Do I need an SSL certificate to use this software?

No. The cart passes the customer to a gateway service secure site to pay and return to your site after the transaction.

Is it beneficial to have one just to appear legit to customers, even though it would serve no real purpose? I read that somewhere, that ppl look for the little lock next to the domain name before they make an online purchase. They likely don't understand about being transferred to another site for processing...

Thoughts?

Personally speaking Chad, I really don't care about the company site pages being secure. BUT I DO ALWAYS check to make sure their checkout function is, or I go through PayPal to ensure it. I know many of my friends feel the same.

haha ok. GoDaddy offered me one for FREE for three years with my hosting package. I went ahead and accepted it since it was free. I figured it couldn't HURT could it? At the very least it comes with a dedicated IP, and I know I can use that.

I think where SSL falls down for many sites, is that although the little padlock ensures encryption of the personal data you input, the payment processor usually sends out an unencrypted email containing your name, address and details of what you have purchased anyway, which negates the whole process anyway.

I seem to remember reading somewhere a while back that something as simple as changing a graphic on a SSL page can flag up a warning message on the users browser? That was one of the primary reasons why I've never bothered with SSL myself.

Thanks everyone. I am going to move this discussion to the developers forum since it doesn't pertain directly to shopping cart creator. I have some more questions and I would like to keep talking about this.

haha, OK one of the moderators beat me too it LOL! So how about it guys? Any other thoughts? Are there any down sides to having an SSL certificate? Will, above, suggested that a users browser might get an error message each time I update the site if I am using an SSL certificate. I don't want to complicate things. But here is WHY I am considering an SSL certficate:

1-I don't TECHNICALLY need an ssl because payments will be taken on a third party web site. But I read that some users look for the lock in the URL of each web site they do business with. Some of these people likely don't understand the concept of being taken to a completely different server to make a payment, so they want to see the lock from the instant they arrive on the site.

2-I want a dedicated IP address, and the FREE ssl certificate GoDaddy offered me with my hosting packages has a dedicated IP built into it. If I don't accept the ssl certificate, then I have to pay a separate fee, $2.99 per month, for a dedicated ip. I don't mind paying the extra fee, though, if the ssl certificate is going to slow down my site or complicate things in any manner...

Thoughts...