I have a few clients struggling with how to use the e-product system in the shopping cart. Here are my pointers as I could not find any detailed information in the online business wiki or the forum.
First add an e-product:
http://kb.worldsecuresystems.com/605/bc_605.html#main_Creating_Downloadable_Products__E_Product_
Note that you need to save the product before you upload the file.
Basics:
When a client purchases an e-product, they receive an invoice - just like any normal purchase from your shopping cart. The uniqueness of an e-product is that the line item under
'Product' is a link.
Product Description Total
Sample E-product $1.10
Where "Sample E-product" is a link to download the item.
Common issue - Downloading the file.
If the system has a 'successful' payment against the sale, then the client should be able to download the item = Done, nothing further.
If payment is via "Process off-line" or "Direct Debit", or if there is some other issue with your shopping cart, then the link will create an error:
"ERROR: File cannot be downloaded at this time. Please contact the website where you purchased this product from."
At the time of writing, you cannot customise this error message.
The link will start working with no error once a site administrator has marked the payment as successful. (see below for how to do this)
Common Issue - Marking payment as Successful
If the payment is via "Process off-line", the sale still has a payment attached to it, but it is not a 'successful' payment. You can not apply another payment, and you can not mark the current payment as successful. In order to apply a successful payment, the site administrator must;
1. Delete the current 'Pending' payment,
2. Apply a new payment,
3. Manually notify the purchasor that the link will work now.
My recommendation here, since you are in the client's invoice for the above step;
1. Click 'Edit' the invoice.
2. Update the e-product item description to the text; "Now available for download"
3. Click "Save" then click "Send invoice".
A new copy of the invoice will be sent to the client, with the text you added to the description.
Product Description Total
Sample E-product Now available for download $1.10
Advanced option. - Inform clients that the download is not available until payment verified.
Wih a little bit of javascript, you could edit the "description" (tag_productdescription) for your e-product to read "Pending Payment approval- 24Hours" on the automatic invoice, so that the second invoice would be in context. Recommend you get a programmer familiar with BC to do this. Your first invoice might look like:
Product Description Total
Sample E-product Pending Payment approval - 24Hours $1.10
Good Luck!
Brendan Byrne - Receptive Technologies
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