Custom fields can be useful - but not as useful as getting paid 
(Their are ways to deal with that)
I just don’t have time to wait for months for a solution, the nature of which (like, what API will be used) we have no idea, much less know if it will work.
Sid
WE only export the s2 members as a backup. We made a backup clone of the site as well.
Did Not use the CSV as a migration method.
s2 actually uses the WP membership tables/system, which it augments, not a separate member database. We did an s2 “remove everything” - which removes everything s2 and leaves all the normal WP stuff including the users/members.
Simple Member has a plugin for getting existing WP members into their system and data tables. I did not do it myself, but CTO indicated it was fairly straight forward. I will says those sites we converted didn’t have a lot of users themselves. It was more of a test.
Simple Member has an API, so I am sure the guys can create any functions we need, (not happily - they prefer to be developing the Apps for our sites! LOL) but so far haven’t needed to do that.
Simple is not the only alternative option out there, just the one we - pardon the unintentional pun - found to be simplest for us.
Sid
Helpful; thanks once more!
I thought might be good to add to the thread where we are up to, so anyone else wrestling with this probem can see how we progressed.
Despite several requests to @clavaque for at least a timeline on s2Member, we have heard nothing from him.
So, I have done a lot of reviews on the options including Simple Membership. There are lots as you suggested Sid. I filtered them down to Simple Member, Member Press and the free version of Paid Membership Pro. That was based on thorough reading of reviews, our needs which are light (less than 100 subscriber users), and finally budget is important for our small startup.
Going to run with the latter. Will let folks know how it went. How easy, any hooks, etc…
I’m sorry I don’t have a working beta to give yet. I’m working on it. 
Now, I see some saying they can’t get paid, but unencrypted buttons are working for me, and also the pro-form is working for me. Just to make sure I understand, other than encrypted buttons, what is not working?
Pro form is NOT working for me.
Regular Buttons (encrypted) were working fine, but they don’t allow for tax calculation based on subscriber’s location. I need to test them again as I stopped using PayPal and kept only Stripe active while figuring out what to do.
Stripe Pro works normally.
I sent you those files, and I can send more if you need @clavaque. Just let me know what you need via private message. 
Roger,
Do let us know how Paid Membership Pro works out - the CTO said no to that one for us because a feature we needed would be expensive from them (because of our number of sites)
Sid
I have reported the errors we see on this thread AND - with logs - to you via a message.
The non encrypted button works BUT
the s2 Return Page (coming back from PayPal) gives an error about "empty Post variables"
So registration will not work (you get s2 errors if you send users to the page manually because the purchase is not recorded on s2 side, only at PayPal)
the subscription payments can’t be paid with a PayPal balance - the screen presented by PayPal does NOT offer or allow it.
PayPal Marketing Tech Support blames this on s2 using deprecated values in the API (although they did not elucidate the exact issue)
You can use pro-forms and force the user to ‘register’ as part of the purchase - which does work, unencrypted only - BUT the confirmation email sent to the new user has links for login and setting a password that go to a 404 error page
We suspect this is due to the fact that our security plugin changes the standard login page wp-login to a special link. s2 recognizes this in the s2 “membership options” setup (it displays the correct login link), but the s2 code creation the email does NOT.
And it is NOT helpful Christian that we do not even know WHAT you are fixing?
For example, Are you still fixing the older SOAP API or the new API used by plugins like Simple Membership?
And do you have ANY idea, any estimate, when this will all be fixed, especially if you don’t even have a Beta yet? You have only logged into the ‘testing site’ - a working clone of our other sites - once, a month ago.
Good or bad, we need an idea of a time frame. People are having to make decisions in a vacuum.
Sid
I can understand your concerns.
I’m working with their new API, not the previous one. I don’t have a time yet, sorry. Any estimate will most likely be off.
the s2 Return Page (coming back from PayPal) gives an error about "empty Post variables"
That’d most likely happen when not using the s2 shortcode for the button, but there could be other reasons. I haven’t had this issue, and I’ve been doing tests as recently as yesterday, and didn’t get that error with uncrypted buttons or the pro-form.
the subscription payments can’t be paid with a PayPal balance - the screen presented by PayPal does NOT offer or allow it .
I saw this yesterday, with the button it only offers the cards now. The pro-form does offer the balance, though, if I saw that correctly.
- You can use pro-forms and force the user to ‘register’ as part of the purchase - which does work, unencrypted only - BUT the confirmation email sent to the new user has links for login and setting a password that go to a 404 error page
I have to look into the password link in the new user email, I don’t know why it doesn’t work, but it could be what you said. You can skip that email allowing custom passwords on registration, instead of needing to set it afterwards with the link. WP Admin > s2Member Pro > General Options > Registration/Profile Fields & Options > Allow Custom Passwords During Registration
We always use the s2 short codes, and still see the error on empty Post variables.
I will test allowing custom passwords and see what happens, though we try to avoid using that - users set such bad passwords!
BTW: If we turn off the security feature and use the normal wp-login, then the login links work in the confirmation email. So those 2 sections are definitely not in communication. We will never run a site using the standard wp-login - we track thousands of brute force attacks that fail because we changed the login link.
I am glad you are using the new API - God only knows when PayPal will just arbitrarily screw with the old one!
Sid
Hi Sid, will do, but… I had a really good online chat dialogue with Cristian yesterday, and he has given me heaps of help and suggestions. Was really very generous with his time. So, I have not moved to PMP yet.
I am going to try his fixes, which are 99% of what I need, and if they get me back up and running, I’m thinking I will wait for the full s2Member fix. Unlike you, we are a small operation with slow frequency of new sign ups, and can afford the time for a short wait.
While I wat, I am going to experiment with PMP on a dormant site we have that I can load it onto. Will let you know how that goes.
The link you’re talking about is the one to set the password after registration, right? That link is generate with wordpress’ function for it, so it should pick up the customization you have, right? unless the customization doesn’t update that function’s output…
If you want to not allow custom passwords on registration, you can try editing the new user email, and put your custom link there… WP Admin > s2Member Pro > General Options > Email Configuration > New User Email
We will never run a site using the standard wp-login - we track thousands of brute force attacks that fail because we changed the login link.
I see what you mean. Yeah, I’ve had a site where I needed to hide the standard wp-login after tons of attempts there, so I understand what you’re talking about.
I will test allowing custom passwords and see what happens, though we try to avoid using that - users set such bad passwords!
wp-login’s password field suggests a password, but the user can still change it to what he wants. The password field has a strength meter, and won’t allow a weak one (wp-login and also the pro-form).
We always use the s2 short codes, and still see the error on empty Post variables.
I was quite sure you do, but thought I’d mention it…
Is it “empty” post variables, or “unable to verify” them? https://s2member.com/kb-article/why-am-i-seeing-unable-to-verify-_post-vars/
Could you show me the log entries? You can reply to the previous private messages we exchanged.
Are you using CloudFlare?
I remember some of their optimizations would break s2member and other integrations, so you have to exclude pages or disable some features like their Rocket Loader.
I am also not leaving, for as long as possible. 
I use paypal and stripe, my sales are mostly through stripe, so I don’t have to worry.
I’ve tested countless plugins, adding up to more than 30 plugins from member areas.
And I always prefer s2member, it is in my opinion the best membership plugin. It really works.
I always said, s2member developers are losing a lot of money.
If only S2member had more integrations and lots of extra paid plugins like other developers are doing.
That would make a lot of money.
It has enormous potential, and is my favorite and many others.
I am clueless about the adoption of the plugin, but I hope you’re right and that there would be enough interest to make it worth @clavaque’s time to develop such paid add ins and maintain the main plugin.
I think it’s very important that everything resides in our database and payment processors only, so we actually own our audience, and the fact we are not stuck having to pay a (high) monthly fee (something affordable for upgraded users like 10 dollars a month would be ok IMHO, not sure what others think) to keep things running (I am against charging a percentage of our revenue like some other plugins or holding our user base hostile on locked in systems, though, paypal/patreon and other platforms already do enough of it and it’s almost impossible to retain all subscribers whenever you want a migration, you’re stuck forever).
That said, he needs to be able to fund his work too, hence why the paid add ons. To be sure there would be enough interest @clavaque should try to pre-sell them and only develop those pieces if enough of us buy those, otherwise he would be stuck spending time on things that aren’t appealing enough to justify enough users spending on those things. I might buy it to support the plugin in general, you might do the same, sadly most people don’t think this way, but depending on the size of any audience there’s always a percentage of good people who will even buy add ons they don’t necessarily need just because that’s what’s available (or he can even have a more evident donate button across the forum as well, maybe a tiny donate button on the top navigation bar so people always see it and are taken to a page where @clavaque explains why he would appreciate donations, even if small or sporadic, so his efforts are somehow rewarded).
As mentioned on another topic I made a donation a while ago and I hope more users do the same, even if they can’t afford the full price of upgrading to the pro version (I did that too, a long time ago).
Free software is great, people try it, they might use the basic version until they have enough return from it, then many will upgrade because of the value it brings.
I’d surely buy a $ 20 add on that could manage late payments better, for example (instant downgrades on payment declines and reupgrades with notifications for both admin and user on successful late payments).
Perhaps the new PayPal integration could also be sold as an add on, so you only get the previous framework available if you don’t purchase it or you pay 20 dollars to be able to use PayPal’s new API or you’re stuck with basic buttons. Also, it’s important to note that for the ones amongst you that don’t need to calculate tax depending on the customers’ location, you can just create a regular PayPal subscription button using their “non code dummy option”, then place those buttons on your site. When a user subscribes using those you can create/upgrade your user manually using Wordpress’ User Admin and the IPN works normally after that (I don’t trust the IPN to demote anyways, I usually set my EOTs manually each time I receive a payment decline notification, and s2Member won’t also re-upgrade when a demoted user makes a late payment either, so I rely on users messaging me to let me know they paid as my EOT email makes them aware of it).
Just some thoughts, of course.
Right now, this thread exists because THE most important part of s2 - the part that gets us paid - is NOT “working”. Not just the PayPal interface, but the return interface as well.
I was never an advocate of complicated systems. If I were @clavaque I would offer a cheap ($10/mo) “maintenance membership” over and above the pro or muti-site payment. I don’t know how many s2 installations there are (guessing around 50K) but 10-20K members would be enough to buy some help to maintain and improve. That is what membership sites are all about!
It is VERY difficult for 1 person to support, maintain, and improve such a complicated system. We are in this mess because of the effort required to fix what broke because PayPal made a change.
BTW: Yes we use CloudFlare. Have been since before we started using s2 YEARS ago. All our sites worked fine with it for years.
THEN PayPal made changes: they deprecated HUGE parts of the old API and changed the encryption method.
It takes time and money - for people! - to keep a software system up to date, maintained, supported and respond quickly to issues.
@clavaque is supporting thousands of installations - we have a team of 10 that keeps busy supporting just 300 sites!
Honestly, s2 does need a bit of updating, BUT the basic s2 product is sound and useful. I personally would pay $10 a month just to know that there was more than 1 person (even at full time) there to support it!
My 2 cents
Sid
I did supply logs - there is a zip file attached as a reply to the info I gave you for the test site we setup for you.
I know the Post variables have an issue - but did not witness them personally, so I may not have the wording correctly.
Sid
@Roger
Good to hear - that is one of the shortcomings of s2. A lot of the help information (particularly on the forum) is very dated. Again, comes back to the limitations of what just one person can do.
Software is a wonderful industry, very profitable - but software is always evolving, growing. It’s like raising a child - needs constant attention in a changing world, and even when they become an “adult” you are still “raising” them LOL
Sid