One of the many features of the Gauge platform is being able to charge your users to take content. You can use either Stripe.com or PayPal Express (or an API). The first step of charging your users to take your content is to set up a merchant account. You can find your merchant account settings by going to Manage > Settings > Setup Settings > Merchant Account Site Settings
Information For Stripe Checkout
The following information is needed to connect your Stripe account to Gauge.
Setting Up Stripe Account
(Step 1) To start you will first need to have a Stripe account. Once you are set up, Stripe will provide you with:
- Test Secret Key: (long string of characters typically beginning with sk_test_)
- Test Publishable Key: (long string of characters typically beginning with pk_test_)
- Live Secret Key: (long string of characters typically beginning with sk_live_)
- Live Publishable Key: (long string of characters typically beginning with pk_live_)
(Step 2) Then, you will need to email the API Keys integration codes found in your Stripe Account to your GAUGE/test.com representative.
PLEASE SHARE with your GAUGE/test.com representative the Test Secret Key, Test Publishable Key, Live Secret Key, and Live Publishable Key. It is best to copy and then paste these codes into an email to avoid typing mistakes.
You can receive your API Keys under the Your Account menu, choose the Account Setting menu choice, then choose API Keys.
DO NOT SHARE with test.com YOUR STRIPE ACCESS INFORMATION such your user name and password. Also, DO NOT SHARE any FINANCIAL INFORMATION such as your bank and account information.
Once received by test.com, your GAUGE/test.com representative will turn on the merchant accounting feature in your test.com account site.
Information For PayPal Express Checkout
The following information is needed to connect your PayPal Express account to Gauge
Setting Up PayPal Express Account
(Step 1) You will need to set up a PayPal Business Account, or if you already have a PayPal Business Account, then you need to make sure Express Checkout is activated as a payment solution. PayPal provides several business payment solutions. Test.com works with all of these. Most Test.com customers choose the no cost STANDARD solution which lets you accept credit cards and PayPal in your Test.com site.
If you already have a Personal PayPal Account, this can be converted to a PayPal Business Account. PayPal may need to validate (and approve) your Business Account information before you can proceed.
'Express Checkout' is one of many PayPal products. In most and newer PapPal Business Accounts, it'll already be turned on. If you’re using an existing PayPal Business Account for other purposes, you might need to turn Express Checkout on.
You can ignore most of the Express Checkout's functionality because Test.com's integration with PayPal does it all for you. For example, Express Checkout lets you 'create payment buttons to put on your website' - you don't need to do any of this because Test.com does this for you automatically.
In order for this automatic integration to occur, Test.com needs your API Access information.
Once logged in a new or existing PayPal Business Account, under 'My Profile', and then under the 'My Selling Tools sections see the 'API Access' getting started update and setup settings. There, you'll need to choose the option 'Request API Signature' (where: My shopping cart is asking for my API username, password, or signature). You will need these three elements. If prompted for an API certificate, an API certificate is NOT needed to integrate with test.com.
Once you Request API Signature in the setup, PayPal will provide you with:
- Credential: API Signature
- API Username: (value looks like an email address ending in your domain name)
- API Password: (a string of approximately 16 characters - upper case and numerals)
- Signature: (very long string of approximately 60 characters - upper case, lower case, punctuation, and numerals)
- Request Date: (date code creation)
Contact PayPal telephone support if you are unsure how to proceed. Make sure you tell them you need assistance for their Express Checkout product and not another product. You need from PayPal the Express Checkout 'Request API Signature' (where: My shopping cart is asking for my API username, password, or signature). It's this information you need to forward to Test.com as detailed below.
(Step 2) Next, you will need to email the API Signature integration codes found in your PayPal Business Account to your GAUGE/test.com representative.
PLEASE SHARE with your GAUGE/test.com representative the PayPal API Username, API Password, and Signature. Copy and then paste these codes into an email to avoid typing mistakes. Please do not use screen capture or PDF. Make sure your GAUGE/test.com representative knows these codes are for a LIVE account.
You can retrieve and view all of the API information in your PayPal Business Account under the 'Tools' menu (choose 'All Tools' and then list in 'Alphabetical' order), then pick 'API Credentials' (some PayPal interfaces label it 'API Access').
DO NOT SHARE with test.com YOUR PAYPAL ACCESS INFORMATION such your user name and password. Also, DO NOT SHARE any FINANCIAL INFORMATION such as your bank and account information.
Once received by test.com, your GAUGE/test.com representative will turn on the merchant accounting feature in your test.com account site.
(optional) You may wish to set up graphic headers, customer service messages, etc. under Selling Preferences.
(Step 3) Next, with PayPal Express Checkout, your customer can pay without having a PayPal account (as long as you have "PayPal Account Optional" enabled inside your PayPal merchant account settings: Profile - Selling Preferences - Website Payments Preferences - PayPal Account Optional = ON), except for merchants/customers in China. With this feature turned ON, this means, on the PayPal payment page displayed to your customer, your customer can pay using EITHER an existing PayPal account OR as a guest using a credit card.
(Step 4) It is NOT recommended that you set up PayPal sandbox accounts for developer integration. This is an optional feature available to developers. You can SKIP this step and the remaining steps below.
If set up, PayPal will use these developer accounts to process practice transactions as you set up your test.com testing private account site. While in the sandbox mode, no actual money will change hands. The test.com and PayPal system will simulate the transaction process, for your purpose to see how the site will operate as users navigate the system, buy content and make payments. The link to set up a Developer Central Account DIFFERENT than the link to set up a live account. Visit: https://developer.paypal.com to set up.
Follow the instructions and Sign Up Now for a PayPal Developer Central Account. PayPal developer central is also referred to them as the PayPal Sandbox. PayPal Developer Central is also in the process of rebranding itself as X.COM.
(Step 5) Once logged in a new or existing PayPal Developer Account, you will need to create one preconfigured business (seller) account and one preconfigured personal (buyer) account. Go to the Sandbox Menu, choose Test Accounts. Follow the instructions to create a Preconfigured Seller account. Repeat and create a Preconfigured Buyer account.
(Step 6) On the Test Accounts page, you will then need to Enter the Sandbox Test Site for your Business/Seller account. Once logged in, you will need to set up PayPal Express Checkout as you did for the Live account.
(Step 7) Again, as you did for the live account, PLEASE SHARE with your GAUGE/test.com representative the PayPal API Username, API Password, and Signature. It is best to copy and then paste these codes into an email to avoid typing mistakes. Make sure your GAUGE/test.com representative knows these codes are for a SANDBOX account.
Once received by test.com, your GAUGE/test.com representative will turn on the merchant accounting feature in your test.com account site.
Merchant Account Information
Stripe.com and PayPal Express Checkout are fully integrated to work with Test.com. Using either of these two services are the quickest and easiest way for you to charge your users to take content (Tests, Lessons, Programs, Courses, etc...
As an alternative, Test.com can be integrated into other merchant accounts and credit card charging services. Test.com provides an API your programmers can utilize for this feature. For more information visit the API menu choice under the Manage Settings.
Both the Stripe.com and PayPal Express Checkout integration supports regular credit card transactions. Many Test.com customers set up both of these services, so their users can choose between the two.
When using Stripe, the user sees a Purchase/Checkout button when making a payment; they're kept in your Test.com application where they're instructed to enter their payment/billing information (right in your Test.com account site). Upon successful payment, the pay button(s) are replaced with a start taking button.
When using PayPal, a user clicks on a PayPal button when making a payment; they're routed to a PayPal payment/billing information page and then automatically returned to your Test.com application upon the completed payment. If the payment was successful the pay button(s) will be replaced with a start taking button.
For both services, a user's personal information (like their credit card number) IS NOT STORED in Test.com's databases.
Setting up either of these services is a two-step process. When this is complete as detailed in the provided help instructions, you'll need to provide some integration codes to your GAUGE/test.com representative to complete the setup of these features. Non-technical users will find setting up Stripe is a little easier and faster to set up.
*NEW* Purchase Sales Tax Collection
You can now optionally charge sales taxed based on a user's State or Province. Built into the feature are sales tax reports. This optional feature by default is turned OFF. You can learn more and turn on the feature under Manage - Settings - Setup - see the Currency and Tax Settings icon.
*NEW* Purchase Receipts
Users can now access a PDF receipt of their purchases.
*NEW* Shopping Cart
Your users can now make multiple purchase in one transaction. Existing functionality with the purchase now feature on the start page of your tests/programs remains unchanged. This optional feature by default is turned ON. You can learn more and turn on the feature under Manage - Settings - Setup - Advanced Settings - Charging to Take Tests - see the Shopping Cart pull-down.
How it works from a test taker perspective
Once either Stripe and/or PayPal Express Checkout is set up in your test.com site by your GAUGE/test.com representative, where you edit your content in Test.com (the Tests, Lessons, Programs/Courses...) on the Parameters tab, note the Cost and Charge Settings. There you can set the costs and other purchase rules for what you're selling.
After a test taker logs in, and navigates to the Take a Test tab, in the display of the content to take, a cost column will display the content costs. Once a user chooses to take the content, they're navigated to the Start Page for that content chosen. There instead of the Start Button, Purchase and/or PayPal buttons will display. Once clicked on the user will pay through these systems, the monies are sent to your Stripe/PayPal Business Account and the user is then navigated back to the content's Start Page. Now the Purchase and/or PayPal buttons are replaced with the normal Start Button. At that point, the user can start taking the content, or optionally return later to take it.
Manually Entered Purchase Transactions
If either the Stripe or Google Wallet payment features are enabled then you, you can manually enter payment transaction for users to take particular content.
This manual feature is used to give payment credit for a user who has made a payment outside of this application's automated features. Such as if payment was made to you directly by check, wired funds or maybe cash.
To enter a manual transaction, select and open a user under Manage Users. Then, note the menu choice under Purchase Options.
Purchase Sales Tax Collection