Google Checkout and Comersus Cart

Comersus has launched new integration scripts in compliance with Google Checkout's implementation policies. The new version displays Google's checkout button in cart view and allows purchasers to register or log in at Google prior to providing any personal information at Comersus.

The requirements for using Google Checkout are:

1. One of the following SSL Certificates: * Baltimore Codesigning CA * Baltimore Cybertrust CA * Entrust 2048 CA * Entrust Client CA * Entrust Global Client CA * Entrust GSSL CA * Entrust SSL CA * Equifax Secure eBusiness CA1 * Equifax Secure eBusiness CA2 * Equifax Secure Global eBusiness CA1 * Geotrust Global CA * Godaddy Class 2 CA * GTE Cybertrust 5 CA * GTE Cybertrust CA * GTE Cybertrust Global CA * Starfield Class 2 CA * Thawte Personal Basic CA * Thawte Personal Freemail CA * Thawte Personal Premium CA * Thawte Premium Server CA * Thawte Server CA * ValiCert Class 2 CA * VeriSign Class 1 CA * VeriSign Class 1 G2 CA * VeriSign Class 1 G3 CA * VeriSign Class 2 CA * VeriSign Class 2 G3 CA * VeriSign Class 3 CA * VeriSign Class 3 G2 CA * VeriSign Class 3 G3 CA * VeriSign Server CA* Baltimore Codesigning CA * Baltimore Cybertrust CA * Entrust 2048 CA * Entrust Client CA * Entrust Global Client CA * Entrust GSSL CA * Entrust SSL CA * Equifax Secure eBusiness CA1 * Equifax Secure eBusiness CA2 * Equifax Secure Global eBusiness CA1 * Geotrust Global CA * Godaddy Class 2 CA * GTE Cybertrust 5 CA * GTE Cybertrust CA * GTE Cybertrust Global CA * Starfield Class 2 CA * Thawte Personal Basic CA * Thawte Personal Freemail CA * Thawte Personal Premium CA * Thawte Premium Server CA * Thawte Server CA * ValiCert Class 2 CA * VeriSign Class 1 CA * VeriSign Class 1 G2 CA * VeriSign Class 1 G3 CA * VeriSign Class 2 CA * VeriSign Class 2 G3 CA * VeriSign Class 3 CA * VeriSign Class 3 G2 CA * VeriSign Class 3 G3 CA * VeriSign Server CA

2. The ability to set Basic HTTP authentication on a server folder with the Merchant Calculations and Notification script.

3. Being a US company with a FEIN number.

The new implementation is a Level 2 integration that allows completing the whole purchasing process, including order status update and automatic distribution of digital goods.

However, it has the following limitations:
1. It only supports Real Time UPS, Real Time USPS or off line shipping methods. Other shipping options (Intershipper, Fedex and Canada) are not currently supported.
2. Discount codes are not supported.
3. After checking out in Google, the customer is redirected to Comersus but they are not logged in automatically to their Comersus account (to check order history or modify personal data) due to Google's technical limitations.

Note: Google Checkout is not a payment gateway but an alternative checkout system; this means it cannot be implemented as one more payment gateway. Rather, it requires rewriting all routines for integration with the shopping cart and all communications with real time shipping systems. The most popular options are already available, and in the near future Comersus will add support for discount codes and other Real Time Shipping options.

Previous notes about Google Checkout

This service offers purchasers the ability to purchase products from multiple online stores from only one profile; that is, there is a centralized control panel with information on all orders placed. Additional benefits are a fraud protection system and the chance to hide your email address from the store owner in order to avoid SPAM.

As regards sellers, Google Checkout supports displaying a badge icon in AdWords campaigns, obtaining increased leads, and turning those leads into sales thanks to a simplified checkout procedure. The service is attractive in terms of sales commissions. Discount rates are low (2% and %0.20 per transaction) and, most importantly, each dollar invested in AdWords entitles you to $10 in sales processed by Google. This means that, if you spend $1,000 on AdWords, you can process sales amounting to $10,000 with no transaction fees. Lastly, Google offers a fraud protection system. While Google is not disclosing details on how the system works, the merchant can check whether the order is covered against fraud and decide on shipping the goods.

But, what is Google Checkout exactly? Is it a payment gateway? Is it a shopping cart? Is it a bit of both? Google defines Google Checkout as "a checkout process that you integrate with your website". More specifically, we can say that Google Checkout is more than a payment gateway but it does not quite amount to a full shopping cart plus gateway system.

Some of the advantages of Google Checkout lie precisely in this hybrid nature, since any e-commerce store currently has a shopping cart installed. This shopping cart is most probably configured or customized to fit the merchant's own business logic. Google Checkout, rather than requesting the amount payable and taking the customer's data from the website, as typical gateways do, requests the following data:

1. A list of the products sold plus quantity and unit price
2. Generic shipping options, since the customer has not yet logged in at Google, so their shipping address is still unknown
3. Generic tax options, for the same reason

With this information, Google authenticates the customer (or registers them), prompts them to choose a shipping option, and then calculates taxes.

While it is true that Google also allows the merchant to make the calculations themselves after the fact, this procedure is extremely complex and requires going back and forth several times between the store and Google servers. Not to mention that the store may also need to connect to other external sites (such as UPS or USPS) to quote shipping.

Bottom line, Google Checkout could be greatly improved with a small change, namely:

Allowing the shopping cart to relay to Google Checkout the customer's shipping address and shipping and tax amounts. Then, the shopping cart can still function as a shopping rather than just a catalog.

Other current limitations of Google Checkout are that only US merchants are accepted and there are restrictions on what types of product can be sold (a comprehensive list is available at https://checkout.google.com/seller/content_policies.html).

It is worth noting that the system for authenticating communications between the website and Google is very simple. Google has decided to support authentication by creating a HMAC_SHA1 string. Many functions are available for this purpose, and it is not necessary to install components or perform complex configurations as in the case of PayPal Web Site Payments Pro.

Comersus Open Technologies completed integration between the shopping cart and Google Checkout on July 5, 2006 (updated on July 17).

Comersus integrates with Google Checkout as follows:

1. It is not required to install the components provided by Google in its ASP code examples.
2. Google Checkout is configured as a new payment method, alongside other methods if necessary.
3. Comersus compiles order contents, taxes, and shipping charges in one item and performs the necessary configurations in order to restrict the state in the shipping address, thus preventing the customer from modifying the shipping address at Google and creating a discrepancy in shipping charges.
4. A callback response is sent to Comersus when the payment is authorized at Google (new-order-notification)

To obtain integration with Google Checkout, purchase Power Pack Premium after July 5, 2006. If you are a Power Pack Premium customer already, sign up for Version Upgrade Program.

Note: before using Comersus & Google Checkout integration please verify with current Google Policies regarding integration steps and conditions.