Can Zen Cart transmit form data?

[haf4046]

Hi
I am a newb to Zen Cart. I'd like to know if it can be modified to transmit via email form data from a page similar to the one shown. Where would i look to get this info, there is an incredible amount of data here and I'm afraid I'd get thread dazed trying to find it.

[kuroi]

Sure. This data is validated and written to the database, but there's no reason why you couldn't write extra code to email it. Though I'm not sure what the benefit would be and it would be a bit ironic that data normally collected under the protection of a security certs encryption would then be emailed elsewhere.

[haf4046]

Thanks kuroi, it would be for speed and simplicity, I would just have it sent to the email since that is what the paypal BIN quick links do now. I can easily keep track of it there (I'm used to it) as opposed to trying to extract it from a database, which I have no clue how to do.

[DrByte]

If all you want is to collect form data and email it, then you don't need Zen Cart.

If you want a full-function eCommerce system that handles payment collection and presents products for sale in a variety of methods and supports sales, specials, taxes, shipping, coupons, group discounts, qty discounts, and so on, then Zen Cart is an ideal tool.
Using Zen Cart you'd collect much of that form's data as product attributes, and let Zen Cart handle all the customer-address collection as well as credit card/payment details. Once orders are completed, you can view and manage them from the Zen Cart admin area. An admin copy of the order-confirmation email (which does not contain credit card data) is an available option if you feel that's how you should run your business.

Ultimately what you do is up to you. Zen Cart can handle a lot more than what you're asking it to do. It does it somewhat differently but much more securely than what it appears you're used to doing.

[Brent]

You also need to consider the security/legality of sending full card details by email.

[kuroi]

In summary, it would take less time to learn what Zen Cart can do for you, than it would take to hack the code to achieve the inferior approach with which you are familiar!l

[haf4046]

OK, since the answer to my basic question is yes, it looks like I now need to be more specific based on the answers I am getting.

1. I want to use Zen Cart as a payment gateway, I have paypal as my IPN.

2. I do not need the credit card details emailed to me, just confirmation that the
person making a booking for my balloon ride service has paid. I believe this
is conducted by secure server on paypals site, not in Zen Cart?

3. I would like the passengers details (names/wts/ages/cel phone) along with
their email addy sent to me so I can load it into Outlook for scheduling,
and reply with their confirmatin number and the meeting details. This is now
a 2 step process, wherin paypal sends me the payment confirmation but
I have to send a separate email to the booker asking for all the passenger
details, this is the step I want to eliminate.

I have edited the picture now to show the basic form data I want emailed, no
cc info need be included.

[haf4046]

In summary, it would take less time to learn what Zen Cart can do for you, than it would take to hack the code to achieve the inferior approach with which you are familiar!l

Maybe, but I will eventually need to email reservation particulars to all my bookers. I dont think I would like to have to access a database to mine the particulars, then create a separate email to them. That is more work than I go to now, I wanted it easier

[Kim]

Set up your products using the Attributes to gather the information about the passengers and let them add it to the cart and checkout using whatever payment method you want.

[haf4046]

Thank you for the reply Kim, do I add the attributes to a category, or must I add them to each and every product? Can you point me to the quickest tutorial on attributes?