Setting up optional free download for every order

27 Feb 2008, 23:58

#1

Totally Zenned

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Setting up optional free download for every order

I would like to have on my store, a free downloadable product. I've been reading up on downloads and how they're configured but not too familiar with them in practice. The idea I have is that customers could add this free download to their shopping cart along with their other physical, paid for products. However, I'm not too bothered if they go through checkout with only the free download. I would like the free download to become available after checkout is complete and not before. Is this possible, and how would I go about setting this up? I have thought about simply adding a link on my checkout success page to where the file is located but this wouldn't be all that secure, plus I wouldn't then have the benefit of being able to advertise the download product on the product pages. Just to clarify, I would like the customer to go through checkout with the free download AND their normal product(s). Could this work?

28 Feb 2008, 07:29

#2

misty

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Join Date:: Apr 2004
Posts:: 5,752
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Re: Setting up optional free download for every order

Better Together mod from downloads section may help

28 Feb 2008, 13:37

#3

steven300

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Re: Setting up optional free download for every order

misty:
Better Together mod from downloads section may help

Hi misty. I did consider Better Together and whether it could come in useful for this (as I already have it installed), but I'm not sure how it would be used in this situation. I would like to have the download product advertised as free, as opposed to free when you buy something else. It's just that I want customers to have to go through checkout in order to get it. I'm probably making it more complicated than it should be. I guess what I would like to know is whether a free download is available instantly (without registering or going through checkout), and if it is, can it be setup so that they have to go through checkout to get it. Maybe you could explain your Better Together suggestion in case I'm missing something. I guess I could charge a nominal fee for it but I want to avoid this if possible.

28 Feb 2008, 13:53

#4

misty

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Re: Setting up optional free download for every order

Two other choices..
1.Create a product.. add download details to description.
For..easy to set up..against...anyone can download.
2. Create a special category..create product, in that category,with free download in description...
..disable category(means unless someone knows
your product is there, they can't find it..nor will this category show in
category side box) disabling category does not disable product.
3. Add link to this product in confirmation order email to your customers/members.
Better Together mod.. details, plus other mods you may find useful
in this situation, at Scott's site i.e.
http://www.thatsoftwareguy.com/zencart.html

28 Feb 2008, 17:18

#5

steven300

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Re: Setting up optional free download for every order

misty:
Two other choices..
1.Create a product.. add download details to description.
For..easy to set up..against...anyone can download.
2. Create a special category..create product, in that category,with free download in description...
..disable category(means unless someone knows
your product is there, they can't find it..nor will this category show in
category side box) disabling category does not disable product.
3. Add link to this product in confirmation order email to your customers/members.
Better Together mod.. details, plus other mods you may find useful
in this situation, at Scott's site i.e.
http://www.thatsoftwareguy.com/zencart.html

Interesting workarounds. I especially like the concept of setting the product as hidden.

What I'm thinking now is that I could setup this free download product as Document-General (which of course has no add to cart button). This would be visible to everyone and would be used to advertise the free download product. I could say on the page that with every order you make, you will be able to download this afterwards. Then, I create another product in Product-General with its own category but make this category hidden. This new product would be exactly the same setup as the first one (same image, same description) except it would have the download link on it to get it for free there and then. Then, whenever an order gets completed, I provide that customer with a link to the second, hidden product. I could provide this link on either the checkout success page or order confirmation email. Is this just a wild idea that has no chance of working, or am I on the right track?

28 Feb 2008, 17:55

#6

misty

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Join Date:: Apr 2004
Posts:: 5,752
Plugin Contributions:: 1

Re: Setting up optional free download for every order

Suggest experiment with the various ideas discussed here,
and see which best suits your requirements.

28 Feb 2008, 18:04

#7

steven300

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Re: Setting up optional free download for every order

Thanks for your involvement