eStore – How to Use a Text Link or URL to Accommodate the Purchase of a Product

[admin]

WP eStore has a feature that lets you use a URL or Text Link to facilitate the purchase of your eStore product(s). This can be very handy when you want to use a “Call to Action” link on your landing page.

It can also come in handy when you need to place a link on an external site (example, your facebook page) and let the user click on the link to purchase the product via your site.

Requirement

You will need to install the Extra eStore Shortcodes AddOn on your WP site:

WP eStore Shortcodes and Functions Reference

How To Use a Link to Sell an eStore product

Let’s say you have the following scenario:

1) WP eStore plugin and the Extra shortcodes addon are installed on the following domain:

http://www.example.com/

2) The eStore product ID of the product that you want to sell is “1”

You can then create links using the following URL to allow someone to add item “1” to the shopping cart:

http://www.example.com/?wp_eStore_add_to_cart=1

Anyone who goes to the above URL will basically add item “1” to the shopping cart. Given you have the shopping cart shortcode placed somewhere on this page, the user will then be able to complete the checkout by clicking on the checkout button of the cart.

Lets say, you have a checkout/cart page and the URL of that page is the following:

http://www.example.com/checkout

You can then use the following URL to create your purchase link which will add item “1” to the cart and at the same time the user will go to the checkout/cart page:

http://www.example.com/checkout/?wp_eStore_add_to_cart=1

Creating an HTML Link

Here is an example code snippet that shows how you can use the technique learnt above to create an HTML text link:

<a href=http://www.example.com/?wp_eStore_buy_now=1>Click Here to Buy</a>

Creating an HTML Link with an Image

Here is an example code snippet that shows how you can use the technique learnt above to create an HTML link with an image (this image could be a nice BUY image):

<a href=http://www.example.com/?wp_eStore_buy_now=1><img src=http://www.example.com/url-of-the-image /></a>

Applying a Discount Coupon

You could apply a discount coupon to the cart automatically after adding the item via the link. Below is an example of how to create a link that will add an item then apply the supplied coupon code:

http://www.example.com/checkout/?wp_eStore_add_to_cart=1&discount_code=COUPONCODE

Using a Buy Now Type Behavior with Text Link

You can create links using the following URL to allow someone to purchase item “1” directly via PayPal without adding the item to the cart (avoiding the shopping cart altogether):

http://www.example.com/?wp_eStore_buy_now=1

Using a Subscription Type Behavior with Text Link

You can create links using the following URL to allow someone to purchase subscription item “1” directly via PayPal:

http://www.example.com/?wp_eStore_subscribe=1

Using a Donation Type Behavior with Text Link

You can create a link using the following URL to allow someone to donate:

http://www.example.com/?wp_eStore_donation=1

Specifying a Variation in the Link

You can pass a variation in the link too. Here is an example of how to pass a variation:

http://www.example.com/checkout/?wp_eStore_add_to_cart=1&variation1=red&variation2=medium

Specifying a Variation Price

You can pass a variation and a variation price in the link. Here is an example:

http://www.example.com/checkout/?wp_eStore_add_to_cart=1&variation1=red&var1_price=10

Let’s say the price of product 1 is $20. When someone clicks the above link, it will charge them $30 total ($10 fro the variation).

Specifying a Custom Input

You can pass a custom input in the link like so:

http://www.example.com/checkout/?wp_eStore_add_to_cart=1&c_input="my custom input"

Buy Now Link for a Specific Gateway

Use the following if you wanted to create a buy now link for a gateway other than PayPal:

http://www.example.com/?wp_eStore_buy_now=1&gateway=stripe

The following post has a list of available gateway values that you can use:

How to Use Gateway Specific Buy Now Type Buttons

 

Subscription Type Button Link for a Specific Gateway

Use the following if you wanted to create a subscription type button link for a gateway other than PayPal:

http://www.example.com/?wp_eStore_subscribe=1&gateway=stripe_subsc

You can use the following values for the “gateway” parameter depending on which subscription payment gateway you want to use:

• stripe_co_sca_subsc (Stripe SCA subscription)
• stripe_subsc (Stripe subscription)
• pppro_subsc (PayPal Pro subscription)
• auth_arb (Authorize.net Automated Recurring Billing)
• ccbill_subsc (CCBiLL subscription)
• 2co_subsc (2Checkout subscription)

Applying Discount in the Cart via URL

The following documentation explains how to use this feature:

Apply a Discount or Coupon Code to the Cart via a URL or Link

 

[webenter]

Using the “Add to Cart” link will redirect to checkout page but doesn’t add the product to the cart. Buy now link and subscribe links work on this site but not the Add to Cart.

Add to cart shortcodes seem to work.

Using this link [http://www.ehowtogetmoreclients.com/?wp_eStore_add_to_cart=2] to link

[http://ehowtogetmoreclients.com/video-4] is the page.

Link in the browser doesn’t work either. Can you help?

Thank you!

Jayne

[admin]

Link directly to your checkout page using the following link. I checked the following link and it adds the item to the cart correctly:

[http://ehowtogetmoreclients.com/check-out/?wp_eStore_add_to_cart=2]

[roxanne]

Hi,

I am having a problem too. I need a text link that is a buy now link. I am using the link from the shortcodes PDF and it does not work:

[http://www.theholisticmama.com/?wp_eStore_buy_now=12]

[wzp]

Looks like you don’t have the extra eStore shortcodes addon installed. Please refer to the “Requirement” section in the above post that tells you what is required before you can use this feature.

[roxanne]

OK but now it won’t let me download it, it says I didn’t purchase wp estore but of course I have.

[admin]

Hi Roxanne, We don’t have any record of your eStore purchase in our customer record which is why you are unable to download that eStore addon. Our record shows that you only purchased the link manager and the lightbox ultimate plugins. I have sent you an email so we can sort it out.

[Terry Cooper]

We have the estore and the extra e-store shortcodes installed, but none of the text link suggestions seem to work. I’m pretty sure I’m doing what you suggest but they don’t seem to work. Are there known WP-plugins that conflict?

[Terry Cooper]

Think I may have answered my own question. The problem was that the domain in the text link has to match exactly, and if there is no “www” in the way the domain is set up on the receiving site, the link shouldn’t have it either. Does this make sense?

[admin]

Yes, you are correct. Simply use the same version of the URL for the text link that you see in your site address.

The no “www” version of your site is actually considered a different site. Read this post for more details:

https://support.tipsandtricks-hq.com/forums/topic/incorrect-server-setup-related-to-url-rewriting-cause-and-effect

[jefffitz]

Is it possible to get my sidebar to include the figure pushing cart image as used on your website?

[Peter]

Yes it is possible.

Please see this post:

https://support.tipsandtricks-hq.com/forums/topic/show-grey-shopping-cart-guy-in-the-sidebar

The image you are interested in is called “cart_empty.jpg” which is located in the images directory of your eStore installation.

[Brodephat]

I like the direct link function but I don’t see weather or not an affiliate can use it that way. Is there a way for affiliates to use the direct link option?

[wpCommerce]

Hi, you can add your affiliate ID to the URL and that should act like an affiliate link. For example: if your affiliate ID is: abc123 and the text link is: [http://www.your-domain.com/checkout/?wp_eStore_add_to_cart=1] the affiliate link for that would be:

[http://www.your-domain.com/checkout/?wp_eStore_add_to_cart=1&ap_id=abc123]

[admin]

Yes, your affiliates can create a link for your product and that will work too.

[Author]

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