CCBill drops a bomb...

[baycouples]

... on those who use their DataLink system. Here's what their letter says:

Due to the overwhelming response to our DataLink system, effective immediately we are implementing new User/Client rules for the system, which include:

- Data requests will be allowed only once per hour
- Data requests can be made for only up to one day's worth of data at a time

This can fuck up a lot of custom written payment systems around there.

Is there anybody else pissed about this or what?

[jpoker]

What does their datalink system do btw?

- jpoker

[baycouples]

It provides a way for those sites who already have membership database use it instead of relying on CCBill's password managing system.

[Doctor Dre]

I don't get it ?!?

[Doctor Dre]

Stats won't be real time ?

[Sosa]

so stats remote will only update ccbill stats once an hour? Seems like it is something like that anyways.

[baycouples]

That's not it. THey are saying that requests that a site can send to them via their DataLink interface can be limited to one per hour. So, it almost sounds like we can process only one payment per hour?

[NoCarrier]

Originally posted by baycouples
That's not it. THey are saying that requests that a site can send to them via their DataLink interface can be limited to one per hour. So, it almost sounds like we can process only one payment per hour?

Data Requests.

REQUESTS

Thank you, come again.

[StuartD]

I don't think a join is a data request... but don't quote me on that.

[baycouples]

Fine. But then a request could be a check on a profile to know whether or not it's active and needs to be downgraded. So, then we can only downgrade one member per hour?

[sean416]

when somebody figures out what that means, please advise. thanks.

[killshot]

Is there a place on the ccbill website where i can read about this datalink service?

I have my own database of users and do not need the ccbill access control

All i need is verification of payment so the users account can be credited with the appropriate number of credits

[baycouples]

killshot,

E-mail me and I'll send you their latest PDF.

[NetRodent]

Originally posted by baycouples
Fine. But then a request could be a check on a profile to know whether or not it's active and needs to be downgraded. So, then we can only downgrade one member per hour?

As far as I know, Datalink just gives you a list of transactions (and various details associated with those transactions). I don't believe you can check subscriptions directly via Datalink.

Their old 1 request in 5 minutes rule was bad enough. It was a real pain in the ass when we were setting up our scripts to talk to the Datalink service.

[PerfectionGirls]

What I am pretty sure that means is that any outside program just as Monolith, NATS and the like now only be able to update on the hour. I think that is how I am reading it.

So anyone that has their own stat system for their affiliates outside the ccbill affiliate stat system is now pretty much useless. They wont be reporting in real time so tracking will be VERY difficult.

I think thats how I am reading it. I know when running Monolith, NAT and the other affiliate backends, you have to plug into the ccbill datalink to make them work.

[baycouples]

Originally posted by NetRodent
As far as I know, Datalink just gives you a list of transactions (and various details associated with those transactions). I don't believe you can check subscriptions directly via Datalink.

Yes, you can. We're doing that to figure out which members' subscriptions have expired and then downgrade them.

[NetRodent]

Originally posted by baycouples
Yes, you can. We're doing that to figure out which members' subscriptions have expired and then downgrade them.

I'll bet you're just getting a list of "expire" transactions.

[fischi]

CCBill needs bigger servers

[Dirty-Dough]

Why is CCBill not here?

Why don't they just buy better equiptment. Its not that they don't earn enough $$ after the Ibill drama..

[UniversalPass Pete]

Wow! major!

[Jace]

Originally posted by PerfectionGirls
What I am pretty sure that means is that any outside program just as Monolith, NATS and the like now only be able to update on the hour. I think that is how I am reading it.

So anyone that has their own stat system for their affiliates outside the ccbill affiliate stat system is now pretty much useless. They wont be reporting in real time so tracking will be VERY difficult.

I think thats how I am reading it. I know when running Monolith, NAT and the other affiliate backends, you have to plug into the ccbill datalink to make them work.

if this is the correct translation, CCBill needs to smack themselves upside the head...that is pretty fucked

[Neon98]

Data Link was designed to help webmasters pull transaction data without going thorough our admin. It was not designed to allow webmasters to run a real time stats program. When datalink was first put online there where few restrictions, and not as many webmasters using it. Now there are a few webmasters who have hit the datalink so many times and pulled so much data that all the rest of the webmasters trying to use it are being punished. So now there are more restrictions. CCBill added data link in the first place in response to requests from webmasters and we are willing to talk to anyone who has some ideas on this subject.

[Mutt]

think somebody from CCBILL should explain this, and somebody from NATS to explain how this impacts users of their software.

[SteveLightspeed]

Datalink is the system that posts back non-signup transactions, like rebills, refunds, chargebacks, and bad checks.

Signups are reported in real time.

CCbill is not going to limit you to one join, or one lookup per hour --- it looks like they are asking people to limit themselves to once an hour to get the latest rebill info. We were doing CCbill datalink syncs every 30 minutes before. I think once every 60 minutes is ok, we can live with that.



Steve Lightspeed

[Rochard]

We got this email also earlier today and I discussed it with our CCBill rep. Transactions are still sent in real time.

[Dirty-Dough]

Originally posted by Neon98
Data Link was designed to help webmasters pull transaction data without going thorough our admin. It was not designed to allow webmasters to run a real time stats program. When datalink was first put online there where few restrictions, and not as many webmasters using it. Now there are a few webmasters who have hit the datalink so many times and pulled so much data that all the rest of the webmasters trying to use it are being punished. So now there are more restrictions. CCBill added data link in the first place in response to requests from webmasters and we are willing to talk to anyone who has some ideas on this subject.

That for once explains a bit. Thanks.

However, why isn't ccbill abled to handle more requests? And does this conflict with affiliate software?

[Neon98]

This could affect programs that have coded there systems to hit CCBill every 5 minutes to update there databases. The code will have to be modified and the data will only be current to within 60 minutes not 5 minutes.

[PerfectionGirls]

We got this email also earlier today and I discussed it with our CCBill rep. Transactions are still sent in real time.

Thanks man!

[corvette]

Originally posted by Dirty-Dough
However, why isn't ccbill abled to handle more requests? And does this conflict with affiliate software?

there has to be reasonable limits to the data dumps; it is difficult to accommodate multiple systems that pull, lets say, the entire years worth of data every 15 minutes from your servers...

allow me to also point out that datalink is not used by everyone and has nothing to do with the CCBill admin, it is for the select few clients that request to use datalink for things such as running their own affiliate systems/stats and so forth

[s9ann0]

I am trying to setup to work with datalink and its slow as fuck so I agree with what they have done

realisitically you only really need to one request a day to get data

[abadfish]

Rather then just screwing over the people that currently use it ccbill should offer real time access to people willing to pay for the option. Or some solution...

[FreshChecks]

Originally posted by Lightspeed
Datalink is the system that posts back non-signup transactions, like rebills, refunds, chargebacks, and bad checks.

Signups are reported in real time.

CCbill is not going to limit you to one join, or one lookup per hour --- it looks like they are asking people to limit themselves to once an hour to get the latest rebill info. We were doing CCbill datalink syncs every 30 minutes before. I think once every 60 minutes is ok, we can live with that.



Steve Lightspeed

ah, no biggie, thanks

[RichCashMike]

This is really not a big deal... Join data can be taken from the background post feature in real time. The only way this is a problem is if you are trying to download a few months worth of transaction history to analyze it (like we did when we first set datalink up).

[baycouples]

CCBill,

So, what we do is the following:

Once per day we go through our current re-bill customer records and put two requests to your server for each of them:

1. Asking for the history of that re-bill
2. Checking if the last billing went through.

Is this still going to be allowed or not?

[GonZo]

IBILL wants you back!!!

[corvette]

Originally posted by abadfish
Rather then just screwing over the people that currently use it ccbill should offer real time access to people willing to pay for the option. Or some solution...

like mentioned, we do, and will continue to provide, our real time postback feature

baycouple, it does not sound like you can get the full history of the consumer each time you request it, however, i know that many of our clients are able to store that sort of data on their end once they request it from us and only get new data to update their database.

I realize that this may have been a sudden change, anyone that feels this may affect them adversely, please contact our client support department. Our goal was not to disrupt anything, as always, we will work together with our clients to achieve all of our goals.

[Screaming]

Originally posted by sean416
when somebody figures out what that means, please advise. thanks.

im with you on that one

[baycouples]

Originally posted by corvett
like mentioned, we do, and will continue to provide, our real time postback feature

baycouple, it does not sound like you can get the full history of the consumer each time you request it, however, i know that many of our clients are able to store that sort of data on their end once they request it from us and only get new data to update their database.

I realize that this may have been a sudden change, anyone that feels this may affect them adversely, please contact our client support department. Our goal was not to disrupt anything, as always, we will work together with our clients to achieve all of our goals.

First of all, let me say that you should ask your clients FIRST and then listen to them before you do such a dramatic change.

I'm going to ask my programmer if any of this will screw up our system. I hope not. If it does - I'm not gonna bother "working" with you on this. I've already spent $750 to pay the Visa fee and then another $2,000 to a contractor to implement the DataLink system. I'm going to move on to another merchant services provider and take my friends with me.

[corvette]

eric, it was necessary to implant this change sooner rather than later, we did do some testing to determine whom would be affected the most and addressed it with them, please accept my sincere apology if this change affects your system?again, i cannot emphasize enough that if you get your technical person on the phone with client support, we can work together to ensure that we get you the data that you need and will try to keep this change as seamless as possible for you

[PornGeneral]

There is no money in online porn. Only in servicing webmasters...

[PornGeneral]

XML

Wave of the future!

[Nathan]

Hello,

people asked for a NATS statement, so here it is:

1) Datalink is a system to retreive transaction data from their backend for a period of time.

2) NATS uses this system to grab rebills, credits, chargebacks and expired members from them.

3) Because we understood the limitations of Datalink from day one, and can understand the load too many requests for too much data can cause, we have from day one deceided to make sure we do not lose data, we only grab the info once a day at night for the last 24 hours.

4) We have also been working together with CCBill in the past few weeks because we also noticed datalink problems for our clients where rebill info could not be fetched well enough and similar things.

5) SALE info is still realtime, and thats the most important. But if a NATS client wishes, they can change the amount of times per day they update their data from ccbill for rebills and the like without us having to change anything in their system.

I hope this explains a little better what this is all about and how this impacts any NATS client (specifically: not at all).