Implementation Q for GV Payment

I've searched and found a lot of people looking for a more intuitive implementation for paper Gift Vouchers. My searches did not yield any solutions. (; The problem seems to be that the ZC GV system is set up very well for email based certificates. Send a link, recipient clicks on a link and redeems, etc. Paper GCs rely primarily on redemption at checkout, which is currently /allowed/ but pretty confusing.

Somebody stop me if there's already an easy answer I've overlooked. (;

I think that I could make it simple enough by implementing the following in the GV box on the payment step of checkout:

*A message instructing you to enter your GV code into the following box, if you have a GV you'd like to redeem.
*An entry form for said GV code, followed by a "redeem" button(explained below).
followed by, upon the condition that the user has a GV balance:
*A message instructing you to enter the amount of your gift voucher you would like to apply against the order in the following box, and that you'll need to select a second payment method below if the amount you apply does not match the order total.
*An entry form in which the user may enter the amount of their GV balance they'd like to apply.

For simplicity, the "redeem" button could function exactly as the "continue checkout" button below it. I think that this would be a more intuitive interface for paper GV redemption at checkout.

The tasks I do not understand yet need to complete:
*How to place a button of the same function as "continue checkout" after the redemption code box.
*How to make a second GV message, which displays only on the condition that the user has a GV balance.

I know a fair amount of PHP, but I've yet to wrap my brain around the payment system. The compilation of the checkout page is too indirect and finessed for me to comprehend immediately. I don't need answers, but I could use pointers. (;
Thanks much,
Joe

Customer buys $100 GV ...

They send $100GV to you and you redeem it ... you then create one that you send the code to yourself that you can now snailmail to customer's "friend" ...

Add to Email for GVs ...

To send a Gift Certificate by snail mail to a friend:

Please send your GV to Certificates@my_site.com (or GVsnailmail@my_site.com) if you need your GV snailmailed along with their name and snailmail address ...

That way they send the GV to you which removes the money from their account, then you send the GV redemption code on a paper certificate to someone after making one that you sent to yourself ...

Ajeh,

Thank you for responding.

I believe I have this end of things down alright. I will consider the specifics of some of these implementations for sending GVs, but the side I'm trying to work on is the redemption at checkout itself.

Don't get me wrong, I feel like GVs work well in ZC, but redemption at checkout as it stands is a bit confusing for the non-computer crowd. I gave my mother a paper GV(and watched her use it), and the enter GV number and then scroll down to "continue checkout" process really confused her. I think that a "redeem" button in the GV box at checkout would lift some confusion, so that's what I'm trying to implement on my own site.

Thank you again for your suggestions,
Joe

GVs can be redeemed on the GV FAQ page as well ... this may be an alternative to having them sent to the checkout ...

Thank you again for your help.

I figured out how to do just what I wanted to do. It was a matter of banging my head against the wall till 4:00AM last night, then waking up and understanding it perfectly. (;

So, now there's a redeem button right next to where the user enters their GV code, and there's separate instructions for applying the balance provided that the user has a balance. They even show up on top of the redemption.

I've included a couple of screen shots to illustrate, one before a GV is entered, and one from after.

In tpl_checkout_payment_default.php, I changed

<fieldset>
<legend><?php echo $selection[$i]['module']; ?></legend>
<?php echo $selection[$i]['redeem_instructions']; ?>
<div class="gvBal larger"><?php echo $selection[$i]['checkbox']; ?></div>
<label class="inputLabel"<?php echo ($selection[$i]['fields'][$j]['tag']) ? ' for="'.$selection[$i]['fields'][$j]['tag'].'"': ''; ?>><?php echo $selection[$i]['fields'][$j]['title']; ?></label>
<?php echo $selection[$i]['fields'][$j]['field']; ?>
</fieldset>

<fieldset>
<legend><?php echo $selection[$i]['module']; ?></legend>

<?php echo $selection[$i]['checkbox']; ?>

<?php echo $selection[$i]['redeem_instructions']; ?>

<label class="inputLabel"<?php echo ($selection[$i]['fields'][$j]['tag']) ? ' for="'.$selection[$i]['fields'][$j]['tag'].'"': ''; ?>><?php echo $selection[$i]['fields'][$j]['title']; ?></label>
<?php echo $selection[$i]['fields'][$j]['field']; ?>

<?php echo zen_image_submit(BUTTON_IMAGE_REDEEM, BUTTON_REDEEM_ALT, 'onclick="submitFunction('.zen_user_has_gv_account($_SESSION['customer_id']).','.$order->info['total'].')"'); ?>
</fieldset>

</script>

I didn't add a new text field, I just modified MODULE_ORDER_TOTAL_GV_USER_PROMPT.

And, of course, I'm pretty new to ZC and e-commerce. Feel free to tell me I've corrupted the system. (;

Doh, I've really got to look over my posts before that 7 minute mark.

It should be obvious, but I changed the first block of code into the second one.

I would leave it unclarified, but I know somebody else with as thick a skull as mine would be confused.