Checkout without account

Thanks much.

I've got an OK handle on that side of things. I stepped out of my physics lab today and told my wife, "All done with classes for the week, now I've finally got some time to work!" (;

I'll see what I can do, this seems like a very good basis.

--Joe

All,

I implemented this mod but have a question in regards to Zencart 1.3.7. I'm making "template" changes and the tpl_login_default file is different in zen 1.3.7 from when this was first written. The instructions to modify don't seem to correlate to the updated tpl_login file. In other words what are the changes I need to make?

Thanks
OI

The files are the same.

You will find each file location inside each folder along with the text modifications in that same folder. Just incase you want to edit by hand. open each folder and the folders inside will direct you to the correct location of the ones you need to edit.

I have this mod on my site and it is using Zencart 1.3.7

Username,

the site you are refering to requires LOGIN unless using google checkout

they didnt do anything to make account NOT required in the core code

It should also be noted that if you are doing a template over ride you will need to copy some of the files into that template over ride folder.

Thanks for the info. OK I just double checked and have all files installed. I tried doing a "test run" by selecting an item in my cart and clicking "buy now". Next page I get is the page where you can login or complete the information below to set up a new account? I didn't think this was to work like this?. Can anyone shed any light on what I may be doing wrong?

Thanks so much

OutdoorsInteriors:

Thanks for the info. OK I just double checked and have all files installed. I tried doing a "test run" by selecting an item in my cart and clicking "buy now". Next page I get is the page where you can login or complete the information below to set up a new account? I didn't think this was to work like this?. Can anyone shed any light on what I may be doing wrong?

Thanks so much

Does 1.3.7 use split login? I haven't upgraded. When I get some time I'll upgrade my test site and make the necessary changes.

OutdoorsInteriors:

Thanks for the info. OK I just double checked and have all files installed. I tried doing a "test run" by selecting an item in my cart and clicking "buy now". Next page I get is the page where you can login or complete the information below to set up a new account? I didn't think this was to work like this?. Can anyone shed any light on what I may be doing wrong?

Thanks so much

I doubt you have all the files in their correct location.
Make sure you have the files in the includes/templates/your_template-or-template_default/templates/

Double check because if all files are installed and uploaded you will no longer see the login or complete the information below to set up new account. You will just see billing information.

This mod is not for a new to Zen Cart user as when you are finished you will need to find and remove additional code if you have a customized site.

Breadcrumbs.php might have to have code removed if you have styles added to your navmain.

Craftzombie has just shared the code she used to add an express check out to her site, she also has some contributions that mingle in with the new login.php that you will need to find and remove. If you are new to a php cart you could really get lost.

On my test site, I did a fresh install of 1.3.6, but I transferred all of my tpl files, etc. from my live site so there's probably other mod code that's in my files. That's why I added text files with each modification so you could do the changes manually. What I'll do when I get a chance (perhaps next weekend) is do a fresh install of 1.3.7, make the changes in the files manually, and then zip those up for easier installation. I wish I had time to do it sooner....

I probably should have just made the mod with only the text files for manual editing instead, but I didn't think about it then. It's my first contribution, so I guess there was a lesson to be learned.

Hey, I just want to thank you for giving me as much code as you did and I realize this was your personal coding for your site.

I also have figured out that you are using the credit card module and not PayPal and that is why the additional link to checkout_success.php, for those of us that use PayPal or another processor that we leave our site we are not directed to the checkout_success page after checkout_payment we go directly to the off web site processor.

We go from login to shipping to checkout_payment and than on to our processer and then back to checkout_process

I have left the extra step in for now and changed the wording to next step and removed the wording at the bottom of the page, but will see if I can change the checkout_payment to link from the payment choice and not the successs then on to PayPal.

I just am so thankful for the lead in the right direction and making the code availabe to those who choose to give it a try.

The meat of this hack is in the "code changes" folder. Its 3 files with small minor edits that make the password optional and allows duplicate emails. The rest of the work that needs to be done is in the templates. Thats what takes most of the time when you implement this. And everyone has a different set up tailored to their needs. I mainly added the "template changes" folder so I could lead you in the right direction. After reading the boards, I could tell that many people have no clue how to change simple things like breadcrumbs. Rather than have you searching the forum for a clue, I thought I would tell you how I did mine. So..... don't expect to upload the template changes and have a perfect cart. There's still work to be done. But now you can at least bypass the password and email requirements. Yay for sneaky little tricks!!!!!!!!!! :P

P.S. Its very hard for me to say You're Welcome to your Thanks You's because I don't feel like I deserve them. PaulM did the hard part. The rest of it was a fluke on my part and I just took some time to type it all out and zip it up. If I had "invented" the whole thing, I would feel better about it!

Yes Zen 1.3.7 uses a split login. You'll see what I'm talking about in the two files I mentioned but basically took out all the login related to an account and I got everything working. This is SWEET!!!!!!.....:). Craftzombie and others.....THANK YOU. Finally someone who understand the business side of ecommerce and the majority of customers who do not want a return log in. Return log in should be for stores that really have a lot of repeat customers. The majority of stores probably do not.

Thanks again...:)

OI

Just an update.

I have located another place to edit that will remove traces of member accounts.

languages/english/info_shopping_cart.php

I have changed mine to read as below.

define('HEADING_TITLE', 'Your Shopping Cart');
define('SUB_HEADING_TITLE_1', 'Visitors Cart');
define('SUB_HEADING_TITLE_2', 'You need not have an account');
define('SUB_HEADING_TITLE_3', 'Payment Info');
define('SUB_HEADING_TEXT_1', 'Every visitor to our online shop will be given a 'Visitors Cart'. This allows the visitor to store their products in a temporary shopping cart. Once the visitor leaves our online shop, so will the contents of their shopping cart.');
define('SUB_HEADING_TEXT_2', 'You need not have a members account to shop at our online shop.');
define('SUB_HEADING_TEXT_3', 'I have explained my payment options here. ');
define('TEXT_CLOSE_WINDOW', '[ close window ]');

Yes, you can also remove that help link in the shopping cart completely:

go to

includes/languages/english/shopping_cart.php and change

define('TEXT_VISITORS_CART', '<a href="javascript:session_win();">[help(?)]</a>');

to

define('TEXT_VISITORS_CART', '');

I removed this early on in my template editing and thus forgot to add it to the zip file. :smile:

I see no advantage to checking out with and optional account unles you sell digital downloads or gift certificates, something that would require your buyer to log in. In this case you would not want the other mod and stick with account checkout.

I can delete customers after I am finished shipping or anytime I feel like it. If a customer has log in information then you can not delete no matter how long it has been since they have ordered from you.............. maybe years before they return. Will they remember what email address and user name they used?

For me I will stick with craftzombies no account as it is just what I needed.

And yes, my sales have increased since removing the manditory account checkout.

Infact, I had planed on creating a 1 page Bill To, Ship To page but have been so busy with orders that I have not had the time. :yes:

Thanks again craftzombie and paulm :thumbsup:

I think it is all in what type of market you are looking at. My customers are not that computer savvy for the most part and freak out when they cant get into their account. I have actually made numerous phone calls to my customers to walk them through the process. So you can understand (or not) why i want to make it as easy for the non computer savvy folks as I do for the computer comfy folks. Its a matter of catering to your customers to make their shopping experience as easy and stress free as possible. So....if they ask...i am certainly going to try to make it happen for them, which is why i asked the question in the first place :huh:

I want to give them the option......check out and do not create an account or create an account so the info will be available at their fingertips next order. I believe in choices and my goal is to offer these choices to my customers. I know they will come back either way as 75% of my business is return customers.

So...with that being said....is there a way i can offer an option to create an account or just check out?

thanks!

mooncavecrystals:

I think it is all in what type of market you are looking at. My customers are not that computer savvy for the most part and freak out when they cant get into their account. I have actually made numerous phone calls to my customers to walk them through the process. So you can understand (or not) why i want to make it as easy for the non computer savvy folks as I do for the computer comfy folks. Its a matter of catering to your customers to make their shopping experience as easy and stress free as possible. So....if they ask...i am certainly going to try to make it happen for them, which is why i asked the question in the first place :huh:

I want to give them the option......check out and do not create an account or create an account so the info will be available at their fingertips next order. I believe in choices and my goal is to offer these choices to my customers. I know they will come back either way as 75% of my business is return customers.

So...with that being said....is there a way i can offer an option to create an account or just check out?

thanks!

Take a look at this thread and see of this is what you are looking for:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?p=337585

thanks i was just reading that! and my head is exploding :) Not too comfy with coding at all, the files freak me out....ahahah but I am going to read slow and see if I can grasp the concept :)

You rock!!

The only reason I am no longer using my mod and have switched to "optional" is because I have wholesale customers and also because I need to be able to save cart contents. Most regular customers choose not to create an account. Even repeat customers tend to not create an account. Its a strange phenomenon that someone doesn't want to enter one extra thing... a password. And I do it to. I've shopped at several sites where I chose guest checkout. I don't really know why. I guess I felt I didn't need to "commit" to those particular sites. But really, its not like we're getting married. (And it only took me 7 years to commit to marriage!)

It's too hard trying to figure out why customers do or don't create accounts. My humble opinion... I think most of them would rather not.

mooncavecrystals:

thanks i was just reading that! and my head is exploding :) Not too comfy with coding at all, the files freak me out....ahahah but I am going to read slow and see if I can grasp the concept :)

You rock!!

It's not that bad really. Create a test cart and try it out first. That's what I did. I'm okay at installing these things, but I'm too paranoid to try trhem out on my own site first. I'd rather go through the whole bit of installing a test site before I mess with the months of hard work on my live site. If I can do it, you can. I'm no genius. :wacko: