Paypal want image on a Secure Server - help required please

[KingDomainNames]

A friend of mine accepts Paypal payment through her website.

She recently received an email from Paypal saying that she could change the background colour and use a logo, so those clients who pay her will have the feel of her website as they go through the Paypal part of the transaction.

However, when she tries to add her logo, Paypal wants the url for the logo, and that the url should be on a 'secure server' (i.e. have https:// at the start).

She's not sure what that means so she asked me.

Q: If her logo is going to be on a 'secure server', does that she would have had to purchase a SSL certificate from her webhost, in order to have the https:// ?

Many thanks,
Steve

 

[Ashton]

http://www.sslpic.com/

 

[monaghan]

She doesn't have to purchase her SSL from her host, however, she'll probably have to buy an IP address if she doesn't have a dedicated IP already (technically you can now use SSL on shared IP's but very few control panels support this).

 

[monaghan]

http://www.sslpic.com/

Surely putting your image onto a 3rd party freebie image hosting sort of gives the wrong impression to a paying customer?

 

[Ashton]

Surely putting your image onto a 3rd party freebie image hosting sort of gives the wrong impression to a paying customer?

Better impression than a 'some parts of this site are not secure' warning? Its an easier solution, but not the best solution.

Also highly unlikely a customer will bother to look where the image is hosted.

 

[monaghan]

For the small cost of an SSL and that it is for a business I'd suggest self hosting the image as you have full control.

Of course any location behind an SSL will meet the basic technical requirements of PayPal.

 

[KingDomainNames]

@ Ashton - many thanks. Took a look and will suggest it to my friend as an option, so she can then make her decision.

@ monaghan - many thanks for your reply.

She doesn't have to purchase her SSL from her host, however, she'll probably have to buy an IP address if she doesn't have a dedicated IP already (technically you can now use SSL on shared IP's but very few control panels support this).

For the small cost of an SSL and that it is for a business I'd suggest self hosting the image as you have full control.

I didn't realise you could have hosting with one company and the SSL with another - interesting.
She has the basic hosting package with Fasthosts, and I have a feeling she'd prefer to have their SSL too, to keep things all together.
However, I've looked at the Fasthosts website and cannot find out how much a SSL costs ? Grrr..

Also, I think an SSL may be a better option too. The reason is that I recently heard that Facebook are requiring all Page owners, from October 2011, to ensure they are using a SSL for hosting any images/videos that they use in their custom Facebook tabs (using the old FBML or iFrames coding), as otherwise those images/videos may not show to all visitors to that Page.
She may have a tab on her page which uses FBML on a custom tab (of course, FBML is currently being phased out).

Do either of you, or anyone else, know how much Fasthosts' SSL is please ?

Cheers,
Steve

 

[bensd]

However, I've looked at the Fasthosts website and cannot find out how much a SSL costs ? Grrr..

https://help.fasthosts.co.uk/app/answers/detail/a_id/1354/~/how-can-i-apply-for-an-ssl-certificate?

 

[KingDomainNames]

@ bensd - that is brilliant. Thank you very much indeed

 

[monaghan]

It might be worth asking what type of SSL they are providing as the cost on the page linked to seems too low for a premium cert, but high for a budget cert.

 

[jimm]

Cheap SSL certs like RapidSSL go from as little as £11 from Servertastic (tell Andy that fov from amotherby computers sent you and he will see you right if you need to contact him).
But dont forget the cost of an IP.

 

[KingDomainNames]

Thanks Alex, I'll put that to my friend too.
Many thanks again.

 

[KingDomainNames]

Cheap SSL certs like RapidSSL go from as little as £11 from Servertastic (tell Andy that fov from amotherby computers sent you and he will see you right if you need to contact him).
But dont forget the cost of an IP.

Thanks Jimm, very much appreciated.
I learn something new every day on AD.
Forgive me for sounding confused, only I still need to get it straight in my head.
If I buy a SSL for any site, I need to buy my own IP as well ?

I've also looked up SSL and SSH on Google.
Is SSH only if you use Linux Hosting, and SSL for Windows hosting ?

My friend would only need a SSL for hosting this Paypal logo, and maybe a few images for her Facebook Page (from Oct 2011, that is). She just has a static site apart from that, and uses Fasthosts' Windows basic package).

Again, apologies from this newbie.
Many thanks, Steve

 

[jimm]

Thanks Jimm, very much appreciated.
I learn something new every day on AD.
Forgive me for sounding confused, only I still need to get it straight in my head.
If I buy a SSL for any site, I need to buy my own IP as well ?

Short answer is yes. There are ways to make it so one IP can support many SSL certs but it is not very well supported so dont worry about it!
[edit]
And the IP comes from your provider (fasthosts in this case - but i would recommend a multitude of other hosts before them )

I've also looked up SSL and SSH on Google.
Is SSH only if you use Linux Hosting, and SSL for Windows hosting ?

SSL and SSH are completely different. SSL is for both windows and linux servers.
It is used for certifying encryption. SSH is not to be worried about here (used for controlling servers) .

My friend would only need a SSL for hosting this Paypal logo, and maybe a few images for her Facebook Page (from Oct 2011, that is). She just has a static site apart from that, and uses Fasthosts' Windows basic package).

Again, apologies from this newbie.
Many thanks, Steve

Some shared hosts have an area where you can host secured content for just this purpose. You could ask if they do?

 

[KingDomainNames]

And the IP comes from your provider (fasthosts in this case - but i would recommend a multitude of other hosts before them )

I've read reviews on fasthosts online - interesting reading !
I do have a little website of my own with them, and no probs, but for reseller hosting I'm about to set up, I'm going elsewhere !

Re: SSL / SSH - thank you, that makes it so clear now !

Some shared hosts have an area where you can host secured content for just this purpose. You could ask if they do?

Great idea.

Thanks a million Jimm !