WordPress Video Lessons Manager Plugin + Payments (CMEDDPAY) - Use Case - Charging Users For Access in Video Lessons Portal

Use Case - Charging Users For Access in Video Lessons Portal

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Introduction

The Video Lessons Payments add-on gives the ability to charge users for watching videos on your site. 

Videos can be imported from Vimeo or Wistia and are organized in lessons and courses.

Example

How It Works

To allow payments, the add-on uses either EDD (Easy Digital Downloads) or WooCommerce. Both plugins are free and grant access to payment gateways such as PayPal and Stripe (note that some gateways might be paid)

EDD and WooCommerce Support

On WordPress, the add-on is named "EDD Payments Addon". It has WooCommerce support - it was simply added later.

Use Case Assumptions

In this example use case guide, we'll cover how to charge users to have access to our video lessons. 

We consider that you have already installed and configured the base plugin. For help with that, check WordPress Video Lessons Manager Plugin (CMCLM) - Use Case - Creating a Video Lessons LMS And Tracking Student Progress.

We also consider you bought the add-on, but not installed it, and that you have not installed either EDD or WooCommerce. 

It follows:

• Installing the add-on
• Payment plugins
  • Direct Payment: EDD or WooCommerce
  • Integrating MicroPayments Plugin
• Choose how to charge: by video/lesson/course or by whole video collection
  • Case 1) User pays, gets access to all videos
  • Case 2) User pays, gets access to specific videos
• Showing users their subscription history
• Translating the forum interface
• Extra - Adding subscriptions manually

Installing The Add-on

The process is the same for all CM plugins and add-ons.

• Download the add-on from your customer dashboard
• Log in to WordPress and navigate to the WordPress Admin  → Plugins settings.
• Click on Add New
• Activate it and add the license

Installing Payment Plugins

Direct Payment: EDD or WooCommerce

You must choose between either Easy Digital Downloads or WooCommerce.

Head to Admin Dashboard → Plugins → Installed Plugins and click Add New. 

Search for either Easy Digital Downloads or WooCommerce and install it.

Configure Payment Plugins

Don't forget to configure the payment plugin! This way you can connect it to payment providers such as PayPal or credit card companies.

External Resources

• Introduction to EDD - Easy Digital Downloads
• Configuring WooCommerce Settings - WooCommerce Docs

MicroPayments Plugin Integration

By using WordPress Video Lessons Manager Plugin with MicroPayments Platform Plugin, can you can charge user with their digital wallet points.

Example

First Steps

To make this happens, the MicroPayments plugin has to be configured properly. 

Head to Admin Dashboard → CM MicroPayments Pro → Settings → General tab and define these two important settings:

1. Users must have wallets assigned to them. Learn more: CM MicroPayments (CMMP) - Getting Started - Adding and Managing Wallets

2. The Checkout page must be defined.

   

   Learn more: CM MicroPayments (CMMP) - General Settings

Now, the integration should be complete.

Choose How To Charge: by Video/Lesson/Course or by Whole Video Collection

The first decision we have to make is how to charge users:

1. User pays different times for certain videos, lessons or courses.
2. User pays and has access to all videos.

Currently it's not possible to charge both ways at the same time.

So let's head to the Settings → Payments tab, where you can configure just that in the Payments model option.

TIP: Section is Empty?

Note that in the same screen we can choose the Payment provider: EDD or WooCommerce. If only "disabled" is shown, it means these payment plugins are not activated.

Case 1) User Pays, Gets Access To All Videos

This case has the easiest setup.

First, choose "Single payment for all video contents".

Then, under Subscription plans for all channels, create any number of options that the users will have when trying to access video.

Note that these labels can be translated to another language from the labels settings of the plugin.

Example

TIP: User Has To Be Logged-in

If a user tries to access the page without being logged-in, they will be prompted to log in. So it's a good idea to make sure users can log in from video pages.

Additionally, in the base Video Lessons plugin you can set "Who can watch video" to Logged-in Users only. This means guest users won't even have access to free videos.

Learn more: WordPress Video Lessons Manager Plugin (CMVLM) - Settings - General

Case 2) User Pays, Gets Access To Specific Videos

You can also charge differently for each video or lesson. Even, in each case, creating different options such as 1-day access and 6-month access.

First, start by selection "Separate payment for each course, lesson or video".

Now, you should edit each content to set its pricings.

Example 1: Video Costs $5 For One-Week Access

First, we edit the desired video.

Then, we check the metabox "Subscription plans" and add the price option.

If you are using MicroPayments plugin, the box will be called "CM MicroPayment Costs".

Now, users will be prompted to pay before watching it. Note that, since the video is part of a lesson, you can set different prices across the lesson. Below, the second video is free.

Example 2: Lesson Has Teaser, Trial and Full Plans

Editing the lesson, we set up three options. We also name them in the description field.

Now, when accessing the lessons, users will choose between those options.

Showing Users Their Subscription History

The Video Lessons Payments Add-on comes with a shortcode to display subscriptions history.

• Shortcode: [cmvl-subscriptions status="active|inactive"]
• Shortcode attribute:
  • status - set active|inactive to display subscriptions with a specific status. The inactive subscription will be displayed with the checkout option. This attribute is optional.

Example

Shortcode displaying active subscriptions without checkout option.

Shortcode displaying active subscriptions with checkout option.

Translating Interface

The Payments add-on includes some specific labels. This way, you can adapt all messages related to payments.

Head to Settings → Labels and edit all relevant text. 

Example

Learn more: Settings - Labels

Extra - Adding Subscriptions Manually

Head to Admin Dashboard → CM Video Lessons Manager Pro → Subscriptions.

In this screen, you can manage subscriptions (for lessons only) and also add new ones. Each subscription has a lesson, user and date information attached to it.

To add a subscription, find the lesson, identify the user and set the duration time. For each video, you can choose a different pricing model. Click on the Add subscription button.

TIP: Free Subscriptions

Manually added subscriptions are marked as "Free"

Learn more: Video Lessons EDD Payments (CMEDDPAY) - Subscriptions - How the Payments Work

Result

Below we show a lesson where users must pay to receive access.

Example

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