way to get to the INV page on Miva. It is completely bypassed when using the google checkout. Once the customer decides to checkout or buy the item(s), the google payment is completely off of the Miva system, so there is no way to track that sale.

When I asked Google about this, they said that the customer has an "option" to go back to our website. However, if the customer decides NOT to go back to the site, we lose all Tracking for affiliates and other ROI.

Hope this is a bit clearer now.

gene

[Vic - WolfPaw Computers]

The customer MUST be returned to the MIVA store otherwise your store will not record the order.

The developed payment module should bypass this obvious flaw in their system by forcing the customer back to the store.

This is similar to early flaws in the built in PayPal module which does not return the customer back to the store, nor reports the sale back to the store.

ROI tracking is not the responsibility of a payment module.

[immy79]

The trick is, Google Checkout is not really just a payment method. It's more like a completely different checkout logic that a customer can go through instead of the built-in checkout with MIVA Merchant. It calculates it's own shipping and tax based on settings within your Google Checkout account.

That's the tricky part when making a module for Google Checkout. You have to take that into consideration, but also keep in mind MIVA Merchant's requirements for the order to be recorded in the admin.

[wcw]

PayPal has been around for a few years and hammered out these issues. They realize the importance of notifying the sending program via IPN and making sure the shipping and tax were the same values that were passed to it. Miva Merchant expects the order total upon authorization to be the same as it was when it sent the customer to the payment system. That's a bit useful for fraud protection. As long as the Google API ensures that the product total less discounts plus the tax plus the shipping that Miva Merchant calculates is accepted as the final amount without modifying it, then has a background notification that the payment has been accepted BEFORE the basket times out, the two can work fine together. If it does not, then it is no different from the way the check system works. You let them checkout and wait for the payment. You withhold shipping until the payment is processed.

[wmgilligan]

I have dropped development of a MIVA Merchant Google checkout mod.

Google wants way to much control in my opinion.

Among other things (from Googles docs)...
"On the Place Order page, the buyer can change the shipping address and shipping method, which can change the total cost of the order, as displayed on that page"

If you consider all the possible options (coupons, shipping, upsells,etc), I don't want Google changing anything once the "pay for order" option is clicked...

In other words - they want complete control of your order.....

[wcw]

> In other words - they want complete control of your order

As I said, the way it stands now, you could only have a google checkout similar to the check option or even the old paypal option prior to paypal's use of IPN (several years ago). The google checkout is generations behind paypal. I realize some don't like paypal; get over it. It works for almost everybody. If you are doing something a bit questionable with your account, paypal might take actions to hold funds. If you are not doing anything that could be construed as shady, using the Website Payments Standard or Website Payments Pro modules which interface Miva Merchant with PayPal should suffice.

[john-christopher]

We would be interested in a MM4 module for this too

john