Invoice instead of Purchase

I am designing a solution for a website that sells 3 educational products in large quantity. I want buyers to add the quality they want and see the discount applied to price. Once they are finished they would submit the invoice and it would be emailed to us, instead of charging them.

Would Zen Cart be able to be customized to do this?

Any help would be appreciated!
Tom

In a nutshell... yes.

Some years ago I created a module called "Account Holders" which is basically just a clone of the standard "Check/MoneyOrder" module.

It invokes the same FUNCTIONALITY as the Check/Moneyorder module, but uses a different set of verbal descriptions and procedures.

It allows people to CHECK OUT, but advises them that if they are "approved account holders" they will be invoiced for their order.

You can use the QUANTITY DISCOUNTS system in zencart to configure discounting for incremental quantities.

SWGUY (a forum member) is the "king of discount modules" and I am sure he has some solutions if you need a specific set up.

A follow up to this question: Can you facilitate taking an order with shipping and taxes, form of payment, and not have it process using a merchant account? That is, have all the information come through regarding payment and use an in-store cc swipe machine to capture payment?

My client does not want to set up a second merchant account nor a paypal account.

Technically possible, but it wouldn't be PCI compliant, and he/she would need to check with the current processor to make sure they're OK with using that merchant account for card-not-present transactions.

If your client already has a paypal account - in use on another webshop, for example - then that paypal account can also be used on a zencart site.

Both paypal and zencart are "clever enough" to know when a transaction happens on zencart (and when it happens elsewhere) and return the customer to the zencart site after payment.

We have several clients with multiple zencart stores - all running their payments through a single paypal account.

Nearly all payment gateways frown on Card-Not-Present systems that store card information for offline processing, and as Steve says, if you are to do this, then the server and the software need to be PCI compliant.

Right. I remember when the new rules for PCI came out. I hadn't thought it through. It reminds me that one of our clients had a legacy javascript form that we carried over that IS still doing the collection for off-line ordering. He does have SSL. But is personally handling the email with cc info then shredding after the capture through his brick and mortar swipe machine.

1. Should I advise him to cease and desist?

2. Also, how hard is it to hold and then edit for shipping cost in PayPal as was described in a separate post using a merchant account?

3. What about a "Print and Call" set up, where the checkout captures all shipping and contact information including phone #. Store calls customer and obtains cc information and then keys it in to swipe machine, if allowed by their merchant rules. card-not-present? Can the payment module handle that? Maybe through the Check/Money Order config?

Thanks.

sponge

PayPal also has an Online Invoicing service ... perhaps you could use that as a means of receiving the invoiced payment.

sponge:

1. Should I advise him to cease and desist?

The payment gateways are getting VERY sticky about this, and apart from being very risky, the T&C's of the service are probably being violated - opening up your client to a raft of problems if things go wrong. Best to stop doing offline payments.

sponge:

2. Also, how hard is it to hold and then edit for shipping cost in PayPal as was described in a separate post using a merchant account?

See other replies

sponge:

3. What about a "Print and Call" set up, where the checkout captures all shipping and contact information including phone #. Store calls customer and obtains cc information and then keys it in to swipe machine, if allowed by their merchant rules. card-not-present? Can the payment module handle that? Maybe through the Check/Money Order config?

Technically possible... but VERY irritating for customers. Webshoppers look for speed, convenience and ease. Your method adds layers of cumbersome actions to the purchase process. People will just go shop elsewhere.

If your client has an EPOS machine in their real store, setting up a gateway for online might actually not add any extra costs. Check with your payment provider.

1. I certainly would.

2. Not sure.

3. There might be a way to kludge that using the Check/Money Order module and Admin Login as Customer, though you would have to recreate the order after receiving the customer's CC info.

Seems like a lot of work for the store owner and hassle for the customer just to avoid whatever the fee difference is between Paypal and the client's current merchant account.

Also, unless he's selling something I really want and can't get anywhere else, there's no way I woukld go through all that to buy from him. I buy stuff online in part to avoid having to talk to people on the phone.

The the flow on that solution would be receive the order via the Check/Money Order module, confirm product, shipping costs, taxes and total, go online to the PayPal online interface, generate an invoice after inputting the product order and customer information, wait for payment confirmation, ship.

Your right, it solves the PCI compliant issue, but is cumbersome and time consuming. If the order off of zencart could be automated to flow into the online biling of paypal, that would be great.

Virtual terminal from paypal may be the way.

Thanks

EPOS? electronic point of sale? Yes?