secure payment software

[markmarkymark]

You all

Anyone know of any freewhere / sharewhere applications (php or similar perhaps) that offers online ordering of materials (the shopping cart idea). Furthermore, for those that use such systems, how do they check credit cards - do they rely on checking the number sequence (I believe there are some codes ), or, do they somehow plug into banks and do full authentication of the cards ?

cheers

Mark

[SMHarman]

Answering backwards...

They plug into the banks ordering systems for authentication. Settlement is either driven by the provider of the authentication, or the details are passed by them to the bank you process your credit cards through for settlement.

Don't know about freeware / shareware, but any good shopping cart software should come with full checkout including card processing functionaltiy.

A problem with a diy approach is this will need to be served from a secure server, with the certification and ongoing maintainance requirements to ensure the server is patched and secure.

http://www.netinvest.co.uk/ncr/netbanx/

offer the settlement services. Others do also. You may want to look at how you pass information to such a system.

Edit - I chose the alternative which is to use Demon Commerce package that deals with all the hosting card account set up etc.

http://www.demon.net/products/webcommerce/

It's not free though.

[Chris W]

If you ever get pcplus magazine, there was an app on the coverdisk of issue 214 called 'shop in a book' which will do this for you. The app is the full edition of the program, and comes with 3months free hosting and advertising.

If you can't get hold of the mag, pm me and i can either upload it to a webspace for you (can't remember how big it is) or send you a cd with it on if you want to give it a go.