The Manual/Offline Checkout feature in the Simple Shopping Cart plugin allows customers to complete their purchases without making an online payment at checkout. Instead, they can place an order and manually arrange payment through offline methods such as bank transfers, cash on delivery, or other custom payment arrangements. This feature is particularly useful for businesses that accept alternative payment methods or operate in regions where online transactions are less common.
Table of Contents
- Enabling Manual Checkout
- Shopping Cart Example with Manual Checkout Enabled
- What to Do After the Payment is Received
Enabling Manual Checkout
To enable the Manual Checkout feature in the Simple Shopping Cart plugin, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the “Manual/Offline Checkout” tab in the plugin’s Settings menu.
- Check the “Enable Manual Checkout” checkbox to activate this feature.
- (Optional) Use the “Manual Checkout Instructions on Checkout Form” field to provide instructions for buyers at checkout. This can include payment details or any specific steps they need to follow.
- If you want to send payment instructions via email after a manual checkout is submitted, enable the “Send Manual Checkout Payment Instructions to Buyer via Email” option.
- (Optional) To receive a notification when a manual checkout is placed, check the “Send Manual Checkout Notification to Seller via Email” box. This ensures the site admin is notified and can follow up with the buyer as needed.
See the following screenshot for a visual reference.
By configuring these settings, you can effectively manage manual payments and ensure both buyers and sellers have a smooth transaction experience.
Shopping Cart Example with Manual Checkout Enabled
Once Manual Checkout is enabled, buyers will see an option to proceed with checkout. By default, this button is labeled “Proceed to Checkout”, but you can customize its text from the plugin settings to better suit your store’s needs.
When a customer selects the manual checkout option, they will be presented with a form to submit their order. This form allows them to provide any necessary details before completing the checkout process.
Refer to the following screenshots for a visual example of how manual checkout appears on the shopping cart page.
What to Do After the Payment is Received
Once the buyer has completed the payment using an accepted offline method, follow these steps to update the order status:
- Navigate to the “Orders” menu in the plugin dashboard.
- Locate and edit the order in question.
- Click the “Mark This Order as Paid” button.
See the screenshot below for a visual reference.
Marking the order as paid will trigger the post-payment processing, automatically sending confirmation emails to both the buyer and seller based on the settings configured in the Email Settings menu.
- If the product is a physical item, the seller can proceed with shipping arrangements.
- If the product is a digital item, the system will deliver it via email upon marking the order as paid.
By following these steps, you ensure a smooth order fulfillment process for both you and your customers.