Where can I get a UK Paypal Pro Module?

[Gary]

The only one I can find is http://www.e-commerce-solution.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=70

But these guys are bloody useless, they have ignored every email and voice message I have left for them.

Their modules arent for J1.5 but the site says the 1.5 versions are being done.

Would be nice if they gave me an idea when!!

Is there anywhere else that I can get a UK version?

Many Thanks

Gary

[Maxmmize]

http://myjoomlaextensions.com

They have PayPal Pro US and PayPal Pro UK

[cowboy1989]

I am the writer of paypal pro US, paypal pro UK and PayPal pro subscription .The http://www.myjoomlaextensions.com put it on their shelf without my permission. so  I decided to make them open source now. welcome to download them.
download url: http://www.webresolve.net/joomla/index.php

[JamesH]

My experiences with building out a new website on Joomla 1.5.7 and a product catalog on Virtuemart 1.1.2 have been excellent with both tools surpassing my expectations. However, when it came to integrating Paypal Pro UK or Websites Payment Pro UK (as the service itself is known) the result was several days of intense frustration and some long nights. 

I've noticed that others have been in similar positions with this so I thought I'd document my experiences here in case they are useful to someone also wrestling with this.

Firstly, there isn't much choice when it comes to a simple, non-technical method to integrate Paypal Pro UK as it is distinctly different from the US version.

The ones I came across via Google and the forums are...

http://www.e-commerce-solution.co.uk
A UK based organisation. They have had problems with their website and email systems recently and my early experience with trying to buy from them put me off. However, as you'll see later in my post, I returned to this option.

http://www.virtuemartshop.co.uk/PayPal-Pro-UK-Virtuemart-payment-module.html
This is a very competent looking operation and I'm sure will deliver 100% on what they say but as I am on a very tight budget of virtually nothing then £245 is a lot of money – (although after the hours I've burned on this, paying the money looks a more attractive option).

http://www.myjoomlaextensions.com/
There is comment in this forum about how these guys commissioned the UK module they offer to be built but then didn't pay the developer. On that basis I didn't go near this one.

http://www.webresolve.net/joomla/index.php
This is from the developer (cowboy1989 on here) who wasn't paid for the work mentioned above. He released his work as open source the day after I started looking for a solution. An associated piece of work that enables Maestro and Switch cards to be incorporated can be found here... http://www.jmds.eu/virtuemart-addons-and-modifications/view-category.html

http://www.chuckra.co.uk/software/
This is an older attempt to open source a Paypal Pro UK solution. It comes with plenty of warnings about how stuff doesn't work and no support is provided. The last updates were a year ago. I stayed clear of this one for those reasons alone.

So, my starting point was cowboy1989's work via http://www.webresolve.net/joomla/index.php . Easy enough to install manually once you get the hang of identifying which files should be copied where. (I use the excellent ninjaexplorer http://ninjaforge.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=146&Itemid=228 for all upload/download activity). Had an initial problem with getting all the text to show in the 'add payment method' configuration dialog but that was only because I had installed the Virtuemart language pack and hadn't put the 'english.php' file in the correct location. Also had a problem getting the configuration settings to save properly but got over this by adding in the required vendor and username details, saving those and then adding the password details.

So, having got the component to function as expected, the challenge was then to make it work with Paypal. In the whole process this has been the most frustrating experience and the blame lies with Paypal themselves in not making it clear how and where the UK version of Websites Payment Pro differs from the US solution. 

Firstly, the 'HTTPS' process that Website Payments Pro UK uses requires the usage of four key field PARTNER, VENDOR, USER, PASSWORD

For the UK version of Website Payments Pro, PayPal do not make it straightforward to identify what should go in these fields and much of the information in the forums is US specific and/or misleading. To find the account details for these fields, UK users need to...
1. log-in to their PayPal accounts, go to their 'profile' page
2. select 'Request API credentials' (the fact that in many areas it is said that the HTTPS process does not require 'API credentials' makes this confusing in its own right).
3. You will then see two options. Select the one on the right 'Option 2- Payflow Pro and the second option 'Set up Payflow Pro API access' (The mixture of PayPal and PayFlow terminology is again confusing and apparently the legacy of PayPal's Verisign/Payflow acquisition a couple of years ago)
4. You will then see a table entitled 'User Access' with exactly the information required for the integration process listed as User, Partner, Vendor and Password.

Aside from PayPal not making it clear for UK users where to find this information I think part of the confusion comes from the PayPal community information where you will often see the statement "if you can't log-in to https://manager.paypal.com then you don't have a Website Payments Pro UK account." This is untrue and PayPal should update this misleading information. Even using the correct (user/partner/vendor/password) information for the integration process, I still cannot log-in to https://manager.paypal.com and it seems completely irrelevant to the process from a UK user's perspective.

So... if you've got as far as tracking down the right information in the Payflow Pro API Credentials section that is good progress – but, in my case didn't seem to provide the answer. Having copied the information from the table into the Virtuemart 'payment method configuration' section I was still getting Error 1 and Error 26 messages (these are the ones that tell you the information you are sending to PayPal is wrong in some way). Just as I was about to give up and pay the money for someone else to do it all for me I remembered a comment in one of the many forum posts I've now read on this topic that suggested using the 'Create User' button in the Payflow Pro credentials section to generate a new set of USER and PASSWORD details. I did this, wacked it into the configuration dialog and bingo!!! – my first successful transaction.

Lesson one for UK users – Find the right integration account information – in >> profile>> API Credentials Request>> Payflow Pro (Option 2) – do this and your experience with the integration modules will be a smoother one. Note:- If the first set of credentials don't work, click the 'create user' button and use those.

Although I didn't get a successful transaction with the open source module from http://www.webresolve.net/joomla/index.php I am sure this is more to do with me not having PayPal information that worked and being misinformed by the PayPal forum advice. I was very impressed with 'cowboy1989's quick responses to my forum requests for help. I probably won't go back through testing this module with the working PayPal details as I don't want to tempt fate but would be interested to know if others are successful, as I'm sure would 'cowboy 1989'.

Having parted with a bit of cash and re-visited the http://www.e-commerce-solution.co.uk , there are a few advantages to this one. Firstly it is an installable component with a non-technical control interface (although had problems with the licence key process and ended up adding it in manually). Secondly it includes support for Maestro and Switch cards as part of the solution rather than yet another add on to wrestle with. The company clearly has had some issues with their website and email systems but I have had my support questions answered directly and relatively quickly.

Lesson two for UK users – Probably best to go with a solution that is UK focused as you will get Maestro/Switch support out of the box and hopefully an understanding that the Website Payments Pro UK is significantly different from its US counterpart. Even than, the Ecom solution that I've now got running successfully tells you in the interface to use the details that you log-in to https://manager.paypal.com and I maintain from my experience that this is no longer correct (even if it was previously).

A long post but I hope it has something of use depending on where you are in the process of integrating PayPal Pro UK and Virtuemart. 

[geeteach]

Very useful information, thanks a bundle