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We're developing an application that uses Paypal Express Checkout, and we're finding that we get two different landing pages. We're actually finding a problem that seems superficially similar to Can you force PayPal Payments Standard API to show credit card fields first?, but with a few differences:

  1. Everything is fine with the sandbox, and we get exactly the appearance (credit card first) we want.

  2. On the live site, about 50% of the time we get exactly the appearance (credit card first) we want.

  3. Sometimes, we get a more "mobile-like" landing page, with the credit card stuff totally hidden in a "Check out as a guest" button, as shown.

This feels like a failing A/B test to me. We're sending exactly the variables in the question linked above, and as I said, all works fine with the older landing pages. I know there are also cookie issues, but in this case, we're seeing it even when Paypal is not able to identify an account and when cookies are cleared.

Does anybody know if there is anything we can do to work around this?

I can add code if needed, but the problem appears to be more data than logic.

New landing page

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Stuart Watt
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2 Answers2

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I had the same question after I started to see users coming in from the 'new style' page.

I found the answer here:

Paypal express "order summary" page

I added the "force_sa=true" parameter to my Paypal URL:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_express-checkout&force_sa=true&token=…

The new page is definitely weighted to appear more often on mobile devices. Without the parameter I get the new style page on a iPad after about 5 refreshes, with the parameter I can refresh as much as I like and never see the new page.

Obviously, PayPal will roll out the new page to everyone in the end, but this technique allows us a stop gap while we get ready for it ;-)

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underscorePez
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  • Thanks for this. I'm away from this problem right now, and wild horses would struggle to pull me back to using Paypal, but this is a very useful piece of public knowledge. – Stuart Watt May 29 '14 at 19:02
  • Curses. Adding the 'force_sa' parameter has now stopped working! Looks like PayPal have disabled it :-( You can still force the new page, just not the old one – underscorePez Jun 10 '14 at 13:26
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    I observed the requests that the new page sent, and added '&xo_node_fallback=true&force_sa=true&fallback=1' at the end. The new page never showed up. But I'm in sandbox. There seems to be some differences between sandbox and live. – yuji Jul 18 '16 at 04:14
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The screen pictured is PayPal's new checkout. It is only partially deployed at this point, you can think of it as A/B testing.

Regarding whether the customer sees "credit cards first", this mostly depends on whether they have a PayPal email stored in their browser cookie. If they do, the top "Log in to PayPal" section will be expanded, the email filled out, and they just need to type in their password and do about 3 clicks to complete the checkout..

If they do not have a PayPal email stored in their cookies, the bottom Create an Account or Pay as Guest section will be expanded. (If you want guest checkout, pass SOLUTIONTYPE=Sole in your initial SetExpressCheckout request).

The customer can always switch between the two expanded sections, it's just a "smart default" of sorts.

Try doing all your "credit cards first" testing in an incognito / private browsing window.

Preston PHX
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  • Thanks for the confirmation on A/B testing. I am already passing SOLUTIONTYPE=Sole (and LANDINGPAGE=Billing) and although I get Guest offered, it's right behind the button, and credit card payment is not mentioned even there. It's not only a cookie issue, as incognito / private makes no difference, nor does clearing cache. Unfortunately, Paypal's "New. Faster. Easier" is pushing away >50% of customers! – Stuart Watt Nov 30 '13 at 21:18
  • Ah. Yes it seems in the new layout customers have to click to pay as a guest and enter a billing address before they will see something about credit cards. The only thing prior is the picture of a wallet on the initial landing page, which may be too subtle. I do not know of any way to change the experience on the paypal.com page with the new checkout. The best workaround I can suggest is to display one of the "solution graphic" images on your own site prior to directing a customer to PayPal: http://www.paypal.com/logocenter – Preston PHX Nov 30 '13 at 21:41
  • Paypal support confirmed some of this, although the current indication is that the design being rolled out makes SOLUTIONTYPE=Sole pointless and non-functional. That's outside our control, and we're working to express our displeasure. – Stuart Watt Dec 06 '13 at 16:16
  • No way to avoid this new screen anymore, and in addition it's not even localized! (eg: French customers will see an English checkout page). It's ridiculous to deploy a non-localized checkout page with the manpower PayPal has! – gaborous Feb 24 '15 at 15:06
  • @PrestonAlexander We also noticed different layouts for express checkout, also after completing the payment process the screen stays open in android, is there a way to close it? – Om Infowave Developers Sep 10 '18 at 06:02