Getting Started with Google Checkout

Last Update : 2009/03/09 Rating : Not Rated

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Getting Started with Google Checkout

There are 3 steps to setting up Google Checkout:

1. Create a Google Checkout Account
2. Setup and Activate Google Checkout in AmeriCommerce
3. Setup to Receive Order information from Google Checkout to AmeriCommerce (this is done within your Google Checkout account)

Step 1: Setup a Google Checkout Account:

To use Google Checkout, you need a Merchant ID and Merchant Key that correspond with an active Google Checkout Seller account. If you need to sign up for an account, you may do so at https://checkout.google.com/sell/.

If you have an existing google checkout account, you can use the Merchant ID and Merchant Key from the existing Google Checkout account.

Step 2: Setup Google Checkout into AmeriCommerce:

Browse to Google Checkout

Browse to Stores > Active Store > Google Checkout

Activate and Select Settings:

General Settings:

1. Check the Activate Box
2. Enter the Merchant Id & Key
3. Optional Settings: Discount Code, Sandbox Mode, Surcharges

Note: You can find the Merchant ID and Merchant Key in the Google Checkout Admin Console on the Settings Tab. Click on Integration on the left-hand side and the information will be under the section "Account Information".

 Order Settings:

Set up the order statuses that get applied to orders when your store receives notifications from Google.  This works exactly the same way as setting up the default credit card order statuses.

Backup Shipping Methods:

Google Checkout will attempt to retrieve rates from the providers and custom methods that you have setup. However, if the attempt fails, you need to provide rates that it can fall back on.

Please Note: If communication to the store is not successful within a 3 second window, shipping will fall back to the default rates. It is important to have backup shipping rates to avoid orders with no shipping charges. Google Checkout will apply a zero shipping charge if for any reason it is unable to communicate with the server and retrieve a shipping rate within the 3 second window.

Save the settings: Click Save to Activate Google Checkout and save the settings defined.

Once Google Checkout is setup and activated a button will be created on the Shopping Cart, beneath the standard Shopping Cart buttons. 

Once a user clicks the Google Checkout button, they will be brought to a screen that requests their zip code.  After entering a zip code, the customer will now leave the store's website, and be redirected to Google's website.  From here they can enter their Google account information and complete the checkout process.

Step 3: Setup to Receive Order Information from Google Checkout into AmeriCommerce

For your store to automatically get information when orders are placed, you have to enter some additional information in your Google Checkout adminstration panel

1. Sign in to your Google Checkout seller account and click on the Settings tab.
2. On the left side, click on Integration.  Make sure the setting "For extra security, my company will only post digitally signed XML shopping carts" is checked, and for the field "API callback URL" enter https://www.yourdomain.com/store/Integration/Google/NotificationCallback.aspx, replacing www.yourdomain.com with your domain name.
3. Please ensure that the callback method is set to XML.
4. Optional: For increased reliability in the callbacks, you can set the following option under Advanced Settings: "Require notification acknowledgements to specify the serial number of the notification."
5. It is also recommended that you go under the Preferences section and click the radio button next to "Automatically authorize and charge the buyer's credit card."  If you do not, then Google will not automatically charge an order when it is placed, only authorize, and you will have to log into your Google Checkout account to charge it.

Note:  If you are using a shared SSL, then the URL will be https://yourdomain.americommerce.com.

Once an order has been placed, it will appear in the orders section of the AmeriCommerce administration console.  When the status is changed on Google's side, it will be updated in the administration console as well, if the above URL is correct.

Other Information

Please review Google Checkout's seller policies as listed here: http://checkout.google.com/seller/policies.html.  You are responsible for following these policies on your storefront. For button compliance, there is a site merge available to display the Google Checkout button, ##GOOGLECHECKOUT##.  You can read more about this merge in the article on site merges, http://americommerce.com/kb/afmmain.aspx?faqid=108.  Currently, due to shipping requirements, AmeriCommerce only supports orders for Google Checkout within the United States.