Greetings,
We have been given a temporary workaround by our payment processing vendor in regards to the payment issue with Safari (and possibly Chrome or Firefox) when using an Apple computer. By default, Safari is set to block cookies “from third parties and advertisers”. You will need to change your cookie block setting to “Never” if you wish to make payments in Safari. To do this, go into the Safari preferences, Privacy tab, and toggle the “Block cookies” setting to “Never”.
If you installed an alternative browser on your Apple computer, you may have been asked to import settings from Safari into that browser. If you did this, you will need to change the setting back to the default, which is to allow cookies from third parties. Sample instructions for where to find that setting:
- Chrome: Settings –> Show Advanced Settings –> Privacy –> “Content settings…” button –> Cookies –> Make sure “Block third-party cookies and site data” is unchecked.
- Google’s Guide: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/61416?hl=en
- Firefox: Options –> Privacy –> History, toggle drop down to Use custom settings for history –> Make sure “Accept Cookies” is checked and Accept-third party cookies is set to “Always.”
- Mozilla’s guide: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/websites-say-cookies-are-blocked-unblock-them
The original notification about Safari browser is below. We will let everyone know if and when the payment vendor has resolved the issue and the workaround for Safari browser is no longer needed.
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There is presently an issue with trying to submit payments using the Safari web browser. We are working with our vendors to find a solution to this problem. The developer of Self-Service, Ellucian, has recommended that we alert everyone that their website technology is not recommended for use with the Safari web browser. Safari is the default browser that comes with all Apple computers, tablets, and phones. Ellucian recommends that you use an alternative browser, such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Google may also have a Chrome browser for iOS if you prefer to use an Apple mobile device. Self-Service is not designed to be mobile friendly, so the recommended way to access it would be via a traditional laptop or desktop computer.
Also as a reminder, if you had previously saved your password in your browser’s saved password cache/keychain, it is advisable to delete that password for Self-Service prior to requesting your new account. Having an old password saved has caused conflict for many users, and deleting that old value largely solves the issue people run into when setting up their account. For instructions on how this is accomplished, please visit this page: https://rts.edu/academics/self-service/requesting-an-account/.
Thanks,
Mike Copening
Director of Institutional Technology
mcopening@rts.edu