Restricting payment methods for unregistered customers?

[Sadcase]

I've had a look through the knowledgebase, the v9 AUG, and through this forum, but can't find a way of restricting payment methods to unregistered customers.

I found this thread which also refers to the problem, and I understand how restricting payments to specific customers works - but having tried it, it appears to limit the payment type to a single payment method (which is set in the buyers tab of the registered customers section); and I want to restrict the unregistered customers, not the registered customers!

In an ideal situation this is what I would like to happen:

If an unregistered customer - or a registered customer who hasn't logged in - places an order, their only payment option is by credit card (captured with the order for later processing).
However, if a registered customer logs in, then their payment options are augmented by an 'Invoice with order', in addition to a credit card method.

As I've said before, if you click on the "Limit to defined customers" box in the "Payment and security" section of the Business settings, it will limit the customer to the payment method set on their account.

Looking at it another way, I tried to click both methods to defined customers, but also clicking the 'fallback' box on the credit card (thinking that if any unregistered customers ordered, it would fall back on the credit card method), but Actinic said at least one method should be unrestricted.

Then I tried to create another "credit card details captured for later processing" (thinking that I would have one of these which was unrestricted for unregistered users, and a restricted one and the invoice payment for registered customers), but I couldn't create another payment method of the same type.

Unfortunately none of these ways seem to work. Is what I'm hoping to accomplish possible? If it isn't, is it possible to add to a wish list for this to be implemented in a future version?

Any and all help gratefully received.

[TraceyG]

Hi,

If you want to have the credit card option available to everyone and the 'Invoice with Order' only available to registered customers then in the 'Business Settings | Payment & Security tab' have only the two payment methods listed and set the 'Invoice with Order' to 'Limited to defined Customers'. Then set this option on the account. This should then give you what you want.

[Sadcase]

Thanks Tracey, that's exactly what I wanted to happen. I tried it before but I guess I hadn't set the payment method correctly in the individual accounts.

One final question: As the payment method is set to default to "invoice with order", this is the first method the customer sees; however, we would prefer people to pay with a card, so is it possible to show the methods 'in reverse order' as it were?

I seem to remember seeing in the AUG that you can reverse the listing direction of years in a years popup - can this also be applied to the payment method?

EDIT: I think I've answered the question for myself - I've discovered that the payment method and dates uses a totally different method for listing the information; unless anyone can advise, I'm assuming that there's no way of 'tricking it' to make the credit card the default yet making the invoice selected in the customer account?

[TraceyG]

Hi Steve,

When you say 'credit card', are you using a Payment Service Provider or the 'credit card details captured for later processing' method? This will be a perl script change and I'm checking with development if it can be done but it may make a difference depending on the exact cc payment method used.

[Sadcase]

Thanks Tracey,

By 'Credit card', I mean 'credit card captured for later processing'.

I've looked into it myself, and found a method that works (albeit an inelegant solution). I accomplished it by simply changing the html of the store. I went to Text > Web Site > HTML and found the payment option (ID 1952) and the Default payment option (ID 1954) and removed the selected="selected" code from the default payment method and added it to the regular payment method entry. This had the effect of reversing the default payment method.

Of course, this only works because I only use two payment methods. I feel sure that it would cause problems if there were three or more options. And whether it would work for all payment types I'm not sure.

But it's simple, it seems to work (I've tested it from registered and non-registered customers without problem) and it doesn't require any complicated script changes. All it's doing is changing the display online.

[TraceyG]

Hi,

We've got a workaround for this now:

- browse to your site folder and locate 'ActinicOrder.pm' in a text editor such as notepad
- search for:

# If it is a customer then get its default

- you should see:

#
# If it is a customer then get its default
#
my $sDigest = $ACTINIC::B2B->Get('UserDigest');
if ( $sDigest )
  {
  my @Response = ActinicOrder::GetAccountDefaultPaymentMethod($sDigest);
  if ($Response[0] == $::SUCCESS)
    {
    return($Response[2]);
    }
}

- change:

return($Response[2]);

to

# return($Response[2]);

- save and close the file
- update the site

[Sadcase]

Thanks for that Tracey!

Unfortunately I have another problem with the registered customers which means I have had to abandon the issue at the moment.

We use Actinic as a means of gathering orders from the web, which we then transfer to Sage for processing etc. We use the latest version of Actinic Link to transfer the two. However, I have just noticed that when we import the Sage data into Actinic, it resets the 'Default payment method' to 'Capture credit card details for later processing' for all of our registered customers (even though I need it to be 'Invoice with order' in order for the restrictions to work). As we have 700+ registered customers with online accounts, I don't want to have to manually reset the payment method for each every time we import Sage data.

I've looked at the configuration of Actinic Link, but there doesn't seem to be any way of preventing this update (other than completely turning off the importing of customers, which defeats the object). I've also looked at the preferences and settings of Actinic but again I couldn't see any way of preventing this.

Is there any way around this? Are there any settings that can be applied in Sage which will ensure the right payment method is used?

Any help would be gratefully received.

[TraceyG]

Hi,

On the 'customers' tab of the Sage to Actinic link if you are transferring all customers you can set the default payment method here.

If you using a Sage Analysis field to transfer customers then take a look at the help files (Sage Line 50 Accounts into Actinic | The 'Customers' tab) for information as to how to set the payment method.

[Sadcase]

That's great, thanks. I'll check it out.

EDIT: Oh, of course! rather than "Y50UK" in the Analysis field it needs to be "Y53UK" for example … I'd completely forgotten!

[Sadcase]

Thanks Tracey,

I've changed all the customers in Sage and made the minor script change and it all works exactly how I hoped!

Thanks so much for your help.