Comments on: Work and HSBC Payment Processor http://www.stuffbysarah.net/2007/03/29/work-and-hsbc-payment-processor/ PHP, WordPress and Business Ramblings Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:31:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sarah http://www.stuffbysarah.net/2007/03/29/work-and-hsbc-payment-processor/comment-page-1/#comment-8826 Sarah Wed, 04 Apr 2007 07:48:41 +0000 http://www.stuffbysarah.net/2007/03/29/work-and-hsbc-payment-processor/#comment-8826 Well. The instructions that you get simply give you 3 executable files and a sample html file, plus a dll library which you host has to install if it's not already on your server. The instructions get you to edit the sample.html file and simply upload it, upload the executables, put your hash key in a text file and then run the sample file, which is a form that you submit. In theory the form is then meant to execute one of the files, generate a hash key and send you off to HSBC. Well when that first and only offering didn't work for me I then had to turn to the web to find the answer. I've worked with several payment processors and have always had good, well written information on how to get them working. Protx supplies files for most popular scripts, WorldPay uses posts to and from the web site, PayPal again, simply forms and then posts to the server. Even Nochex supplied a link through to the cURL script you need to use. But HSBC? Nothing, nada. I'm impressed with the person who wrote the osCommerce HSBC module as he clearly researched it all in great detail. I couldn't find any other information on their site (although I did discovered a cheaper business account which I switched to!). It probably wouldn't have been so bad for me had my client not supplied two hash keys, the first I used in my osCommerce test installation and worked, the second I used for my standalone attempt and didn't work. I then assumed it was my attempt to hack the osc module and not the fact that the hash key was simply incorrect. Getting about 6 lines of code working to generate a hash key to in theory send to HSBC, took longer than the rest of the work! Well. The instructions that you get simply give you 3 executable files and a sample html file, plus a dll library which you host has to install if it's not already on your server.

The instructions get you to edit the sample.html file and simply upload it, upload the executables, put your hash key in a text file and then run the sample file, which is a form that you submit. In theory the form is then meant to execute one of the files, generate a hash key and send you off to HSBC. Well when that first and only offering didn't work for me I then had to turn to the web to find the answer.

I've worked with several payment processors and have always had good, well written information on how to get them working. Protx supplies files for most popular scripts, WorldPay uses posts to and from the web site, PayPal again, simply forms and then posts to the server. Even Nochex supplied a link through to the cURL script you need to use. But HSBC? Nothing, nada. I'm impressed with the person who wrote the osCommerce HSBC module as he clearly researched it all in great detail. I couldn't find any other information on their site (although I did discovered a cheaper business account which I switched to!).

It probably wouldn't have been so bad for me had my client not supplied two hash keys, the first I used in my osCommerce test installation and worked, the second I used for my standalone attempt and didn't work. I then assumed it was my attempt to hack the osc module and not the fact that the hash key was simply incorrect.

Getting about 6 lines of code working to generate a hash key to in theory send to HSBC, took longer than the rest of the work!

]]> By: Will http://www.stuffbysarah.net/2007/03/29/work-and-hsbc-payment-processor/comment-page-1/#comment-8823 Will Tue, 03 Apr 2007 20:59:18 +0000 http://www.stuffbysarah.net/2007/03/29/work-and-hsbc-payment-processor/#comment-8823 What's so particularly bad about HSBC payment processing? I recently fired a client who was with HSBC. We didn't get far enough into the project for me to find out what the interface was like. What's so particularly bad about HSBC payment processing? I recently fired a client who was with HSBC. We didn't get far enough into the project for me to find out what the interface was like.

]]> By: Sarah http://www.stuffbysarah.net/2007/03/29/work-and-hsbc-payment-processor/comment-page-1/#comment-8811 Sarah Mon, 02 Apr 2007 22:34:07 +0000 http://www.stuffbysarah.net/2007/03/29/work-and-hsbc-payment-processor/#comment-8811 Hey Chris, thanks for your link. Wasn't the way I ended up doing it but hopefully it'll help out someone else :) Hey Chris, thanks for your link. Wasn't the way I ended up doing it but hopefully it'll help out someone else :)

]]> By: Chris http://www.stuffbysarah.net/2007/03/29/work-and-hsbc-payment-processor/comment-page-1/#comment-8809 Chris Mon, 02 Apr 2007 17:13:42 +0000 http://www.stuffbysarah.net/2007/03/29/work-and-hsbc-payment-processor/#comment-8809 I also had major issues with the HSBC system so i wrote this integration guide: http://www.leadingedgewebsites.co.uk/help/hsbccreditcardslinux.html I also had major issues with the HSBC system so i wrote this integration guide:

http://www.leadingedgewebsites.....linux.html

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