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Anybody use ProStores for their shopping cart

beachdibeachdi subscriber Posts: 10
If so, do you know how to put in a gift certificate promotion?  My website will not launch in time for Christmas sales.  It will probably launch 1 week before Christmas (after a full critique on SUN, of course)
so I was thinking I could have gift certificates.    Design and print nice ones.   BUT there are options for sales and the ability to limit the sale items to categories.  I just do not see how to use a gift certificate on my items.  
Has anybody done this with any shopping cart?  
Di

Comments

  • beachdibeachdi subscriber Posts: 10
    o.k. I just reread the promotions section and it does not look like I have a section that supports gift certificates.   I can input Storewide sales, Individual product sales, and gift wrapping or gift shipping option.    Which is all great.  
     
  • vwebworldvwebworld subscriber Posts: 40
    Some shopping carts provide for gift certificates (purchase and use). Usually it is a computerized process... the person purchases the gift certifcate and can send it (via email)
    to the person of their choice. It is possible to print out a certificate - so there is a peice of paper to gift, but redemption is still electronic.
     
    ~Roland
  • beachdibeachdi subscriber Posts: 10
    ah ha, good idea.  I do not think my prostores shopping cart has the functionality for redemption of the gift cert.  I am still reading...
  • storybookstudiostorybookstudio subscriber Posts: 7
    Di,
    I did have a Prostores website and was not happy with it at all. I couldn`t add the product attributes that I wanted, manage inventory or offer gift certificates. I felt they were offering extremely limitted functionality for the hefty monthly rate they charged (I had the business package for $29.95). For example, if you look at their package comparison chart you`ll see that would have to pay $74.95 for `Advanced promotional capabilities`, including storewide sales, quantity discounts, and promotion codes. Also, I felt their webmail was extremely frustrating to use.
     
     I don`t mean to sound negative - just giving you my opinion. I recently switched over to a free open source solution (ZenCart) which was a bit more work to set up intially, but offers many of the options that I need.
     
     
  • beachdibeachdi subscriber Posts: 10
    Oh pig feet  (to put it semi nicely)  too late now.
    This is what my web dudes offered me.   I do have the 29.95 package.  And it does look like I can have product or storewide sales.  (not gift cert.)Plus a featured category section. It says I can export import usimg quickbooks pro 2007 (and some others) Of course, this is all my reading, I have not attempted to use any of this functionality.         I have heard great things about ZenCart from a variety of forums.  
    Too late for now.   Maybe later.   Thank you for the heads up and luckily I will launch during the S L O W season which will give me time to adapt and conquer.
    Di   
  • storybookstudiostorybookstudio subscriber Posts: 7
    I didn`t mean for my post to come off negative Di - just sharing my 2 cents. It may work out to be the perfect solution for you. Keep us posted - maybe there are others that will chime in with a bit more insight on how to make ProStores work for you. Oh, if you haven`t already, check to see if they have support community (I forget) where you can post your questions and get answers from others using it.
     
     
     
  • beachdibeachdi subscriber Posts: 10
    nooo, it did not come off as negative...just real answers, which is what I wanted!   I need to know what I am in for, so when it is 2:00 a.m. and i get frustrated I can remember the words of wisdom i received from this forum.  I will check out the prostores forum for more specific details.    What a lot of work this has turned out to be.   I am in total awe of those that code their own website and shopping cart.    WOW to you.
     
    Dianne
  • Margecam52Margecam52 subscriber Posts: 0
    Hi:
    You may want to look at:

    http://www.mals-e.com/home.php

    Mals-e shopping cart.
     
    I use it, and it`s free to use ( I have only a few items, and not really ready to go online, so my site is limited as of now).  You can set up multiple stores, fix the shipping to your needs.  And you can offer gift certificates.  You will need a form to collect information, but their online help forum has one provided by a user. 
    I am not affiliated, but this one works for me.  They don`t process funds, you need a paypal or other processing account.  I would visit Mals-e and read about the cart & check the info on the forum.  It may actually help with your purchased shopping cart.
     
    Marge

    http://www.Lmcam1.com

     
  • beachdibeachdi subscriber Posts: 10
    Thank you...I had forgotten about this one.  I have heard good things about Mals-ecommerce shopping cart and shopped from quite a few websites that use their shopping cart.  
     
    for now I am using Pro Stores, I am about ready to launch and any changes would be me right over the edge of the insanity I am holding onto.  What is worse than insanity?   I don`t know, but I also do not want to find out.
    Dianne
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