Accept order without payment?

Can the Zen Cart shopping cart accept an order for me, and then let me key in (process) the customer's credit card number later on if I decide go ahead with the order?

Some orders may be deemed too risky, therefore I may not want the customer's card charged or authorized immediately at the same time of the shopping cart order.

I want to be able to simply capture the order from the shopping cart without payment...can Zen Cart do this?

PS..The question above isn't referring to PayPal, AlertPay, GoogleCheckOut, or Amazon Checkout orders....I'm talking about orders with an actual merchant account.

Thanks

The Manual Credit Card module does this, but has been removed from 1.3.9+ because collecting card data online and storing card details in the database on a Shared Server for later offline processing at the least violates the agreement with the card companies and at worse is a criminal offence in many countries.

With an Internet Merchant ID, as opposed to a normal Merchant ID, you can use a variety of 3rd party payment solutions which allow you to just "Capture" the card details. The card is checked in the normal way and a "shadow" for that amount is placed against the card (reserved) until a set period has expired or until you decide to actually proceed with the order (within that 'reserved' period).

In the UK the most obvious 3rd party payment solution provider who provides "Capture" would be Sage Pay Direct.

Vger

Vger:

The Manual Credit Card module does this, but has been removed from 1.3.9+ because collecting card data online and storing card details in the database on a Shared Server for later offline processing at the least violates the agreement with the card companies and at worse is a criminal offence in many countries.

With an Internet Merchant ID, as opposed to a normal Merchant ID, you can use a variety of 3rd party payment solutions which allow you to just "Capture" the card details. The card is checked in the normal way and a "shadow" for that amount is placed against the card (reserved) until a set period has expired or until you decide to actually proceed with the order (within that 'reserved' period).

In the UK the most obvious 3rd party payment solution provider who provides "Capture" would be Sage Pay Direct.

Vger

Thanks Vger,

Unfortunately I don't think the 3rd party processors (paypal web standard, amazon, google, alertpay) that we use here in the states offer that "capture" that you are talking about.

At least, not that I know. If someone can correct me on that, please do.

Also didn't know there was a difference between "Internet Merchant ID" and "Merchant Id"...can you explain?

A Merchant ID allows you to take payments in a Bricks-n-Mortar shop with an EPOS terminal or the old-fashioned card machine where you put the card in, put a signed transaction slip in, and pull the bar across. These are called "Customer Present" transactions.

An Internet Merchant ID allows you to take payments online. These are "Customer Not Present" transactions. You don't need this if you use the Standard Pay Pal module (IPN).

Vger

Vger:

A Merchant ID allows you to take payments in a Bricks-n-Mortar shop with an EPOS terminal or the old-fashioned card machine where you put the card in, put a signed transaction slip in, and pull the bar across. These are called "Customer Present" transactions.

An Internet Merchant ID allows you to take payments online. These are "Customer Not Present" transactions. You don't need this if you use the Standard Pay Pal module (IPN).

Vger

"With an Internet Merchant ID, you can use a variety of 3rd party payment solutions which allow you to just "Capture" the card details"

OK...how can you use PayPal to just "capture" the order and not charge the customer the full amount until time of shipment? Thanks for the info so far...but can you tell me HOW to simply "capture" the order with PayPal or the other 3rd party processors?

I didn't say you could use "Capture" with the Standard Pay Pal module. Where you use a payment processor which allows for Capture what happens is that the card is checked in the normal way and a "Shadow" is placed against the card for that amount for a set period of time - often 30 days. What this means is that that amount of money is not taken but is reserved for you for that period of time. If you then want to take the money you complete a further step to authorise taking the payment and the "Shadow" becomes a payment. If you don't do that then the Shadow lapses at the end of the period.

Vger

I'll also point out that the 'shadow' counts against the customer's credit card limit, and can cause her problems if she is close to the limit and tries to use the card when your 'shadow' is active.

I think this is a bad idea all the way around.

For sites which don't actually hold the items in stock but have to check with their suppliers then using Capture is really the only way they can operate. If they took the money and then had to refund a high percentage of orders then they'd get hit with charges for the Refunds - which could work out to be substantial.

Vger

Good point - I don't do dropshipping, so I never think of those considerations.

I'm running 1.3.9h and offline is still in here, might just be because I've upgraded over the last 3 years. But i do agree that storing their CC's is just a bad idea, it also opens you up to lawsuits.

how long is your "holding time" on your average drop ship? I'm sure you have seen the order time life music , 6-8 weeks for delivery. You are correct suppose to charge when it ships or "within reason" If you add most items ship with in 3 days, bill them right away.

if you get a real CC processor, you can also just auth and them manually log into say (authorize.net) and do the capture. but he is correct that it does put a hold on their card for the "base" amt. But that allow 4-8 weeks is doing the same thing!!!!

Authorize
Authorize+Capture

</snip from processing in zen cart>

But do you really want an order that they can not pay for? this is how they are getting around it legally, this is what it was designed for. you still have to log into your "gateway" and close the deal. the hardest part of this will be getting into authorize.net in the first place, they gave me a hard time even after owning a business for 5 yrs, credit score over 780 and 40k in the company bank account. When they phone interview you, pick your answers wisely, and if they want to hold back say 10, 20% for 60 days in case of charge offs refunds that not really a big deal if you have a real company, with a good product. In 4 years i only had to do 2 refunds and have had ZERO charge backs.

If they took the money and then had to refund a high percentage of orders then they'd get hit with charges for the Refunds.

My Processor, that uses Authorize.net does not charge me for refunds, only "charge backs" this is when the client calls in and files a dispute. BE CLEAR AND HONEST and this is not an a real issue. if you tell them 3 days for shipping and on day you you find out it's going to be 9 days update them. When i do this the 1st thing I offer is 1> i can do a refund, 2> we can wait for the shipment 3> offer them some "extra"

most people don't off a refund, or offer it last and makes the customer feel like they are being scammed. if needed call them, show them customer service and 99% of them will thank you and be shocked that there are honest business owners out there. IF NEEDED refund them right then and and tell them you will call them when it is back in stock. Biggest thing I can stress is make sure you tell them what the CC statement will say, and have your number on the CC statement. My parent company's name is on the statement, but my shopping cart (well 2 of them) are both under different DBA's as they sell different items but it is all over my cart even on the order conformation. TY...... bla bla if this was a CC your statement will show a charge from XYZ as this is our parent company, as stated on the bottom of the site, and under the contact us page.