Checkout Help

From time to time, The Hail Reporter may issue a promotional coupon code for a temporary discount on our services.  If you have a coupon code, enter it in the space marked “Coupon Code“, and then click the button that says “Apply Coupon“.  (Our coupon codes are case sensitive, so be sure to enter it exactly as it was published.)  As soon as you have entered a valid coupon code, a light blue notification box will appear, affirming that the coupon has been applied, and showing your adjusted purchase price.

There are four data fields in this section of the purchase form.  The most important thing is to list your first and last name EXACTLY as they appear on the credit card you intend to use for the purchase.  Following are notes on each field.

First Name. Enter your first name exactly as it appears on the credit card you intend to use for this purchase.

Last Name. Enter your last name exactly as it appears on the credit card you intend to use for this purchase.

Email Address. Enter the email address that you want to use for your Hail Reporter account.  You will receive confirmation of your subscription purchase at this address, as well as any email hail alerts that you choose.  Be careful to enter your email address correctly.  If you enter the wrong address, you will not receive verification for your account, including your temporary password.
NOTE: If you intend to pay with PayPal, the email address does NOT necessarily have to be the email address that is associated with your PayPal account.

Username. Your username is a name that you choose.  You will use this name to log in to the website when you visit.  It should contain letters and numbers only, and no spaces.  Good examples would be:  johnsmith, johnsmith37, smithroofing, etc.  Make a note of the username you choose so that you’ll be able to remember it.  When your registration is complete, you’ll receive an email with a temporary password.  You can then log into the website using your username and temporary password.  At your first login, you’ll be able to change your temporary password to one of your choosing.

In the Billing Method section, you’ll have your choice of 7 payment types, which consist of PayPal’s online payment system, and 6 common credit card types.  Choose the type by which you intend to pay, and then fill out the fields that pop up as a result of your choice.  For more information on the various choices, see the entries below.

PayPal. If you select PayPal from the list of payment options, the “Check out with PayPal” button will appear.  When you click this button, you will be directed to Paypal’s secure checkout page where you can enter your PayPal account information to complete the purchase.

Visa. You will be asked for your card number.  Enter this number as 16 digits with no spaces or dashes.  Then enter your card’s expiration date, which is found on the front of your card.  Enter the date in this format:  mm/yyyy.  Then enter your card’s security code, which is a 3-digit number printed on the back of the card.  Please see images below for information on where to find this code.  (Visa calls this code a “CVV2“, which stands for “Card Verification Value“.)

Mastercard. You will be asked for your card number.  Enter this number as 16 digits with no spaces or dashes.  Then enter your card’s expiration date, which is found on the front of your card.  Enter the date in this format:  mm/yyyy.  Then enter your card’s security code, which is a 3-digit number printed on the back of the card.  Please see images below for information on where to find this code.  (Mastercard calls this code a “CVC2“, which stands for “Card Validation Code“.)

Discover. You will be asked for your card number.  Enter this number as 16 digits with no spaces or dashes.  Then enter your card’s expiration date, which is found on the front of your card.  Enter the date in this format:  mm/yyyy.  Then enter your card’s security code, which is a 3-digit number printed on the back of the card.  Please see images below for information on where to find this code.  (Discover calls this code a “CVC2“, which stands for “Card Validation Code“.)

American Express. You will be asked for your card number.  Enter this number as 15 digits with no spaces or dashes.  Then enter your card’s expiration date, which is found on the front of your card.  Enter the date in this format:  mm/yyyy.  Then enter your card’s security code, which, unlike most other credit cards, is a 4-digit number printed on the front of the card.  Please see images below for information on where to find this code.  (American Express calls this code a  “CID” or a “Unique Card Code”.)

Maestro. You will be asked for your card number.  Enter this number as 16 digits with no spaces or dashes.  Then enter your card’s expiration date, which is found on the front of your card.  Enter the date in this format:  mm/yyyy.  Then enter your card’s security code, which is a 3-digit number printed on the back of the card.  Please see images below for information on where to find this code.  (Maestro calls this code a “CVC2“, which stands for “Card Validation Code“.) Unlike most other cards, Maestro will also prompt you to enter your “Card Start Date” or “Issue Number”.  Enter that number in this format: mm/yyyy.

Solo. You will be asked for your card number.  Enter this number as 16 digits with no spaces or dashes.  Then enter your card’s expiration date, which is found on the front of your card.  Enter the date in this format:  mm/yyyy.  Then enter your card’s security code, which is a 3-digit number printed on the back of the card.  Please see images below for information on where to find this code.   Unlike most other cards, Solo will also prompt you to enter your “Card Start Date” or “Issue Number”.  Enter that number in this format: mm/yyyy.

Where to find your card’s security code.

Most credit/debit cards have a 3-digit security code on the back.  American Express cards, however, have a 4-digit security code on the front of the card.  Reference the images below to find the security code on your card.

In the Billing Address section, be very careful to enter the information that is associated with the credit card you intend to use.  Enter the exact street address, city, country, and zip code that are associated with your credit card account.  This can get tricky if you have multiple accounts, or if you have moved since an account was created, so be sure you have the latest billing address information on hand.  Getting the address wrong will result in the transaction being denied.

Assuming that you have successfully completed all the steps above with valid information, you will complete the transaction by clicking the “Submit Form” button at the bottom right of the screen on the checkout page.  If the transaction is successful, you will see a notification that it was successful.  You should then expect to receive a confirmation email at the address you provided.  That email will include your temporary password.  Use the username you chose, along with your temporary password to log into the Hail Reporter and choose the settings you want for your account.