VSP Direct is perhaps the most functional product in terms of data control - that is the ability to store ALL aspects of the shopping process from beginning to end and offers total independence from the Protx admin area that our VSP Form product relies on.

VSP Direct is a product that see's the large majority of the process take place on your own website - this includes the payment page itself - which unlike VSP Server and VSP Form is under your control.

VSP Direct means you can collect any information about the order or shopper and send only the information that Protx require to gain authorisation on a card.

As a result of this there are far more security implications for those using VSP Direct - including the ability to make HTTPS Server to Server POSTs as well as having an SSL Certificate (Certified by any reputable certificate provider such as http://www.verisign.co.uk).

Credit card details do not have to be stored as, it is not mandatory, however, those with enough security confidence can store these details if they wish and submit them at a later date, if they do not wish to charge the shopper immediately. This would require a PCI Audit to examine the way data is collected and secured - so please enquire with your bank if you plan to use VSP Direct and store these types of details on your own servers. It is also worth mentioning that a certain amount of exclusivity is needed in regards to the servers in question, as a shared environment does not lend itself to high security.

When a shopper visits a website they want to be able to pick a product or a selection of products, enter their billing and delivery details and continue on to a payment facility.

A shopping cart represents an important part of a website but does not represent the whole website - it is an addition to the website that allows the shopping process to take place and allows for the shoppers details to be collected.

This shopping cart process can either be custom built by a web developer or you can download / buy an 'off the shelf' shopping cart solution.

Shopping carts vary in their functionality and what you can do with them but ultimately they provide a link between your website and your Protx account - allowing you to take credit card details and pass them to Protx so shoppers can pay for products selected on your website.

This said, shopping carts do vary greatly, so always check with the cart first as to the list of functionality it offers as VSP Direct carts can be just as simplistic as VSP Form carts. Just because it is a VSP Direct cart does not immediately make it more complex/flexible/functional - so do check with the company that builds the cart.

Many carts will include a 'backend' or reporting/administration area allowing the user to add and remove products at will, as well as attach descriptions, prices and special offers. Importantly this backend database will change as and when shoppers purchase items.

Shopping carts are ideal for those wishing for a more simple integration with Protx without having masses of technical knowledge. Shopping carts in reference to VSP Direct are possibly the most functional of the carts that work with Protx. They will offer not only the standard cart features such as an admin area, to add and change products and prices - but will also offer a larger and more functional database where you can keep a record of transactions without relying on the Protx VSP Administration area this can allow for greater scope and also allow for you to keep your inventory and order management as well as your billing management area's all under one location.

Not all carts will share the same functions, so be sure to check with the cart software provider before you settle with one. It is important to be aware of the feature list that the different carts offer.

Protx have a good understanding of the various carts available however we can only support Protx error messages and problems related to Protx issues. It is important before you choose a cart that you enquire about the support levels that they can offer you and the times that their support departments will operate. If your inquiry with Protx is based upon a common cart error then we will likely be able to advise a fix however we will have expected the inquiry to have been placed with the cart before contacting ourselves.

The following information is a guideline of the information you will be supplied by Protx in order to enter into your shopping cart. This will NOT be cart specific. Cart specific information will be available to you on the 'shopping carts recommended by Protx' section below.

Vendor Name: This is unique to you. No other Protx vendor can have the same vendor name. It is the equivalent of an account number or account identifier and will need to be entered into your cart.

Test or Live mode: It is important that your cart is set to either Test or Live mode. When you first get notification of your Protx test account being ready, you need to ensure that the cart is set to Test mode. Once Live, all that needs to be done is to set the cart to Live mode also.

Payment type: This will be the way you wish transactions to be processed. Some cart options may differ - but generally speaking the following will be your options:

• Payment
• Deferred

N.B Please do not choose the DEFERRED method unless you stated this payment type to be set up on your account, during application. If you are interested in this payment type the primary contact on the account needs to email our support team

Currency: By default most carts will be set to GBP - this can be changed accordingly but only if the currency is set up on your Protx account. We will only set up a currency on a Protx account if your merchant number is capable of transactions in that currency, so always check with your acquiring bank.

N.B: There are many other options within the individual cart settings that have not been covered above. The cart options vary widely so only the above options are covered.

Which shopping carts do Protx support?

The following carts are integrated with Protx and they can supply documentation to help with their setup. It is important to note that many shopping carts available may well have integrated with Protx, but may not appear on our website or on the list below. This is because we are not always notified by them that they have carried out the integration.

Protx have a strict set of rules regarding the way data is passed from a website to the Protx system. Providing this set of rules is followed, any third party software company can develop a shopping cart that will work with Protx. Please contact your cart provider if they do not appear on our list, to check that they have integrated with Protx.

Please find below a list of our supported shopping carts.