Billing Solution, and you...

So I'm looking for ways to go about coding features and things for a new billing software that I'm going to be creating for my personal website. I thought I would try and use WHMCS, but seeing as how my website has nothing to do with hosting, domains, etc, I feel as though WHMCS wouldn't be the right fit for me.

With that being said I'm looking to create my own billing solution that for the most part will have automated paypal payments via IPN, and use the API features to search through transactions, do refunds, etc. Also logging client transactions, and putting a monthly limit on new clients for fraudulent purposes.

Since paypal is the easiest (imo) to do first, I thought I would do it, and worry about other payment gateways in the future. Anywho, I'm wondering what features, or ways you would go about doing something like this, and things you would take into consideration.

I'm only concerned, or asking because I've never done anything similar to this, and I want it to be a success for my website. ~.~

Aaron

Sounds good. I would look forward simplicity and ability to expand in future.
Honestly if I were to code this, I would focus more on security as well as providing that simple flow.

Also piece of advice. Take a paper (a white thing, you can get some at wall mart or from your printer paper tray) and a pen or pencil. And simply start writing features that you want. Then break those features into smaller features. And then those to even smaller and at the end the smallest piece will be a small function or small piece of code.

When I first made user panel (the one for luna server), I did everything in a day without planning. Didn't turn out well.

The second one I tried to plan everything out and it turned out pretty well, sadly didn't get to use it...

Also online mind mappers could replace paper&pencil thing.

But good luck on your project.

If you haven't visited PayPal's dev network you probably should check out the examples, features, etc.
Also, dealing with billing solutions, you should get a ssl certificate (jM2.me already mentioned the importance of security).

Good luck ;)

Thanks, and I'll invest in a SSL Certificate eventually. I found one for 50 a year, so it's not bad.

Also to save time, here is small pre-made script for paypal IPN.
I also described the process a bit.

Please don't use that script as it is, make sure to add security to it.

http://forum.ragezone.com/f578/php-p...script-694488/

sounds like a plan m8, if you need any help then hit me up on MSN, got a paypal system laying around on my server that u can have as well, pretty much what it does is: redirects user to paypal with payment info, user pays for the product, then paypal contacts my server script with info if paymen went through, then a new query is submitted into the db with the user info, simple. This way you can verify as well manually, also paypal can only contact if you filter the traffic. Ell me on MSN if u need it.

i also recommend that you either build a framework or use existing one (if you use a existing one make sure u follow the framework rules). When it comes to paymnt via creditcards, there are various companies u can use for this purpose, however they are mostly rather expensive.

so i would start with paypal and moneybookers.

Good luck m8 :)