Logging In To Checkout Tracker Explained

Checkout Tracker offers you two different ways to authenticate with Google Checkout. There are a few reasons for this. Logging in with your merchant ID and key are recommended. Doing so allows Checkout Tracker to communicate with Google using the Checkout API, which allows it to be more efficient in terms of data usage and battery consumption. Using the Checkout API enables Checkout Tracker to download only what has changed since its last poll for data. This does have the caveat that the first time you log in, it will typically download much more data. Every check for new data thereafter, however, will download much less.

Not everyone has a merchant key, though. For some reason, only merchants in the US and the UK have merchant keys. Also, some people are uncomfortable entering their merchant ID and key in the software. That is understandable. You also have the ability to authenticate with Google using one of the accounts you have associated with your phone. Doing so will cause a screen to be displayed by your phone that asks you whether you would like to give access to your account to Checkout Tracker. If you choose this option, Checkout Tracker is not able to use the Checkout API. Instead, it mimics a web browser and downloads a CSV report for the current period. It has to download the entire report every time it polls for new data. It is also subject to breakage if Google decides to change the column names or the formatting of the data in the CSV report.

If you would like to use the phone account option, and your account that has access to Google Checkout is not associated with your phone, you may associate it in Settings > Accounts & sync.