We have released CS-Cart and Multi-Vendor 4.17.2. Although it is a patch release, it brings several important changes.
As always, the new version is released on the same day for all our products:
CS-Cart Store Builder for single-seller stores
CS-Cart Multi-Vendor for marketplaces
Upgrades to version 4.17.2 will initially be available in small batches, on the “first downloaded, first upgraded” basis. In a few weeks, we’ll lift the restriction.
For the cloud Multi-Vendor No-Code, these new features are coming as well, but at a later date. Since we are the ones who upgrade all No-Code marketplaces, you’ll just find the new features in your marketplace one day, without the need to run an upgrade.
Important improvements:
Added a new UPS integration to replace the old one
Introduced the Onboarding section for our new users
This is a nice update! Is there any plans to integrate a shipping service such as Shipstation, Shippypro or GoShippo? I think this would be a great addition to the platform, it’s users and the community.
Hi! We are considering ShipStation for one of the future versions (among other possible features), but it’s too early to commit to any release dates just yet.
Our plans for CS-Cart 4.18.1 are already packed (we’re revamping the control panels of admins and sellers). The UI and UX improvements should continue even after 4.18.1, but by then we should have more resources for new integrations.
By the way, if you have any reasons why you’d prefer ShippyPro or GoShippo over it, please let me know. Also, feel free to say if there’s anything in particular you’d expect from a ShipStation integration, that could help me too.
Ship Station (SS) unclear how many (but including AusPost)
SS & SP both have 500 packages on starter,
SG free starter saving AUD$38-$41/month. SG $15 for 10,000 labels
SS AUD$3 cheaper/mth than SP - BUT also charges AUD $0.34/Package (+$174/mth @ 500 packages). SP doesnt seem to charge per package.
SP doesnt seem to intergrate Australia Post (major negative)
SP intergrates with Zappier, Mailchimp, Gmail, zen desk and approx another 15 Apps
SG has good API docs. SP has excellent API / developer documentation. SS API page was blank on my visit.
Based on price and Aus carriers id vote SG. Otherwise app intergration with SP would see me vote SP over SS, despite not having Auspost (but suspect will in time). SS additional fee per package is ofc putting.
@ikoshkin Are you planning any improvements to promotions? Some time ago you started a topic with questions what improvments in promotions the community wants.
Do you have it on the roadmap?
I think that it would be also nice to close this year with some kind of topic about the feature plans for cs-cart. There used to be a uservoice and roadmap but right now I feel like cs-cart store owners don’t know what will happen in the feautre and what are you planning to do in the long run.
Off the top of my head, I can name 2 key improvements planned for CS-Cart 4.18.1 (due in Q1 2024):
A new admin panel. This is the main focus of version 4.18.1. Unlike our previous improvements, this one is more than a quick touch-up. Some pages have already been reworked, others will be in future versions. But the overall look and feel of the admin panel should become lighter and more modern right away.
Improved PayPal integration. We used to focus on legacy integrations like PayPal Express Checkout, PayPal Payments Pro, etc. This time, we’re bringing in some features of the current PayPal Checkout integration: support of additional payment options (such as Venmo, PayPal Pay Later, etc.) and button customization.
As for version 4.19, it’s too early to announce any plans just yet. But rest assured, when we work on something, we’ll consider all the feedback we get (be it through forum, Help Desk, or dedicated surveys).
I told this year or maybe two ago and will repeat myself, I wish the out of the box front end would get at least some modern touch… Its outdated like 5 years or so…
Yes, I remember. And although I’m not ruling it out in the future, the competition between possible features is rather steep.
Right now, we’re focusing on the admin panel because it would benefit more of our customers. For the moment, the storefront is somewhat covered by third-party themes and ways to customize it; there are quite a few beautiful stores and marketplaces out there. Meanwhile, the admin panel look and feel is rarely modified by anyone, so it’s something that we have to do.
If you are playing with PayPal intergration, then allowing auto funds distribution to work for orders from muliple vendors with mixed stripe/paypal payment methods then that would be super-awsome!
Believe me, I understand the appeal! But I’d hate to get everyone’s hopes up. It seems like a very tricky thing to do, if at all possible. For reasons both technical and legal.
We’ll keep this in mind (especially if we get more requests like this), but for now I only see it working as a custom modification for the “Direct Customer-to-Vendor Payments” add-on on your marketplace. The modification may be extensive, way outside the scope of our Customer Care service.
How this could work
This approach might work because it lets you solve the problem on the CS-Cart level, without going into the inner workings of PayPal and Stripe and trying to make them work together (which might be impossible).
“Direct Customer-to-Vendor Payments” currently splits carts by vendor, so that each of them could offer their own payment methods.
Instead, it could group vendors by the payment methods they have connected to — PayPal Commerce Platform, Stripe Connect, or none of those.
You’d need to determine the priority: whether you’d prefer to group vendors by PayPal or by Stripe first. Let’s say you choose “PayPal first”.
At checkout, you’d have:
A cart for PayPal, with all the vendors with PayPal (even if they have Stripe too)
A cart for Stripe, with all the remaining vendors with Stripe
A cart for vendors who have neither PayPal, nor Stripe; the funds can go either to your marketplace or to each vendor in this case.
P.S. Alas, this modification would also eliminate the main appeal of PayPal Commerce Platform or Stripe Connect — the ability for the customer to make just one payment.
Introduced new licence ‘CS-Cart Ultimate with unlimited Storefronts’, Bright theme, Mibile Admin App.
In our country we say a shew makes without shews… I will remind you this in Bright theme 10 year anniversary. cs-cart marketplace has maybe 3 decent themes, how is this uniqueness.
Thankyou for such a considered reply, I should have put more thought into my question … of course you are right with each provider requiring different credentials and processing on the payment gateway site it is most problematic!
Not yet. PHP 8.1 is the latest supported version in CS-Cart 4.17.2. It will most likely remain that way in CS-Cart 4.18.1 as well. But we do intend to add PHP 8.2 support in 2024.
On developer.ups.com, creating a new app (API) for OAuth token requires a “Callback URL”. Am I missing the CS-Cart documentation to help with what is needed for this. I wanted to test this API on my development website for a client. Thanks.
You can either enter the link to your website in this field, or you can select the I need API credentials because option in the “I want to integrate UPS technology into my business” parameter when creating the application.
