====== Website Payments ======

===== I get the error "invalid Merchant ID" =====

There could be a number of reasons for this:

**You are using the sandbox (test) credentials on the live site**
  * By default, our payment modules use the sandbox credentials and are set to point to the sandbox site
  * Check your payment module configuration and ensure that you are using your live credentials and that you are set to use the //live// site
  * Your Merchant ID and Merchant Key are available on the [[https://www.payfast.co.za/acc/integration|integration page]]

**You are using the your live credentials on the sandbox (test) site**
  * The Merchant ID and Merchant Key you need to use are different for the live or sandbox sites
  * Check your payment module configuration to ensure that you are using the sandbox credentials and that it is set to use the //test// site
  * The sandbox Merchant ID and Merchant Key are available in the [[https://www.payfast.co.za/c/std/integration-guide#system|integration guide]].

**Your account is not a Business account**
  * Only business accounts are issued Merchant IDs and Merchant Keys
  * Check your account //type// on your [[https://www.payfast.co.za/acc/account|Account page]]
  * If it is anything other than Business (or Cause), then you need to upgrade
  * Click the //upgrade account// link on the [[https://www.payfast.co.za/acc/account|same page]] to upgrade your account
    * Follow the system prompts to provide any missing information
  * **Note:** Your account may have been downgraded during Oct/Nov 2009 which is why it is no longer a Business account
    * We sent out multiple emails during this period requesting additional information be provided for receiving accounts
    * Any accounts which had not provided this information after a certain date were downgraded to Basic accounts
    * All you need do is provide the missing information to upgrade your account again
    * Please note that your Merchant Key will change as a result of the upgrade process and will need to re-entered into your payment module configuration