Admin Simple Create Order [Support Thread]

[DivaVocals]

I'm guessing DML73's next post will finally say the "why" behind the inquiry ... and I suspect it'll be because they want to take telephone or mail orders and enter them in their store for central record keeping ... which is certainly a good idea.

Someone else asked the very same thing recently: http://www.zen-cart.com/showthread.p...33#post1182333

Oh I do get the "why".. my point was that doing this in an ecommerce program will still require a payment placeholder to enter the order.. a telephone order would at least collect the intended method of payment..

[DrByte]

Yup. And they can always update the order's status via the Admin, even adding any other additional comments as necessary, just like with any other order.

[DML73]

Ok, here comes the reason why I need to be able to create an order without payment.
1. A customer places an order for two identical T-shirts through regular checkout, paying by credit card.
2. I forward the order to a 3rd party fulfillment company (using an integration module) who pick, pack and ship the order for me.
3. The customer receives the two T-shirts but decides that he want to return one of them for a smaller size.
4. After I receive the returned T-shirt I need to create a new order (not a new customer) for a smaller size T-shirt so I can forward this order to the fulfillment company so they can ship it for me. Since the customer already paid for the order I can’t charge him again, so that’s why I need to be able to create an order without payment.

[DivaVocals]

Ok, here comes the reason why I need to be able to create an order without payment.
1. A customer places an order for two identical T-shirts through regular checkout, paying by credit card.
2. I forward the order to a 3rd party fulfillment company (using an integration module) who pick, pack and ship the order for me.
3. The customer receives the two T-shirts but decides that he want to return one of them for a smaller size.
4. After I receive the returned T-shirt I need to create a new order (not a new customer) for a smaller size T-shirt so I can forward this order to the fulfillment company so they can ship it for me. Since the customer already paid for the order I can’t charge him again, so that’s why I need to be able to create an order without payment.

I understand. WHY.. you still cannot do this without a payment module. In the case of a manual order you do have to record some sort of payment/credit against this order. You need to record that the order is already paid otherwise. You records are skewed. This has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with whether or not you collect a payment from the customer. It has everything thing to do with checks and balances. If you are going to do this properly, you would process a credit against the order to show the shirt coming back and a transaction for the shirt going out. This doesn't require you to collect a payment from your customer.. this is about proper record keeping practices.. Please review my previous post on this. I try to clarify how a payment method is a necessary part of a manual order process. The payment modules I suggested are perfect for what you are trying to achieve because they are about recording the transaction.. not about processing a credit card transaction. Any ACTUAL payment collection would have to happen OUTSIDE a manual order.

[DML73]

Thanks, maybe I didn’t explain clearly. My main problem is how I practically can send the order to my fulfillment company.

Take the example with the T-shirts. The original order was for two T-shirts, then the customer returns one T-shirt, this means that I need to send an order to my fulfillment company for only one T-shirt. How can I do this when the original order was for two T-shirts? I can't split the order since the shirts has same part number.

Keep in mind all the time that I have to be able to send an order to my fulfillment company for only what is returned from the customer.

I really don't understand how this can be done with the method you mention above. Could you possibly give me a practical example of the exact steps?

[DML73]

Another thing I was thinking about assuming I could use the method you described earlier, how can I "process a credit against the order to show the shirt coming back and a transaction for the shirt going out"? You help is much appreciated.

[DivaVocals]

I suggest using the following add-ons as a part of your manual order process:

• COWOA (Checkout without Account)
  http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?ma...oducts_id=1655
• Admin Login As Customer
  http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?ma...roducts_id=829
• Super Orders
  http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?ma...roducts_id=257

With these three modules I think you can work out a very streamlined manual order process without all the problems this add-on has.. It will allow you to take advantage of the built in order management features of Zen Cart, while providing you a functional way to process manual orders..

With COWOA, you can create an order on behalf of your customers who do not have an account with your store without having to create an account for them. You can either use the customers own e-mail address or you can use a store e-mail address for ALL your manual orders. You can then manage the order in your store admin as you would manage any other order received.. If you use the customer e-mail address, the customer will receive an order confirmation and an order number which they can then track online (with the right settings in COWOA) using NORMAL Zen Cart features. You will also be able to send out order updates, print invoices, packingslips, etc all from the comfort of your Zen Cart admin. (If you use a "store" e-mail account for your manual orders, the customer would not get any order messages nor would they be able to login to track their order)

With Admin Login as Customer, you will be able to login on behalf of customers who already have an account in your store and create orders for them. Again you can then manage the order in your store admin as you would manage any other order received.. The customer will receive an order confirmation and an order number which they can then track online using NORMAL Zen Cart features. You will also be able to send out order updates, print invoices, packingslips, etc all from the comfort of your Zen Cart admin.

With Super Orders you can enter payment information for your manual orders (using the credit card transaction number as the payment number or the check/money order received). This will allow you to SEE which manual orders are paid or not. This payment entry feature also allows you to send the customer payment confirmations for manually processed credit card transactions and/or check/money orders received, etc..

Additionally I also suggest the following add-ons to fully round out your manual order process:

• Ty Package Tracker (http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?ma...roducts_id=167) as a means to enter the shipper tracking information to send out to your customers. This allows your customers to track their order shipment online as well.
• Edit Orders (http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?ma...oducts_id=1818) as a means to edit your manual orders if needed.
• Add Customers from Admin (http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?ma...roducts_id=454) as a means to add customers to your store should the customer want/need a store account for future orders.

BTW, Edit Orders v3.0 and Super Orders v3.0 (pending submission/activation) now offers easy integration with Ty Package Tracker v3.0 (also pending submission and approval)

NEXT...

You'll need to of course work out details on what payment module will work best with your manual order process.. You could clone the check/money order module and call it something like "Online Orders" so that you have a payment module which will allows you to complete your manual order.. (there are TONS of threads in the forum which discuss how to clone a payment module)

If you want a "manual orders only" payment method (keep your regular online customers from using it), instructions on how to go about doing this can be found here: http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?p=950145

Now EVEN BETTER, I found FOUR (and there may be others) payment modules already AVAILABLE in the Zen Cart downloads which seem VERY suitable for implementing a manual order process.

• Credit Card by Phone or Fax
  http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?ma...roducts_id=592
  This payment module provides a payment method for customers who despite SSL pages and privacy policies still don't like submitting credit card details over the internet, but who wish to pay by credit card for their convenience or so that they don't have to wait for check clearance etc before the goods ship.
• Account Holders
  http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?ma...roducts_id=511
  "This is a simple rework of the existing CHECK/MONEYORDER Module, and it behaves in exactly the same way as CHECK/MONEYORDER. The fundamental difference is that it creates a Payment Option (at STAGE 2 of CHECKOUT) titled "Account Holders Only". Shoppers who select this option will be able to complete checkout and will be informed that if they are legitimate account holders, their order will be shipped and they will be "billed" or "invoiced" at a later date."
• Direct Bank Deposit
  http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?ma...roducts_id=151
  "This is a payment module that allow you customer deposite money to up bank account option. This module basicly it display all your bank information during the checkout."
• Ceon Manual Card
  http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?ma...oducts_id=1277
  "This Payment Module allows the shop owner to accept Credit/Debit Card payments for inputting into a Manual/Offline Card Processing System."
  Note: PCI compliance issues may prevent you from using this add-on, but I know there are folks who still use this, so I listed it here anyway..

My suggestion to those interested in this add-on is that unless this add-on is re-written in a more solid fashion, instead of banging your head against the wall trying to find a QUICK solution that doesn't work very well, why not shoot for a GOOD workable solution instead.. This WILL make things better for you in the LONG TERM..

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it!! I am REALLY tapping out of this add-on now..

Thanks, maybe I didn’t explain clearly. My main problem is how I practically can send the order to my fulfillment company.

Take the example with the T-shirts. The original order was for two T-shirts, then the customer returns one T-shirt, this means that I need to send an order to my fulfillment company for only one T-shirt. How can I do this when the original order was for two T-shirts? I can't split the order since the shirts has same part number.

Keep in mind all the time that I have to be able to send an order to my fulfillment company for only what is returned from the customer.

I really don't understand how this can be done with the method you mention above. Could you possibly give me a practical example of the exact steps?

Another thing I was thinking about assuming I could use the method you described earlier, how can I "process a credit against the order to show the shirt coming back and a transaction for the shirt going out"? You help is much appreciated.

Sorry it would be a fair bit of work to write out a whole step by step "sample manual order".. Please go back to my long post (I quoted it again for you) on how I would implement a manual order process and the modules I would install to aid in this. Edit Orders and Super Orders might have features you need to edit orders, split orders and to manually record credits/payments. Page one of the support thread for Edit Orders and Super Orders summarizes the features of these modules. Download them both and review the the readme documents which will provide you with in depth insight on the features both modules offer.