Manual Credit Card Collection - Migrating Away
Older payment modules like credit card (cc.php) and CEON Manual Card (ceon_manual_card.php) collect and store credit card details on your server. This is not permitted by PCI rules, and significant fines are being levied for non-compliance. Using non-compliant modules like this may be a violation of your terms of service agreement with your hosting company as well.
See Manual Credit Card Collection for more details if needed.
Recommendation 1: Switch to PayPal
If you have sufficient volume, PayPal will allow you to use PayPal Pro, which has a card entry dialog that will be familiar to any users of manual card collection. If you don’t, you can still use PayPal Express, which completely shields you from card information.
Documentation:
Recommendation 2: Switch to a payment gateway
Both Authorize.NET and Square WebPay are well supported options for Zen Cart.
Documentation:
Recommendation 3: Use Auth-Only with your Payment Method
Some businesses with see big variances between the initial order and what is ultimately fulfilled. The reasons for this are varied:
- High turnover or supply chain issues, resulting in out of stock conditions
- Products with unusual configurations leading to hidden requirements
- Customer confusion when presented with multiple seemingly-similar products
- and so on.
For businesses in this situation, it might be preferable to use Auth Only rather than Auth and Capture.
The PayPal RESTful documentation provides some good examples of using an Auth Only then later Capture process for orders.
Dealing with Balance Owing amounts
Auth Only then capture works well if the order size is reduced, and some payment gateways will even allow a small increase in the capture amount (PayPal supports up to 15%, for example). But what if the balance owing becomes significant?
Balance Owing Option 1: Take Payment through Your Admin (Authorize.NET CIM)
Authorize.NET CIM provides a mechanism for direct charges to a stored customer card if there is a balance owing (the “Get Money” button).
Balance Owing Option 2: Invoice the Customer
Most credit card gateways and PayPal will allow you to send the customer a payable invoice. Keep the order in Pending status until the invoice has been paid.
Balance Owing Option 3: Take Payment through Your Cart Storefront
Create a $1 item in your store called “Pay outstanding balance” or something like that. Set the item to Free Shipping, and be sure the Free Shipping shipping module is enabled. Then place an order for the customer with the balance, buying as many of the $1 item as are needed to satisfy the amount owed.
Recommendation 4: Using Offline Payment methods
If you have a modest order volume, processing payments offline might work for you. See offline payment methods for ideas.