How do I set-up a product with a fixed and variable price component?

[aaelghat]

Hi, I'm selling three different services and two of them have as part of their price a fixed set-up cost, and then a variable "price per guest". So the price might be $49 and $0.50 per guest. The buyer would just need to enter the number of guests, but this is different than the standard "quantity" because it's still just one service that they are buying.

I'm unclear exactly how I'd set this up. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks.

[schoolboy]

How many guests can they "add" to their "order"?

If there is a finite number of guests that they can add (twenty, for example), then create a DROPDOWN Product Attribute with the OPTION NAME called "Extra Guests".

Then create twenty OPTION VALUES for that OPTION NAME:-

Option Name -----Option Value
Extra Guests --------- 1
Extra Guests --------- 2
Extra Guests --------- 3
Extra Guests --------- 4
Extra Guests --------- 5 (...and do on, up to 20)

When you ASSOCIATE the attribute with your "product", add a Price Component to each incremeting number:

So:

for Option Value = 1, you get it to ADD $0.50

for Option Value = 2, you get it to ADD $1.00

for Option Value = 3, you get it to ADD $1.50

[aaelghat]

Thanks for the response!! Unfortunately these could be guests for a wedding, a reunion, or any other event. Here's a link to my pricing page: and my home page:

Ideally, I was hoping the customer could just enter the number of "guests" since from a user interface perspective, a dropdown isn't really appropriate given the range of the values.

Can you think of a reasonable workaround? Is there a way that I could just have them do the calculation and enter a fixed dollar amount that I would then add to the set-up fee?

[schoolboy]

Y'know, we have a similar challenge on one of our shops... where the possible variables are so detailed that you can't easily build an automated solution!

If you ask a customer to enter a value, which the programming then "reads" and assigns a price, you open yourself up to a lot of issues...

If you say:-

Enter the number of guests please:-

One customer enters: 25

Another enters: Twenty Five

Another enter: Vyf en Twintig

Another enters: 025

Another enters: Possibly 25 but this may change to 27 later.

...How does the system interpret this? I guarantee you that even if you SPECIFY that they enter digits, some will still enter words.


It depends if you want the price to auto-total in the webshop - so the customer sees what they're in for when they check out.

EG:
Function Venue incl first 10 guests = $250
40 EXTRA guests @ $10 each = $400

TOTAL = $650

Don't know how to do this outside of a configured attribute...


See: www.karenscakes.co.uk/shop (where we end up just asking them to call us for some of the wedding cakes - configuring them isn't easy on the webshop).

Your site is similar---consider that the shop is largely just a mechanism to encourge enquiries - then telephone and face-to-face take over.

We get plenty of people into this webshop, most look at the cakes, then phone in to discuss them in more detail (90% do this!). I don't mind how we eventually get the business... as long as we get the business!

[aaelghat]

Thanks again for responding. I'm very new to Zen-Cart, but I gather by your response that there's no way for me to have an open entry field and edit that they entered a number. Is it possible to have an open entry field at all and deal with non-numbers on an exception basis?

In your example of just asking people to call you, once you do the complex calculation outside of Zen-Cart, if they pay by credit card, how do you enter that payment information? Do you use Zen Cart for that? Do you have an open field that's only accessible by you and not the customer?

Thanks.

[schoolboy]

We "tweaked" (reworked) an existing payment module to say:

"Submit enquiry only - no payment due now" - as a payment option.

This allows a proceed to final chackout (as the process needs a payment choice).

We get the order as a REQUEST, rather than a confirmed order.

The website's done its job - introduced us to a customer who's interested in our products.

Then, the old-fashioned telephone takes over...

As I said, I don't care HOW we get the eventual order - as long as we get it... If it comes through Smoke Signal, Semaphore, Cleft-stick, motobike-messenger, Skywriting...

... it matters not. We just focus on getting the order - the webshop contributes to that process - we're NOT reliant 100% on the webshop for orders, but if an order comes through the webshop, and the customer wants to pay by c.card, then that payment choice is there too.

With complicated and bespoke services / products, the need for personal contact is vital.

Let your webshop initiate interest (and take orders where possible) but if the customer must telephone to discuss bespoke needs, then that option must be offered, and advertised, on the website.