System Requirements question

[eventide]

I am considering WHMCS to work with a CDG Commerce/Quantum Gateway eCommerce solution so that I can invoice clients and allow them to pay on my Web site.

 

One of the system requirements for WHMCS is that the server it is installed on has "Curl Support (with SSL) ". I checked with my Web host and the server my site is hosted on does not support cURL-SSL.

 

My (extremely) limited understanding of eCommerce leads me to beleive that I only need SSL if I want to process credit cards on my site. I want to make sure I understand correctly: Does that then mean that I cannot install WHMCS and use it on my Web site at all, or just that I will not be able to process credit cards on my site through WHMCS?

 

If it's the latter, then what are my alternatives?

 

Thanks!

[Matt]

Hi,

 

Curl with SSL is needed for most remote communication, to gateways, but also to domain registrars, fraud protection services, etc... It's a more secure way of communicating. If your server doesn't yet support it, it should be quite simple to just recompile PHP with it added. In terms of gateways though, you could get away with it by using services like PayPal, or the new Quantum Gateway Vault service which we announced earlier this month.

 

Matt

[eventide]

Hi,

 

Curl with SSL is needed for most remote communication, to gateways, but also to domain registrars, fraud protection services, etc... It's a more secure way of communicating. If your server doesn't yet support it, it should be quite simple to just recompile PHP with it added. In terms of gateways though, you could get away with it by using services like PayPal, or the new Quantum Gateway Vault service which we announced earlier this month.

 

Matt

 

Hey, Matt. Thanks for the reply.

 

The Curl-SSL issue has been a real concern for me, as I have verified with my Web host that their servers neither support curl-ssl, nor can they install the support. It's just not going to happen. So, finding an alternative has been a priority if I want to be able to allow my clients to pay through my Web site.

 

In an email with Quantum Gateway tech support, they indicated that WHMCS has a plugin that will work with an iFrame. If this is true, then it is my understanding that an iFrame completely negates the need for any security that credit card transactions normally require of a server, since the client will in fact be connected directly to the Quantum server through the iFrame on my Web site. Is that correct?

[eventide]

For the benefit of anyone else that may be interested in this particular subject and/or in a similar situation as I am, I copied your support ticket reply here:

 

That's partially correct. ... you could use the new Quantum Vault module which for the first payment uses an iframe, but even that for the automated recurring payments uses curl with SSL so it would work for one time payments, but your clients would have to login and pay manually every month.

 

It really is odd your host says they can't do it. There is no valid reason why it wouldn't be possible to do.

 

About my Web host saying they can't install the cURL-SSL functionality, I finally got a firm answer from them: The reason is that my site is hosted on a shared server - whether it's possible for them to offer that feature on their shared servers or not, that's their reason and as soon as they told me that, they mentioned I could move to a VPS server for $50/mo. Unfortunately, it's completely not cost effective for me to transfer to a VPS or dedicated hosting plan for that price, so I'm stuck where I'm at for now - at least until (and if) business ever picks up...

 

Back to the issue at hand, though. I suppose I could handle only doing one-time payments exclusively. My business is Web development, not hosting, so most of my income is one-offs anyway...

[cyfered6]

You definitly can find VPS for a price lower than that one....google is your friend =)

[eventide]

Hey, cyfered6

 

I know there are better prices for VPS out there - I've looked, but the income on my business right now just couldn't justify that expense.

 

Thanks!

[tulaweb]

The reason is that my site is hosted on a shared server - whether it's possible for them to offer that feature on their shared servers or not, that's their reason and as soon as they told me that, they mentioned I could move to a VPS server for $50/mo. Unfortunately, it's completely not cost effective for me to transfer to a VPS or dedicated hosting plan for that price, so I'm stuck where I'm at for now - at least until (and if) business ever picks up...

 

You shouldn't have to get a VPS or dedicated server to get curl support. I don't doubt that the reason your host isn't going to recompile php for you, is that it's on a shared server, but I offer it by default on my shared servers, and I'm sure many others do too. Perhaps they can move you to a different shared server, that is configured the way you need it, or perhaps you want to move to a shared server at a different host.

[eventide]

Hey, tulaweb

 

Unfortunately my Web host (WebHostingPad) indicated that none of their shared servers have curl/ssl.

 

If curl support becomes an absolute must, then I will have to look for an alternative, but I'd like to hold off on that as long as possible, as I'm not even a year into a three-year hosting plan - and I'm way beyond the refund date.

[WHMCS John]

Yup, plenty of hosts offer it on their shared servers.

[eventide]

Any recommendations? Along with tulaweb, of course!

[mylove4life]

I use http://www.liquidsix.com/default.asp and they nhave been good to me.