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Reference

LINK-WRN-01

What happened​

The order reached your checkout through a direct link that did not include a "Referer" header. (The HTTP specification misspelled "Referrer", and the misspelling stuck.) UltraCart adds this note because direct checkout links with no referring page are a common sign of the spam and abuse patterns covered by section 3.1.3 of the UltraCart Terms and Conditions of Service.

Was the customer charged?​

Yes. The order was processed normally. This note is a warning about how the checkout was reached, not a payment hold.

What to do​

If you email customers buy links that go directly to your checkout, make sure the email:

  1. Is sent from your own domain. If your checkout is secure.mycompany.com, the email must come from @mycompany.com.
  2. Contains no redirector URLs that obscure the traffic source.
  3. Complies fully with the CAN-SPAM Act.
  4. Goes only to customers you acquired directly, never to purchased email lists.

Seeing this warning does not always mean something is wrong. As long as UltraCart is not receiving spam or abuse complaints about the traffic, these cases are fine:

  • Your site is served over http:// rather than https://. Browsers do not send a "Referer" header from an insecure page. Move your site and its links to https:// to stop the warning.
  • You are placing test orders with a direct buy link.
  • Traffic is coming from an app or social media platform that strips the "Referer" header.
warning

UltraCart acts on repeated abuse complaints. A first report is a warning with a copy of the complaint. A second report disables buy links that arrive with no "Referer" header. A third report can suspend or terminate the account, depending on severity, at UltraCart's discretion.

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