Free Digital Downloads w/o Credit Card

studiomc

Alright, so I have several situations in which I want to allow my clients to be able to order a certain number of edited images for free from a proof gallery. For example:

• My client's original photography package included an allotment of finished images
• I worked together with professionals on a project and would like to offer them a few finished images for free

In both cases, I would like to make it easy for these people to select the images they want to be touched-up.

Here is what I have done so far:

1. I set up a gallery with just proof images and, in the absence of the ability to delay the digital downloads, I planned to made it clear that any digital download ordered from a proof gallery would be first made available for download in the original version for reference and the edited copy would be delivered within 7-10 days.
2. I created a coupon code for the appropriate dollar amount to cover the purchase of a specified number of edited images.

Now, the nice thing about this is that I can give people the ability to order as many things items as they want all at once and just promise them that the edited images will be on the products they order.

BUT....

In many cases, the people making their selection will not want to order any more than their coupon code allows.

The problem with this is that it appears as though a credit card is required in the checkout process EVEN IF THE TOTAL IS ZERO ($0).

SO....

My question is this: Is there ANY way to do what I am trying to do without forcing people to enter their credit card if they are not actually making a purchase?

(I admit that I might very well be going about this process all wrong, so I'm open to any ideas here.)

Thanks!

cmmc

Same here

studiomc wrote: »

The problem with this is that it appears as though a credit card is required in the checkout process EVEN IF THE TOTAL IS ZERO ($0).

I want something similar although I'm more of a semi-professional photographer (personal photos). I have a pro account too though!

I actually want to make albums available to family and friends. My site is nowhere to be found on the net and my RAW files are stored elsewhere so I'm OK with giving them this access.

I am running into the same problem and find that the "Download Original Image" button script that 'jfriend' set up a while ago no longer suits my requirements; people want to download multiple images at once. Their selection.

I tried to get them to use the cart but couldn't manage to get the amount to ZERO (smart idea, the coupons!), but 100% agree that when the amount reaches ZERO that no credit card should be requested - for digital downloads only. And probably with a couple of RED remarks to ensure that professionals don't accidentally set it up incorrectly.

If there's a way to resolve digital downloads for free without having to resort to the coupons, that'd be even better. I'd also be very interested to hear about how to disable all of the other items (such as prints) and only allow digital downloads by default.

Any thoughts from users or Smugmug???

Thanks :

Nicci

I was also wondering if there is a way to allow free digital downloads through the site in a way that forces the "buyer" to receive a personal or commercial license. (That way the person receiving the photo has a clearer idea of what they can and can not do with it.)

studiomc

cmmc wrote: »

I tried to get them to use the cart but couldn't manage to get the amount to ZERO (smart idea, the coupons!), but 100% agree that when the amount reaches ZERO that no credit card should be requested - for digital downloads only. And probably with a couple of RED remarks to ensure that professionals don't accidentally set it up incorrectly.

I think we're definitely on the same page about the credit card field needing to be disabled or removed when the cart reaches ZERO. This, along with delayed downloads, would make my life a whole lot easier.

cmmc wrote: »

If there's a way to resolve digital downloads for free without having to resort to the coupons, that'd be even better.

I agree that SmugMug definitely needs to get their act together generally speaking in the area of free digital downloads. As I browse these forums, it seems to be an issue for lots of people.

However, I really need a solution that would essentially allow people to order an edited copy of an unedited photo from me. And, I like the coupon code system because it allows me to offer free orders for only a certain number of photos, for only certain people. (If only I could allow customers to make a ZERO dollar order without a credit card.)

cmmc wrote: »

I'd also be very interested to hear about how to disable all of the other items (such as prints) and only allow digital downloads by default.

I actually have an answer for this one!

When you are in a gallery, go to 'Tools' -> 'Set Prices'. On that page, you can set the prices just for that specific gallery. If you want to disable certain items just for that gallery, set the price of those items to $0. So, for your situation, you would set the prices of everything in that gallery, EXCEPT the digital downloads to $0. (You cannot just leave the price field just blank or it will still offer the items and price them at the SmugMug default pricing or your Portfolio pricing, if you have that set up).

If you want to make this your default pricing scheme you can select 'Portfolio' at the top of the page and do the same thing (adding $0 to all products you do not wish to offer). Or you can select 'Galleries' to set up multiple galleries in this way at one time. You can even do this just for individual images by clicking on 'Image' at the top of this page.

Hope that helps!

studiomc

A TEMPORARY Solution
Okay, I have done a lot of thinking about this and I have (kind of) found something that will (sort of) work temporarily as a solution to my problem. It is FAR FROM IDEAL, but I wanted to post it here in case anyone else is trying to do what I want to do. (I would also LOVE to know if you have an easier solution!)

As most of my photo shoots are part of some event, I am using SmugMug's event features to gather information about which photos my clients and associates want edited:

1. I create a gallery in the event for just unedited photos (proofs)
2. I add the people I am offering free edited photos to as participants to the event
3. I send these people a link to their 'personal event page' and instruct them open the proof gallery and mark the photos they want edited as favorites (up to the number of images they are being provided free or as part of their original package) and notify me when they are finished making their selection
4. I log in to SmugMug and view their favorites, edit them, and upload them to a gallery with finished images

As I said, this will work for now. But, there are a few MAJOR problems with this system (that will all go away if SmugMug simply removes the need for a credit card for ZERO dollar orders in the checkout process):

• I think this is a poor use of the favorites feature, especially as other visitors can see that these participants have favorited photos in the proof gallery.
• I am not notified in any way after a client makes their selection. So, I must rely on them to notify me, or check their favorites gallery regularly to see if they have made any changes.
• There is no way to limit the number of photos they choose (using the checkout process, I can control this with the use of coupons).
  --- Though I must admit that this has it's advantages. For instance, if they simply prefer to weed out the ones they absolutely don't want, but would prefer I make the final selection, they can mark all the ones they like and then I can choose the best of the best to edit.
• If they want to purchase more edited photos than alloted, they must then complete a separate process later of ordering the photos through the checkout process, making it more confusing and time consuming and likely causing them to decide it is not worth the hassle to order the extra images.

Note: Just in case you are curious, I intend to continue the process I mentioned in the original post for the delivery of digital downloads to anyone who wants to purchase (additional) edited images.

cmmc

studiomc wrote: »

I think we're definitely on the same page about the credit card field needing to be disabled or removed when the cart reaches ZERO. This, along with delayed downloads, would make my life a whole lot easier.

When you are in a gallery, go to 'Tools' -> 'Set Prices'. On that page, you can set the prices just for that specific gallery. If you want to disable certain items just for that gallery, set the price of those items to $0. So, for your situation, you would set the prices of everything in that gallery, EXCEPT the digital downloads to $0. (You cannot just leave the price field just blank or it will still offer the items and price them at the SmugMug default pricing or your Portfolio pricing, if you have that set up).

Hope that helps!

Hi Studiomc,

Yes this has helped a lot.

I've made all my products 0, apart from digital downloads which I've made $0.01 and by creating a $100 coupon anybody wanting to download a selection of photos or the entire album can now do this for free.

Still annoying that one has to complete credit card details. When the cart is $0, it should not need these details.

Anyway, thanks for your help. Now, let's hope that SmugMug monitors this discussion (and maybe replies) and hopefully does something about it!!!!

Thanks again.

cmmc

smurfy

Why not just get a zip file link? You just go to tools, get a link, and Smugmug e-mails it to you within a few minutes, usually. Anyone you send that link to has two weeks to download the whole gallery at full size. No money is involved. I guess you could make individual galleries for people with just a few photos if you want to, and do the same thing. I've been using this a lot lately for some pro bono work when I didn't want to provide a lightscribed dvd in a leather folio, but want to give people the images from a session or event.

cmmc

I'm going to check that out. Great tip, thanks.

RyanRodrickBeiler

YES! We need $0 download without credit card

MAJOR problems with this system (that will all go away if SmugMug simply removes the need for a credit card for ZERO dollar orders in the checkout process)

Yes, for the love of Jeebus, PLEASE SmugMug make $0 download transactions available without credit card entry. With or without coupons. (Though allowing us to give coupons to certain customers so they can download digital files for free without the hassle of entering CC info would be great.)

Either that, or multiple guest logins (not just one!) that have different levels of access. We need to be able to give certain clients certain privileges or options, including free downloads without hassles that will drive their business elsewhere.

BradfordBenn

I would recommend also adding this feature request to Uservoice, it will get much more traction there. http://feedback.smugmug.com/forums/17723-smugmug

dbveto

BradfordBenn wrote: »

I would recommend also adding this feature request to Uservoice, it will get much more traction there. http://feedback.smugmug.com/forums/17723-smugmug

I don't have much faith in that process as one I voted for was merged with another that was not related.

gdmoffitt

Please make free downloads less complicated!
I would agree with the above, PLEASE simplify this. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops to allow a friend to do a simple free download. My intention with allowing a free download was that if they go there for the free download they'll see others that they'll buy. Not rocket science, retail stores do it all the time. For now I'll just post the free ones on another site (flickr or the like). Having to force them to fool with coupons or credit card entry for a free item is a real turn-off.