Can Cart support user-entered payment amount?

Hi. I have a simple question that I'm sure has been asked before but despite an hour-long search through these forums, I can't seem to isolate any relevant posts. So, here goes...

First some relevant details...

I have a working cart. It uses authorize.net for payment processing.

I'm not sure which version I'm running. I believe it's 1.2.5 but despite looking around for a while, I can't figure out how to tell which version I'm presently using.
howdoidothat?

Now for the question.

I'd like to be able to set up a "product" that has no specified price but is actually a place for the user to enter (i.e. tell the cart) the amount they will pay. I have the need to do this because we offer advertising services and many of these projects priced by the job or billed on a T&M basis. Today we invoice these items outside of the cart using Quickbooks. Still, I'd like to give the customer the ability to pay those invoices using our cart. The idea would be to ask them enter the invoice number they are making a payment on and the amount of the payment they'd like to make.

Is it possible to convince the cart to let the user enter the amount of their payment? If so, can someone point me to a thread that discusses this "eneter your payment amount" capability??

Ideally, it'd be great if I could even set up the amount of the invoice we sent to them and then let the customer make payments on the invoice until it is paid. But I assume that's not possible. If I'm wrong and there is some capability to do that, will someone please tell me where to look?

Thanks!

Best,
WebSissy

I know there isn't a lot of information on thiis topic.

I'm a newibe as well, but I'm almost done setting up about half of what you're talking about. I'm not integrating invoice numbers, but the customers will be typing in the amount they want to pay....kind of like a donation system.

Another day or so, and I'll be done, and hopefully be able to explain enough about how I went about it to lend a hand if you need it.

Sorry if this thread is irrelevant. I'm bored, doing a search, and thought I'd reply being how close I am to completing this very project.

websissy,

make a $1 product and let them enter the amount to order.

that gives you the total.

Merlinpa1969:

websissy,

make a $1 product and let them enter the amount to order.

that gives you the total.

Out of curiosity (mainly because I want to use this for eBay payments).. how would it handle something like 34.95? I know the 34 will go through but the .95?

use 1 cent product.

you can use a seperate product type and hide the price,
then use text to have them put in the amount

I'm creating mine using a $1 product. This part of the process isn't difficult to handle.

The part that I had a problem dealing with was the customization of the cart after that point. Keeping the cart from showing what it's really doing. Making that "200" entry look like a $200 payment.....not 200 - $1 payments.

It's going to be another day or so, but I'd love to share my example if you all are interested. Everything I've done came from this site. Some of it might be the right way, some of it might be kinda funny (making text the same color as background to hide it, anyone?! hehe).... but it's definitely accomplishing what my client asked for, and then some.

funkdrmr:

(making text the same color as background to hide it, anyone?! hehe).... but it's definitely accomplishing what my client asked for, and then some.

A dodgy issue as far as search engines go, and if there's enough of it, can lead to being banned from their listings.

Far better to apply a specific class (eg. hideText) to that text and then hide it with css using ```
.hideText{
display: none;
}

I totally understand that it's a dodgy issue. Unfortunately, my limited experience led me to go about it in the fashion that I did.

On the plus side....this isn't an all out store as far as zen-cart goes. My client is running a very new printing / distribution business.

The order form is separate. Customer fills it out, it sends email to the store.

The store sends a quote back to the customer via email.

Customer goes online and pays....this is the only part where Zen-Cart is involved...at this point.

Once she gets her pricing models laid out, I hope to make a full-out online store where she can sell t-shirts and print products all together. Scary, though, as there are SO MANY OPTIONS in regards to the print products.