Creating an order and paying with PayPal

[lesliekirk]

I have a store owner who takes a LOT of phone orders. She's pulling her hair out trying to keep track of inventory. I suggested she create the order in the admin. Then she threw me a curve ball - she does not like taking a customer's credit card number over the phone hence the reason she's been using PayPal to create the invoice to request payment from the customer. I know I could suggest she create the invoice in Miva, use the super old EP Phone In Payment module, and then go to PayPal to request payment referencing the invoice. That would become a 2 step process. I'm now thinking this is a "Dream Feature" and probably will need to move my question there.

[Rick Wilson]

She could use Manage Quotes natively to do just that, unless I'm missing something?

[Nick]

Rick is correct, manage quotes should work.

When a customer calls, a quote can be created with the customer's information (name and email address). When the quote has been created the store owner can send it to the customer's email. The email will allow them to add the the contents to the basket in the frontend of the store. At this point the customer can go through the checkout process on the frontend of the store. Settings can also be set to allow customers to add additional items to the quote. This may be useful in this situation to allow the customer to continue shopping on the store before checking out.

[lesliekirk]

She could use Manage Quotes natively to do just that, unless I'm missing something?

I'm thinking that customers call because they don't want to interact with the website. Many have mastered how to use PayPal but don't want anything to do with what feels like ordering from a website. I will double check on this.

[ILoveHostasaurus]

I know I could suggest she create the invoice in Miva, use the super old EP Phone In Payment module, and then go to PayPal to request payment referencing the invoice.

Emporium Plus modules should not be installed in any store.

If she's committed herself to spending her time taking phone orders because her clientele refuse to purchase online, Merchant is the system of record on inventory, and customers insist on an itemized invoice, why not just enter the order for them in the store admin instead of typing it all up in PayPal? She can enter it as them in the admin, it doesn't need a 'payment', she can email it to them if they really want it, then she can just tell them to paypal her $X or send them a paypal request for $X without bothering with the itemized version since it's already been sent. If they've ordered before, she can just find a previous one and click new order to pre-fill all the info.

[Rick Wilson]

They could also put a card on file via MivaPay that way and then take a phone order using the stored card.

[lesliekirk]

Emporium Plus modules should not be installed in any store.

If she's committed herself to spending her time taking phone orders because her clientele refuse to purchase online, Merchant is the system of record on inventory, and customers insist on an itemized invoice, why not just enter the order for them in the store admin instead of typing it all up in PayPal? She can enter it as them in the admin, it doesn't need a 'payment', she can email it to them if they really want it, then she can just tell them to paypal her $X or send them a paypal request for $X without bothering with the itemized version since it's already been sent. If they've ordered before, she can just find a previous one and click new order to pre-fill all the info.

ILoveHostasaurus Daivd, that is pretty much what I have suggested to her. I have mentioned using the COD module. The Phone In Payment module has a text field that can collect pretty much any reply, can the COD or any of the other Payment modules do that? If so, that makes removing the Phone In module "easy". I'm not sure how many old orders she has with it so just removing it without going through the necessary steps isn't that easy.

Rick Wilson Miva pay would be a good option if PayPal could be configured in it.

[ILoveHostasaurus]

If the customer is going to be asked to go pay via PayPal in a manner not facilitated by the store, then there is no reason to involve a payment module at all. She can just enter the order for them admin-side with no payment method, ship it when paid via PayPal, archive it when complete. If they want a card on file but can't be asked to order online, she's going to have to take it at least once by phone.

[lesliekirk]

If the customer is going to be asked to go pay via PayPal in a manner not facilitated by the store, then there is no reason to involve a payment module at all. She can just enter the order for them admin-side with no payment method, ship it when paid via PayPal, archive it when complete. If they want a card on file but can't be asked to order online, she's going to have to take it at least once by phone.

That is exactly what I have suggested. I didn't realize an order could be completed as an admin without a payment method - that's why I was thinking I could set up the COD for her as she was going to be requesting a payment via PayPal. Even though I really like the Managed Quote system I don't think it will work/help her inventory control issues. Thanks again, David.