OK - I decided to 'bite' the bullet and send out some Google CheckOut invoices today!

So - to the site I go, find the function and....away I went!

Here's my questions -

1. Is there any place to itemize the items (except text in the body)?

2. Is there any place to itemize the $$ (item1, item2, shipping, tax, etc.)?

3. Does the text area take HTML - all my 'paragraphs' were bunched up?

I often overlook the obvious (unintentionally), so any input would be awesome!!!

TIA -

You are going thru the same thing I went thru a few days ago.

I sent out Inv 1 and 2 a few days ago via Google Checkout.

There is the description area and directly above that there is Plain Text. I clicked on that. Then Rich Text format appeared and I clicked on that.

What I ended up doing was to copy and paste from the ebay invoice most of the info. When I pasted it, i clicked on plain text and then rich text. That "kinda" formatted it to where it was understandable.

Then again today I sent out about 5 more invoices thru GC.

What I found:
1) It is ALOT of work to type each invoice, product, amount, s&h, total due, etc.
ALOT more work just to avoid the paypal fees.
Personally I think I am going to go back to ebay invoices in addition to paypal invoices and my own template invoices for off ebay.

2) It doesn't appear that ANY of my invoices reached my buyers. So far I haven't heard anything from any of them even the ones I sent a few days ago.
SO I had to send ebay and paypal invoices anyway.

3) Personally I don't feel it is user friendly. Very cumbersome to work in.

JMO

Covey - you've given me 'good info.' - I didn't even see the plain text vs. rich text!!! I might be able to 'work' better knowing this!!!

And yes - I am so concerned I'll make an error in my billing to a client! Especially since I'm adding a discount for using GCO vs. PP!!

Erin,

The answer to all your questions is NO. I've never even seen that "richtext" part.

I do just put them in the text box and yah it bunches them up terrible.

The other problem is once you've sent the invoice, there is NO record of it at GC for you to keep track of it like at PP.

What I've done is be sure you have the "send me a copy" selected. Than in your email program, set up a "rule" that will sort out the Google messages. Make a sub-folder to put them in named Google. Then make 2 subs of that folder, "paid" and "NPB". When the payments come in for the invoices, you match them up and move them to the paid. Anything left hasn't paid yet and needs a "reminder" until you decide it needs to go to the NPB folder.

TSC,

GC has had some problems with customers not getting the emails. It seems some maybe don't have their emails set-up for HTML, but for me, if I got the copy, I think they lost theirs in a spam filter. What I've done is do a "forward" on my copy and add a message like " maybe you didn't get this as I haven't heard from you", blah, blah however you want. It then gets to them with MY address and doesn't seem to be lost in the spam.

Try the forward and see if that works.

Carol

Carol,

I remember what I did.....
I sent a GCO invoice, THEN I sent an email thru my gmail account. THAT is where the rich text/plain text is.

I am going to stick with PP. MUCH easier, MUCH more user friendly, MUCH less human error, MUCH better "record-keeping" and tracking info, MUCH more able to get thru to customers instead of going into spam folders, etc.

I will offer GCO so my customers can use it if they want to.

Actually if you have it set-up in a cart or even just at eCrater, It's no problem at all.

Other than they changed how Mal's interfaces. And I partly blame Mal's for not notifying customers that GC was taken out of their cart.

It's mostly when you need to use the "invoice" feature that they need to work on it.

My GC orders thru Mal's and eC have gone smoth and they look nice. Other than those few days.

Carol

For my Yahoo Action, I generate Paypal Invoices - so no integration at all! So - I'm looking for similar/same function/feel for GCO - not there (Yet)...

I love the 'invoice' function on Paypal - I can use it well beyond auctions - i.e. collect my softball fees, baseball fees, etc. It's generic for purpose but specific for function.

I wouldn't know how to integrate if I had too - thank goodness it's all 'automated' for eCrater and HiBidder (or I'd be finding you Carol... )!!

Actually the Mal's Cart Buttons are almost just like the PP buttons. So doing a cart on my own site wasn't too bad.

It's just that I have about 3-400 buttons. But once you know how they work, it's easy to change them for the next button.

Eventually I'll figure out some of the fancier stuff and do the drop-down boxes, but for now I have the cart up and running (or at least most of it).

Carol

Alrighty.....I'm having issues with GCO invoicing!!! Here they are -

1. I do NOT see any option to switch between plain text and html/other when I'm looking at the invoice function....

2. I just sent one, and it says it 'went', but can't find it anywheres!!! I also did not get a copy, which is checked...

Anybody else having issues with GCO (or am I a complete numpty)?

Help if ya can!!

Hi Erin,

If I remember from some of the GC board posts, there is no option for plain text vs HTML. That's the problem. If a recipient has their emails set for text, they won't get the invoice, or something they can read.

As for where is it. It's no where. Once sent there is nothing IN GC until the person pays. That's why your copy is so important to be able to keep track of the invoices. I explained my method for tracking them in one of these GC threads.

Your copy can sometimes take a bit to get to you, but will usually come within 5 minutes or so. If it hasn't come in that time frame, chances are it didn't send.

Carol