Unable to verify $_POST vars

I’ve setup s2Member to collect payments for a business services website. I generated the buttons via shortcodes, and all works fine. Payment is being made, (funds get into the business account), but when the customer should be redirected back to the website to fill out his details, I receive the following error:

“ERROR: Unable to verify $_POST vars.
Please contact Support for assistance.”

I did went over the Troubleshooting and found the server checkup script. I ran that on the server and all came back ok. What else can be done? I think the problem is that some attributes are not returning.

You can see the generated paypal button from the shortcode at http://www.business-caddy.com/sandbox
Please help.

Hello Valentin,

Could you please share the shortcode that you are using? So that we may check it out and see if we find something out of the normal. :)

– Eduan

[[s2Member-PayPal-Button level="1" ccaps="" desc="Business Caddy Club / 20 GBP + VAT monthly recurring payments" ps="paypal" lc="" cc="GBP" dg="0" ns="1" custom="www.business-caddy.com" ta="0" tp="0" tt="D" ra="24" rp="1" rt="M" rr="1" rrt="" rra="1" image="default" output="button" /]]

This is the shortcode.
Thank you for the help.
The website was hosted at bluehost. Is this a known issue?

• This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by  Eduan. Reason: Put shortcode within code tags

It isn’t as far as I’m aware.

It doesn’t seem like there’s anything wrong with the shortcode.

Could you please make sure that all your PayPal info is correctly setup? And please triple check that.

Once you’ve done that, if it’s not fixed, could you please try these common trouble shooting tips: Knowledge Base » Common Troubleshooting Tips

– Eduan

I checked the Paypal information.
Also the paypal payment is completed with no problems. So the mony is transfered from the customers account to the business account. After payment completion, when redirecting back to website, it shows the error above.

I will also try to disable plugins and see what happens.
Thank you for your help again.

Valentin

No problem. Please tell me how it goes. :)

I have an update.
The problem persists but now i receive the email for creating the user. I follow the link inside and complete all the required informations. The user is created and the new password is generated. I even manage to login with the newly created user.

After i did some research on google i found the log files for the S2 Members ipn communication with PayPal. So i presume that something happens and the submit action is doubled. I say that because, even if the returning page says “Unable to verify $_POST vars” i still received the email, and could complete the signup process.

The ipn was received twice at 9:27:51 am CET and 9:27:52 am CET. The first is accepted and generates: “Signup Confirmation Email sent to: “My Name” .” The second ipn generates: “Skipping this IPN response, for now. The Subscr. ID is not associated with a registered Member.”.

Here is the full log for the first IPN:

PHP v5.3.10 :: WordPress® v3.4.2 :: s2Member® v121201
Memory 46.06 MB :: Real Memory 50.25 MB :: Peak Memory 46.44 MB :: Real Peak Memory 50.25 MB
www.business-caddy.com/?s2member_paypal_notify=1
User-Agent: 
array (
  'txn_type' => 'subscr_signup',
  'subscr_id' => 'I-M33PES475HDB',
  'last_name' => 'FName',
  'option_selection1' => 'www.business-caddy.com',
  'option_selection2' => '109.99.172.50',
  'residence_country' => 'RO',
  'mc_currency' => 'GBP',
  'item_name' => 'Business',
  'business' => 'receiver@site.com',
  'recurring' => '0.20',
  'verify_sign' => 'ANrru0oe7O.9FyagofWzPHOy6CzfA2xJlDeydnUpebPyUH2Y33FFExvh',
  'payer_status' => 'verified',
  'payer_email' => 'My_name@gmail.com',
  'first_name' => 'Name',
  'receiver_email' => 'receiver@site.com',
  'payer_id' => 'FBXCMD98VNTM6',
  'option_name1' => 'Originating Domain',
  'invoice' => '50bf050e86a67~109.99.172.50',
  'option_name2' => 'Customer IP Address',
  'reattempt' => '1',
  'item_number' => '1',
  'subscr_date' => '00:27:32 Dec 05, 2012 PST',
  'custom' => 'www.site.com',
  'charset' => 'windows-1252',
  'notify_version' => '3.7',
  'period3' => '1 M',
  'mc_amount3' => '0.20',
  'ipn_track_id' => '30f1d54baf31f',
  's2member_log' => 
  array (
    0 => 'IPN received on: Wed Dec 5, 2012 9:27:51 am CET',
    1 => 's2Member POST vars verified through a POST back to PayPal®.',
    2 => 's2Member originating domain ( `$_SERVER["HTTP_HOST"]` ) validated.',
    3 => 's2Member `txn_type` identified as ( `web_accept|subscr_signup` ).',
    4 => 's2Member `txn_type` identified as ( `web_accept|subscr_signup` ) w/o update vars.',
    5 => 'Signup Confirmation Email sent to: "My Name" <My_name@gmail.com>.',
    6 => 'Storing IPN signup vars into a Transient Queue. These will be processed on registration.',
  ),
  'subscr_gateway' => 'paypal',
  'eotper' => NULL,
  'ccaps' => NULL,
  'level' => '1',
  'ip' => '109.99.172.50',
  'period1' => '0 D',
  'mc_amount1' => '0.00',
  'initial_term' => '0 D',
  'initial' => '0.20',
  'regular' => '0.20',
  'regular_term' => '1 M',
)

The second IPN generated 1 second apart:

PHP v5.3.10 :: WordPress® v3.4.2 :: s2Member® v121201
Memory 45.13 MB :: Real Memory 49.50 MB :: Peak Memory 45.53 MB :: Real Peak Memory 49.50 MB
www.business-caddy.com/?s2member_paypal_notify=1
User-Agent: 
array (
  'mc_gross' => '0.20',
  'invoice' => '50bf050e86a67~109.99.172.50',
  'protection_eligibility' => 'Ineligible',
  'payer_id' => 'FBXCMD98VNTM6',
  'payment_date' => '00:27:34 Dec 05, 2012 PST',
  'payment_status' => 'Completed',
  'charset' => 'windows-1252',
  'first_name' => 'name',
  'option_selection1' => 'www.business-caddy.com',
  'option_selection2' => '109.99.172.50',
  'mc_fee' => '0.20',
  'notify_version' => '3.7',
  'subscr_id' => 'I-M33PES475HDB',
  'custom' => 'www.business-caddy.com',
  'payer_status' => 'verified',
  'business' => 'receiver@gmail.com',
  'verify_sign' => 'Aofk4RwbbJ8NDoEvT8oMkcApVH8oAsPuvyqWfh.HMaBwb4JkDyr8f9TJ',
  'payer_email' => 'my_email@gmail.com',
  'option_name1' => 'Originating Domain',
  'option_name2' => 'Customer IP Address',
  'txn_id' => '99E80150R7996410A',
  'payment_type' => 'instant',
  'last_name' => 'FNAME',
  'receiver_email' => 'receiver@gmail.com',
  'payment_fee' => '',
  'receiver_id' => 'WN4LSBNAQJUVC',
  'txn_type' => 'subscr_payment',
  'item_name' => 'Business',
  'mc_currency' => 'GBP',
  'item_number' => '1',
  'residence_country' => 'RO',
  'transaction_subject' => 'Business',
  'payment_gross' => '',
  'ipn_track_id' => '30f1d54baf31f',
  's2member_log' => 
  array (
    0 => 'IPN received on: Wed Dec 5, 2012 9:27:52 am CET',
    1 => 's2Member POST vars verified through a POST back to PayPal®.',
    2 => 's2Member originating domain ( `$_SERVER["HTTP_HOST"]` ) validated.',
    3 => 's2Member `txn_type` identified as ( `subscr_payment|recurring_payment` ).',
    4 => 'Sleeping for 5 seconds. Waiting for a possible ( `subscr_signup|subscr_modify|recurring_payment_profile_created` ).',
    5 => 'Awake. It\'s Wed Dec 5, 2012 9:27:57 am CET. s2Member `txn_type` identified as ( `subscr_payment|recurring_payment` ).',
    6 => 'Skipping this IPN response, for now. The Subscr. ID is not associated with a registered Member.',
    7 => 'Re-generating. This IPN will go into a Transient Queue; and be re-processed during registration.',
  ),
  'subscr_gateway' => 'paypal',
  'ccaps' => NULL,
  'level' => '1',
  'ip' => '109.99.172.50',
)

Any other ideas why this happens?

That’s strange.

Although both don’t show any problems. The “Skipping this IPN response, for now. The Subscr. ID is not associated with a registered Member.” message is not unusual, it is actually normal as far as I know. At least when using buttons, if you’re using the pro-forms then I’m pretty sure something is wrong, although I’m not sure.

I don’t know what else to suggest. :/