Stripe... Like Square... For Your Web Site

[nightkingdoms]

Basically. I told them the only thing I really have an immediate need for live payments would be remote prepay's. On-sites or off-sites are handled with Square for credit cards, Intuit for checks. Then there's the online and phone (IVR) payment options for my customers. So really, a prepay would be it. lol

 

[Pc Fixed Right]

has anyone started to use Dwolla to accept payment? It is insanely cheap <$10 no fee >$10 the fee is .25 cents regardless of amount.

 

[nightkingdoms]

I looked at Dwolla when they came out. It's a nice idea and it seems pretty solid, cheap and works.

The problem I have is this: It's like PayPal without the option for guest access. Every transaction requires and results in the visitor either signing up or logging in. No exceptions.

I could see adding it as a payment option if the visitor already has an account or otherwise elects to use it, but not for regular transactions. I want my clients to go through a quick and painless payment process where they give me only the information I need for getting the payment. I don't want my clients to spend several minutes at a third party site, signing up for things, entering their payment information only to eventually get the option to pay me.

Like I said, might be great as an alternative option like PayPal or Google Wallet, but not as a primary payment method. If I want to change a client I want their credit card or check info and process it quickly to get it out of the way, not introduce an added time table and separate signup process to reduce the possibility of them completing the payment. Just my $0.02.

 

[connectednetworks]

Don't scrap it, at the payment area just have the session start and take payment over the phone or via paypal page like we do.

How are you using WHMCS to do the commerce side of your business. I am using WHMCS for my website hosting company and I love it and all of its addons but where did you find these addons.

BTW: If you say you made them yourself you will have a customer

 

[nightkingdoms]

lol I've been using WHMCS for years now because it started out with hosting and web design. The system is obviously geared for that particular industry but I have to admit, it is one solid program even without that. As you probably already know it has a great ticketing system, payment gateway system, customer management, invoicing/quoting, etc. all rolled into a single place.

However, believe it or not, I only have 1 custom gateway module that I created and that's for taking checks online (which was a pain to make and only passing information by email). I point all my contact methods to eventually result into sending email or somehow create a new support ticket. I use the products/services to setup the different services I provide and recurring billing, etc. Basically I just it for everything in my business not just the hosting part.

The only other custom stuff that I've done is with my IVR system. I hooked into the API of WHMCS and check the announcements (under Support tab), reformat them, then add that at the beginning of the call when it picks up. Other than that I have the over-the-phone payments be able to use their invoice information and "post" the payment to their invoice using the API and notify me to review the payment.

Other than those things, it's a stock system.

Edit: Forgot to mention, I do also use the code generated from the system for the domain lookup/purchase pages and link the login, register and create support ticket links on my site. Everything else you see me post about like the repair tracker, IVR, remote support thing (the original topic of this thread) are all separate systems that don't integrate with WHMCS at all. Just FYI.

Eventually -- when I finally get time for all of it -- I will be building a system that replaces WHMCS completely and is specifically made for computer support for myself and my partner company that also does support. In it I plan to tie those other mini systems and others together into one.

 

[roborobs computer repair]

@drpcfix: Thanks. If you notice I have options that I built into my management page that allows me to decide whether it shows them the payment or terms pages. If they're a remote call for my partner company that I'm handling because he's busy, I require payment but not the terms. If it's one of my existing clients I usually turn off the payment but leave the terms on. If it's a brand-new client, both are on. If it's family, I turn them both off (lol).

And I'm actually working on a small system right now to integrate payments for anyone without having to use any code. Simple drop, configure, point links. Desktop and mobile compatible. (Current screenshot at end of post from my Android.)

Screenshot of payment system:

I noticed a typo in your form it says get your started. I think this is supposed to say get you started. Just pointing it out

 

[nightkingdoms]

I noticed a typo in your form it says get your started. I think this is supposed to say get you started. Just pointing it out

haha Thanks for the heads up! I'll try to remember to change it when I pull the code back up. lol

 

[codegreen]

Stripe is now beta-testing in Canada

I just received an invitation to join Stripe Canada's limited beta test. I checked the terms of service, and they are unfortunately identical to the US ones (ie, no computer support businesses). I'm going to follow up with the company on this, and I'll report back.

 

[nightkingdoms]

I just received an invitation to join Stripe Canada's limited beta test. I checked the terms of service, and they are unfortunately identical to the US ones (ie, no computer support businesses). I'm going to follow up with the company on this, and I'll report back.

That's awesome that they're now expanding, not so awesome that they're doing the same thing with us in a new country, though. I think if more people asked them about it, maybe they'll start looking at different banks. I have actually looked at over 30 different similar companies that offer some kind of gateway even remotely like their's and none of them have the same restriction.

As a side note: I have the StripeTaker project slightly on the backburner for right now. After I started it I got thinking that there are a lot of companies that can't afford a programmer to make custom code for the computer repair industry and maybe this can be something my business can expand into, maybe. I make custom stuff all the time for my business because no one has created it yet or I don't like the way it works (e.g. lacks in design, customization, functionality or all 3).

So right now I'm working on a system to handle the software distribution side, updates, etc. I plan on adding other programs in addition to StripeTaker, just have to figure out what people want their site to do. Anyway, the distribution system is about 80% done right now (2,500+ lines of code so far) so I should be getting StripeTaker back on the front burner soon. Would be interested in what anybody would like their side to actually do though.

I will note, there is a side project I have going called Terminal 12 that will be a computer business Enterprise Resource Planner (ERP) system. An ERP is a complete system that manages all aspects of your business: clients, invoicing, billing/payments, inventory, products/services, support, etc. I have many systems I like for small reasons but would never use for others... MHelpDesk is made with ASP which has real limitations and everything that uses M$ technology tends to look the same (because they all use the same set of components) and tends to end up looking like Excel. PC Repair Tracker is nice, if you have a brick-and-mortar shop -- otherwise it's an awesome idea but not practical for mobile techs at all. (And also do a redesign.) RepairShopr -- no offense guy -- but you need to finish developing it before you release it for people to use. You're on the right track but it looks like we're using the site in the middle of you saving your code half the time. You have the right design the other 2 should be looking at, but you need to have the function before the form. Pretty is nice, but if it doesn't work or is missing pieces it's not very useful. (Again, no offense.)

Basically what I want to do is take MHelpDesk, mash it with PC Repair Tracker, then squish all of that into how WHMCS handles everything (minus all the hosting stuff). Initially Terminal 12 was supposed to be just for my partner company, but then I thought about the other 2 companies we sometimes partner with, then well... Why the hell design it for just a handful of companies? Just design it for unlimited. I'll be working on certain portions and bringing it up in pieces while slowly adding features here and there. Complete bug tracking and feature request tracking. So we'll see how many thousands of lines of code this'll take me.

 

[Xander]

I just received an invitation to join Stripe Canada's limited beta test. I checked the terms of service, and they are unfortunately identical to the US ones (ie, no computer support businesses). I'm going to follow up with the company on this, and I'll report back.

I'm in the beta, too, but I don't see that in their ToS. I see this:

5. Prohibited Businesses

By registering for Stripe, you are confirming that you will not use the Service to accept payments in connection with the following businesses, business activities or business practices: (1) door-to-door sales, (2) offering substantial rebates or special incentives to the Cardholder subsequent to the original purchase, (3) negative response marketing, (4) engaging in deceptive marketing practices, (5) sharing Cardholder’s data with another merchant for payment of up-sell or cross-sell product or service, (6) evading Card Network’s chargeback monitoring programs, (7) engaging in any form of licensed or unlicensed aggregation or factoring, (8) airlines, (9) age verification, (10) age restricted products or services, (11) bail bonds, (12) bankruptcy lawyers, (13) bidding fee auctions, (14) collection agencies, (15) chain letters, (16) cheque cashing, wire transfers or money orders, (17) counterfeit goods, (18) currency exchanges or dealers, (19) embassies, foreign consulates or other foreign governments, (20) firms selling business opportunities, investment opportunities, mortgage consulting or reduction, credit counseling, repair or protection or real estate purchases with no money down, (21) credit card and identity theft protection, (22) cruise lines, (23) essay mills, (24) flea markets, (25) drug paraphernalia, (26) extended warranties, (27) fortune tellers, (28) “get rich quick” schemes; (28) gambling (including but not limited to lotteries, Internet gaming, contests, sweepstakes, or offering of prizes as an inducement to purchase goods or services), (29) sports forecasting or odds making, (30) illegal products or services, (31) mail-order brides, (32) marijuana dispensaries and related businesses, (33) money transmitters or money service businesses, (34) multi-level marketing or pyramid schemes, (35) online or other non-face-to-face pharmacies or pharmacy referral services, (36) prepaid phone cards, phone services or cell phones, (37) pseudo pharmaceuticals, (38) quasi-cash or stored value, (39) securities brokers, (40) sexually-oriented or pornographic products or services, (41) shipping or forwarding brokers, (42) substances designed to mimic illegal drugs, (43) telemarketing, (44) telecommunications equipment and telephone sales, (45) timeshares, (46) travel agencies or travel clubs, (47) online or other non-face-to-face tobacco or e-cigarette sales, (44) weapons and munitions (48) virtual currency that can be monetized, re-sold or converted to physical or digital goods or services or otherwise exit the virtual world, or (49) any product, service or activity prohibited by one or more Card Networks.
By accepting this Agreement you confirm that you satisfy these requirements and will continue to do so in connection with your use of the Service.

I see credit repair under (20) but not computer repair. Am I missing it?

 

[nightkingdoms]

It was #47 on the US one, second to last.

 

[codegreen]

I see credit repair under (20) but not computer repair. Am I missing it?

Huh. When I checked originally (without registering) I was forwarded to the US terms. However, I just registered my account now and I also received the same terms of service that you linked to. We Canadians should be good to go!

 

[nightkingdoms]

Good to now. Guess it's good I'm still working on that program. I can add CAD as a currency then.

 

[Reset]

let me know when you finish it as ive been a use stripe for a while now but havent really had the time to develope any script with it. as i do web development and computer repairs their tos didnt really bother me and i do not allow my computer repair customers the options of online payments. but maybe in the future.

 

[nightkingdoms]

Well I figure it this way... I do computer repairs in a sense, but my company is a computer consultancy firm. I work with clients for my time and do all sorts of things beyond just fixing computer including business consulting on ways to make their business run better with technology. (Which usually ends up with something like taking their 1980's Access database and creating a web version of the same thing, but I digress. lol) I realize everybody else pretty much does the same, but I'm sticking with my "consultancy fees" instead of "computer support". lol

But anyway, I'm currently working out the method to handle downloads, etc. on the front end and will be working on the backend soon. Then, once all that's in place, I'm going to start working on some self-contained things like this program for different things. The entire idea is to have like little mini systems like this you can just drop into your web site, do a quick configure and you now have interactivity. Thinking of a small repair status tracker like I have on my site now next.

All of this is gearing towards an entire system that will be like the help desk and repair tracker systems currently on the market but combined with a taste of the system I use (WHMCS) behind it.

 

[mhelpdesk]

Just caught our name in this thread. I think Stripe is great. We are actually integrating Stripe into Mhelpdesk as one of the payment processing options. The seamless visitor experience can be had with Authorize.Net as well. For instance, when you create an Mhelpdesk invoice your customer can pay it online as if they were still on your system. The downside of Authorize.Net is that it requires a merchant account etc. Setup is not as easy as something like PayPal, which we also integrate with.

The reason why we are integrating with Stripe is so that our customers can hit the ground running with a payment processor. Authorize.Net can take a few days to approve. Stripe seems to have great rates and don't charge any monthly minimums. We also support a lot of Canadian customers so their CA solution that just came out will certainly help.

Overall, I think Stripe is going to be a fast and easy way for small businesses to get equipped with online payment processing.

Here is a little info about how we currently do online payment processing in Mhelpdesk

http://mhelpdesk.com/accept-credit-cards-with-mhelpdesk/

 

[nightkingdoms]

The reason why we are integrating with Stripe is so that our customers can hit the ground running with a payment processor.

Not sure if you actually read this thread or not or were just trying to tout an upcoming feature... If the business is based in the US, it is against the Terms of Service for Stripe to be used for any computer support business without explicit, case-by-case approval from Stripe itself.

 

[mhelpdesk]

Not sure if you actually read this thread or not or were just trying to tout an upcoming feature... If the business is based in the US, it is against the Terms of Service for Stripe to be used for any computer support business without explicit, case-by-case approval from Stripe itself.

Correct. As noted, it is on a case by case basis. For the most part if you are a legit business you'll have no problem getting approved. We have actually seen other industries get flagged as well. Most of the time a simple request is all you need. However, even with these blanket black-lists, it is still easier to sign-up with a company like Stripe vs Authorize.net.

 

[nightkingdoms]

Well at the very least, they'll get an influx of requests and may take the initiative to get their terms redone after discussions with their banks.

 

[nightkingdoms]

Just wanted to let everyone who wanted to know. StripeTaker is just about finished and will be beta tested soon. Been posting updates on my Facebook/Twitter. It was kind of hard, but kind of fun!

Last and only post, I promise. Was just happy I'm pretty much finished finally. lol