ADDENDUM

The admin interface allows you to build the form with your store's questions using standard html syntax. Hence, you can make the response collection table match the rest of your store's look and feel. You can have text, radio, select drop down list, text area, and checkbox inputs designed the way you want them. Add css if you like or use typical fonts and table tags.

You can place the questions on one of the three checkout screens. This module is compatible with the MMUI and OpenUI. When using the OpenUI, simply select the screen from admin. When using the MMUI, editing the mmui.mv file will accomplish the same thing. Note that if you are using compiled Merchant (4.14 - 4.2x), you must also recompile the mmui.mv after editing so you would need the compiler license from MIVA. Thus, for compiled Merchant 4.x, the OpenUI is required unless you have the mivascript compiler and MMUI source file (mmlsk-mmui.mv). This does not apply to Merchant 5.x.

You can also specify one or more of the questions to be required. Customers will not be able to complete the checkout if they do not respond to the required questions.

You can purge old questions from the active file and place them in a historical file in order to improve response time during order batch processing retrieval. The optional order batch retrieval requires editing the core batch report unless you are using the OpenUI batch report, which has hook points for the addendum module data.

In the compiled version you can limit the display of Addendum questions based on specific product codes. If you list product codes in the admin input, the questions will only be displayed if one of those products is in the basket at checkout. You can also use the wild card product code like 1AA*. If the applicable products all begin with the same characters, you can use the asterisk. This can only be used for the beginning characters in the product codes. You can also limit the display of questions to specific ship to countries. You can optionally include the questions in the emails along with the responses. When including questions and responses in OpenUI or Mail Manager emails, you can use the module's tokens to hide one or more of the responses which you don't want included in insecure emails. If using our Mail Manager module you can have a question (checkbox) which will trigger a specific email, e.g. opt-in mailing list signup. If using the OpenUI in Merchant 4.x, you can select in admin whether to insert the response in the merchant notification or customer confirmation emails or both. In Merchant 5.x we have included a modified merchant email which includes all of the addendum responses. The 5.x email also has tokens for the subject to let you add things like order ID and buyer's name. You can also include the questions and responses on the invoice (last page after payment completes). The responses for the batch report are retrieved from an indexed database for faster access. Optionally you can have a page break after each order in the OpenUI batch report. You can also attach a fee to a specific answer to one question if you place the questions on either the customer information or shipping/payment selection screens. The Addendum View report feature allows you to search (within admin) the addendum.dat file for specific responses. For example, you might have a question for a specific requested shipping date. Simply search the file for orders which have requested the delayed shipping for that date. The order numbers can be returned and fed into the EZ Batch report (sold separately) for a tailored report for a specific shipping date. Another popular use of Addendum is to collect the salesman or representative code with an order. Not only can you display the code in the batch report, but if you use Addendum View to create a list of orders attributed to that salesman, you can make a batch printout for each salesman with only their orders on it if you are using our EZ Batch Report. You can also include the Addendum responses in the order export file that EZ Batch creates.

The compiled version of this module can use OpenTokens instead of hook points within OpenObjects. The OpenDesigner screen lists the OpenObjects which can replace all or some screens within the OpenUI user interface. The OpenObjects provide a template screen which contains the existing hook points (backward compatibility), OpenToken capability, and the ability to move output around within the OpenObject screen.

Limitation: When used in a store which uses PayFlow link, PayPal or iTransact payment systems, you will need to place your questions on either the customer information screen or the shipping and payment selection screen. Those payment systems transport the customer to another domain. Hence, the module needs to save the responses to a file before the customer is transported off-site. When the customer returns from the off-site payment screens back to your store, the responses will be retrieved for saving to flat file or display in your merchant notification email.

The Addendum module has been in use since Merchant version 1.x and continually enhanced with each version. If all you need is a module to collect checkout responses, it is great. However, if you'd like a module which treats the responses as custom fields of an order so that store owners can create unlimited custom fields which can be filled out by customers or store personnel, checkout the Order Custom Fields module.

Online overview and initial setup instructions for our MIVA Merchant modules.