How do I ENABLE virtual products for COD?

[schoolboy]

By default, COD payment module is disabled if there are virtual products. I tried "commenting out" -:

// if ($this->enabled == true) {
// if ($order->content_type != 'physical') {
// $this->enabled = false;
// }
// }
// }

But to no avail.

I need to ENABLE COD module for virtual products - even if there is just one product in the cart and it is virtual.

How do I enable it?

[Ajeh]

A virtual product is not physical ...

COD or Cash on Delivery is used for when a Physical Product is delivered at a person's door and the money is collected ...

How would a Virtual Product fit this scenario?

[schoolboy]

Hi Linda

I understand the logic behind disabling virtual products from COD, but we use this mod for a different purpose... We use it to enable "Account Holders" to choose it as a payment method.

It's not ideal, but as there is no effective zencart Mod for a verified account holders payment option, we simply "renamed" COD to "Account Holders". A couple of years ago I posted a request for a mod that verifies account holders, and Merlin was quick to come back with the appreciation that it would take a lot of work to build. I've looked at various 3rd party payment mods in the downloads - and even tried a few of them (eg: invoice, PO) to see if they suit our purposes, but they don't.

Interestingly, of the thousands of orders we've had on the sites where we've set up COD as "Account Holders", we've never had a non-account holder try to use the option! (Testament to the honesty of the vast majority of webshoppers) but even if they did use it, we'd quickly contact them to suggest alternative payment methods.

So... we don't use COD for its designed function, and therefore need to enable it for ALL product types.

Perhaps you have an alternative mod suggestion to COD in the manner we are using it.

We use this "tweaked" COD at:
www.commotionstore.co.uk
www.reflectionsonlearning.co.uk
www.des-uk-shop.com

[Ajeh]

Logically this does not compute ...

Virtual Products have rule sets ...

COD has rule sets ...

What are the details of what you want the Payment module to do with these Virtual Product orders?

Type slow ... I am not real bright in the morning ...

[schoolboy]

We have two types of customer:

1. The general public, who MUST pay by credit card.
2. Account holders, who are invoiced later.

Both types of customer must have immediate access to the shop and the ability to checkout, upon registration. (So no deferred authorisation-to-shop).

There is no Zencart Payment Module for "account holders".

3rd party payment modules that facilitate invoicing don't suit our purpose. Scott Wilson's mod requires that the customer is first moved into a group discount category. (Sensible approach if you want the payment option to show ONLY when a customer in that group logs in - but for us no good, as we have to allow a customer to start shopping immediately - see above.)

So... in the ABSENCE of a mod that facilitates Account Holder, we have "hijacked" an existing mod.

All we needed is a radio button on the payment options page (Stage 2 of checkout), that says "Account Holders".

We simply re-named the DEFINES in the COD mod to "Account Holders"

define('MODULE_PAYMENT_COD_TEXT_TITLE', 'Account Holders');
define('MODULE_PAYMENT_COD_TEXT_DESCRIPTION', 'Account Holders');


So... By installing and enabling the COD mod in our zencart, we have a radio button that now appears on stage 2 of the checkout, called "Account Holders". (even though in reality, its the COD mod that's driving it.)

It achieves its purpose magnificently! ... but only if your products are "physical".

------------------------

We now have a client that sells software, and he too has "Account Holders". So in order for this payment option to show up at stage 2 of the checkout, our "hijacked COD mod" now needs to be ENABLED for virtual products.

All you need to bear in mind is that we are NOT using COD for its intended function - "Cash on Delivery" - We just need an option to show up at stage 2 of checkout that says "Account Holders" and that this option is good for any Product Type - physical or virtual.

[schoolboy]

Hi Linda (and others)

The above (COD module tweaking) may no longer apply...

I have just "adjusted" the MoneyOrder Mod to suit my purposes.

I now have a payment module for Account Holders, based on the functionality of MoneyOrder.

Perhaps I should put this into "Downloads"? ie: make it generally available?

[Ajeh]

I was going to ask if Check or Money Order would suit this purpose better ...

While I thought there was a Purchase Order module already that was capable of taking a Purchase Order number ... if this is called something different such as Account Holder or what have you and the filenames are different than the original ... it could be of help to someone down the way ...

Thanks for the update!

[schoolboy]

I've tried the PO Module - (I think Merlin developed it) - but it "forces" the input of certain data - Account Number, PO Number, etc and we don't demand this from our account holders when they place an order. Their account numbers are their UK PostCodes. (They are UK schools, and each one has a unique postcode. Practically every company selling to UK schools bases their account format on the schools' postcodes.)

Also, it wasn't co-operating very well with the order confirmation e-mails. Not sure if Merlin has tweaked it, but it still wouldn't suit us even if it was de-bugged.

Interestingly, we originally re-configured Check/Moneyorder to do the job, but then needed Check/Moneyorder to do it's ORIGINAL job on some of our sites (in addition to the Account Holder requirement, as initially discussed). That's why we looked at getting COD to deliver the "Account Holder" option...


...afterall, all we needed was a radio-button option that lets both us and the customer know (and the dbase, of course!), that the purchase would be charged to the customer's account and he/she would be billed later.

Now that I have completely modified a copy of CHECK/MONEYORDER, to ACCOUNT HOLDERS, I can run both options on the same shop.

Thanks for your input Linda... it's greatly appreciated.

[schoolboy]

My re-worked CHECK/MONEYORDER Payment Module that now enables shoppers to select ACCOUNT HOLDERS ONLY as a payment option at Stage 2 of the checkout process is now available in the downloads section.

It works on zencart versions 1.3.5 and onwards.