Key generators

Overview

Product activation means sending the client an email message containing either a binary key (especially for software products) or an activation alphanumeric code for digital products like software and phone cards. The key or the code is used to unlock the subscriptions or get access to website content.

This feature is implemented by storing the keys or codes using two different types of lists:

• Static lists
• Dynamic lists

Static lists

Add a static list

1. Navigate to Fulfillment under Setup.
2. Enter a name and select the list type: Static.
3. Choose the type of codes your customers receive:
   
   • A single activation code that all shoppers share. 
   • Multiple codes that you can enter manually, one per line. You can also tweak the way that 2Checkout handles:
     
     • Duplicates. Your list may or may not contain duplicate codes. 
     • Codes in the context of several units purchased. Send multiple codes according to product quantity or a single code regardless of the number of units purchased. 
     • Notifications when a list is running low on available codes. 
4. Assign the products for which 2Checkout delivers codes from the list. 

Delete a static list

1. Navigate to Fulfillment under Setup.
2. Click Edit on the list you want to delete.
3. Remove all products from the list and save the changes.
4. Go back to the list catalog page and click the Delete button.
5. In the pop-up message, confirm the deletion of the list.

Dynamic lists

Use this option if you host the key generator on your servers.

Workflow

1. 2Checkout queries your code generator.
2. Your code generator creates the codes and provides them to 2Checkout.
3. 2Checkout delivers the codes to your shoppers in fulfillment emails, on the Thank You Page, and in their myAccount. 

Code generator output

For each approved order, 2Checkout queries your server with certain parameters (see parameters table) that you can use to generate codes/binary keys. Depending on the code or key format (alphanumeric or binary) the 2Checkout system expects either a:

• XML file (alphanumeric code or key)
• Or a binary file response (binary code or key)

Limitations

Key generators hosted on websites with self-signed certificates are not allowed.

The Skip TLS validation rule set in System settings applies only for webhook notifications (IPN/LCN/INS) and does not work for key generators.

Add a dynamic list 

To create dynamic lists:

1. Navigate to Fulfillment under Setup.
2. Enter a name and select the list type: Dynamic.
3. Enter the URL corresponding to the location on your server where you host your key generator.
4. Assign the products for which 2Checkout delivers codes from the list. 

Delete a dynamic list

1. Navigate to Fulfillment under Setup.
2. Click Edit on the list you want to delete.
3. Remove all products from the list and save the changes.
4. Go back to the list catalog page and click the Delete button.
5. In the pop-up message, confirm the deletion of the list.

Method and parameters

2Checkout sends the following parameters to your server using HTTP/HTTPS POST using the URL you supplied when configuring the dynamic list.

If you configure additional order fields and 2Checkout collects this type of info during the checkout process, it will be included in the POST request:

If you configure per-product price options 2Checkout also includes them in the POST request. Example: 2Checkout product ID (PID):714585

Generating the output

You can package your response as:

• XML for alphanumerical codes (Basic XML or Advanced XML)
• Binary attachment for binary keys
• Error code sent in the HTTP headers

XML files have certain reserved characters that must be escaped in a certain way when used. The reserved characters and their corresponding escape sequences are: 

• & (ampersand) converted to & 
• < (less than) converted to &lt; 
• > (greater than) converted to &gt; 
• " (double quote) converted to " 
• ' (single quote) converted to ' 

When XML files are created, please replace these characters in the attributes and inside the nodes with the correct escape sequence to have a syntactically correct XML document. These characters are documented in the XML specification: http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml/

HTTP Headers

HTTP servers use a large number of response and status codes, usually transparent for the navigator. These codes tell the browser if there was an error or not. The codes are embedded in the HTTP header of the client/server communication. The success status code is 200 while any other code is an error. For example, 400 means "Bad Request" and 403 means "Forbidden". HTTP response header examples:

• HTTP/1.0 400 Bad Request
• HTTP/1.0 200 OK

Content-type

Set the value of the Content-Type field to text/xml" in the header response when you package your response as XML.

Content-Type: text/xml

For all other values, 2Checkout s the content is a binary key.

Basic XML Answer format sample

Use the following template for your XML file :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> 
<Data>
<code>SIMPLE_CODE 1</code>
<code>SIMPLE_CODE 2</code>
...
<code>SIMPLE_CODE N</code>
</Data>

Binary Attachment format

If you deliver a binary file, instead of XML, set the value of Content-Disposition in the header as in the example below. Include the attached file containing the key in the body of the message. Set the filename using the 'Content-Disposition' field.

Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=key.bin

Advanced XML Answer format

If you need to attach additional installation instructions or details to the delivered codes, you can use the XML structure detailed below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding = "UTF-8" ?>
<data>
<description>General description (for all codes below)</description>
<code>
<description>Description for CODE 1 and/or the binary.key</description>
<key>CODE1</key>
<file name="binary.key" content_type = "text/plain">
UklGRhTsCABBVkkgTElTVCQBAABoZHJsYXZpaDgAAABqBAEAgPQDAAAAAAAQAAEALQAAAAAA
AAACAAAAgD4AAEABAADwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAExJU1R0AAAAc3RybHN0cmD4MQAA
</file>
</code>
<code>
<description>Description for CODE 2</description>
<key>CODE 2</key>
</code>
<code>
<description>Description for the the binary_2.key</description>
<file name = "binary_2.key" >
UklGRhTsCABBVkkgTElTVCQBAABoZHJsYXZpaDgAAABqBAEAgPQDAAAAAAAQAAEALQAAAAAA
AAACAAAAgD4AAEABAADwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAExJU1R0AAAAc3RybHN0cmD4MQAA
</file>
</code>
</data>

Security 

For security reasons we strongly recommend that you limit access to the key generator URL used to generate access codes or keys and grant access only to the 2Checkout server IP networks. 

HASH field

Use the value of the HASH field to check data integrity. 

Calculate the HASH signature

Example using the following data:

618964531237125074703YES114John3Doe018info@2checkout.com2en11Netherlands2nl10Amstelveen41181

Don't forget to check if the received order reference matches a valid reference order from your system.

Test orders

In the case of test orders, 2Checkout populates the TESTORDER parameter with the value YES. It is highly recommended to reply with testing codes or keys whenever receiving the above-mentioned parameter in the server request, and not codes/keys you would send to actual shoppers.

Code sample

<?php
/* Electronic Delivery */

/* pass to compute HASH. Retrieve your secret key by accessing https://secure.2checkout.com/cpanel/webhooks_api.php */
$secretKey = "AABBCCDDEEFF";

$signature = $_POST['HASH']; // HASH received

function serializeArray($array) {
    $retval = "";
    foreach ($array as $i => $value) {
        if (is_array($value)) {
            $retval .= serializeArray($value);
        }
        else {
            $size = strlen($value);
            $retval .= $size . $value;
        }
    }
    return $retval;
}

unset($_POST['HASH']);

// calculate the hash for the fields received (excluding the hash) to make sure the post is from 2Checkout and wasn't altered on the way
$sha256Hash = hash_hmac('sha256', serializeArray($_POST), $secretKey);
// only for php version > 7.1
$sha3256Hash = '';
if (in_array('sha3-256', hash_algos())) {
    $sha3256Hash = hash_hmac('sha3-256', serializeArray($_POST), $secretKey);
}

// only for php version > 7.1; remove $sha3256Hash from the array otherwise
if (!in_array($signature, array_filter([$sha256Hash, $sha3256Hash]))) {
    http_response_code(400);
    mail("your_address@example.com","BAD ElDel Signature", print_r($_POST, TRUE),"");
    echo 'Invalid signature.'; // 2Checkout logs your answer for debug purposes

    return;
}


// if valid hash continue script

// rudimentary example of business logic
// this example uses only 2Checkout ProductId to decide the output

switch($_POST['PID']) {
    case '123': //for this product your key is a binary file
            
        header('HTTP/1.0 200 OK',false, 200); //inform 2Checkout you received a valid post, you shouldn't have to set this header explicitly
        header('Content-Type: application/octet-stream'); //set the mime type
        header('Content-Disposition: filename=key_123.bin'); //set the file name
        readfile(dirname(__FILE__).'/key_123.zip'); //output the file

        //make sure your script doesn't output anything after this point and/or stop script execution
        exit;

    case '1234': //for this product your key is a text file
            
        header('HTTP/1.0 200 OK',false, 200); //inform 2Checkout you received a valid post, you shouldn't have to set this header explicitly
        header('Content-Type: text/plain'); //set the mime type
        header('Content-Disposition: filename=key_1234.txt'); //set the file name
        readfile(dirname(__FILE__).'/key_1234.log'); //output the file

        //make sure your script doesn't output anything after this point and/or stop script execution
        exit;
            
    case '12345': //for this product your key is a string

        //build a basic xml with the following structure:
        $basic_xml =  '<?xml version="1.0"?>
                            <data>
                                <code>12345 key</code> <!-- your string key here -->
                            </data>';
            
        header('HTTP/1.0 200 OK',false, 200); //inform 2Checkout you received a valid post, you shouldn't have to set this header explicitly
        header('Content-Type: text/xml');
        echo  $basic_xml; //make sure the script doesn't output anything after this point and/or stop script execution
        exit;

    case '123456': //this product is a bundle and contains several string keys
            
        //the xml gets a bit more complicated
        $advanced_xml ='<?xml version="1.0"?>
                            <data>
                              <description>Bundle 123456</description> <!--General description (for all codes below), it will be displayed/sent to enduser-->
                              <code>
                                  <description>key for bundle component 1</description> <!--description for CODE 1, it will be displayed/sent to enduser -->
                                  <key>bundle comp 1 </key> <!-- string key -->
                              </code>
                              <code>
                                  <description>key for bundle component 2</description> <!--description for CODE 2, it will be displayed/sent to enduser -->
                                  <key>bundle comp 2 </key> <!-- string key -->
                              </code>
                            </data>';
            
        header('HTTP/1.0 200 OK',false, 200); //inform 2Checkout you received a valid post, you shouldn't have to set this header explicitly
        header('Content-Type: text/xml');
        echo  $advanced_xml; //make sure the script doesn't output anything after this point and/or stop script execution
        exit;

    case '1234567': //this product is a bundle and one of the products has a string file and a file attached
            
        //the xml contains the new tags: file and extra
        $advanced_xml ='<?xml version="1.0"?>
                            <data>
                              <description>Bundle 123456</description> <!--General description (for all codes below), it will be displayed/sent to enduser-->
                              <code>
                                  <description>key for bundle component 1</description><!-- description for CODE 1, it will be displayed/sent to enduser -->
                                  <key>bundle comp 1 </key><!-- string key -->
                                   <file name="binary.key" content_type = "text/plain"><!-- the file name and content type will be used when offering the file for download to user.
                                   <![CDATA['.base64_encode(file_get_contents(dirname(__FILE__).'/key_p1_1234567.log')).']]>
                                   </file>
                              </code>
                              <code>
                                  <description>key for bundle component 2</description> <!--description for CODE 2, it will be displayed/sent to enduser -->
                                  <key>bundle comp 2 </key> <!-- string key -->
                                  <extra type="INSTALL_HOTLINE" label="Install hotline number">0740216669</extra> <!--the content and label of the extra tags is displayed in cpanel and sent to end-user through the electronic delivery mail-->
                                  <extra type="OPERATING_SYSTEM" label="Works on the following operating systems">Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8</extra> <!--the content and label of the extra tags is displayed in cpanel and sent to end-user through the electronic delivery mail-->
                              </code>
                            </data>';
            
        header('HTTP/1.0 200 OK',false, 200); //inform 2Checkout you received a valid post, you shouldn't have to set this header explicitly
        header('Content-Type: text/xml');
        echo  $advanced_xml; //make sure the script doesn't output anything after this point and/or stop script execution
        exit;
}