Reward Points Incremental Cash Out

Hello all,

I'd like a way (addon - configuration I'm missing - a trick!!) that can make customers cash out their reward points after they reach a certain thresshold.

So the solution would be to either:

1. (ideally) have a minimum amount of reward points that they can begin to cash out and they can only do that on fixed intervals. So, they can only use reward points after they reach 200, 400 etc. After they spend some and get below the thresshold (say 150) they should not be able to cash out unless they reach the 200 point thresshold. Ideally they should be able to cash out in specific intervals like cash out 200 points or 400 points or 600 points. However they should not be allowed to cash out 250 points if they have that much. They should be allowed to use 200 and keep the 50 in their wallet till they reach the thresshold again.

2. Ok so if the above is way too complicated I can settle for a solution that only introduces the thresshold. So customers should be given the chance to use their points if they have accumulated more than 200. (I guess that's simpler)

3. Another idea might be an addon (I suppose that one should be an addon) that issues a gift certificate automatically once a certain amount of points is reached. It deducts (for example) 200 points and sends out a 20€ coupon code to the customer to use as they please.

Is there any solution like that?

Either an addon, or a workaround would do.

I can also create an addon for the 2nd solution if someone can guide me with the hooks to use to disable the pay with reward points field if a customer has less than 200 points.

Thank you.

Hello Androutsos,

The functionality you have described will require a custom modification. You can get a free quote at https://www.simtechdev.com/quote.html

As for the add-ons, I can offer you the following solutions:

Points & Cash add-on

https://www.simtechdev.com/addons/marketing/points-and-cash.html

Allows you to limit the amount the customers can pay with bonus points. Additionally, you can give bonus points for registration an product review.

Loyalty Program add-on

https://www.simtechdev.com/addons/customer-experience/loyalty-program.html

Allows you to give the customers discounts depending on how much in total they have spent in your store. It works not with bonus points, but with user group promotions. The customers are assigned automatically to a user group depending on how much they have spent. To push the customers return to your store, there is a loyalty card expiration period that notifies the customers when their discount is coming to end.

For more details, please contact sales@simtechdev.com or get a quote at https://www.simtechdev.com/quote.html

Hello,

I understand that you advertise your services here galtin baeva.

However, I was under the impression that the forums was not a place that we would get redirected to "get a quote for a custom solution".

I was hoping that either a suggestion for a plugin would come or a tutorial or some help to develop the plugin myself.

I mean where do developers go to get acquainted with the codex of cs-cart?

Like Woocommerce and Wordpress. They have their forums where php developers get help to use their hooks.

I learned wordpress and woocommerce plugin development only relying on the wordpress forums and my php experience.

You see, Simtech development is advertised engough through the helpdesk of cs-cart to keep on pushing for more advertisement in the community forums.

I don't know, I suppose I was expecting more actual help rather than the same answer "get a quote" again.

Should I go over to reddit? or look for a more community - driven forum?

In any case, your company, simtech is doing it's job, but in my view, the moment you ask for a custom quote the problems start. It usually takes days or even weeks on end to get the quote, after several emails back and forth asking for access to ftp and the website, even when requests are pretty straightforward as the one I made here. When you eventually get the quote it will most probably be so overpriced, it will not be worth it. You will probably be better off without the feature. (I mean, I can live with the rewards points system as it is. I'd prefer the functions I described but the eshop will work without them as well)

Just so you know, I've already made a request for a simple addon last monday (monday the 18th of November) and it took 2 days to get a response asking for screenshots and FTP access. I then explained that no need to get FTP access on my website since it's a simple Vanilla Cs-cart installation without any added plugins. I am still waiting for the quote. If it takes 10 days on end to get a quote for a plugin that deals with how variable products appear when they only have one item of the specific variation variable... imagine what would happen for a plugin that needs to disable the pay with points field if the user's reward points are below a certain threshold...

So... all in all, not a very cool experience and that led me to start learning how plugin development works in cs-cart so that I can go about and do my own modifications faster and more precisely. It might take some time at first, but once I'm acquanted with the way it's structured I should have no issues.

So I still look for some help to kickstart me in plugin development and a few tips on how the func.php works. I have figured out a bit of the code but I still need some help with the hooks on the chekcout page.

First of all let me thank you for the honest feedback. I have passed it to the head of our sales department. We appreciate you taking the time to inform us about your dissatisfaction and the delay with a quote.
I was hoping that either a suggestion for a plugin would come or a tutorial or some help to develop the plugin myself.
A tutorial on how to write add-ons is available at https://docs.cs-cart.com/latest/developer_guide/addons/index.html
I’m sorry, but we cannot provide you with any code or guidance on how to write one. Giving some advice implies responsibility for the correctness of its implementation and we cannot guarantee it unless the code is written, reviewed and tested by our specialists. So, I can only offer you two plugins or custom development.
I mean where do developers go to get acquainted with the codex of cs-cart?
The standards are available in the CS-Cart developer guide. I hope this will help. https://docs.cs-cart.com/latest/developer_guide/index.html

It usually takes days or even weeks on end to get the quote, after several emails back and forth asking for access to ftp and the website, even when requests are pretty straightforward as the one I made here.
Getting the access to the admin panel and server is a mandatory condition for providing an accurate quote. When estimating a modification, we need to take into account numerous factors including:

- CS-Cart and PHP version

- Add-ons and theme installed

- Any modifications done

- My changes add-on, etc.

If we don’t do that, the estimation can be incorrect.
Our sales manager replied within onу business day after she has been assigned to it on November 18th. The quotation has taken 3 business days, she gave you recommendations not requiring any financial investments.
When you eventually get the quote it will most probably be so overpriced, it will not be worth it.
I agree with you that our costs are higher than those of some of the CS-Cart developers. Our development process also might be a little bit longer than in other companies. This is the price to pay for the quality.
Examples:

1. A quote is always analysed by a senior developer to make sure that we take into account all possible details and pitfalls. For your convenience, we provide an account manager who is ready to discuss the project in HelpDesk/Skype or any other messenger you prefer. If you agree with the price, we make a very detailed specification that allows you to double check everything to be done and correct any misinterpretation.

2. The development involves not only writing the code, but also code review and testing on an exact copy of your store. You get an add-on with clean, easy to read and modify code created with your business in mind.

3. Two weeks are given for testing, so you can take your time and make sure that the work is done exactly as it should. Furthermore, you get 100 days of post-release warranty. That means that even if you first confirm that everything is fine, we upload on production and you find a bug within three months after the release, you get it fixed for free.

Just so you know, I've already made a request for a simple addon last monday (monday the 18th of November) and it took 2 days to get a response asking for screenshots and FTP access.

Our sales manager gave a response the same day she got your questions.

If it takes 10 days on end to get a quote for a plugin that deals with how variable products appear when they only have one item of the specific variation variable... imagine what would happen for a plugin that needs to disable the pay with points field if the user's reward points are below a certain threshold…
As far as I know, you wanted to make an option to be shown in a drop-down rather that after a comma for the cases when only one product option is available. According to the default CS-Cart functionality, it can be done if you create a product variation http://joxi.ru/12MgpJ8Hlj3Oqr, so you need to have at least one variation to do this. No development is required http://joxi.ru/RmzBzdaCYy6ljm
If you need further counselling on the default CS-Cart functionality, the following resources are available:

- Official documentation https://docs.cs-cart.com/latest/index.html

- This forum

- CS-Cart support service https://www.cs-cart.com/support-service.html

- Simtech Development dedicated development and technical support. https://www.simtechdev.com/services/services-dedicated-developer.html

As it comes to the estimation duration, we normally provide a rough quote within 2 business days. A precise one may take a bit longer because new details can be revealed.
So I still look for some help to kickstart me in plugin development and a few tips on how the func.php works. I have figured out a bit of the code but I still need some help with the hooks on the chekcout page.
Having experience with Woocommerce and Wordpress you can definitely become comfortable with CS-Cart coding fast. The materials I’ve mentioned above will help you with that. We have not got a school for developers, unfortunately. That is why I have offered you the most effective ways to reach your goals besides creating the functionality by your own: custom development or ready add-ons.

Hello,

I appreciate you taking the time to go through all of my points. Sometimes people don't do that.

Now, I wouldn't like to make it a debate here and don't want to get you on the defensive. I have worked with simtech development in the past and will probably do so in the future.

The main issue is that I expected to get help in here on how to do the modifications myself. If I wanted professional help I'd contact simtech as I've done in the past.

By the way, I have contacted them and just to add a threshold for the amount of points you can use to pay for an order (that means that only if you have a certain amount of points and above should the pay by points field get activated) they made a rough estimate of 1000$. Ok... that's not overpricing it... that's ridiculus.

Also you mentioned:

As far as I know, you wanted to make an option to be shown in a drop-down rather that after a comma for the cases when only one product option is available. According to the default CS-Cart functionality, it can be done if you create a product variation http://joxi.ru/12MgpJ8Hlj3Oqr, so you need to have at least one variation to do this. No development is required http://joxi.ru/RmzBz...mzBzdaCYy6ljm

Actually no. That doesn't work. you need to create a variation with at least 2 products. You can then set the second one as out of stock and then you would get the desired effect (as long as out of stock products are not displayed). That's how we do it for the time being. It's a workaround though, it's not a solution. If out of stock products could be backordered, that workaround would lose it's point.

And for your last point:

f you need further counselling on the default CS-Cart functionality, the following resources are available:

- Official documentation https://docs.cs-cart...test/index.html

- This forum

- CS-Cart support service https://www.cs-cart....rt-service.html

- Simtech Development dedicated development and technical support. https://www.simtechd...-developer.html

cs-cart helpdesk made it perfectly clear that they won't help where developing necessities arise. The official documentation only includes one example which is helpful (I was able to create a few back - end plugins) but lack a more detailed approach or further steps concerning the core file structure and functions that need to be used as hooks.

This forum was my only hope for a development "hold-my-hand-for-the-first-steps" conversation but I guess I should try my luck with stack exchange for that. Regretably, I got no responses on 2 topics concerning the same issue.

:(

I think you'll find that many of us developers will give you general guidance. But understand that we make our living investing our time into projects that generate revenue. The documentation is okay for getting started. You can also search through distributed addons or addons provided by developers that don't encode their source to see how they might do things you want to do. But note that lifting code directly is probably a copyright violation.

For your particular problem I would implement a separate addon that intercepted the checkout process after a user is logged in (on invocation or if they login during checkout). If their reward points are above your threshold, then I would apply those points to the cart and then proceed with checkout. You should also display a notification to the customer telling them that you've applied points in excess of XXX to their order. You will want to perform this check on each POST of checkout data to catch the case where the customer might remove their points from the order.

Have fun!

Thank you tbirnseth,

Fun is what I intend to have. The customer went live with the eshop using normal points functionality and gave me an open slate for when the functionality he requested will be made available. I will use that time getting aquanted with the logic behind cs-cart addon development and create it as an educative project for myself.

I will disagree with you regarding the documentation concerning addon development. Unless I'm mistaken, It's just one article in there without much structure and explanations. (I do not count the Hello world addon as an actual tutorial. It's way too basic).

There are independent resources online however and they should be helpful although having to put together bits and pieces takes a bit more time that it's optimal.

A challenge is a challenge though and I will take it on.

I stand strong though on the view that developers should offer their services on dedicated platforms, or threads that are meant for this purpose. That's why most forums have a section thats titled "hire a developer here" or something similar.

Imagine how stack exchange would look if everyone who posted a question there would get responses like "Hey for your problem I can help you if you send me 5$ on my paypal account". Or "Your issue requires a developer to deal with it. Hire one at developersforhire.com"

Anyway It's a point of view. It's how I've always dealt with stuff.

Will I be able to write addon code if I try it on my own? Of course

Will I be able to do it faster with the help of the forums? Definitely - much faster and much easier.

As the song goes... "I get by with a little help from my friends". That's all I can say about how I go most of my developing experience.

When you get to specific issues that you need help with, ask away.

Suggest you look at addons like "access_restrictions" which is simple but covers some breadth.

You can then look at more complex addons that have both admin/customer UI's like 'discussions'.

That and the addon.xml.full file in the my_changes directory should give you a good start. PHP hooks will have to be discovered as well as template hooks.

Regarding template hooks, only a couple of things to know.

1) when you use an foo.override.tpl hook, any 'post' hooks already set are thrown away but the 'pre' hooks remain. Hence you should preserve the original hook in your override so the post hooks can be re-established.

2) Make sure to clear both the registry and template caches (?cc&ctpl) after adding a hook file. If you have the settings for rebuild cache automatically turned on then further changes will not be needed unless it involves email templates. then the templlate cache (?ctpl) will need to be cleared for those changes to be seen.

Note that for 'customer' templates, they are loaded from the corresponding directory in the var/themes_repository area for the active theme. Note that most themes should be based on the "responsive" them and therefore you do not need to propagate your changes beyond the responsive theme since 'responsive' becomes a 'fall back' location for any related template files being searched for.

I did a tutorial on here in 4-5 parts that showed how to add things like a movie preview/purchase as an addon. But I think it's been long deleted. But the basic premises remain the same. However, expect when cs-cart goes to V5 that they will change the whole layout of the site making everything you invest in obsolete.