Is this possible with Zen Cart?

I want to set up an online store for our brick & mortar business. We already have a customer base and generally we give them credit or we keep their credit card number on file.

I want customers to be able to create an account and not have to enter their credit card information every time they order. Or if they have a credit line with us not to have to worry about payment screen upon ordering.

I was thinking that when a customer enters their credit card information, Zen Cart would send it to us and we would put it in their file, and when their stuff ships we would just look in their file for the credit card number and process it with our regular merchant account.

Can I create this kind of setup with Zen Cart?

Thanks!
Matt

"I was thinking that when a customer enters their credit card information, Zen Cart would send it to us and we would put it in their file, and when their stuff ships we would just look in their file for the credit card number and process it with our regular merchant account."

->You can do this

"Or if they have a credit line with us not to have to worry about payment screen upon ordering."

-> You can use Store Credit module to do this, but manually tho. Say if the customer has a credit line of 25000, then you give him/her 25000 store credit.

" I want customers to be able to create an account and not have to enter their credit card information every time they order."

-> No, normally you are not allowed to store customer CC numbers on your server (due to security concern)

I don't want to store it on the server, I want to store it in their file, handwritten on a piece of paper. I can do that, can't I?

P.S. Thanks for the reply! Dang that was quick! :)

MattG:

I don't want to store it on the server, I want to store it in their file, handwritten on a piece of paper. I can do that, can't I?

P.S. Thanks for the reply! Dang that was quick! :)
Yeah you can, but if you want to take CC number from them just one, you will have to do some custom coding:
Some idea: You will need to record the card(s) of that customer you have on file, and store on your server (just the last 4 digits), and everytime they checkout you just need to ask if they want to use the card xxx-1234, if not then they can enter another one.

This is not yet available on ZC(I think), you need to code it (or hire someone to do so), not so complex though.

I don't want to store it on the server, I want to store it in their file, handwritten on a piece of paper. I can do that, can't I?

I would suggest you check with your credit card processor/merchant account provider about the security of that practice.

You mean write a new payment module?

Not completely new, but you will need to make changes on the existing one.

MattG:

You mean write a new payment module?

I use the Offsite Payment module to accomplish this sort of thing. Basically, it lets them NOT pay at the time of purchase, and is very handy for when you have the CC on file, bill them, or just any situation where you are not yet ready to charge them. You may want to customize the default text that appears with this payment option.

Oh cool. That sounds like exactly what I want to do.

Thanks a lot you guys! What a great forum this is :)

MattG:

We already have a customer base and generally we give them credit or we keep their credit card number on file.

I want customers to be able to create an account and not have to enter their credit card information every time they order. Or if they have a credit line with us not to have to worry about payment screen upon ordering.
............

An idea might be to set certain customers up in a pricing group for special customers. Their price is $zero dollars or 100% discount. When you print out the bill-of-laden you can make the credit card charge at the business. Probably just as you are doing now when they place an order by phone.

yellow1912:

-> No, normally you are not allowed to store customer CC numbers on your server (due to security concern)

I wonder how sites like Amazon can keep your card on file so you don't have to enter the numbers every time you make a purchase? I know that Amazon is not alone, many sites do this. I would like to be able to do this, too, to save my customers the hassle of finding their wallet and entering in the card number every time they make a purchase.

Can anyone please explain this?

Thanks!

Matt

Because you are processing CC thru Merchant accounts (such as using LinkPoint), they are NOT.
I think there are some posts mentioned this already.
(Can you really take the responsibility if your db got hacked and your customers CC got stolen and mis-used? Mind you, this can easily happen believe it or not.)

Ah, I see. Thanks for filling me in. :smile: