896014 - paypal.com payment process doesn't recognize Firefox OS UA as mobile

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Web Compatibility :: Site Reports, defect)

Comment 1

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

Currently when accessing Paypal (https://www.paypal.com/), Firefox OS gets the desktop site. It's important because some Web sites such as Etsy (Bug 843170) for example will not be able to provide a full mobile experience to the user when there is a transition in between the mobile Etsy and the mobile paypal.

Comment 2

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

1st contact through twitter. http://twitter.com/karlpro/status/359764096683483137

Comment 3

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

Attachment: Paypal in Firefox OS simulator

Comment 4

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

server side user agent detection sending different content. Android is one of the triggers for mobile content.

→ http GET "https://www.paypal.com/ca/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_home&country_lang.x=true"  User-Agent:'Mozilla/5.0 (Mobile; rv:18.0) Gecko/18.0 Firefox/18.0' | grep -i mobileApp

[NOTHING]

→ http GET "https://www.paypal.com/ca/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_home&country_lang.x=true"  User-Agent:'Mozilla/5.0 (Android; Mobile; rv:18.0) Gecko/18.0 Firefox/18.0' | grep -i mobileApp

#mobileApp {
	#mobileApp .left-col {
	#mobileApp .left-col img {width: 140px;}

Comment 5

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

On twitter 
http://twitter.com/AskPayPal/status/359871936148410368
Paypal recommended to contact through https://www.paypal.com/ca/webapps/mpp/security-tools/reporting-security-issues which is about security issues. It doesn't seem the right forum.

I will be leaving a message at https://ppmts.custhelp.com/app/ask

Sent the following text

> Hi,
> 
> I'm working at Mozilla on Web Compatibility issues, specifically related to User > Agent dectection. We opened a bug about paypal.
> https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=896014
> 
> Could you put us in contact with the right person at Paypal? 
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Short Summary:
> 
> Currently the firefox OS UA is not properly detected by Paypal. It creates issues for your customers, for example Etsy, Users having access to Etsy mobile site on their mobile devices and having to go through the desktop Web site which is not responsive.

Comment 6

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

Followup number for this issue: Thanks for submitting your question. Use this reference number for follow up: #130724-000198

Comment 7

[Hallvord R. M. Steen [:hallvors]]

Hm.. loading paypal.com in Safari on iPhone gives me the desktop site too..?

mobile.paypal.com is a *very* simple version. Even in Safari on iPhone. Maybe they don't really promote it and it makes little sense to request that they send it to FxOS? I'm not sure if this is a valid bug ;-)

Comment 8

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

Indeed. 
I will contact the person from Etsy to see if they are doing something special for they ordering process on iOS.

Thanks Hallvord.

Comment 9

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

OK This is what is really happening.

> From mobile, we send people to to: https://www.paypal.com/webscr?cmd=_express-checkout-mobile. This includes FF.
> 
> Unfortunately, Paypal is redirecting that url for firefox to https://www.paypal.com/webscr?cmd=_express-checkout

So on specific URIs, paypal is redirecting to another one, not respecting the choice of the initial request. I will try to contact paypal again.

I'm changing the URI to https://www.paypal.com/webscr?cmd=_express-checkout-mobile

Comment 10

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

Additional reference material about the Mobile Express API.
https://developer.paypal.com/webapps/developer/docs/classic/mobile/gs_MEC/

Mobile supported platform
https://developer.paypal.com/webapps/developer/docs/classic/express-checkout/integration-guide/ECOnMobileDevices/

Supported Mobile Devices        Software Versions
Android-based devices           All
iPhone® (2), 3G, 3GS, 4         iPhone OS 2.x, 3.x; iOS 4.0
iPod touch® 2G, 3G              iPhone OS 2.x, 3.x
iPad, iPad 2                    All
Blackberry (Research in Motion) Blackberry OS version 4.6 and higher 

Paypal technical support 
https://ppmts.custhelp.com/

Comment 11

[Hallvord R. M. Steen [:hallvors]]

Test case: http://hallvord.com/temp/moz/896014.php (site seems down at the moment though)

Comment 13

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

> Response Via Email (Jacob)	09/05/2013 10:27 AM
> Hi Karl Dubost,
> 
> Thank you for contacting Merchant Technical Support. I apologize for the delay in our response. 
> 
> Are you still experiencing this issue? If so can you clarify the issue for me? From what I gather it seems that you are referring to mobile Express Checkout.
> 
> Please let me know if this has resolved the issue, and I will close out this ticket.

Let contact Etsy, who will be testing in real if there is still an issue.

Comment 14

[Hallvord R. M. Steen [:hallvors]]

Karl: just spoof as FxOS and use this test case: http://hallvord.com/temp/moz/896014.php

Comment 15

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

I have tested this

GET /webscr?cmd=_express-checkout-mobile HTTP/1.1
Accept: */*
Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate, compress
Host: www.paypal.com
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Mobile; rv:18.0) Gecko/18.0 Firefox/18.0

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
[…]

and in the body we get a 

var nbdevice = {
	"tactiledisplaycategory": "L",
	"devicedisplayresolutiondetectionmethod": "document client width",
	"tactilecssfamily": "default",
	"internalpath": "https://www.paypal.com/ca/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_getnbinternal&path=",
	"tactiletouchapi": "Touch",
	"tactileexpandmethod": "Transition",
	"devicetype": "Mobile Phone",
	"browsercsscanpositionfixed": true,
	"tactilefademethod": "Transition",
	"tactileadressbarheight": 0,
	"icpath": "https://www.paypal.com/img/ic",
	"tactileslidemethod": "Transform3D",
	"rifpath": "nbrif",
	"tactilescrollermethod": "Transform3D",
	"deviceoperatingsystemversion": "1.0.1.0",
	"tactilecantactile": true,
	"internalapppath": "https://www.paypal.com/",
	"deviceoperatingsystem": "Firefox OS",
	"imageimageformat": [{
		"imageimageformatcananimate": true,
		"imageimageformatmaxsizekb": 999,
		"imageimageformatcodec": "AnimGIF"
	}, {
		"imageimageformatmaxsizekb": 999,
		"imageimageformatcodec": "GIF"
	}, {
		"imageimageformatmaxsizekb": 999,
		"imageimageformatcodec": "JPEG"
	}, {
		"imageimageformatmaxsizekb": 999,
		"imageimageformatcodec": "PNG"
	}, {
		"imageimageformatcodec": "BMP"
	}]
};

SO it seems that they have fixed it. Though I have no real confirmation yet. I will ask to Etsy if it's really the case.

Comment 16

[Hallvord R. M. Steen [:hallvors]]

AFAIK the error message module outputs mobile-friendly stuff, the real content (that you won't get from that URL unless you have a valid request) doesn't. At least that's what the Paypal testing site (sandbox.paypal.com) does.

Comment 17

[Mike Brittain]

I just tested Hallvord's test case and that still fails for me. The link in the test case redirects to this: https://www.sandbox.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_express-checkout&token=EC-9B037022V4381052N&&force_web=true

(note it contains cmd=_express-checkout, and not cmd=_express-checkout-mobile)

Comment 18

[Mike Brittain]

This is still a problem for us testing at Etsy. Here is a step-by-step test case.

1. Browse to a product listing: 
 http://www.etsy.com/listing/114565107/500-raw-brass-spacer-bead-findings-2-mm
2. Click "Add to Cart"
3. Click "Check out with PayPal"
4. Complete sign-in or registration form (sorry)

EXPECTED RESULT: Directed to PayPal's mobile payment form. (Should have the parameter cmd=_express-checkout-mobile in the URL).

RESULT ON FIREFOX OS: Directed to PayPal's DESKTOP payment form. (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_express-checkout&token=EC-5A266216XE648362F&&force_web=true)

RESULT ON SAFARI/iOS: Directed to PayPal's mobile payment form. (Expected result!)

Comment 19

[Mike Brittain]

Attachment: Firefox_OS_Simulator_and_Simulator_Dashboard_-_Firefox_OS.png

PayPal's desktop templates displayed in Firefox OS simulator, the result of test case outlined in comment 18.

Comment 20

[Mike Brittain]

Attachment: HTTP Request/Response stream showing redirect to desktop payment forms

Comment 21

[Hallvord R. M. Steen [:hallvors]]

Yes, we need to keep reaching out to PayPal here. Unfortunately we've had no response to the most recent outreach effort.

Comment 22

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

(In reply to Hallvord R. M. Steen from comment #21)
> Yes, we need to keep reaching out to PayPal here. Unfortunately we've had no
> response to the most recent outreach effort.

Hallvord, it is in the process. I'm pretty sure Mike Brittain will be able to help.
Thanks a lot mike for the trace.

Comment 23

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

Answer today from Paypal.

> Hi Karl,
> 
> I have brought this to the attention of the mobile developers team. They have evaluating the impact to our users. Initial analysis shows that less than 1% use Firefox OS on mobile. Based on that they were not inclined to make any changes. I have pressed them to reconsider, but the user impact does not warrant any changes at this time. You may want to have your account manager reach out for a possible resolution.
> 
> Sincerely,
> Jake

Hmm, we will have to find a better way of explaining them that there's nothing to really support, just to stop excluding Firefox OS. Let's try again.

Comment 24

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

Sent an email to a direct contact we have at paypal.

Comment 25

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

So there is progress on this issue. According to people at Paypal, it is being tested and it is said that it is working on their staging Web sites. They should deploy everything for all their properties on January 2014. I hope we will be able to test that it is working. 

Specifically the issues created for shops like Etsy.

Comment 26

[(not reading bugmail) Nick Desaulniers [:\n]]

Karl, do you mind running the test again?

Comment 27

[Hallvord R. M. Steen [:hallvors]]

Seems fixed! :-)
Karl or Mike can probably verify.

Comment 28

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

oooooh! 

I guess Mike Brittain at Etsy would be a good candidate for testing too as the issue was popping up during the payment process. If it's working if it's a big win for everyone.

Comment 29

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

fwiw I still receive the desktop site for www.paypal.com (which is a separated issue) than the payment process.

Comment 30

[Hallvord R. M. Steen [:hallvors]]

The new bug for following up the FxOS issue is bug 969521

Comment 31

[Karl Dubost💡 :karlcow]

Changing the title so we will not be confused with the other bug.

Comment 32

[Mike Brittain]

Karl, This indeed looks better from our (Etsy) point of view. When I go through the checkout process using Paypal, I land on a mobile-optimized page for their checkout flow.

Thanks for all of the follow up on this bug. Seems resolved and I'm comfortable with you closing it.