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Is there a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) capability? TOP
Yes - and this is it! The integrated Content Management System provides a great, automated FAQ feature.
Can different design templates be applied to different pages? TOP
Yes. In fact you'll notice that the Navigation Menu on this page is across the top, rather than down the right-hand side. This is because a different template has been applied to the FAQs page to allow greater space for the text.
Usernames and passwords seem to be auto-generated by the system. Is there any way that can be changed? TOP
Currently, the order system will generate both the username and the password. The username itself cannot be changed as we need to ensure that the order number remains uique within the database. The password may be changed and there is an online password change URL for this.
Is there a way to change the currency to US$? TOP
Yes, Course Merchant can be changed to US$ (or any other currency) in a matter of a few seconds. Our demo is simply in £ because we are a UK-based company.
We have a customized installation of Moodle, will that present any problems with your installation? TOP
Integration with Moodle is via Moodle admin. You need to be able to enter external database information into the Users - Authentication area and the Courses - Enrolments area. Ideally, you should turn enrollment 'off' for courses connected to Course Merchant and if you use an enrollment key - users will still need that. Course Merchant does not actually require any code modifications or installations into Moodle itself, so it should be pretty robust when you upgrade your Moodle installation.
How do coupon codes work? Can I set up multiple coupon codes for a single product? (I'm actually looking for promotional code functionality which I think I can implement with coupon codes...?) TOP
Coupon codes are not product-based, they are total-order based. So, a particular code may deduct a set percentage from the value of your order or just a set amount. You can create 5 different bands of coupon. Each can be used an unlimited number of times. Each can be given an alias (for example 'Spring Special Offer') - when this alias text is entered at checkout, the discount will kick-in. Additionally, you can create person specific vouchers, giving someone a voucher value to be offset against an order. This then becomes a set amount as opposed to a percentage discount. These operate just like a normal gift voucher. You can track which vouchers have not been redeemed yet.
If we need to customize your offering, how would we (or you) go about doing that? TOP
Course Merchant is a set of php files sitting on the server talking to a MySQL database. In that regard, it's extremely easy to customise. Design customisation is very easy - especially using the HTML / CSS template capability. We can quote separately for custom work if required. Please note that if you customise any of the Course Merchant scripts, we can no longer offer you support. Any support request would necessitate a re-install of clean Course Merchant code first.
So you would have no problem with us changing the code that you install, as long as it is for our own use on this site (not to resell, of course)? TOP
No, we have no problem with you editing the php code. You are licensed per installation on a domain - which requires an unlock code to function. But see our earlier comments regarding support.
So to use Course Merchant we would have to change enrollments to be via an external database, correct? TOP
Yes, you would enable external enrollment as a mechanism for student enrollment. It needn't be the only mechanism you use. When a student attempts to access Moodle for the first time after purchasing a course, they will be automatically added to the user table, but flagged as a user externally authenticating. When deleted from the external database, you can tell Moodle how to treat this user when running the cron synchronisation script (Keep Internal, Suspend Internal, Full Delete Internal are the options).
Can coupons have a limit to how long they are offered on the site, or do we have to handle that manually? Once a coupon has expired, can we reuse the band? Can we put limits on the # of registrants that can use a particular coupon code (e.g. the first 100 TOP
There isn't an automated time limit - you'd have to simply delete the voucher/coupon code manually. Yes, you can limit the number of registrants using a coupon as you can set a maximum issue number. You could reuse any of the 5 bands at any time.
One of the things that we'd like to implement in the near future is support for sales in which an institution purchases a license with 1000 seats, and the system would generate an enrollment key or coupon code or something to give to the students for use TOP
Let's say an organisation purchases 1000 seats. You then give them a coupon code. Give the organisation a URL to direct the students to (the course purchase URL) - a student registers and uses the coupon to reduce the price to zero. They'll be automatically registered in Moodle. In that sense, you're actually selling the organisation 1,000 coupons/vouchers - and they are distributing those as they need. Each will cause the enrollment of a single student on a single course.
Can you give a little more information on the architecture used? TOP
In a nutshell, Course Merchant handles the customer's order information and Mals-e handles the payment transaction. They both then drop their respective data into a database. This database aggregates student user data (course, user ID, passwords, enrollments, etc) for Moodle to authenticate and enrol against. We don't actually install anything into Moodle or write to any of the Moodle tables at all. We do everything via the Moodle admin GUI - which means that our integration should not break as you upgrade Moodle over time.
If a student purchases a quantity > 1, does that mean he/she has multiple logins or just one? What would be the use of ordering more than one of an online course? TOP
We considered turning off the quantity box, as you're absolutely right - only one user account is generated. However, we left it on on the basis that admin staff may be purchasing a number of seats on behalf of others. It's very easy to remove the quantity box if you choose. Mulitple course purchasing will require the manual creation of additional seats in the Moodle system. Or simply create a coupon that can be handed to the new students to allow them to self-register.
There is one important thing that is missing from the demo that is quite crucial. There was no tax invoice with the company's details. Can you elaborate on this missing feature please? TOP
There was no tax invoice simply because we have not used any tax rate in the demo. Tax (any sales tax - VAT, GST, etc) can be added and set at any amount. Full tax information will come through on the automated email to the customer.
Is there a way to test the system and payment gateway without making a purchase? I am particularly interested in (Premium Gateway). TOP
We could set you up a test install on our own servers and connect it to
If we purchase the externally hosted package, what happens to version upgrades? Is it free to download these? TOP
Version upgrades are provided automatically to our own hosted customers.
Version upgrades are only provided to self-hosted customers where a support contract is in place. If you purchase self-hosting without support you are effectively purchasing a single point release of the software in perpetuity.