Making a Download/Product or Category Available Only by Coupon?

[ScriptJunkie]

I'm not sure if this is the correct thread, or if I should be posting in coupons or in sales and specials, but here's my question.

I need to have a downloadable child-product that is only available by coupon, so that it cannot be downloaded without a specific coupon code.

Here's the situation:

The parent-product offering is an online course. When a customer purchases the course, they get several downloads of various learning materials included in the cost of the course. I understand how to assign multiple downloads to a single product, however one of those downloads will need to be separated from the rest because it needs to be offered at a time other than upon completion of purchase.

Specifically, it is an MP3 of the course, which won't be available until after the course is completed, because the recording is being made as the course is being conducted. So, I need to set this up as a separate downloadable product with a specific availability date and specific quantity. I know how to accomplish this.

However, it will be a free product because it's included in the cost of the course. I don't want just anyone to be able to come along, throw it in their cart, and download it, and this is what I need help with.

While there may be other solutions that are easier and better, the only one I can think of is to make the product available only to those who have a specific coupon code, but I don't know how to accomplish this.

I'm also not sure if this requires the creation of a new product category or not, or if that alone with solve my problem without the need for a coupon code.

Any advice on how to accomplish the ultimate goal (protect the free download from being accessed by anyone except those who paid for the course) is welcomed.

[ScriptJunkie]

I found this alternative solution in another thread on a different subject, but I only want to use it if it's the only solution available to me. Questions about this solution are below.

Re: free Download without login? You probably figured this out, but just in case someone else needs to know. It's a simple matter to place anything you want on an EZ Page. I've put order forms on such a page because I want my wholesale customers to be able to download them with just a few clicks, without logging in. The forms are PDFs, but you could do the same with MP3s or any other file type.

Rob
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Breakfast: the most important donut of the day.

Retail site: The ArtCardShop
Wholesale site: Thistle Dance Publishing

I suppose I could implement this solution and protect the download from those who haven't paid for it by simply hiding the easy page and providing the link to those who have completed the course, and then take the page down after everyone has downloaded, but I'd prefer to have them download the file as a product so ZC will track the downloads for me.

If anyone has a solution for my original question, it would be much appreciated.

In the meantime, here's my question about the alternative solution mentioned above:

How do I add an downloadable MP3 or series of downloadable MP3s to an EZ page?

Thanks in advance for the help :)

[stevesh]

You can restrict a coupon to a specific category or product in the coupon setup section.

If you want to do it with an EZ page, you would just put regular HTML links (<A href...) on the page pointing to the downlaods. Anyone who happened across the page could download the files that way, though.

[stevish]

I have been thinking of this same thing for a completely different use. The only thing I can think of is to make the product cost like $1,000 and then have the coupon make it free (or in my case, the coupon will make it like $1.50). This would be a little bit sketchy because people would be clicking through and go "A Thousand bucks?!?! What the heck is going on?" and might not ever get to the coupon code section of the checkout.

Another idea for a free download (again, ZC wouldn't be able to track the downloads) would be to put the file in a password protected folder on your website and link there. Then you can include that download password in the original stuff that the customers purchase, so only those who need it have it... but that's still a little sketchy.

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated

[ScriptJunkie]

Hi Stevesh,

Thanks for your reply :) If I restrict a coupon to a specific product, that coupon can only be used for that product. But, would it restrict the product so that it is only available to those who have the coupon for it? I'm thinking probably not?



Hi Stevish,

I thought of that same thing...pricing something so high that nobody would want it, and then issuing a coupon for that same price to those I want to have it. But I agree with you - it's not an ideal situation because of the kind of impression it can leave.