Authorize.net Payment Option For Paid Subscriptions/User Upgrades NOT just Paypal

[Deepmartini]

I would like the option to use Authorize.net as a payment option for premium members who upgrade. Many other people I have spoken to on this forum want this as well.

There are a lot of benefits and reasons for this.

1. Many people have a merchant account already with Authorize.net and would like to keep all the transactions in one system (for easier accounting and tracking fees).

2. You have the option to turn OFF monthly reminders when the subscription is about to renew. With paypal they send out a reminder every time before the subscription renews which encourages people to unsubscribe and annoys them by sending a bill. Makes people reconsider if your forum is worth the cost, so you have to re-sell them on the benefit of upgrading each time, otherwise they'll cancel.

3. Paypal owns YOUR data. They can cut you off at any time and TAKE all your revenue away. With Authorize.net you are in control of your own data so can move to another payment processor if need be.

4. The merchant account fees are usually lower than paypal so you save money.

5. You could also use Authorize.net with a future Xenforo-based shopping cart system (and it may be easier to integrate, more flexible than paypal). Or possibly even integrate Xenforo with an outside shopping cart system.

6. Customers can easily update their accounts through the Authorize.net API and change credit cards, pause subscriptions, change email/contact information and cancel account. With paypal, doing any of these things is long and complicated and not user friendly. These features could all be implemented from within the Xenforo member control panel. Also cuts down on admin having to manually change or edit these things. Or hiring someone to do this.

*** Keep in mind that credit card transactions and card numbers DO NOT have to be stored within Xenforo, so there are no issues here with PCI compliance. You can use Authorize.net's recurring billing system and API which submits the information to them and then they store it on THEIR servers. I think there is a $10/month fee they charge, but they also handle all of the customer information and follow-up rebilling (retrying bounced cards, etc.).

More information can be found here about Authorize.net's Automated Recurring Billing (ARB), along with a video demo etc.
http://www.authorize.net/solutions/merchantsolutions/merchantservices/automatedrecurringbilling/

Case Study #1:
http://www.authorize.net/resources/casestudies/arb/

Case Study #2:
http://www.authorize.net/resources/casestudies/arbapi/

API and Developer information:
http://developer.authorize.net/

I don't know what is involved in adding another payment option, but it seems that this would add a LOT of value to Xenforo with very little development time to implement. The API seems well documented and there is sufficient demand out there for other payment option choices besides Paypal.

If this is something you want, then please LIKE THIS POST and vote.

 

[Andy.N]

This uses SIM; it works like PayPal does pretty much.

Any update on when we can purchase and use it?

 

[Deepmartini]

I am interested in this as well but would like the option to have it as part of the initial registration form so people can join and pay at the same time. I am running a private paid forum and it doesn't make sense to have people join free then upgrade. I want them to pay and join at the same time.

 

[lasertits]

I'd love to use Authorize over Paypal any day. Been stuck with Paypal for years, not a lovely experience at all. Here's to hoping this idea/thread doesn't die and we see it happen. I'd definitely purchase the addon or whatever that made it possible.

 

[Derrick Kyle LeBrocq]

*just wants moneybookers*

 

[Robbo]

I am fairly confident we will see a big payment processor update some time in the future. The code that handles PayPal processing right now is very procedural like. As in it isn't built to be modular and allow to easily add more processing options. This gives me the impression that it was made to 'just work' and be stable and functional as soon as possible and that a more modular and complete system will be added in the future.

 

[Derrick Kyle LeBrocq]

I am fairly confident we will see a big payment processor update some time in the future. The code that handles PayPal processing right now is very procedural like. As in it isn't built to be modular and allow to easily add more processing options. This gives me the impression that it was made to 'just work' and be stable and functional as soon as possible and that a more modular and complete system will be added in the future.

Are you the developer of the donation manager?

 

[Robbo]

Yes.

 

[Derrick Kyle LeBrocq]

Yes.

Any chance of that ever supporting moneybookers? hmmm? lol

 

[Robbo]

I want to support as many processors as possible. Right now it is low on the list of things to do and I want to wait for 1.2 to see if XenForo adds anything to their current system. If not I will put it on my list and try add processors once someone requests them... eventually I would have a lot done.

 

[Derrick Kyle LeBrocq]

I want to support as many processors as possible. Right now it is low on the list of things to do and I want to wait for 1.2 to see if XenForo adds anything to their current system. If not I will put it on my list and try add processors once someone requests them... eventually I would have a lot done.

Thumbs up, sir. Don't forget about alert pay as well! One of the best supported API's I've seen

Here, have a cookie:

 

[Andy.N]

It is still being completed; sorry for the delay. I will update progress on it here.

Any new update on the plugin?

 

[vbresults]

Any new update on the plugin?

Code-wise, it is completed. It is being alpha tested now, and will go beta on Monday (and will go for 25%* off during the beta period).

Noteworthy change to the interface added --

 

[Andy.N]

Code-wise, it is completed. It is being alpha tested now, and will go beta on Monday (and will go for $10 off during the beta period).

Noteworthy change to the interface added --

View attachment 24098

Awesome. Can't wait to purchase.
Wait do you have Paypal email account attached to this Authorize? Do we have an option of Paypal/Authorize?

 

[vbresults]

Awesome. Can't wait to purchase.
Wait do you have Paypal email account attached to this Authorize? Do we have an option of Paypal/Authorize?

The beta is now available for purchase. For instructions on how to get it, send an email to administrator@lancerforhire.com.

We provide a 50% discount if you choose to pay with certified funds, and there is an additional 25% discount of the post-discounted price while it is in beta (which runs until Feb 3rd). So, the pricing looks like this --

PayPal - $60 ($45 during beta), valid, scanned idenfitication required.
Dwolla - $60 ($45 during beta), valid, scanned identification required.
Certified Funds - $30 ($22.50 during beta).

"Well-Known" xenforo.com members get a 50% discount on the Dwolla price and 45% on the PayPal price.

 

[Andy.N]

I sent you an email. What happen to the Paypal default payment method after we install this.

 

[vbresults]

I sent you an email. What happen to the Paypal default payment method after we install this.

Replied, and nothing changes with paypal -- it works as it does now.

---

Moved this to it's own thread: http://xenforo.com/community/threads/commercial-authorize-net-integration.26635/

 

[vbresults]

If SIM gets good reception, we are likely to implement ARB as another module in the future.

 

[Derrick Kyle LeBrocq]

You make one for alertpay and moneybookers, and I'll pay triple.

 

[Deepmartini]

If SIM gets good reception, we are likely to implement ARB as another module in the future.

This plugin doesn't make sense without ARB (Automatic Recurring Billing). That's the whole point of having a paid membership site, to have recurring monthly income. SIM alone would just provide a one-off payment. I would not feel comfortable buying something that may not come to full fruition and be abandoned. I think this plugin would have more value and more people would buy it if it had ARB to begin with.

Also, there is no mention if the payment process can be made during time when guest first registers on the site, and charging them BEFORE they get access. Right now with Xenforo you need to register first as a free member then upgrade and checkout to become a paid premium member. Too many steps to take and not very intuitive. Pay for access should occur at the beginning.

 

[vbresults]

This plugin doesn't make sense without ARB (Automatic Recurring Billing). That's the whole point of having a paid membership site, to have recurring monthly income. SIM alone would just provide a one-off payment. I would not feel comfortable buying something that may not come to full fruition and be abandoned. I think this plugin would have more value and more people would buy it if it had ARB to begin with.

Also, there is no mention if the payment process can be made during time when guest first registers on the site, and charging them BEFORE they get access. Right now with Xenforo you need to register first as a free member then upgrade and checkout to become a paid premium member. Too many steps to take and not very intuitive. Pay for access should occur at the beginning.

I understand your frustration regarding the lack of a recurring Authorize.net payment module. There are different, important reasons people want an Authorize.net module even if it's SIM, two of which you noted in your original post. I do not know where the fear of it being abandoned suddenly came from -- you seemed to have a different attitude before realizing SIM is non-recurring. SIM and ARB are two separate systems that cannot be mixed; they must be implemented independently of each other, and ARB is far more complex. I agree that it would have more value with ARB, but if there isn't even enough interest in SIM, why invest time into ARB? Time will tell.

I can also understand the frustration with a lack of 'paid' registration. I don't know if you know this, but I have made such a mod for vBulletin and understand how important it is. We are taking things one step at a time and if we have enough requests and support, we will move forward with ARB and then paid registration. If not enough people want and support it enough, then it simply will not be made. We (inclusive) tend to forget sometimes that forum software should be just that -- forum software. We have seen what happens when this ideology is discarded, and I feel that adding everything in the OP to xenForo's core is a step in the wrong direction. For now, if you want "more", you can do one of two things -- nothing, or support future developments. What will you do?

If anything, should the xF development team release an official implementation of ARB, it would be fair to provide it separate from the core and charge for it individually.

I don't want to derail this suggestion thread any more so I'll stop here.