Checkout by Amazon adds Custom Fields
By Garry HJ | May 15th, 2009 | Category: Amazon Payments, Shopping Carts | No Comments »
Checkout by Amazon now provides a way for the merchants and integrators to include custom attributes in the order request XML. These attributes can be associated either with line-items or orders, and will have web-script developers scrambling to be first with their extended add-ons and plug-ins.
“When Amazon Payments receive your order request and it contains custom attributes, they store it, and return it to you as part of the Callback API, or as part of the Instant Order Processing Notification API.” is the way its described as functioning, which is nothing different from other services.
Merchants and Integrators can use these attributes to track affiliate purchases, additional order details, custom item attributes, cart ID, user ID and any other information they need to track.
They’ve also published detailed help content for using custom fields which should assist both site developers and plug-in developers for the more popular site and shopping cart softwares.
Looking through the sample code, the following seems to be some (maybe all) of the custom fields available, they are certainly the only attributes named as “custom” -
ItemCustomData
CustomText
- Text
- Color
- StyleID
/CustomText
/ItemCustomData
CartCustomData
- CartNumber
/CartCustomData
This extension release comes hot on the heels of Amazon releasing the official plug-in for osCommerce, and a call-back API, that brings them closer to overall parity with the offerings from arch-rival, PayPal.
Who says competition isn’t good for choice and innovation? Now if only they could simplify the labyrinthine navigation around the Amazon Associates sections of their websites (Hint Amazon! – Where’s the associates link system for Amazon Payments, and Checkout by Amazon, systems?)
Gaz
Original story : Amazon Payments Blog
More Information : BuildaSkill’s Amazon Payments discussion forums
