Integrate the Authorize.Net Recurring Billing API with PHP

[stymiee]

Looks like some PHP code snuck into your class. Change it to this:

[code:1]<name>" . $this->login . "</name>[/code:1]

[jjhiggi]

Correction to the post above... should say "PHP 5 code snuck into your class"

Thought I'd clarify for others.

[Superman859]

I just have a quick question for anyone who has implemented ARB in conjunction with AIM integration.

The question relates to Quickbooks from Authorize.net. If I create a subscription for someone by first using AIM for the first payment (instant) and then setting up the recurring subscription for the following payments, how does this look in the gateway and ultimately Quickbooks?

I have been using ARB by itself in the past, but there are too many transactions that fail on the first payment - I want to try to avoid this issue. With ARB, every customer has one section in ARB, and that has all their information. It seems like with AIM and ARB combined, each customer will have two - one section for AIM and one for ARB.

When we pull this into Quickbooks, will it all go to the same customer data file? I just want to try to keep my customer information easy to manage - preferably just listed as purchases by one customer in Quickbooks regardless of what was used (ARB, AIM, etc).

[kevin]

Hi there,

awesome articles and instructions! I used to be lead integrator for merchant accounts for one of the largest sellers and specifically reseller of authnet. But since I left about 3 yrs ago, it seems things have changed just a bit..??

The new CIM and ARM seem to have arrived. At least I do not remember them from before.

So I had a few extra questions in regards to using the ARM: Hope you can offer insight... please

1) on a decline, it could be because it is expired. It could also be because that card was replaced after being lost/stolen and is no longer valid.
Since we are notified of a general decline, will these be sent back through the silent post as declined? or not at all??

2) At any rate, I wondered if you had info on best editing a recurring account with authnet ARM to update the expdate or CC#,

3) what about cancel/end the billing?


Thanks for any help from anyone who can offer it.
I have looked at the manual, but I do need to look again.

Lastly, if we should decide AGAINST authnet, what is the next best gateway with API recurring billing that is better/same and manageable?

thank you!!

Kevin

[kevin]

Awesome - I just read your code - and it answers perfectly # 2 & # 3.
I love it when people write good code and account for multiple options. Thanks!

SO if anyone has more info on my #1 question above - how an expired/no longer valid card in a subscription record is posted back to the silent post - that would be great.

I ask because it seems like people are saying those errors are not sent to the post url. I am wondering if it is sent as a decline, something else, or not at all.

and also if anyone knows of an alternative system to authnet which has recurring billing with an api that has these features.

Just in case we ever have a falling out with authnet, we need to be able to program in a backup with similar style for quickly moving over.

thanks!
Kevin

[stymiee]

[quote="kevin"]1) on a decline, it could be because it is expired. It could also be because that card was replaced after being lost/stolen and is no longer valid. Since we are notified of a general decline, will these be sent back through the silent post as declined? or not at all??[/quote]

Basically any failed ARB payment will show as failed through the Silent Post feature.

[quote="kevin"]2) At any rate, I wondered if you had info on best editing a recurring account with authnet ARM to update the expdate or CC#, [/quote]
[code:1]$arb_update = new AuthnetARB();
$arb_update->setParameter('subscrId', $current_arb);
$arb_update->setParameter('refId', $member_id);
$arb_update->setParameter('amount', $total);
$arb_update->setParameter('cardNumber', $creditcard);
$arb_update->setParameter('expirationDate', $expirationDate);
$arb_update->updateAccount();[/code:1]

[quote="kevin"]3) what about cancel/end the billing?[/quote]
[code:1]$arb_update = new AuthnetARB();
$arb_update->setParameter('subscrId', $current_arb);
$arb_update->setParameter('refId', $member_id);
$arb_update->deleteAccount();[/code:1]

[jday]

We have an Authorize.net merchant account and are paying the extra $10 for the ARB add on but I can't figure out how to get the ARB working.

I've downloaded the sample code and I can fill in the form and get a "successful" response but when I log on to the test account I can't find a record for my test transaction.

As a side note, is it normal that the test account seems to be a universal account for ALL test development? Over 700 records in there, I searched by subscription id and it did not find my test.

Do I need to point the form in the sample code to the 'good to go out of the box' AuthnetARB.class.php file? I downloaded that gem as well but I don't know how to get it to 'go'. I've copied the code from page 7 but like previous posters, not sure how all these pieces fit together?

Is there a method on Authorize.net like Paypal where I can enter my info and it creates a 'button' for my subscription items?

Help!

[stymiee]

[quote="jday"]As a side note, is it normal that the test account seems to be a universal account for ALL test development? Over 700 records in there, I searched by subscription id and it did not find my test.[/quote] It's normal. Annoying but normal. Why yours isn't there might be the result of using a live api key as opposed to your developer account info. Just a guess.

[quote="jday"]Do I need to point the form in the sample code to the 'good to go out of the box' AuthnetARB.class.php file? I downloaded that gem as well but I don't know how to get it to 'go'. I've copied the code from page 7 but like previous posters, not sure how all these pieces fit together?[/quote] That code should work out of the box without modifications except for a valid API key. Just include that file and then use the provided sample code to use it.

[quote="jday"]Is there a method on Authorize.net like Paypal where I can enter my info and it creates a 'button' for my subscription items?[/quote] Sure. Just create your own form and make the the submit button an image. That's all Paypal does. Nothing special or fancy. You just submit the form to yourself isn't of Authnet.

[IONU]

Hi,

I have a question, is it possible to add a custom field to the xml sent to authorize.net?

thanks,
ionu

[ivica]

The both articles are great, and I used your classes for my need, off course with customization. But I have some questions.

I am using AIM + ARB for my membership website. AIM is used for setup fee - one time and ARB for monthly billing.
So, here are my questions:

1. Let say that some customer subscribed for our services, and after few months of his subscription, his credit card expire. Will, this error be posted via Silent Post URL? According to specification, this is general error, and they are not posted via this url. In your blog you said that it will be posted via Silent Post URL, while in ARB specification they say that general error will not be posted via Silent Post URL.

2. After subscription failure, will system try to charge him next day, because he might be updated his credit card info, or his subscription is terminated?

3. If answer is no to the previous question, what is best way(by practice) to charge him, after he update his credit card/ Will we need to create new subscriptionId for him, or we can enable disabled subscription.

4. And last question. What if for some reason my server is not available at time when post to silent post url is done, how to get data? It is important, because I want to show billing statements to my members?

Thanks in advance,
Ivica

[stymiee]

[quote="IONU"]Hi,

I have a question, is it possible to add a custom field to the xml sent to authorize.net?

thanks,
ionu[/quote]
Honestly, I am not sure. You'll need to [url=http://www.authorize.net/support/ARB_guide.pdf]read the manual[/url] to see what fields can be passed to their API. I suspect you can as they typically accommodate room for custom fields.

[stymiee]

[quote="ivica"]1. Let say that some customer subscribed for our services, and after few months of his subscription, his credit card expire. Will, this error be posted via Silent Post URL? According to specification, this is general error, and they are not posted via this url. In your blog you said that it will be posted via Silent Post URL, while in ARB specification they say that general error will not be posted via Silent Post URL.

2. After subscription failure, will system try to charge him next day, because he might be updated his credit card info, or his subscription is terminated?

3. If answer is no to the previous question, what is best way(by practice) to charge him, after he update his credit card/ Will we need to create new subscriptionId for him, or we can enable disabled subscription.

4. And last question. What if for some reason my server is not available at time when post to silent post url is done, how to get data? It is important, because I want to show billing statements to my members?[/quote] Unfortunately I don't know the answers to these questions as I don't have any systems that actively use ARB so I haven't experienced these scenarios. A call to Authnet might be your best bet to find out. Or you can wait a few months until my current project is completed and I find out first hand.

[Sanaa]

Hi John,

See this ARB question:
When our customer's payment comes back declined...
We will tell them it was declined and give them 3 days to update their payment details before we rebill.
If it is declined again, we will give them another 3 days...then we suspend their account.
My question is:
1. How do I rebill a declined ARB payment? Can I set the interval (e.g. 3 days) before the rebill is initiated?

Thanks!

[Sanaa]

Office authorize.net answer:

[quote]You cannot rebill an ARB subscription payment that fails. You must either adjust the next scheduled payment amount or submit a standard transaction via AIM or manually using the Virtual Terminal within your account.
[/quote]

Good luck!

[BigMountain]

[quote="stymiee"]You should go to [url=http://www.merchant-account-services.org/article/authorize-net-php-recurring-billing-api/7]page 7[/url] and use the code example there.[/quote]

I have read through the Recurring API article, the Authorize.net manual and this forum (everything on the net I can find) and I am still not getting it. I don't know if I am dense on the subject (being a designer and not a programmer that could very well be the case) or if I have somehow missed reading/learning something so it is lost on me, how to do this... but I still don't know where to begin to make this happen.

I am using WordPress with WP-Ecommerce plugin and Authorize.net with ARB activated. Now what?

I know it seems like a silly question, and I see the code that is posted in the article (and at the authorize.net site with the downloadable snippets) but I have no idea what to do with these now that I have them. Do I insert copied snippets into an existing file? Do I create new files, ftp them (somewhere?) and somehow they hook themselves?

ANY help would be SOOOOO appreciated as this is for a single client that we have worked with for years and they were using the PayPal recurring billing prior to this new redesign but the PayPal recurring never really worked properly, so they chose to move over to Authorize.net (after the announcement that the ARB had been released and were told by a sales rep that it would be WAY easier than it turned out to be - prior to calling us and discussing the project).

The client is a non-profit charity that helps children orphaned by AIDS - which is a special charity for us to participate in. I would love to be able to finish this project up for them since I have everything else setup within WordPress and the WP-Ecommerce plugin and the new design is all done as well as the population of all the other charitable items that they process but this recurring thing is just hanging on as a problem and I don't know what to do at this point.

HELLLPPP