Business Directory Plugin (CMBD) + Community + Payments - Use Case - Charging Users For Suggesting Businesses in Directory

Use Case - Charging Users For Suggesting Businesses in Directory

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The Business Directory Plugin is a WordPress directory plugin that allows you to create business listings. By combining the Payments add-on and Community add-on you can charge users for creating and managing their business profiles.

Use Case Front-End

Submission Page

Shopping Cart Page

Payment Page

Use Case Assumptions

In this example use case guide, we'll cover how to charge users for suggesting and claiming businesses in your WordPress Business Directory website.

We consider that you have already bought the plugin and add-ons, but not installed them yet. 

This documentation follows:

• Preparation
  • Installing the plugin
  • Installing the payment plugin (EDD or WooCommerce)
  • Setting up a business directory
  • Letting users suggest businesses
• Setting up payments
  1. Selecting Payment Plugin (WooCommerce / EDD)
  2. Requiring users to pay for adding businesses
  3. Requiring users to pay for claiming listings
  4. Requiring users to pay for renewing listings
  5. Notifying users
• User View - Suggesting and Paying
• Admin View - Tracking payments
• Extras
  • Pay Per View - Charging users to see profiles
  • Unpaid business announcement

Installing the Add-on

The process is the same for all CM plugins and addons.

• Download the plugin 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 Plugin (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.

Important

Be sure that your payment plugin has the correct Checkout and Cart pages set up. They are used by the plugin.

External Resources

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

Setting up a Business Directory

First, set up the business directory if you haven't done so. Since this article focuses on the payment use case, it mostly list the relevant documentation for this first step.

Checking Settings

Navigate to Admin Dashboard → CM Business Directory Pro → Settings. Then click on the General tab.

Read more: Business Directory Plugin (CMBD) - Settings - General (Permalink, Defaults, Google Map, Statistics)

Adding First Business

1. Go to Admin Dashboard → CM Business Directory Pro and click Business and Add New or simply click the Add Business button.

   

2. Fill in all fields, add Tags, Categories and Custom Taxonomy Terms. Optionally you can also add Video and Additional Links and Fields.

   

3. When finished, click on the Publish button to save the Business.

Learn more: Business Directory Plugin (CMBD) - Add Business

Letting Users Suggest Businesses

Now, allow users to suggest businesses. We'll also skim through this part to focus on payments.

Navigate to the Admin Dashboard → CM Business Directory Pro → Settings → Community Business tab.

Under Moderation Settings, choose the roles who can add businesses.

Setting Up Payments

Now that the business directory is set up and users can suggest businesses, it's time to configure payments.

1) Selecting Payment Plugin (WooCommerce / EDD)

Let's start by telling the plugin which payment platform we are using (EDD or WooCommerce). Navigate to CM Business Directory Pro → Settings → Payments tab → Payment System Selection section. 

Only one system can be enabled at a time. In the example below, it's WooCommerce.

TIP: You Need a Payment Plugin

If you don't have EDD or WooCommerce installed, you will get the notice that payment features cannot work without one of these payment plugins.

2) Requiring Users to Pay for Adding Businesses

Now onto the most important settings of the use case.

Head to the Add New Business Payments section and check "Require payments for adding new businesses". We'll talk about the two other options in a moment.

Then, create a new WooCommerce/EDD product or assign the purchase with an existing product.

3) Requiring Users to Pay for Claiming businesses

You can also charge users for claiming businesses. Turn on the option in the Claim Business Payments section.

And then set the product, like in the other payment settings.

User Perspective

Users can claim existing business listings by going to the listing page and clicking show by Claim this business.

They only need to add their name and valid email address to receive an email notification with instructions on how to pay for the listing. 

Example

The rest of the process is the same as Suggesting a Business:

• User gets an e-mail.
• Pays.
• Gets another e-mail with an activation link.

Learn more: Business Directory Payments (CMBD Add-On) - Claiming a Business

4) Requiring Users to Pay for Renewing Businesses

If this feature is enabled, users must pay in order for their listing to remain visible to the public in the directory. This is also controlled by a (separate) product in EDD / WooCommerce to allow the payment. 

Mark existing items as paid

Check the box and save or click the button to set all current items as paid. The payments will be required only after renewal time passes. 

Time Settings

One huge difference are the time renewal and notification settings.

You can choose after how many days the listing will expire, requiring the user to make a new payment. Also, you can enable a notification to remind the user about the upcoming expiration.

Front-end

After making the payment, the user receives a link to re-activate the listing or a unique activation code to paste on the business activation page. 

Learn more: Business Directory Payments (CMBD Add-On) - Renewing a Business Listing

5) Notifying Users

In each of the options above (payment for adding, renewing and claiming), there are also options to customize the email sent to businesses. They follow the same pattern, with some changes:

• "Payment required" e-mail subject - Topic of the e-mail being sent after the user adds the business and it passes the moderation.
• "Payment required" e-mail content - Content of the e-mail being sent after the user adds the business and it passes the moderation. You can use the following placeholders:
  • {business_name}
  • {purchase_link}
  • {activation_page}
• "Payment confirmation" e-mail subject - Topic of the e-mail being sent after the user purchases the product required to add a new business.
• "Payment confirmation" e-mail content - Content of the e-mail being sent after the user purchases the product required to add a new business. You can use the following placeholders:
  • {business_name} 
  • {code} 
  • {activation_link}

TIP: Limited Free Listings

In the Limited Free Listing section, you can enable exactly that - and then choose which fields will be available in these limited profiles.

User View - Suggesting and Paying

With the Business Directory Payments add-on, the user submission process is the same as in the Business Directory Community add-on.

But now, when users complete the business submission form, they will see a different message than usual. The message will mention payment.

Example

What Happens On Submission?

You can control what will happen from the settings, section Add New Business Payments.

• Payment before moderation - If enabled, users will be able to pay even before the admin moderates the submission.
• Instant payment - If enabled, the user will be redirected to checkout immediately after filling the form. Requires Payment before moderation to be enabled.

Checkout Page Example

Admin View - Tracking Payments

The add-on offers a simple way to track every payment made.

Accessing Token Dashboard

Navigate to the Admin Dashboard → CM Business Directory Pro → Business Tokens.

This screen will show a table with all recorded payments, along with their attached information. 

Example

1. Token before clicking on activation link from e-mail.
2. Token after clicking on activation link from e-mail.

Editing a Token

Clicking on the code directs you to the token edit page, where you can change its status manually. Also here values like Purchase ID, email and types can be changed.

Learn more: Business Directory Payments (CMBD Add-On) - Business Tokens Dashboard

Extra - Pay-Per-View: Charging Users For Accessing Profile

When Pay-per-view is enabled, users will be asked to buy a plan when trying to access a business profile. Select the plan and click Buy Selected Plan.

Example

Settings

To enable this feature, head to the Payments tab → Pay-per-view section.

First, click on "Turn on the Pay-per-view". 

Then configure:

• Easy Digital Downloads / WooCommerce Product Association - Select an existing EDD / WooCommerce Product which will be required to use the "Pay-per-view" functionality. Or choose the name and price and click "Create New EDD / WooCommerce Product" to automatically create and assign a new Product.
• Pass items - Number of possible items to be displayed after purchasing a single "pass".
• Pass days - Number of days the purchased "pass" is valid after it's activated.

Learn more: Business Directory Payments (CMBD Add-On) - Pay Per View

Unpaid Business Announcement

This optional field lets you add HTML to be shown in business pages with pending payment.

Example

Learn more: Business Directory Plugin (CMBD) - Advertisement

Recap

With all steps completed, your directory will require payments before user submissions are online.

Use Case Front-End

	More information about the WordPress Business Directory Payments Add-on Other WordPress products can be found at CreativeMinds WordPress Store
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