As our sellers using Google Checkout are no doubt already aware, Google has announced that Google Checkout will be retired effective November 20th, 2013:
http://support.google.com/checkout/sell/answer/3080449
Until that date, buyers can continue using their Google Wallet accounts to pay sellers using Google Checkout, but Google has already closed Google Checkout to new seller enrollments by now. While it had initially seemed that a new payment service called Google Wallet for Digital Goods would be simply a scaling-back of Google Checkout but otherwise continuing to use the same or slightly modified APIs, it now appears the only thing they have in common is the name "Google" -- the technical end is completely, utterly different.
As such, migrating from Checkout to Wallet for both us and our clients would be much the same scenario as migrating from Checkout to any other payment processor, so there's really little inherent advantage in prioritizing support for a Google-branded new payment option that only supports digital goods when other, more full-featured options are feasible with the same or even less work.
In light of that, E-junkie Development will first be expanding our 2CheckOut integration to support full cart checkouts via our standard E-junkie Add to Cart/View Cart button codes, thanks to recent API improvements at 2CO's end that make this possible (heretofore, we could only support Buy Now buttons with 2CO). Unlike Google Checkout and Wallet, 2CO supports merchants in most countries worldwide (including many not served by PayPal) with support for multiple languages and pricing currencies:
https://www.2checkout.com/global-payments
Another advantage to expanded support for 2CO is that we should be able to do this with our current Admin, so once we've got the backend integration squared away, we won't need to wait for our new Admin to go live (still on schedule to launch before the end of this year) before sellers can start migrating to 2CO as a payment option with standard E-junkie Cart buttons (or Buy Now buttons, if you prefer).
In fact, to get prepared in advance for this upgrade, you could just go ahead and register for 2CO now and set up your 2CO Seller ID, Secret Word, Approved URL and Return Method (see link below for details). This will have no effect until we have the backend cart support in place, at which point a 2CO checkout button should appear in your E-junkie Cart without any further action from you. If you'd like to start using Buy Now buttons to start selling with 2CO right away without waiting for full cart support, you can still use our old 2CO integration outlined here (this also explains where to set up your Secret Word, Approved URL, and Return Method as mentioned above):
http://www.e-junkie.com/ej/selling-with-2checkout.old.htm
Note that once we upgrade our 2CO integration, it should no longer be necessary to perform Steps D. and F. of our old 2CO integration procedure, nor will they cause any conflict later if you decide to use those steps now to start using our Buy Now buttons for 2CO right away.
After we finish upgrading our 2CO integration, Development will then work on integrating Google Wallet for Digital Goods and TaxCloud -- the latter being a free sales tax rate-lookup service that many of you will appreciate if you are subject to sales tax rates that vary according to the buyer's location, not to mention the proposed "Marketplace Fairness Act" (H.R.684 / S.336) already passed by the US Senate and currently in subcommittee in the House.
