Buy Now button -> "Things don't appear to be working at the moment. Please try again later."

[Brunius]

This button on our registration site has worked for three years. We haven't changed anything on our server but on March 25th our customers started getting the following message: "Things don't appear to be working at the moment. Please try again later."

An example of the failed html button looks like this:

<form id="payPal" class="cat" action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" style="display: block;">
<input type="hidden" name="amount" value="74.99">
<input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_xclick">
<input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="EventRegistration">
<input type="hidden" name="business" value="*******@***.org">
<input type="hidden" name="address_override" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="return" value="https://oiyc.org/Common/registration/***.php?event=East%20Sound%20Spring%20Regatta&amp;year=2023">
<input type="hidden" name="invoice" value="Bob Black East Sound Spring Regatta re7">
<input type="hidden" name="no_ird" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="no_shipping" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="custom" value="c3f83ab6a27d1b7f91a790f0e112fe656ea70fc41430cab4e70d71f9c36533d4">
<input type="hidden" name="item_number" value="East Sound Spring Regatta">
<div style="text-align:center">
<input type="image" src="../pageImages/btn_paynowCC_LG.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="OIYC">
</div>
</form>

[MTS_Jennifer]

Hello @Brunius,

Thank you for posting to the PayPal Merchant Community.

The error message "Things don't appear to be working..." is a generic error message. 
Here are the main reasons that you may be receiving this error message:

• Merchant Trying to pay themselves, this is considered cash advancing a restricted activity
• Incorrect Variable
• Variable with special characters like " in them
• Setting on the account 
• Email being used in integration not added or confirmed on your PayPal Account

I tested your button code that was provided, and it is working in both live and sandbox. I didn't see any reason for your buyers to get that error message with the button code that was shared, unless the email on the payment button is not added or confirmed on your PayPal Account.

You can update this line of code to your merchant id:

<input type="hidden" name="business" value="*******@***.org">

Here is how to get your merchant id:

• Log into your PayPal Account
• Click on your name at the top right
• Click on account settings
• Click on Business information

You should see the PayPal Merchant ID, which can be used in place of an email address.

Thank you,

Jennifer

MTS

PayPal