Unique Shopping Cart Amounts

[Erc_Dunlap]

Greetings!

I'm working on a site for a photographer who will be selling prints online. (No digital download)

When a customer adds a photo to their cart, I calculate the price based on quantity x unit price. My client also has a "volume discount". If the customer buys 3-5 copies of the same photo, they get discount1 (10%). If they buy 6-10 copies of the same photo, they get the second level discount (25%)

This discount is ONLY applied to the photos. The customer also has the option to order metal or wood frames. But the frames are NOT eligible for discount. We just multiply the quantity by the frame price and add it to the item total.

So a customer could do this:

3 copies of a photo for $15.00 each. That would give them an item total of $45 and they also get 10% off that amount. If they add frames to those 3 photos, we multiply the frame price by 3 and add it to the item total.

I could send the discount amount to PayPal, but since the discount is only applied to the prints and not the frames, I can't. PayPal calculates the the item price. Which I don't need it to do. I'm wondering if there is a way to do this. If I send no quantity, PayPal defaults to 1. But it doesn't let the seller know the true quantity of photos.

I hope I'm explaining it correctly. It confused me a bit too at first.

Is there any way I can send PayPal the unit price and quantity, which PayPal will  calculate. And then apply the discount to JUST the photos, Then have PayPal add the frame price (multiplied by quantity)

Anyone have any ideas on this? I know it seems a bit odd...

[snowshoe]

Yes, however, you need some specific custom scripting on your end to calculate the prices.  What you have in mind cannot really be done using the standard shipping methods and the online button creator.  The code must be manually created.  PayPal has "discount" variables which can be incorporated into your code.  Below are a few tips on using the "discount" variables.

Here's some important stuff to be aware of.   The Discount Variables listed below are intended to work with Buy Now Buttons and Add to Cart Buttons.   They only apply to the item they are associated with, "not" the entire shopping cart.   This means that you can "only" apply a Discount to an individual item and they do not apply to Taxes or Shipping. 

discount_amount 
discount_amount2 
discount_rate 
discount_rate2 
discount_num 

 Tip:    To use the Item Code Discount Variables with "hosted" or "encrypted" item button code, you need to modify button code using the "Advanced Variables" in Step 3 of the online button creation process.   Look for the text box near the bottom of the page.   There you can insert extra variables.   For example, you want to offer your customers a 10% discount on one particular item regardless of the quantity of that particular item.   Simply insert the "discount_rate" and "discount_rate2" variables in the text box.   Just enter: 

 discount_rate=10 
 discount_rate2=10 

 There's no HTML extras, just the name of the variable, an equal sign and the value. 



 The following Discount Variables will only work with the "Upload" Method. 

discount_amount_cart  -  Applies to entire cart. ** 
discount_amount_x  -  Applies only to the individual item. 
discount_rate_cart  -  Applies to entire cart. ** 
discount_rate_x  -  Applies only to the individual item. 

 ** Note: These variables will be ignored if you are including any individual sales tax amount or rate in your upload code.   This is because the sales tax needs to be calculated after the discount is applied to your items therefore, the discount is applied to the item Subtotal, not the Total.   In addition, the discount does not apply Shipping. 

You can also accomplish discounts without the variables in your code thru scrpting.  See this link:

http://ccaples.com/index.php/basic-scripts/examples-i/quantity-discounts

[Erc_Dunlap]

Ya, I've been going over the HTML variables. Since only prints can receive a discount, frames are added-on... what I'm probably going to do, to preserve the quantity is to submit 2 entries for each item. The first will be just the price of photos. The quantity and a discount, if needed. Then submit another item after it with the same item #, and item name "Add-on Frames". Same quantity and let PayPal calculate it.

I'm not using PayPal's cart. And you were on point with customers changing quantities when viewing the cart. So in order to keep it simple, I handle that on my cart. The only time I need to talk to PayPal is when the customer wants to checkout.

Something like this...

1-2 qty = no discount, if they want frames on the prints, I do the same quantity and multiply the price of the frame. So in eseence, each item in the cart can have 2 parts.

So a cart with 3 items might look like this:

Item #1001 - 3 qty - 8x11 prints for $15/ea can get a discount of 10%

Item #1001 - 3 qty - Add-on for Metal Frames @ $30/ea.

Item #1020 - 1 qty - 11x14 print for $30 (No discount applied) and no frames selected, prints only

Item #1033 - 5 qty - 5x7 prints for $10/ea (second level discount of 25%)

Item #1003 - 5 qty - Add-on frames @ $30/ea.

That way I can break up the package into 2 parts, prints and frames. I think that will work and may be easier to read for the customer.

And I'm not going to even mess with something like 3 prints but only 1 frame, 2 without prints. The customer can do that themselves.

Does that sound ok? I'm going to digest your comments as well. PayPal will do the tax and shipping... I'd like to let PayPal do most of the work. 🙂

[snowshoe]

Sounds like you're on track for what you need to do.  Agree, if can get the profile shipping and tax tables to do what you need, it really helps.  There's so many different ways to do things, it what works best for you. 

[Erc_Dunlap · Accepted solution]

And it always helps to have another brain and pair of eyes. 🙂 Thanks for all the help! Much appreciated.