One of the most utilized features available to our suppliers is the ability to return a customer, along with information regarding their order, to the page from which their order originated. Although this process can be extremely useful and powerful, it can also be misunderstood by someone who does not have all of the available information.

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After a sale, we can return the customer to a script or page on your site that you specify as the return URL. This can be done on the Look and Feel settings page of your V2 account. This is located in the Helpful Links section of your account homepage.

2Checkout can return the customer to an Approved or Pending URL after a sale. If we can immediately verify the availability of funds, then the customer is sent to the Approved URL. If we are not able to do this, then they will go to the Pending URL. For example, a digital check would always be sent to the Pending URL because we can not immediately verify the availability of funds. A confirmation email is sent out when the check clears, but no pass back ever occurs after the initial sale. Another way of saying this is that if the credit_card_processed parameter is “Y”, then the customer goes to the Approved URL, but if it is “K” then they will go to the Pending URL.

You may also specify the Approved and Pending URL on the product level in V2. Any URL set here over-rides the main ones set on the Look and Feel settings page.

The terms pass back URL and return URL generally mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably. However, pass back refers to the information or parameters that we send back to your site after a sale. Return refers to the actual process of sending the customer there. Pass back URL and return URL are the same because in this context it simply means “where do you want return/pass back to go to?”

Additionally, the x_receipt_link_url parameter can be used to specify the return URL on the fly. If you take this approach, this parameter will over-ride any URL set on the Look and Feel settings page. You may use this parameter to have a specific button or link use a return URL that is different than the ones set on the Look and Feel page. If you do this, your return script would need to check the value of the credit_card_processed parameter itself to determine what the appropriate course of action should be. Another way of saying this is that, since this parameter only allows you to specify one return URL rather than both the Approved and Pending URLs, whatever script it is returning the customer to will need to check the value of the credit_card_processed parameter to determine whether they should provide the customer with a “Thank You for Ordering! / Here is Your Download!” page, or a “You will receive more information when your payment is approved” screen.

It is also important to note that if x_receipt_link_url is used, then the return page must match the domain on the account. If the URL is saved on the Look and Feel page or the product level, then we can return them anywhere. In short, if the URL is in our database we can return them there. If not, then it must match for security reasons.

2Checkout.com will also POST the information to your return URL in all cases, regardless of whether Direct Return is enabled or disabled. It is important to note that we will not allow a mix of GET and POST in the return process. If you are trying to return the customer to “http://www.yoursite.com/your_script.php?param=value” then we actually return the customer to “http://www.yoursite.com/your_script.php” and the ‘param=value’ will be returned as POST information with the rest of the sales information that we normally pass back.

You must also have a script set up as the return URL if you wish to receive the pass back information. If you would like this information returned to you, make sure that your return URL ends in the extension of a script. If your return URL ends in any of the following extensions, then pass back will NOT occur, but the customer will still be returned there : .htm, .html, .com, .zip, .pdf, .rar, .doc

The order of precedence for return from highest to lowest is:

1. x_receipt_link_url
2. Product Level
3. Look and Feel page

The x_receipt_link_url will take precedence over all other return URLs, and the Look and Feel page will be used by default if the other two are absent.

ORDERING A SINGLE PRODUCT VS. ORDERING MULTIPLE PRODUCTS WITH DIRECT RETURN (YES):

The order process works in the following manner when direct return is set to “Yes“.

1. If no approved or pending URL’s have been specified in your vendor account, the customers order will end at the 2checkout order confirmation screen. The vendor is then responsible for supplying the customer with the product.
2. If a single product is ordered, the direct return feature will return the customer to your specified return URL. This is only true if you have specified a return URL at the product section or the look and feel section of your account. The assigned URL’s at the product level will always override the URL’s set up at the look and feel section of your account. 2A. If multiple products are ordered, the direct return feature will work exactly the same as if a customer orders a single product. This is only true if you have specified a return URL in the look and feel section of your account.
3. If the customer orders a single product and you have specified the return URL at the product level, the customer will be returned to the URL indicated at the product level. 3A. If multiple products are ordered and you have set up approved and pending URLs at the product level, the order process ends at the 2checkout confirmation order page. At this page, there will be a “click here” link that is created for each product ordered on that page. The “click here” link will direct the customer to the approved URL for that product.

   Since the customer ordered multiple products, this page will not close until it is manually closed by the customer. This way the customer will receive all the downloads or will be forwarded to all the correct URLs to receive their downloads.

**Useful Info

To add an approved URL to the look and feel section of your account, you can click on “settings” under the “helpful links” section of your account homepage.

To add a approved URL to each of your products, you will need to click on option 4 (set up products) of your account homepage. You will then need to click on the “edit” link for the product you need to add the approved URL to. There will be a field to input your approved URL. Simply add your approved URL and click on the save changes button.