GoogleCheckoutSpreadsheetsMaps

From MashupCamp

Martin showed a web storefront that integrated with Google Checkout (for payments), with Google Spreadsheets (for storage of order data) and with Google Maps (for displaying customers' shipping addresses on a map).

The demo integrated with Google Checkout through HTTP posts of XML, with Spreadsheets through Atom feeds and with Maps through JavaScript.

Contents 1 Questions raised in the session 2 Useful links 2.1 Checkout 2.2 Spreadsheets 2.3 Maps

Questions raised in the session

• How much does Google charge for Checkout transactions?

Transactions are free until the end of 2007. In 2008 transactions will cost 20 cents plus 2% of the total billed. If you are an AdWords customer, you be able to process up to ten times your AdWords spend for free every month. For example, if you spend $100 on AdWords in January, you will be able to process $1,000 worth of sales for free.

• Can Google Checkout handle bidding and auctions?

Google Checkout can handle the final payment after bidding ends on an auction, but it doesn't handle bids and determine the buyer, resolve conflicting bids, etc.

• Can Google Checkout be used as payment for eBay auctions?

No, Google Checkout is not an approved payment method on eBay.

• Can Google Checkout be used to charge for services, like a subscription to a web-based application?

Yes, it can. See here for the list of what you can't sell through Checkout: http://checkout.google.com/seller/content_policies.html

• How does Google and the merchant communicate with each other for Checkout transactions?

Through HTTP posts of XML.

• How is the communication between merchant and Google secured?

The posts are done over SSL with Basic Authentication.

• How can a merchant match up carts sent to Checkout with the new-order-notifications that Google sends back when orders have been placed?

When the merchant sends a cart to Google Checkout, she can include her own data (like cart number, etc) in the form of an XML snippet. Google will post this XML snippet back to the merchant in the new-order-notification.

Useful links

Checkout

• General seller information: http://checkout.google.com/sell/
• Google Checkout XML API: http://code.google.com/apis/checkout/developer/index.html
• Google Checkout HTML API: http://code.google.com/apis/checkout/developer/google_checkout_html_api.html
• Intro to using the .NET sample code for Checkout: http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/pub/a/windows/2007/01/09/build-a-net-app-for-google-checkout.html
• .NET sample code for integrating with Google Checkout: http://code.google.com/p/google-checkout-dotnet-sample-code/
• Sample code in other languages for integrating with Google Checkout: http://code.google.com/apis/checkout/samplecode.html

Spreadsheets

• Google Spreadsheets Data API Developer's Guide (all languages): http://code.google.com/apis/spreadsheets/developers_guide_protocol.html
• Sample code for integrating with Spreadsheets from .NET: http://code.google.com/p/google-gdata/

Maps

• Google Maps API: http://www.google.com/apis/maps/