Product Settings

Use the Product Settings step to configure your product's type (software, subscription, and so on) and how to fulfill it (download or physical). For information, see Product Options.

Basic product

The basic product information applies to every product regardless of product type or the options you enabled for the product. They are the basic settings that every store uses for every product.

Attribute	Description
Locale	The locale associated with this product.
Internal Product Name	The name used to identify the product in reports, offers, and other places within Global Commerce. Shoppers will not see this name in your store.
Site Product Name	The name used to identify the product in your store. Shoppers can see this name when they browse your store or use this name when they search your store.
SKU	Provide the stock keeping unit (SKU). A SKU is a unique identifier to track and manage inventory. It is a code or number assigned to a specific product or item in a store or warehouse. SKUs distinguish between different products, variations, or versions and are often used in inventory management systems to facilitate product tracking, ordering, and restocking.
Available For	The locations where the product appears. Choose one of the following options: Public Store and Private Store—Choose this option when you want the product to appear in both the Public Store and Private Store. Private Store Only—Choose this option when you want the product to only appear in the Private Store. Note: You can only change the Available For options from the default locale. You cannot change the Available For option for subscriptions or product variations.
Options	Choose one or more of the following options: Display Product—Indicates whether the product can be seen in your store when a shopper browses a product category or performs a search. If you do not select this checkbox, the shopper can still access the product can via a URL. Do not select this checkbox for a giveaway or promotional product. allows you to use a promotional URL to offer the product to select customers. Purchasable—Indicates whether shopper can purchase the product in your store. This includes "purchasing" the product for $0, such as with a promotional or giveaway product. Note: Making a product purchasable also makes it searchable in your store. If you want shoppers to search for your product, you must select the purchasable option. Exclude from Autocomplete (Only compatible with Enhanced Search)— This option only appears if you select the Product Combination (with Components) template. See Product Setup for more information. Note: If you select Display Product and do not select the Purchasable option for your product, you can set ECCN to Not Applicable. If you are not selling the product, you do not have to set the export control options.
Tag	Choose the tag that describes your product. Tagging information allows you to categorize your product. The Catalog Manager uses the tag to organize products into different logical groups such as product category, product lifecycle, or product price. See Managing tags for information on how to categorize your products.
External Reference Number	The code (letters, numbers, symbols, or combination) that uniquely identifies a product to a third party. Unlike the Product ID (generated by the system) or the SKU (which may not be unique), the third party decides what identifies this product. You only need to set the External Reference Number once per product. You can only set the product's External Reference Number in the product's default locale when you import them. Important: You must specify each product's unique External Reference Number ID (externalReferenceID).
Manufacturer Name	This field shows the manufacturer's name. This value can be customized and localized for a variation.
Manufacturer Part Number	The number used by the manufacturer to identify the product. You can localize and customize this value for a variation. Note: If your manufacturer part number exceeds 50 characters, contact Digital River. Depending on how your fulfillment works, a manufacturer part number that exceeds 50 characters may cause issues.
Return Type	Choose one of the following options: Physical Product—Choose this option when the customer must physically return the product to the fulfiller or store. Electronic Letter of Destruction (ELOD)— Choose this option when the customer must complete the ELOD before they can return the product. An ELOD certifies the customer has destroyed all copies of the product and will not continue to use the product.

Tax

Use the Tax settings to classify the product into a category for tax purposes. You must assign a Tax Group and Tax Type to a product before you can deploy that product to your store. See How Global Commerce calculates taxes for your store for more information.

Attribute	Description
View Tax Settings	Click this link to view a list of common items along with their corresponding tax groups and types. To select the corresponding tax group and type, select an item from the list and click Add Selected. Tip: If you are unsure which Tax Group and Tax Type to select, click the View Tax Settings link. If you are unsure which category you should assign to your products, consult a tax professional. They can help you determine which code you should use for your products. Digital River cannot instruct you on the tax settings you should use.
Tax Group	The grouping used to determine the specific tax types you can select for the product.
Tax Type	The specific tax category used to calculate tax for the product.

Product Lifecycle

Use the Product Lifecycle settings to define when you want your product available for sale in your store. The system will show or hide your deployed product based on the start and end dates. See How the product lifecycle works for more information.

Attribute	Description
Start Date	The day and time when the product appears in your store. This assumes that you selected the Display Product and Purchasable options and that you deployed the product. Note: When you set a start date in the lifecycle settings, you must deploy the product before or on the start date. Shoppers will not see undeployed products that reach their start date.
End Date	The day and time when you want to hide the product in your store.
End of Life Notification
Notification	Indicates whether you want the system to send an email notification when the product nears the end of life. No Notification—Sends no email notification when the product nears the end of life. Email Notification—Sends an email notification when the product nears the end of life.
Email Address	The email address where you want to send the notifications when your product's lifecycle starts and ends. Best Practices: Use a group email address instead of a single email address to ensure someone receives the notification.
Time Frame 1-3	The time frames when you want to receive an email notification before the product lifecycle ends.

Product Details Page

Use the Product Detail Page tab to describe the product and upload the product images. The shoppers will see the product description and images in your store.

Attribute	Description
Short Description	A brief description of the features, benefits, and so on for the product. The Short Description appears with the product on the Category Listing and Search Results pages. The Short Description also appears when a shopper views the Product Details overlay within the Shopping Cart, or when the shopper sees a list of "Recently Viewed Products" in your store. Note that not all stores are set to show recently viewed products. You can use HTML in the Short Description field to customize the appearance of this text when it appears in your store. When a shopper searches your store, they see results based on the terms found in the Site Product Name, Short Description, Long Description, and Keywords.
Long Description	A complete description of the features, benefits, and so on for the product. By default, the Long Description appears on the Product Detail page when shoppers view a product. You can use HTML in the Long Description field to customize the appearance of this text when it appears in your store.
Keywords	A list of words that shoppers can use to search for the product.
Thumbnail Image 1-5	Product images that appear when a shopper views a listing page. You can add up to five thumbnail images. Example: Product images appear when running a search or viewing the contents of a category. See Product images and How to add an image to a product for more information.
Product Image 1-5	Product images appear when the shopper views the Product Detail page in your store. You can add up to five product images. See Product images and How to add an image to a product.

How to add an image to a product

You can add up to 10 images to your product: five thumbnail images and five product images. Not all stores will show all 10 images. By default, your store will show only one product image and one thumbnail image.

You can upload your images from the Product Details Page tab.

1. On the Product Details Page tab, click Select. The Select an Image window appears.

2. Choose one of the following options:

   • To upload images to the primary folder (the system saves all product images to a single location), click New File to import a new image. The New File dialog appears.

   • To upload images to a new folder:

     1. Click New Folder, type the folder name and then click Save.

        Note: Do not use spaces and special characters in folder names. Hyphens (-) and underscores (_) are allowed.

     2. Select the new folder under File/Folder Name and then click New File to import a new image. The New File dialog appears.
   • To upload images to an existing folder, select the folder under File/Folder Name and then click New File to import a new image. The New File dialog appears.

3. If required, select the Overwrite Existing File with Same Name, If Present checkbox.

   Note: You only need to select this checkbox when you import an image over an existing image with the same name.

4. Click Choose File, follow the prompts to locate the image, and then click Open. The name of the image file appears next to the Choose File button.
5. Click Upload.
6. Optional. Click the file name to display the image and the image width and height under Preview or click View to display the image in a separate browser tab.
7. Click the image file name under File/Folder Name and then click Add Selected to add the selected image to the product.

Email Settings

Use the Email Settings tab to enter the text that appears after the default text in the Order Confirmation email. The system sends the Order Confirmation email when a shopper places an order.

This text usually includes details about the order such as shipping and billing addresses, order amount, products, and so on. The Site Display Name precedes this text.

You can enter different content for both the text‑based and HTML-based email. However, your store may not be set up to send HTML-based emails to customers. Contact your Store Operations team if you want the Store Operations team set up your store to send HTML-based emails.

Attribute	Description
Text-Based Email	Raw text version of the information you want to appear in the Order Confirmation email.
HTML-Based Email	HTML-formatted version of the information you want to appear in the Order Confirmation email. See Using HTML in Global Commerce for more information.

Checkout Settings

Use the Checkout Settings tab to select options that affect the checkout pages in your store.

Attribute	Description
Checkout Fields
Display as Required	Select the checkbox next to each option the shopper must complete when they are on the Checkout Page. Note: Depending on the fulfillment method, the system may select and disable checkboxes required for that type of fulfillment. Your options are as follows: Billing Address—Select this checkbox when you want to collect the shopper's billing address (including street, city or province, and postal code). The system selects and disables this field because the shopper must provide their billing address. Shipping Address—Select this checkbox when you want to collect the shopper's shipping address (including street, city or province, and postal code). If you are using the Physical or Physical on Demand fulfillment method, the system selects and disables this checkbox by default. Shipping Method—Select this checkbox when you want the shopper to select the shipping method. If you are using the Physical or Physical on Demand fulfillment method, the system selects and disables this checkbox by default. Recipient Email Address—Select this checkbox when you want the shopper to provide their email address.
Thank You Page
Thank You Message	Provide the text you want the shopper to see after the default text on the Thank You page.

Minimum/Maximum

Use the Minimum/Maximum tab to set purchase quantity limits for the product in your store. The system enforces the purchase quantities on a per order basis, and shoppers may return to your store later to make another purchase within the specified limits. By default, the system sets the minimum and maximum quantities to "0", which means there are no purchase quantity limits.

Attribute	Description
Minimum Quantity	Specify the minimum quantity of this product a shopper can purchase. If you want no restrictions, leave this field blank or enter 0 (zero).
Maximum Quantity	Specify the maximum quantity of this product a shopper can purchase. If you want no restrictions, leave the field blank or enter 0 (zero).

Carrier Billing

Use the Carrier Billing setting to associate a product category with Carrier Billing. When you associate a product with Carrier Billing, the system bills the customers for the transaction on their monthly cellular phone bill, rather than on checkout.

Attribute	Description
Product Category	Select the product category you want to assign to carrier billing. The Product Category setting appears when you select the Carrier Billing option from the Product Options page.

Deferred Payment Override

Use the Deferred Payment Override setting to configure the deferred payment overrides.

Attribute	Description
Minimum Amount	Enter the minimum currency amount allowed for a deferred payment.

Digital Rights

Use the Digital Rights settings to enable and manage the serial numbers and unlock codes. You can use codes to control access to software and other digital products. You can set up serial numbers and unlock codes on a product-by-product basis. You can also define how to enforce digital rights when a shopper purchases the product from your site.

Serial numbers and unlock codes are essentially the same, and you may find that you want to use both on your products.

• Serial Number–A code a customer enters when installing a product that grants them access to the product.

• Unlock Code–A code a customer enters when they first access the product that grants them access to the product.

When you enable digital rights, the customer needs a code to install the product executable, or a code to use the product or both.

You can choose how to create digital rights for your products. You can have Global Commerce generate codes for you and define certain parameters for those codes.  You can also import codes in a text file or manually enter codes for your products.

Importing digital rights codes

You can import the codes used by digital rights into the system using a text file (TXT) that contains the individual codes for the product. Because codes are attached to a specific product or variation of a product, you could potentially use the same code with two different products (or variations of a product).

Creating the text file

When you create the text file for your codes, there are a few rules to keep in mind. The following list outlines these rules:

• Enter each code on a new line.
• Codes can include the space ( ) character.

• Codes can contain special characters except for the asterisk (*) character. The asterisk forces a line break in the imported file.

  Example: If you enter ABC*123 on one line, the asterisk (*) breaks the code into two lines of code:

    ABC 123  

• The system removes duplicated codes from the file on import.

Editing digital rights for deployed products

Once you deploy a product with digital rights, you cannot change the digital rights options until the product returns to the Design state. This prevents you from inadvertently changing the digital rights on a deployed product. For more information on product statuses, see Product status.

Controlling code usage

When you set up the digital rights options, you choose how codes will be "generated" or distributed for the product. There are two ways you can generate or distribute codes for a product:

• Fixed Number—Use this method when you want all sales for the product to use the same code. In this instance, when two shoppers purchase the same product, each shopper will use the same code to release the DRM.
• Manual List—Use this method when you want each sale of the product to use a unique code. When you use this generation method, you must choose if you want each instance of the product in the same order to use a different code or the same code.
• External—Select this option when you want a custom integration to deliver and revoke the code.

Managing the digital rights inventory

After you set up digital rights for a product, monitor the inventory of serial numbers and unlock codes and replenish that inventory as necessary. You can configure the system to notify you when your digital rights codes inventory runs low. You can also see how many codes are remaining/unused for a product when you view the Digital Rights overlay.

Digital rights and DRM

Digital rights refer to the rights or permissions granted to a shopper/purchaser (by the publisher or manufacturer) to use or access a software application, game, system, and so on. Digital rights protect the sale and distribution of copyrighted works.

Digital rights management (DRM) refers to the process of protecting digital and electronic products, as well as the technologies used for license fulfillment, management, and maintenance. DRM technologies control access and sometimes usage of a digital or electronic product.

There are two different ways you can use or get digital rights with your products:

• Use the Digital Rights features for Global Commerce in the Product Editor and Product Wizard.
• Use a third-party tool or your system to provide and manage digital rights in your store. To learn more about these other digital rights options, contact your Store Operations team.

Receive notification when inventory runs low

To receive a notification when the digital rights codes inventory runs low, you need to enter an email address so that the system can notify you (or someone else). You can also define when you want to receive notification and how often the system should remind that your digital rights inventory is running low.

Adding new codes

You can add codes to deployed products. To do this, return to the product and add codes as you did when you first set up the product for digital rights. When you add codes, you can choose to replace the codes currently associated with the product or add the new codes to the list of existing codes.

Running out of codes

If a shopper purchases a product and there are no codes available to send to the shopper, the system sends an email to the shopper that contains a blank space where the code should appear.

Code limits on products

Technically, you can attach an unlimited number of codes to a product. If you want to associate one million codes to a product, you can do that. There are some limits, however, to the size of the files that you can upload with codes. Those limits are mostly due to performance and the amount of time it takes to import large files of codes.

Digital rights and variations

You can set digital rights for specific variations or for the base product, which would copy down to all variations.

How digital rights work for shoppers

When a shopper places an order for a product that has digital rights enabled, your store works with Global Commerce to supply the shopper with the codes they need based on the DRM settings for the product.

You can provide codes to shoppers on the Thank You page or in the Order Confirmation email. Once a shopper gets their code, they can enter those codes when they install or use the product.

Digital rights and renewal products

When a product is renewable, you can choose one of the following options:

• Reset digital rights. When you reset the digital rights, you force the shopper to enter a new code.
• Allow the product to use the existing codes. When you allow the product to use existing codes, the shopper can continue using the original code.

When you enable digital rights on renewals, the system sends the shopper a Renewal Confirmation email when their product successfully renews. That email contains the new serial number, unlock code, or both for the product.

If you do not enable digital rights for renewals, shoppers will not notice any change upon renewal.

Viewing digital rights for a fulfilled (sold) product

Once you sell a product, you can view the digital rights assigned to the shopper by looking up the order in Customer Service. In some cases, you can "resend" the digital rights if the shopper lost their code. See How to view and modify subscription information for more information.

Serial numbers

When you enable serial numbers for a product, you can choose one of the following options:

• Issue a single serial number for each unit sold. In this instance, every shopper receives the same number.
• Issue a unique serial number for each unit sold or order placed. In this instance, the shopper receives a unique serial number for each unit or completed sale.

Attribute	Definition
Enable Serial Number	Select the checkbox to enable serial numbers.
Generation Method	Specify how the system distributes or generates the serial numbers to the shoppers who purchased the product. You can import a text file to generate the serial numbers. The following list explains the most common options: External–Select this option when you want a custom integration to deliver and revoke serial numbers. Fixed Number–Select this option when you want all purchases of the product to use a single serial number. When you select this option, the Fixed Number input field appears. Enter the serial numbers you want to use in the Fixed Number input field for all purchases of the product. Manual List–Select this option when you want to enter or import a list of serial numbers for the product. If you select this option, you must set the other options that explained in this table.
Distribution	Specify how you want to distribute the serial numbers with the purchased product when the shopper buys more than one item. All Quantities Get the Same Number—Select this option if you want all quantities of the same product in an order to use the same serial number. Each Quantity Gets a Unique Number—Select this option if you want all quantities of the same product in an order to use unique serial numbers. This field only appears for the External and Manual List options.
Serial Numbers per unit	Enter the number of serial numbers you want to use for each product unit. This field only appears for the Manual List option.
Notification Email Address	Enter the email address for the person or group who will receive the restock reminder messages. The system sends the restock reminder messages when the unlock inventory count feature reaches the initial warning threshold number and subsequent thresholds. This field only appears for the Manual List option.
Initial Warning Number	Specify the threshold number that triggers a notification message when the number of serial numbers runs low. When the available number of serial numbers reaches this number, Global Commerce sends a notification to the email address you provided. This field only appears for the Manual List option.
Warning Notification Interval	After the initial warning email, this value is the number of serial numbers the system can distribute before Global Commerce sends another warning notification. Example: If you enter 2 for the Warning Notification Interval, Global Commerce sends another warning when the system sends 2 more serial numbers to a shopper after the Global Commerce sends the initial warning email. The system continues to send warnings at this interval until the product's serial numbers are gone. This field only appears for the Manual List option.
Local Purchases	Select this checkbox when the system distributes serial numbers with products sold directly from Global Commerce. This checkbox only appears for the Manual List option.
Activation Service Required	Select this checkbox when another system validates serial numbers. Example: A serial numbers distributed with the product requires validation. This checkbox only appears for the Manual List option.
Import Blacklist	Allows you to import a list of serial numbers you do not want to activate with this product. Note: If the import list is large, the import will continue to run after you close your Global Commerce session. This button only appears for the Manual List option.
Enable Backup Serial Numbers through Manual List	Select this checkbox if you want to back up serial numbers through Manual List. This field only appears for the External option.
Fixed Number Input	Type the serial number that applies to all purchases of this product. This field only appears for the Fixed Number option.

How to configure serial numbers

1. Search for the product you want whose serial numbers you want to configure. See How to search and filter the Products list for instructions.
2. Select a product from the Products list and then click Configure Digital Rights. The Configure Digital Rights Management window appears and shows the Serial Numbers tab by default.
3. Select the Enable Serial Numbers checkbox.

4. Complete the fields that appear on the tab.

5. Click Apply. Now you are ready to import or export the serial numbers you want to use. See Importing and exporting digital rights for more information.

Unlock codes

When you enable unlock code, you can use a single code for all purchases of a product or different codes for each sale.

Attribute	Definition
Enable Unlock Codes	Select the checkbox to enable unlock codes.
Generation Method	Specify how the system distributes or generates the unlock codes to the shoppers who purchased the product. You can import a text file to generate the unlock codes. The options you see in the Generation Method list will differ based on how you set up digital rights to work in your store. Contact your Store Operations team for more information on the options you see for your store. The following list explains the most common options: External–Select this option when you want a custom integration to deliver and revoke unlock codes. Fixed Number–Select this option when you want all purchases of the product to use a single unlock code. When you select this option, the Fixed Number input field appears. Enter the unlock codes you want to use in the Fixed Number input field for all purchases of the product. Manual List–Select this option when you want to enter or import a list of unlock codes for the product. If you select this option, you must set the other options that explained in this table.
Distribution	Specify how you want to distribute the unlock codes with the purchased product when the shopper buys more than one item. All Quantities Get the Same Number—Select this option if you want all quantities of the same product in an order to use the same unlock code. Each Quantity Gets a Unique Number—Select this option if you want all quantities of the same product in an order to use unique unlock codes. This field only appears for the External and Manual List options.
Unlock Codes per unit	Enter the number of unlock codes you want to use for each product unit. This field only appears for the Manual List option.
Notification Email Address	Enter the email address for the person or group who will receive the restock reminder messages. The system sends the restock reminder messages when the unlock inventory count feature reaches the initial warning threshold number and subsequent thresholds. This field only appears for the Manual List option.
Initial Warning Number	Specify the threshold number that triggers a notification message when the number of unlock codes runs low. When the available number of unlock codes reaches this number, Global Commerce sends a notification to the email address you provided. This field only appears for the Manual List option.
Warning Notification Interval	After the initial warning email, this value is the number of unlock codes the system can distribute before Global Commerce sends another warning notification. Example: If you enter 2 for the Warning Notification Interval, Global Commerce sends another warning when the system sends 2 more unlock codes to a shopper after the Global Commerce sends the initial warning email. The system continues to send warnings at this interval until the product's serial numbers are gone. This field only appears for the Manual List option.
Unused Unlock Codes	Displays the number of unused unlock codes. This field only appears for the Manual List option.
Import Unlock Codes	Allows you to import a list of unlock codes. Note: You cannot import unlock codes until you complete the product setup wizard. This button only appears for the Manual List option.
Export Unlock Codes	Allows you to export a list of unlock codes. This button only appears for the Manual List option.
Enable Backup Unlock Codes through Manual List	Select this checkbox if you want to back up unlock codes through Manual List. This field only appears for the External option.
Fixed Number Input	Type the unlock code that applies to all purchases of this product. This field only appears for the Fixed Number option.

How to configure unlock codes

1. Search for the product you want whose unlock codes you want to configure. See How to search and filter the Products list for instructions.
2. Scroll down to the Digital Rights panel on the Create Product page and click Configure Digital Rights. Select a product from the Products list and then click Configure Digital Rights. The Configure Digital Rights Management window appears and shows the Serial Numbers tab by default.
3. Click the Unlock Codes tab.
4. Select the Enable Unlock Codes checkbox.

5. Complete the fields that appear on the tab.

6. Click Apply. Now you are ready to import or export the unlock codes you want to use. See Importing and exporting digital rights for more information.

Download

Use the Download fulfillment option when you have a product that you want shoppers to download on purchase. Use this fulfillment method with digital products such as software, games, and so on.

When you configure a product to use the download fulfillment method, you can use Digital River as the fulfiller or indicate if you have contracted with a third-party fulfiller for the product. If you select Digital River as your fulfiller, there are several options you must set for the download to work in your store.

Attributes	Description
Download Fulfillment	Use the Download fulfillment method when you have a product that you want shoppers to download on purchase. This fulfillment method usually applies to digital products such as software, games, and so on. When you configure a product to use the download fulfillment method, you can use Digital River as the fulfiller or indicate if you have contracted with a third-party fulfiller for the product. If you select Digital River as your fulfiller, there are several options you must set for the download to work in your store. Choose one of the following options for download fulfillment: Digital River—Select this option when you want Digital River to provide the download fulfillment for the product. If you select Digital River, you will have to set the other options listed in this table. Third Party—Select this option when you want a third party to provide the download fulfillment for the product.
Files	Add the files you want shoppers to download on purchase. You can include as many files as needed. However, larger files may cause the connection to time out before the upload completes. Best Practices: If you have problems uploading your files to the system, contact your Store Operations team. They will work with you to get the files uploaded to the system using an FTP account. You can also delete selected files from the product. Download files are associated with the product version when you add them. See Product status for more about product versions. When you delete a download file, you will be prompted to create a new version of the product. If you delete a download file from the product, the download file remains with the previous version of the product.
File Name	The file's name. This field appears after you upload a file for download.
Site Display Name	Type the name of the downloadable file. This field appears after you upload a file for download.
File Size	The size of the file. This field appears after you upload a file for download.
Available From	Identifies where the shopper can find the link to the download file. Select one or more of the following checkboxes: Thank You Page/Email Backup Media This field appears after you upload a file for download.
Total Size	The total size of the downloadable file.
Download Protocol	Internet protocol used to transfer the file to the shopper’s computer.
Time Frame	After you upload your files, you must then choose how long downloads are available in days after the shopper purchases the product. Example: 30 days or 60 days after purchase. Digital River provides an optional service called Extended Download Service to stores that have digital or download fulfillment. EDS provides your shoppers with the security of being able to download their purchases for an extended amount of time, usually 2-3 years after purchase. The extended download time is in addition to the normal time frame set for the download. Note: Shoppers who purchase EDS will have additional time to download the product.
Number of Attempts	Specify the maximum number of attempts allowed per shopper to download the product. Example: If the shopper's initial attempt to download the product failed, then the shopper can try to download the product again.
Number of Attempted IP Addresses	The maximum number of IP addresses that a shopper can use when trying to download the product.

How to add a file for download

1. Under Files on the Download pod, click Add.

2. Choose one of the following options:

   • To add an existing file, select the file from the list and click Add Selected.
   • To add a new file, click New File, follow the prompts to locate the file, and then click Upload. The file appears under File Details.
3. Configure the download attributes.

How to delete a file for download

• Choose one of the following options:
  • To delete one or more files, select the checkbox next to one or more files you want to delete under File Details and click Delete.
  • To delete all files, select the checkbox next to File Details to select all files and click Delete.

Export Controls

Use the Export Controls fields when you manufacture, ship, sell, or distribute your product across international borders.

The export control settings identify the type of product you are selling. It also determines if the product is compliant with the applicable export laws, rules, and regulations.

Attribute	Description
Product Classification Type	Choose one of the following options: Export Control Classification Number (ECCN)—An alphanumeric code used to classify exports that have a potential military or dual-use application. If you select 5A002 or 5D002 for the ECCN, you must also select a License Exception. If you need help classifying your product, visit one of the following links or see the About export controls for more information: How to know what ECCN to select—Go to http://www.bis.doc.gov/licensing/do_i_needaneccn.html if you do not know what EECN to use for your products or if you need to classify your products and you do not know what classification to use. ECCN not listed in Global Commerce—If your ECCN does not appear in Global Commerce, contact export@digitalriver.com. See My ECCN does not appear in Global Commerce for more information. Note: If you select the Display Product option but do not select the Purchasable option for a product, you can select Not Applicable for ECCN. You can set the ECCN to Not Applicable in this instance because you are not selling the product. USML Category—A list of articles, services, and related technology designates as a defense- and space-related by the United States federal government. Go to https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=pt22.1.121 if you do not know what USML to use for your products or if you need to classify your products and you do not know what category to use.
License Exception	A product designation that allows you to ship the product without a license as defined in part 740 of the EAR (Export Administration Regulations). If you enter 5A002 or 5D002 for the ECCN field, you must also enter a License Exception. See this page on the ecfr.gov website for more information on license exceptions. About License Exceptions In some cases, you must already have a license exception or must qualify for one. A license exception is an authorization that allows you to export or re-export, under certain conditions, items subject to the EAR that would otherwise require a license. For certain ECCNs under category 5xxx, Digital River requires that license exception "ENC" be available for your product. "ENC" stands for "encryption." License exception ENC indicates that your product is not restricted for re-sale merely because of encryption levels or how your product encryption. If you do not know whether a license exception applies, or if you want to learn more about applying for a license exception, visit the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) website at www.bis.doc.gov/encryption/enc.htm.
Country of Origin (Sometimes also called Manufacture Country.)	Indicates the country where the product originated. Note: If you select the Display Product option but do not select the Purchasable option for a product, you can select Not Applicable for the Country of Origin. You can set the Country of Origin to Not Applicable in this instance because you are not selling the product.
Harmonized Tariff Schedule/Schedule B Number	A numeric designation used for reporting products to customs and other government agencies worldwide such as Harmonized System code. Example: 060110 This field does not apply to digitally fulfilled products.
Commodity Classification Automated Tracking System (CCATS)	The alphanumeric designation assigned to the product by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) indicating that they have classified the product. Example: G07345

Financing

The Financing payment method allows a shopper to pay for goods and services in installments over time. Clients receive payment in full once the fulfiller ships the order. It is a shopper installment loan approved for an exact amount. Financing occurs at the cart/order level. The loan includes VAT and shipping. The Financing payment method does not support deposits and deferred payments.

Financing programs have proven to increase the average order value (AOV), attachment rates (shoppers select additional products for financing), and conversion rate/lift. Shoppers are more likely to complete a purchase given this financing option.

When enabled, Financing shows the monthly bill payment, billing terms, and payment promotion codes to the shopper. When a shopper checks out, they can choose the finance option as a payment method for specific products.

 

Attribute	Description
Display Finance Pricing	Select this checkbox if you want to display the finance pricing for the product.
Finance Billing Monthly Payment	The monthly payment for the product.
Finance Billing Term	The terms of the financing.
Payment Promotions Code	The promotion code for the product.
Term Code	The term code for the product.
Lender ID	The lender's ID.
Product Statement Descriptor	Describes how the payment will appear on the product statement.

Game

Use the Game settings to set the game ratings and reasons for computer games, console games, and so on. See Game ratings and reasons for more information.

Attribute	Description
BBFC Game Rating	The rating for the game as determined by the standards outlined by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
BBFC Game Rating Reason	Enter the reason you assigned the BBFC rating to the game. This information appears in the store by default.
Brazil Game Rating	The rating for the game as determined by the standards outlined by the Brazilian rating authority.
Brazil Game Rating Reason	Enter the reason you assigned the Brazil Gaming Rating to the game. This information appears on the store by default.
CERO Game Rating	Enter the rating for the game as determined by the standards outlined by the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO).
CERO Game Rating Reason	Enter the reason you assigned the CERO rating to the game. This information appears in the store by default.
ESRB Game Rating	The rating for the game as determined by the standards outlined by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).
ESRB Game Rating Reason	Enter the reason you assigned the ESRB rating to the game. This information appears in the store by default.
PEGI Game Rating	The rating for the game as determined by the standards outlined by the Pan European Game Information (PEGI).
PEGI Game Rating Reason	Enter the reason you assigned the PEGI rating to the game. This information appears in the store by default.
USK Game Rating	The rating for the game as determined by the standards outlined by the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle.
USK Game Rating Reason	Enter the reason you assigned the USK rating to the game. This information appears in the store by default.

Gifting

When you enable Gifting, a shopper can purchase the product as a gift in your store.

Global Commerce enables the Gifting option by default. See How gifting works for more information.

Google Merchant Center

Use the Google Merchant Center to upload your product listings for:

• Google Shopping
• Google Product Ads
• Google Commerce Search

International Trade Settings

Use International Trade Settings to set up restrictions for sales of the product to certain countries. Country Inclusions and Exclusions allow you to restrict or allow the sale or shipment of a product to specific countries. You may restrict the sale of the product for the following reasons:

• The weight of the product makes it impractical to ship outside of the country
• A dealer channel agreement limits the sale of the product to only specified countries
• The laws of some countries restrict the sale of the product

If you set inclusions or exclusions for a product:

• The system informs shoppers who try to purchase the product from an excluded country that their country does not support the sale of the product.
• Shoppers from included countries do not see any message and can purchase the product as they normally would.

Attribute	Description
Type	Indicates how you want to set international trade settings for the product. Your options are as follows: None—You do not want to set any trade settings for the product. Inclusion—Used when you want to allow the sale of your product to certain countries. Exclusion—Used when you want to restrict the sale of your product to certain countries. Note: Selecting either Inclusion or Exclusion enables the Edit button.
Restriction Method	Choose how you want to control or restrict inclusion or exclusion. This includes options to restrict by billing address, shipping address, or IP address. Your options are as follows: Restrict orders from billing to blocked countries—Restricts the sale of the product based on the shopper's billing address. Restrict orders from shipping to blocked countries—Restricts the sale of the product based on the shopper's shipping address. Restrict orders from billing and shipping to blocked countries—Restricts the sale of the product based on the shopper's billing and shipping address. Restrict orders from IP address to blocked countries—Restricts the sale of the product based on the shopper's IP address.
Regions	Displays regions or countries you chose to include or exclude.

How to include or exclude regions

1. Under International Trade Settings, select the Inclusion or Exclusion type.
2. Select the restriction method from the Restriction Method list.
3. Click Edit.

4. Choose one of the following options:

   • To add regions to include or exclude, select the regions from the left list and click Add.
   • To remove regions to include or exclude, select the regions from the right list and click Remove.

   Note: To select multiple items, use CTR+click or SHIFT+click.

5. Click Done.

Other Fulfillment Integrations

Use the OFI (Other Fulfillment Integration) setting if your store provides unique fulfillment for your products. If you have special fulfillment needs that you may think could benefit from Other Fulfillment Requirements and integrations, contact your Store Operations team.

Physical

Use the physical fulfillment method when you have to ship a physical product to shoppers via postal mail or a shipping company such as United Parcel Service® (UPS) or FedEx®. How you fulfill a physical product depends on some of the Physical setting attributes, as well as the fulfillment contract you have with Digital River or a third‑party fulfiller integrated with Digital River.

When you sell a physical product in your store, Global Commerce notifies the product fulfiller of the new order. That fulfiller will ship the product to the shopper and notify Digital River when the fulfillment is complete. If the fulfiller cannot complete the product order because of inventory or other issues, the fulfiller will notify you or Digital River so you can correct the problem.

Attribute	Description
Length	The length of the product in inches, feet, millimeters, centimeters, or meters.
Width	The width of the product in inches, feet, millimeters, centimeters, or meters.
Weight	The weight of the product in pounds, kilograms, ounces, grams, or milligrams.
Shipping ID	The ID you gave the product to identify it for shipping.
UPC	The Universal Product Code (UPC) is a printed barcode that appears on many retail products. A UPC contains the vendor's identification number as well as the product number.
Unit	The unit associated with the product.
Apply Restrictions	When enabled, the shopper can select only those methods Digital River designates as restricted when the product is in the shopping cart.
Enable Landed Cost	When enabled, the product is eligible for cross-border shipment. Prerequisite: You must provide an ECCN ECCN is a code that determines whether a product requires a U.S. export/re-export license, has any license requirements/restrictions, or has an end use that is prohibited by applicable export control laws. ECCNs are used by Digital River to ensure compliance with export control regulations./USML US Munitions list, Country of Origin, Weight, and Harmonize Code before you can enable Landed Cost.
Display a Custom Message	Select this checkbox when you want to display a custom message.
Custom Message	Type the text for the custom message.
Start Date	Choose one of the following options: Start Immediately Start on Specific Date—When you select this option, you must select a start date.
End Date	Choose one of the following options: No End Date End on Specific Date—When you select this option, you must select an end date.

Defining the physical dimensions

Physical products incur shipping costs. When you set up a physical product, you should enter an accurate length, width, and weight for the product. The system uses these values to calculate the shipping cost.

Product Fulfillers

Product Fulfillers lists the fulfillers you can use to ship the product. When you select a fulfiller, additional information appears that you can select or define for that fulfiller. When selecting fulfillers, note:

• If you select multiple fulfillers, you must provide a product part number for each fulfiller.

• If you have only one fulfiller, the system automatically selects that fulfiller and disables the option.

• If a product fulfiller has more than one inventory location, you must select the inventory locations from which orders for the product will be fulfilled and enter the product part number for each of the selected inventory locations.
• If you are going to provide your own fulfillment and have only one or no inventory location (warehouse), you do not need to enter fulfiller information. The system automatically sets the Product Fulfiller to your company and sets the Part Number to the product's SKU.

• Since products may use the same part number and share the same inventory quantity, the inventory webhooks are based on the product fuller's location when configuring a physical product. For example, if several products use the same Location setting for the Product Fulfiller, the system will aggregate the products into one webhook notice. In the following image and table, When the gTUS - globalTech - United States and 555555 inventory is updated, the system sends a webhook including the information about Product_A and Product_B. When the gTUS - globalTech - France and 88888888 are updated, the webhook payload will only include information about Product_C.

  

  Product	Locations	Part Number
  Product_A	gTUS - globalTech - United States	555555
  Product_B	gTUS - globalTech - United States	555555
  Product_C	gTUS - globalTech - France	888888

• If you plan to manage fulfillments, select Self-Managed Inventory in the Inventory Options popup, complete the fields and click Apply.

  

Attribute	Description
Locations	Lists the inventory locations (warehouses) that you can use for the product. You must select at least one inventory location for each fulfiller.
Part Number	The fulfiller uses this code to identify and track inventory for the physically-fulfilled product. A physical product requires a Part Number. Note: To get a Part Number, complete the GT Product Setup Form and send it to the Store Operations team.  You do not need to complete this form if you have fulfillment integrations.
Inventory Management	The Inventory Management link appears once you set up the physical fulfillers for your products. When you click this link, you can set the number of units you have in stock for a specific product and control sales based on that number. You can also allow or disallow backorders on a managed product. See Managing physical inventory for more information.
Back Order	Indicates whether Back Order is enabled or disabled.
Inventory	Click the Inventory Options link to edit your inventory options.
Inventory Options
Back Orders	Allows you to enable or disable backorders. Your options are as follows: Enabled—The system allows backorders for this product. Important: Self-Managed Inventory prevents the overselling of products. By enabling backorders for this product, the product may oversell. Disabled—The system does not allow backorders for this product.
Inventory Management	Choose how you want to fulfill product orders. Your options are as follows: Fulfiller Managed Inventory—Select this option when you want a designated fulfiller to manage your inventory. Self-Managed Inventory—Select this option when you want to manage your inventory. See How to enable inventory management for more information.
Storefront Status	Choose how you want to handle orders when the product is out of stock. Enabled—Resume backorders when a product is out of stock. Disabled—Suspend backorders when a product is out of stock. This field only appears when you select the Self-Managed Inventory. See How to enable or disable backorders for a product for more information.
In Stock	You can add or remove inventory for a product. Add—When selected, allows you to add the number of product items specified in the field to the inventory. Remove—When selected, allows you to remove the number of product items specified in the field to the inventory. This field only appears when you select the Self-Managed Inventory. See How to manage the inventory count for more information.
Sold	The number of items sold. This field only appears when you select the Self-Managed Inventory.
Available Inventory	The number of items available for sale. This field only appears when you select the Self-Managed Inventory.
Inventory Notification Thresholds	Select one or more of the following checkboxes if you want to receive an email notification when the inventory falls below a specified threshold. Your options are as follows: Notify if Available falls to zero—Select this option when you want the system to send an email notification when the inventory falls to zero. Notify when Available falls below—Select this option when you want the system to send an email when the inventory falls below a specified number and enter the threshold number in the field. This field only appears when you select the Self-Managed Inventory. See How to manage the inventory count for more information.
Notification Email Address	Enter the email address the system will use to notify you when the inventory falls below the Inventory Notification Thresholds. You should use an email group alias. See How to manage the inventory count for more information.

Product fulfillers and the part number

When you set up a physical product, you choose which fulfillers will fulfill the product when a shopper purchases it in your store. There may be one or several fulfillers available, depending on where you sell your products and how you set up fulfillers to work with your store.

The fulfiller assigns the Part Number to the product and uses it to track inventory and fulfillment of the product. Contact your fulfiller (or Store Operations team if you are using Digital River fulfillment) when you need part numbers for your products.

Managing physical inventory

You can use the Self-Managed Inventory feature to manage inventory levels and tightly control the number of units available for sale in your store. This feature also allows you to:

• Indicate a product is out of stock (even if it is not). This stops shoppers from placing any future orders for that product in your store.
• Increase or decrease the number of units in inventory and available for sale
• Enable or disable backorders for out-of-stock products.

You can set inventory settings for a product on a per-fulfiller basis. This allows you to have a different product inventory setting for each fulfiller. You can only manage inventory for existing products, and you cannot set up inventory when you first create a new product.

Showing inventory and stock status to shoppers

You may want to show the inventory or stock levels to your shoppers, so they know how many units of a product remain in stock. By default, most stores do not show inventory or stock levels, but you can contact your Store Operations team to learn if your store shows inventory levels or what it would take to have that information appear in your store.

Changing inventory counts

When viewing the Inventory Management window, you can use the Update field to add or subtract units from the current number of units shown next to the Available field. To change your inventory counts, enter the number of units you want to add or subject, select the appropriate action from the, and click Save.

How and when inventory counts decrease

The inventory levels you set for a product decrease when a shopper successfully places an order for the product. The shopper must complete the checkout process and submit their order before the inventory counts for the product will change. If authorization for the payment fails or the system places the order in a "hard fraud" state, the inventory count remains unchanged.

Note that you set inventory levels by Part Number, not by Product ID. This means that the same product (Product ID) can have more than one Part Number (because each fulfiller can have a different part number). If your product uses more than one fulfiller with different Part Numbers, make sure you set the right inventory level per fulfiller and Part Number.

Physical on Demand

The Physical on Demand (POD) fulfillment method allows you to provide a physical version of your software, game, or digital product without maintaining a physical inventory that can become old or outdated. Stores that already provide a downloadable version of their product(s) but want to provide shoppers an opportunity to purchase a physical product as well as use the POD option.

See How Physical on Demand (POD) works for more information.

Attribute	Description
Case Type Note: The Case Type option only appears when CMPS fulfills POD products.	Indicates the type of disc case you want to use for the POD product. There are four different case types. The type you select also determines the weight of the POD product, which the system uses to calculate shipping costs for the POD product. Cardboard mailer: 3 oz Slim DVD: 5 oz Standard DVD: 5 oz Double DVD: 6 oz
Disc Label Image	Image or graphic you want to print on the disc.
Disc Case Image	A PDF file that contains the image or graphic you will use to print on the disc case insert.
Disc Content Files	Files for the actual disc. Usually, these files include an auto-run or installer, so the shopper does not have to do anything when they want to install the product.
Product Fulfillers	The available fulfillers who can fulfill your POD orders. When you select multiple fulfillers, Digital River will choose the fulfiller closest to the shipping address for any one order.
Part Number	The number assigned to the POD product by the specific fulfiller. Used to track and manage orders and inventory.

Preorder

A preorder is a product that shoppers can purchase before the product is available for sale in your store. Preorders allow you to build excitement for your product before you release it to the market. You can create preorders for products like movies, music, games, and other products with a definite release date.

Attribute	Definition
Preorders	Choose one of the following options: Enabled—Select this option when you want to allow shoppers to order a product before it is released. Disabled—Select this option when you do not want to allow shoppers to order a product before it is released. Note: You cannot select Disabled when the product is enabled for preorder and deployed.
Release Date	The date, time, and time zone for the release. You can change this date for each locale the product supports. The release date is not only the day the product becomes available on your site, but also the day when shoppers who purchased the product as a preorder receive the order, billing, shipping, and download notifications and information.
Audit Email Recipient	The email address of the user who will get the audit report for preorders placed for the product.
Audit Number of Days	The number of days before the Release Date when you want the system to send an audit email.
Preload Enabled	Choose one of the following options: Enabled—Select this option when you want shoppers to preload the product before you release it for sale. Disabled—Select this option when you do not want shoppers to preload the product before you release it for sale. Important: If you did not set up your store up to support the preload option, enabling this setting for your products will not work and could cause issues with sales of the product. To use preloads in your store, some additional work must be done to get the preload to work correctly for your store and shoppers. Contact your Account Team for more information.
Preload Date	The date, time, and time zone for the when the preload will be available. Important: If you did not set up your store up to support the preload option, enabling this setting for your products will not work and could cause issues with sales of the product. To use preloads in your store, some additional work must be done to get the preload to work correctly for your store and shoppers. Contact your Account Team for more information.

How preorders are billed

When we process the payment for the preorder product depends on which setting you select for the preorder site setting. Depending on the payment method, we collect payment when the shopper places the order or when we receive the payment.

Preorder release email

When you release a preorder product, the system sends an email to shoppers who purchased the product that tells them their product is ready and they will be billed. The email explains when their product will be released and shipped or provides instructions on how to download their product.

Allowing shoppers to preload a preorder product

You can set up a preorder product so that shoppers can preload (download) the product before it is released. Use this feature when the product is a large download file, and you want shoppers to have immediate access to their purchase upon release.

When you enable preload for a preorder product, shoppers will receive a notification that contains a link to begin the preload for the product when the preload period begins.

Receive notification of preorders placed

Managing the pre-release of a product is important to the success of the product launch. You can set up your preorder product so that you get a report of the orders placed for the product. To do this, enter your email address in the Audit Email Recipient field and define how many days before the preorder release date you want to get the report in the Audit Number of Days field.

Setting the release date

You can set the release date for a preorder product by date, time, and time zone. When the release date occurs, preorders for the product will stop, fulfillment for all preorders will begin, and the product will begin selling in your store like any other product.

Editing the release date

Once you deploy a preorder product, you should be careful when changing the preorder details, especially the release date. You can change the release date after you deploy the preorder product if needed, but you will have to deploy the product again for those changes to take effect in your store.

Restricted View and Editing

Use the Restricted View and Editing setting to restrict access to this product.

Attribute	Description
Restricted Product	Is Restricted—Select this checkbox when you want to restrict access to this product to shoppers who have access to privileged product pages and actions. The existing permission framework in Global Commerce binds permissions to URL actions.

Reward Programs

Use the Reward Programs settings to create a points-based customer loyalty program if you want to reward the shoppers for purchases in your store.

Attribute	Description
Renewal Reward Value	Enter the value for the renewal reward.
Reward Program Type	Select the type of reward program.
Reward Value	Enter the reward value.

Search Engine Optimization

Use the Search Engine Optimization settings to set up the text and keywords you want to use to optimize a shopper's search results when they use a search engine such as Google™. The text and keywords supplied here for SEO may help raise the product in the search results, depending on the specific terms the shopper entered for the search.

Attribute	Description
Meta Description	Enter the description that the shopper sees under the text link in the search results. Use this text to describe or promote your store or brand, identify the products you sell, or the reason why a shopper might visit your site.
Meta Keywords	The words you expect a shopper to enter in a search engine. These words describe your products or store. Note: Do not use punctuation when entering words in this field. Enter keywords that describe the product and appear in the product descriptions or names.
Title Tag	The text for the link that appears when the product appears in the search results. The title appears as the primary link in the search results.

Software

Use the Software setting to define the requirements for software products. This includes information on the system requirements, license agreement, video card requirements, supported platform, and so on.

These requirements usually appear on the Product Details page for the product. You should only enter requirements that apply to your software product. To learn how and where these requirements appear in your store, contact your Store Operations team.

Attribute	Description
EULA (End-User License Agreement)	The license agreement text. Shoppers must accept the End User License Agreement (EULA) before they can download the software. A EULA is a legal agreement between you (or the manufacturer) and the shopper who purchases your software product. When you create a software product, you can enter the EULA text. The text appears somewhere in your store. How, when, and where the EULA appears to shoppers varies by how you set up your store to show the EULA text. Example: The EULA may appear on the Product Details page or an interstitial page during checkout. To learn more about where the EULA appears to the shoppers, contact your Store Operations team.
Minimum Hard Disk Space Required	Lists the minimum space required on a hard drive to install the software.
Minimum Memory Required	Lists the minimum memory (RAM) required to use the software.
Minimum Processor Speed Required	Lists the minimum processor speed required to install or use the software.
PAD File	The Portable Application Description (PAD) file that contains the product descriptions and specifications. PAD files are XML formatted and provide product information in a standardized format for online use.
Platform	List the software's supported platforms. Use the Platform list to associate the software product with a compatible platform. You can restrict the items appear in this list by customizing the Product Template.
Product Detail Image Notes	The text you want to appear below the product image seen on the Product Details page. Most stores are not set up to show this text. Contact your Store Operations team to learn if your store uses this attribute or how you can enable this attribute for your store.
Search Engine Optimization	The text you want to appear when a shopper views the product in the results page of a search engine such as Google™. This attribute is similar to the Search Engine Optimization setting.
Sound Card Requirements	Lists the sound card requirements for the software.
System Requirements	Indicates the system requirements to run the software. This text appears on the Product Detail page in your store.
Thumbnail Image Notes	The text you want to appear below the thumbnail image when appears in your store. Most stores are not set up to show this text. Contact your Store Operations team to learn if your store uses this attribute or how you can enable this attribute for your store.
Video Card Requirements	Lists the video card requirements for the software.

Subscription

Use the Subscription pod to set up how you want your subscription products to operate, both on the storefront and once shoppers purchase the subscription in your store. There are many options you can set for a subscription product that affects how the subscription behaves.

Attribute	Description
Site-level Subscriptions Settings	Displays the subscription settings for your site.
Recurrence	Specify the subscription term or billing cycle. The billing cycle is the rate at which billings occur. This determines how often you want to bill the shopper for the subscription. The number of days in each time frame is exact, meaning that a one-year recurrence is either 365 or 366 day depending on whether the year is a leap year, and a month is either 29, 29, 30, or 31 days depending on the number of days in the month. The available durations are as follows: 1 Week 2 Weeks 1 Month 2 Months 3 Months 6 Months 1 Year 2 Years 3 Years 4 Years Global Commerce enables this field when you select Match Recurrence as the Subscription type. See Billing cycle and grace period for more information. Example: To create a Flex Term with a 12-month commitment and a monthly billing cycle, select a monthly recurrence (1 Month), and 12 billing cycles (12 Months).
Number of Billing Cycles	Choose the number of billing cycles. Your options are as follows: 6 12 18  24 36 48 Custom—If you choose Custom, enter an integer value in the field for the billing cycle. Global Commerce enables this field when you select Flexible Term as the Payment Schedule type.
Grace Period	Specify the length of time the customer can continue to access the product after the subscription expires and before the vendor restricts or deny the customer's access to the product. Your options are as follows: None 1 Week 2 Weeks 1 Month With an automatic renewal subscription, the grace period only applies when the payment for the renewal fails. Payment for automatic renewal subscriptions usually fails because the credit card has expired. In this instance, you send an email sent to shoppers whose credit cards have expired to prompt them to update their payment information. Best Practices: Using a 5-day bill auto-renew before billing time frame with a 7-day grace period provides the best renewal rate. Note: Digital River does not control access to, or the availability of, a subscription. You need a third-party system that controls or limits access to your products and integrate that system with Global Commerce. If a subscription has a grace period, Global Commerce will notify your third-party system when a grace period begins or ends so that you can control access accordingly. See Billing cycle and grace period for more information.
Free Extension	Specify how long (in addition to the normal subscription period) you want to provide a shopper additional access to the subscription without charge. Your options are as follows: None 1 Week 2 Weeks 1 Month 3 Months 6 Months 1 Year 2 Years 3 Years Example: If your subscription period is one year and you set a free extension of one week, the total of the subscription period is one year + one week. Add a free extension for a product after the subscription expires and before renewal. You can use free extensions an incentive to buy. Example: Buy one year, get one month free. Tip: The free extension you set for a product using the Free Extension option on the Subscription pane is different from the free extension associated with the Customer Service "saves" feature. A shopper triggers the Customer Service Save feature when they call Customer Service to cancel their subscription. This feature encourages the shopper not to cancel their subscription by offering them a free extension if they keep their subscription active. Global Commerce enables this field when you select Match Recurrence as the Subscription type. See Free Extension for more information.
1st - 3rd Billing Attempt Prior to Expiration	Specify the number of days before expiration in which Digital River will initiate the first, second, and the third attempt to auto-renew a shopper’s subscription. If these attempts do not work, Digital River will try to renew when the subscription expires. If that attempt does not work, Digital River will try once more when the Grace Period ends. Use the Bill Billing Attempt Prior to Expiration option to renew subscriptions before the expiration date. This allows time for the payment to complete and gives the shopper enough time to update their credit card information if the credit card fails or resolve any other problems that may occur with the payment method. Best Practices: Using a 5-day bill auto-renew before billing time frame with a 7-day grace period provides the best renewal rate. Global Commerce enables this field when you select Match Recurrence as the Subscription type.
Retry Interval for Billing Attempt After Expiration	Specify the interval in days when Digital River attempts to auto-renew a shopper's lapsed subscription. The billing attempt occurs every 5, 6, or 7 days until the grace period ends. Note: The system enables this option when the Grace Period is 2 weeks or longer. Global Commerce will reattempt billing up to the specified number of retries indicated in this field after the initial billing attempt. Example: Global Commerce automatically send the first billing attempt plus the number of retries specified for Retry Interval for Billing Attempt After Expiration. Global Commerce enables this field when you select Match Recurrence as the Subscription type.
Activation	This date marks the start of the subscription period. The system also uses this date to renew the subscription if you select the Auto-Renew option. Your options are as follows: From Purchase Date—Select this option if you want the subscription period to begin on the purchase date, regardless of whether the shopper begins using the subscription product on the purchase date. From Activation Date—Select this option if you want the subscription period to begin on the date when the shopper activates or begins using the subscription product. To use this option, you must have an integration service set up between Digital River and your system that acknowledges or processes the activation. This is the date when the subscription term begins. Digital River uses this date to renew the subscription if it is set to auto-renew. The activation date is important because the other dates in the lifecycle (like billing) either begin with the activation date or depend on the activation date.
Trial Period	Select this checkbox to allow your shoppers to try your subscription product on a no-cost trial. You can specify the number of days or units in the Trial Days or Trial Units field. Once the free trial period runs out, the system automatically converts the shopper to the paid version of the product. A shopper can cancel a subscription by calling Customer Service using the self-service support website www.findmyorder.com or contacting your support center if you provide your customer support.
Trial Days	Enter the number of days for the trial period. The valid range is 1 to 99. This field appears when you select the Trial Period checkbox and determines the options that are enabled for Auto Trial Renewal Reminder and Manual Trial Renewal Reminder when you enter a number in this field. If you enter a value of 30 to 99 all options are enabled. If you enter a value that is less than 30, only the options that are equal to or less than the value entered are enabled. A value of 1 disables all options.
Trial Grace Period	This drop-down appears when you select the Trial Period checkbox
Trial Email Reminder	The Trial Email Reminder sends an email notification to the shopper reminding them to take action before the trial expires. Select one or more of the number of days options below for the reminder schedule. Auto Trial Renewal Reminder–This notification reminds shoppers the free trial period will be expiring. Upon the final date of the trial period, the subscription will automatically convert into a paid subscription of the same product. Choose how frequently you want to send a reminder before and Auto Trial Renewal expires. Your options are 30 Days, 15 Days, 7 Days, and 2 Days. Manual Trial Renewal Reminder–This notification reminds shoppers the free trial period will be expiring. Before the trial expires, the shopper will need to take action accordingly to manually convert the trial into a paid subscription of the same product. Choose how frequently you want to send a reminder before and Auto Trial Renewal expires. Your options are 30 Days, 15 Days, 7 Days, and 2 Days. These options appear when you select the Trial Period checkbox. The value in the Trial Days fields determines the options that are enabled for Auto Trial Renewal Reminder and Manual Trial Renewal Reminder. Note: If you are updating the Trial Email Reminder for an existing subscription product, you must enable Trial, and update the Reminder Emails for the subscription product on the Edit Product page. See Edit Product for basic instructions.
Retry Interval for Billing Attempt After Trial Expiration	Choose the number of days between billing attempts after the trial expires. Your options are None, 4 Days, 5 Days, 6 Days, and 7 Days. The 4 Days option is not available when the trial grace period is 1 month as it would exceed the maximum number of retries. This drop-down appears when you select the Trial Period checkbox.
Update Expired Credit Card	When updating expired credit cards, note the following: The Trial applies the same credit card expiration notification schedule with the product. To edit the settings, scroll down to Reminder Emails. See Reminder Emails for more information. If the Update Expired Credit Card notice and Trial Renewal Reminder notification expire on the same day, only the Expired Credit Card notification will be sent. This information appears when you select the Trial Period checkbox.
Options	Select one or more of the following options: Auto Renew—Select this checkbox when you want the subscription to automatically renew (and bill the shopper) when the subscription expires. Note the following: If you do not select this option, the subscription expires unless the shopper manually renews the subscription using the Shopper self-service options. If you select this option, Digital River will try to renew the subscription based on what you select for the Billing Attempt Prior to Expiration option. For more information, see How subscription renewal works. Combine Billing and Notification with Other Renewals—Select this checkbox when you want to combine renewal of multiple subscription products and specify the number of days from this renewal in the Combine Renewals field.

Card Account Updater

One of the most frequent causes of renewal failure among auto-renewing subscriptions is outdated credit card information. To reduce customer churn, Digital River regularly checks stored credit card information for updates. This is done for Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express cards and occurs before the first scheduled billing attempt, as well as after each payment failure. Card updates are processed automatically. Clients utilizing Digital River’s subscription management platform do not need to do anything to take advantage of this service.

How the Card Account Updater works

1. The Renewal Job Manager initiates the process for the Card Account Updater (CAU) request. This occurs when the subscription renewal fails on or after its expiration date. The request will create a pending "account update" transaction for later processing.

   • The system issues the request when you enable the site configuration attribute.

   • If you disable the site configuration attribute, the system does not issue the CAU request.

2. A Batch Job Manager picks up all pending transactions.
3. The Submission Job Manager submits batched transactions to the payment processor.
4. The payment processor processes the batched transactions.
5. The Reconciliation Manager checks the CAU results.

Manual versus automatic renewal

The shopper must renew the subscription at the end of the subscription period. If they do not renew the subscription, they can no longer access the product. There are two ways a shopper can renew the product:

• Automatic Renewal (Auto Renew)—The shopper provides a payment method, and the system automatically debits the payment method before the subscription expiration date. If the renewal fails because the billing information is not correct (for example, an expired credit card), the system notifies the shopper. This gives the shopper a chance to update their billing information. The system will try to bill a shopper several times before it cancels the subscription. If the shopper fails to respond, the system lists the billing attempt as failed.

• Manual Renewal—The shopper receives emails at preconfigured intervals before the expiration date. The email asks the shopper to complete the renewal transaction. The shopper has to renew the subscription manually. The customer can choose one of the following options to renew their product:

  • Log in to www.findmyorder.com and renew the subscription using the self-service options.
  • Call Customer Service to renew the subscription.

In either case, the system renews the subscription when the payment is complete.

Billing cycle and grace period

When you create a subscription product, you must define how long the subscription lasts, and whether you want to give the shopper a grace period once their subscription expires and before they renew the subscription.

The "billing cycle" determines how often you want to bill the shopper for the subscription. The "grace period" allows you to give shoppers a small window of time after a subscription expires to renew their subscription before the system terminates or restricts their access or use of the product.

Free trials

You can allow your shoppers to try your subscription product on a trial basis before you bill them. When the free trial period runs out, the system bills the shopper for the subscription unless they cancel the subscription. A shopper can cancel their subscription by calling Digital River Customer Service, using the self-service support website www.findmyorder.com, or contacting your support center if you provide your customer support.

Free extensions

You can use a free extension to entice shoppers to buy your subscription products. A free extension adds free time to the subscription period. You can add free extensions to the subscription after it expires and before it renews.

To understand how to use the free extension to prevent customers from cancelling the automatic renewal option, see the Customer Service "saves".

The following image shows how the free extension for a subscription product affects the billing dates.

How subscription renewal works

The following list summarizes how renewal works:

• A subscription expires (unless renewed) at the end of the current subscription terms.

  • The system renews the automatic renewal subscription on the expiration date. The system may bill shoppers prior to the expiration date if you set up the subscription to do so.
  • If the subscription is a manual renewal subscription, the shopper manually renews the subscription before the expiration date, or their subscription will expire (unless you have set up a grace period for the subscription).

• The shopper can still renew a subscription within the grace period.

• The system charges shoppers the same price for renewals as the shoppers paid for the initial purchase unless you create a special price list for renewal pricing. See Subscription renewal pricing for more information.
• Shoppers can receive another product at renewal than the one they received when they initially purchased the product (or their last renewal). See Changing products at renewal for more information.
• If a shopper's credit card expired on renewal, the system sends an email prompting the shopper to update their credit card information. See Expired credit card emails for more information.
• For automatic renewals, the system will try to bill for the subscription multiple times depending on the product configuration before the system gives up and abandons the renewal. If the dates for any of the renewal attempts are the same, the system only sends one renewal notice.

  Example: The renewal date and expiration date are the same.

  1. The system first bills the shopper on the renewal date. This date will differ from the expiration date if you set up the subscription to bill the shopper before expiration.
  2. The system tries to bill the shopper again on the expiration date. This is the actual date when the subscription expires.
  3. The system finally tries to bill the shopper on the grace period end date (if the subscription has a grace period).
• Shoppers can renew a subscription multiple times, causing the renewals to "stack." Each subscription renewal adds another term to the subscription. A shopper could potentially renew their subscription several times, causing them to have renewals well into the future.
• Shoppers can automatically renew their subscriptions using the self-service features.

Subscription renewal pricing

When the shopper renews their subscription, the system charges the shopper the same amount for the renewed subscription as the initial subscription, unless you create a special renewal price for the product.

Subscription renewal emails

The system sends a renewal reminder email to the shopper before the subscription expires. The renewal reminder email will:

• Tell the shopper their subscription is about to expire.
• Instruct the shopper on how to renew their subscription. If the subscription uses automatic renewal, the renewal reminder email will tell the shopper when their renewal will take place.
• List the renewal price (not including tax and shipping, if applicable), and all renewals will respect the pricing quoted to the shopper.
• Contain other information about the renewal order as customized for your site.

The settings defined in the product determine when or how often the system sends the shopper a renewal reminder email.

Once the shopper renews the subscription, the system sends the shopper another email that contains the details of their renewal order. Assuming you configured your store to send that email.

Changing subscription products at renewal

You can control which product a shopper receives when the shopper renews their subscription. Using the Subscription Transfer Product feature, you specify different products for renewals. This allows you to create subscriptions that provide one product for the initial purchase, and a different product for renewals. This feature also allows you to more easily retire old subscription products without interrupting or affecting the subscription service to your customers.

Renewal orders and subscription IDs

When a subscription renews, the system creates a new order ID and subscription ID to track activity for that subscription. Using a site setting, you can make all renewal orders use the same subscription ID as the original subscription order, or create a new subscription ID for every renewal order (which is the default behavior).

You can choose to use the same subscription ID or a new subscription ID for a renewal. Your choice depends on whether you want to list the sales figures for the initial subscription purchases and subsequent renewals together or separately in the reports.

To learn more about the site settings that affect subscriptions, see How to configure site settings for subscription products.

Customer Service "saves"

If a shopper calls Customer Service to cancel the automatic billing for their subscription, you can use a Site Setting to display a special window. This window prompts the Customer Service Representative to offer the shopper a free extension if they keep the automatic billing for their subscription. If the customer accepts the offer, Customer Service does not cancel the auto-renew, and the system adds an extension to the current subscription period. Using this option will help you retain more automatic renewal subscription customers, thus ensuring that renewal revenue for months to come.

Shopper self-service options

Shoppers who purchase subscription products can view and manage the details for their subscription using www.findmyorder.com or by calling Customer Service. The following list shows shoppers how to manage their subscription using features on www.findmyorder.com or by calling Customer Service:

• Manually renew a subscription

• Increase or decrease the number of their subscription products—The following list describes the limitations when a shopper wants to increase or decrease the number of their subscription products:

  • The shopper cannot increase or decrease the number of physical subscription products
  • The subscriptions activation date must be the same as the purchase date.

  When a shopper increases or decreases the number of their subscription, the subscription term (or billing cycle) does not change. When the subscription renews, it will renew at the new quantity level.

• Upgrade or downgrade their subscription products
• Change the shipping address for the subscription
• Update the credit card billing information
• Cancel their subscription

Upgrades and downgrades

A subscription upgrade or downgrade occurs when a shopper changes their current subscription product to another subscription product. 

Shoppers can upgrade or downgrade their subscription during their current subscription term or when they manually renew their subscription. How you configure the Upgrade and Downgrade Products section under the Subscription settings determines how and when the system processes the upgrade or downgrade and the price.

Use the upgrade and downgrade feature to offer shoppers products of varying functionality.

Use the settings on the Upgrade and Downgrade Products page to define which products are upgrades or downgrades options for a specific subscription product.

If you use the upgrade and downgrade feature to change terms, the prorated pricing calculation may produce undesirable results.

If you use the upgrade and downgrade feature to offer shoppers a way to change their subscription term, you should use the process as renewal pricing option and set the number of days before expiration to the length of the subscription itself.

If you do this and a shopper upgrades or downgrades their subscription, the system will immediately charge them for a new term of the new subscription product, and the expiration date will change to the length of the new subscription.

How pricing works for upgrades and downgrades

When a shopper upgrades or downgrades their subscription, when and what the system charges them is based on the pricing method selected in the Upgrade and Downgrade Products settings. You can choose to prorate the price or process the upgrade or downgrade as a renewal.

Prorate on or before the expiration date

When you choose to prorate the price for upgrades and downgrades:

• The shopper immediately gets the new upgrade or downgrade product.
• The expiration date for the subscription does not change.
• The system charges the shopper based on how many days remain in the subscription and the difference between the original subscription price and the upgrade or downgrade product price.
• Renewals for the subscription will use the new upgrade (or downgrade) product.

How the system calculates prorating

The system calculates the prorated price using the difference in the daily list price between the current subscription product and the upgrade or downgrade product for the days remaining in the subscription term.

Formulas

The system uses the following formulas to calculate the prorated price:

• Current product daily price = current product list price ÷ current product duration in days
• Upgrade product daily price = upgrade product list price ÷ upgrade product duration in days
• Daily price difference = max(upgrade product daily price − current product daily price, 0)
• Remaining days = Subscription expiration date − today's date
• Total price = Daily price difference × remaining days × current quantity of subscription

Process as Renewal

If you choose to process upgrades and downgrades as renewals:

• The shopper immediately receives the new upgrade or downgrade product.
• The expiration date for the subscription changes to reflect the renewal date.
• The system charges the shopper based on how many days remain in the subscription and the difference between the original subscription price and the upgrade or downgrade product price.
• Renewals for the subscription will use the new upgrade (or downgrade) product.

How pricing works for increasing and decreasing the subscription quantity

If a shopper increases the quantity of their subscription, the system charges them a pro-rated price for the increase in quantity for the remainder of the current subscription period.

Shoppers who decrease their subscription do not get a refund on their current subscription term.

How the system calculates prorating

The system calculates a prorated price using the daily list price and the days remaining in the subscription term.

Formulas

• Daily price = product list price ÷ product duration in days
• Remaining days = subscription expiration date − today's date
• Total price = daily price × remaining days × number of increase in the quantity

How renewal works

The following list summarizes how renewal works:

• Subscriptions expire (if not renewed) at end of the current subscription terms.

  • If the subscription is an automatic renewal subscription, the system renews the subscription on the expiration date. The system may bill shoppers prior to the expiration date if the subscription is set up to do so.
  • If the subscription is a manual renewal subscription, the shopper manually renews the subscription before the expiration date, or their subscription will expire (unless you set up a grace period for the subscription).

• The shopper can still renew a subscription within the grace period after the subscription expires.

• The system charges shoppers the same price for renewals as the shoppers paid for the initial purchase unless you create a special price list for renewal pricing. See Subscription renewal pricing for more information.
• Shoppers can receive another product at renewal than the one they received when they initially purchased the product (or their last renewal). See Changing products at renewal for more information.
• If a shopper's credit card expired on renewal, the system sends an email prompting the shopper to update their credit card information. See Expired credit card emails for more information.
• For automatic renewals, the system will try to bill for the subscription multiple times depending on the product configuration before the system gives up and abandons the renewal. If the dates for any of the renewal attempts are the same, the system only sends one renewal notice.

  Example: The renewal date and expiration date are the same.

  1. The system first bills the shopper on the renewal date. This date will differ from the expiration date if you set up the system to bill the shopper before the expiration of the subscription.

  2. The system tries to bill the shopper again on the expiration date. This is the actual date when the subscription expires.
  3. The system finally tries to bill the shopper on the grace period end date (if the subscription has a grace period).
• Shoppers can renew a subscription multiple times, causing the renewals to "stack." Each subscription renewal adds another term onto the subscription. In this instance, the shopper could potentially renew their subscription several times, causing them to have renewals well into the future.
• Shoppers can automatically renew their subscriptions using the self-service features.

Renewal Pricing

When a shopper renews their subscription, the system charges the shopper the same amount for the renewed subscription as the initial subscription, unless you create a special renewal price for the product. If you want the renewal price to be different from the original subscription price, you must create a special price list just for the renewal pricing. You must create a special price list before you set pricing for the subscription. See the description of the Subscription Renewal type in How to create a price list for more information on how to create a price list for your subscription pricing.

Renewal orders and subscription IDs

When a subscription renews, the system creates a new order ID and subscription ID to track activity for that subscription. Using a site setting, you can make all renewal orders use the same subscription ID as the original subscription order, or create a new subscription ID for every renewal order (which is the default behavior).

You can choose to use the same subscription ID or a new subscription ID for a renewal. Your choice depends on whether you want to list the sales figures for the initial subscription purchases and subsequent renewals together or separately in the reports.

To learn more about the site settings that affect subscriptions, see How to configure site settings for subscription products.

Customer Service "saves"

If a shopper calls Customer Service to cancel the automatic billing for their subscription, you can use a Site Setting to display a special window that prompts the Customer Service Representative to offer the shopper a free extension if they keep the automatic billing for their subscription. If the customer accepts the offer, Customer Service does not cancel the auto-renew, and the system adds the extension to the current subscription period. Using this option will help you retain more automatic renewal subscription customers, thus ensuring that renewal revenue for months to come.

Shopper self-service options

Shoppers who purchase subscription products can view and manage the details for their subscription using www.findmyorder.com or by calling Customer Service. The following list shows how shoppers can manage their subscription using features on www.findmyorder.com or by calling Customer Service:

• Manually renew a subscription

• Increase or decrease the number of their subscription products—The following list describes subscription limitations:

  • The shopper cannot increase or decrease the number of physical subscription products
  • The subscriptions activation date must be the same as the purchase date.

  When a shopper increases or decreases the quantity of their subscription, the subscription term (or "recurrence") does not change. When the subscription renews, it will renew at the new quantity level.

• Upgrade or downgrade their subscription products
• Change the shipping address for the subscription
• Update credit card billing information
• Cancel their subscription

Upgrades and Downgrades

A subscription upgrade or downgrade occurs when a shopper changes their current subscription product to another subscription product. 

Shoppers can upgrade or downgrade their subscription during their current subscription term or when they manually renew their subscription. How you configure the Upgrade and Downgrade Products section under the Subscription settings determines how and when the system processes the upgrade or downgrade and the price.

Use the upgrade and downgrade feature to offer shoppers products of varying functionality.

Use the settings on the Upgrade and Downgrade Products page to define which products are upgrades or downgrades options for a specific subscription product.

If you use the upgrade and downgrade feature to change terms, the prorated pricing calculation may produce undesirable results.

If you do use the upgrade and downgrade feature to offer shoppers a way to change their subscription term, you should use the process as renewal pricing option and set the number of days before expiration to the length of the subscription itself.

If you do this and the shopper upgrades or downgrades, the system will immediately charge them for a new term of the new subscription product. The expiration date will change to the length of the new subscription.

How pricing works for upgrades and downgrades

When a shopper upgrades or downgrades their subscription, when and what the system charges them is based on the pricing method selected in the Upgrade and Downgrade Products settings. You can choose to prorate the price or process the upgrade or downgrade as a renewal.

Prorate on or before the expiration date

When you choose to prorate the price for upgrades and downgrades:

• The shopper immediately gets the new upgrade or downgrade product.
• The expiration date for the subscription does not change.
• The system charges the shopper based on how many days remain in the subscription and the difference between the original subscription price and the upgrade or downgrade product price.
• Renewals for the subscription will use the new upgrade (or downgrade) product.

How prorating is calculated

The system calculates the prorated price using the difference in the daily list price between the current subscription product and the upgrade or downgrade product for the days remaining in the subscription term.

Formulas

The system uses the following formulas to calculate the prorated price:

• Current product daily price = current product list price ÷ current product duration in days
• Upgrade product daily price = upgrade product list price ÷ upgrade product duration in days
• Daily price difference = max(upgrade product daily price − current product daily price, 0)
• Remaining days = Subscription expiration date − today's date
• Total price = Daily price difference × remaining days × current quantity of subscription

Process as Renewal

If you choose to process upgrades and downgrades as renewals:

• The shopper immediately receives the new upgrade or downgrade product.

• The subscription's expiration date changes to reflect the renewal date.

• The system charges the shopper based on how many days remain in the subscription and the difference between the original subscription price and the upgrade or downgrade product price.
• Renewals for the subscription will use the new upgrade (or downgrade) product.

How pricing works for increasing and decreasing the subscription quantity

If a shopper increases the quantity of their subscription, the system charges them a pro-rated price for the increase in quantity for the remainder of the current subscription period.

Shoppers who decrease their subscription do not get a refund on their current subscription term.

How the system calculates prorating

The system calculates a prorated price using the daily list price and the days remaining in the subscription term.

Formulas

• Daily price = product list price ÷ product duration in days
• Remaining days = subscription expiration date − today's date
• Total price = daily price × remaining days × number of increase in the quantity

Notifications

Use the Notifications area to define when you want the system to send subscription notifications to customer.

Reminder Emails

Use the Reminder Emails area to you define how often you want the system to send renewal reminder and expired credit card notifications to the customer.

Attribute	Description
Reminder Emails	System emails pertain to this subscription product and are delivered regardless of user-opt-in/opt-out status.
Reminder for Automatic Renewals	Sends an email to the customer stating that the system will automatically renew their subscription without the need for further action. Select one or more of the following notification options: 90 Days 30 Days 15 Days 7 Days See Renewal Reminder Emails for more information.
Use a different schedule for manual renewal reminders	Select this checkbox when you want to use a different renewal reminder schedule for manual subscriptions. If you do not select this checkbox, manual renewal subscriptions will follow the automatic renewal reminder schedule.
Reminder for Manual Renewals	Sends an email to the customer stating that they need to take action before their subscription expires. If you do not select a Manual renewal option, the system sends reminders using the Automatic renewal schedule. Select the Use a different schedule for manual renewal reminders checkbox to enable these notifications and then select one or more of the following options: 90 Days 30 Days 15 Days 7 Days No Reminders See Renewal Reminder Emails for more information.
Update Expired Credit Card	Sends an email to the shopper stating that the credit card they have on file to pay for their subscription will expire in a specified number of days and prompts them to update their credit card information. Select one or more of the following notification options: 30 Days 15 Days 7 Days If you schedule the Update Expired Credit Card notification and Renewal Reminder notification for the same date, the system only sends the Expired Credit Card notification. See Expired credit card emails for more information.

Renewal Reminder Emails

Before a subscription expires, the system sends the shopper one or more emails reminding them that their subscription is about to expire. Reminder emails tell the shopper when their subscription will expire and the price for the renewal (not including tax and shipping, if applicable). Renewal emails may contain more information on the renewal order as customized for your site.

If the subscription uses manual renewal, the renewal email will instruct the shopper on how to renew their subscription. If the subscription uses automatic renewal, the renewal email will tell the shopper when their renewal will take place.

You determine when and how often the system sends the shopper a renewal reminder email is when you configure the product settings.

The Renewal Price List Limitation in Days setting helps ensure that the system charges shopper the price listed in the reminder emails.

Once a shopper renews their subscription, the system may send the shopper another email detailing their renewal order.

Expired credit card emails

If the credit card expired, the system sends the shopper an email asking them to update their credit card information before their subscription is set to renew. The system uses the shopper-entered expiration date for the credit card's expiration date. Configure the Update Expired Credit Card settings for the product to determine when or how often the system sends the shopper an expired credit card reminder email.

Marketing Emails

Use the Marketing Emails area to define how often you want the system to send marketing communications to the shopper. Shoppers who agree to receive marketing communications will receive marketing emails that do not necessarily pertain to this subscription product.

Attribute	Description
Renewal Reminder After Expiration	Sends a renewal reminder email to the shopper stating that their subscription has expired and provides instructions for renewing their subscription. Select one or more of the following notification options: 7 Days 15 Days 30 Days 90 Days
Upgrade Campaign From Creation Date	Sends an email to the shopper after they purchase their subscription stating that they can upgrade their subscription and provides instructions for upgrading their subscription. Select one or more of the following notification options: 7 Days 15 Days 30 Days 90 Days
Upgrade Campaign Before Expiration	Sends an email to the shopper before their subscription expires stating that they can upgrade their subscription and provides instructions for upgrading their subscription. Select one or more of the following notification options: 97 Days 37 Days 22 Days 14 Days
Upgrade Campaign After Expiration	Sends an email to the shopper after their subscription expires stating that they can upgrade their subscription and provides instructions for upgrading their subscription. Select one or more of the following notification options: 14 Days 22 Days 37 Days 97 Days

Digital Rights

Use the Digital Rights pane to indicate whether you want to issue new digital rights or continue using the original digital rights when a shopper renews the product subscription.

Choose one of the following options for each attribute:

• Issue New—Issue a new set of digital rights codes (as defined by the Digital Rights option) to the shopper.
• Suppress—Use the original digital rights codes when renewing the product.

Attribute	Description
Quantity Increase	Occurs when a shopper increases the quantity of the subscription product.
Renewal	Occurs when the subscription renews, whether through auto-renew or manual-renew.
Trial Conversion	Occurs when the trial period ends and the shopper converts their trial product into a paid version.
Upgrade and Downgrade	Occurs when the shopper upgrades or downgrades.

Electronic Fulfillment Notice

Use the Electronic Fulfillment Notice area to indicate whether you want a new electronic fulfillment notice issued when the following events occur:

• Quantity increase
• Renewal
• Upgrade and downgrade

Digital River sends an electronic fulfillment notice to a client's system asking for permission to fulfill the product. The client system responds to the Electronic Fulfillment Notice with one of the following options:

• Yes—You can fulfill the product.
• No—You cannot fulfill the product.

Choose one of the following options for each attribute:

• Issue New—The system will process a new fulfillment notice.
• Suppress—The system will not process a new notice, and Digital River will fulfill the product.

Attribute	Description
Quantity Increase	Occurs when a shopper increases the quantity of the subscription product.
Renewal	Occurs when the subscription renews, whether through auto-renew or manual-renew.
Trial Conversion	Occurs when the trial period ends, and the system automatically converts the trial product into a paid version.
Upgrade and Downgrade	Occurs when the shopper upgrades or downgrades.

Upgrade and Downgrade Products

You can set up your subscription products to allow customers to upgrade or downgrade their subscription and provide the upgrade or downgrade options. Use the Upgrade and Downgrade Products feature to define the products you want to offer to a shopper when they choose to upgrade or downgrade their subscription. 

When upgrading or downgrading a product, note the following:

• Upgrade is immediate and the charge is based on a prorated amount for the remaining monthly billing days.
• Downgrade should be in effect from the next commitment term.
• Non-Commitment subscription cannot upgrade or downgrade into a commitment product.
• Commitment subscription may only upgrade to another product with the same commitment (duration and billing number).

 

Attribute	Description
Pricing Method	Prorate on or before expiration date—Select this option when you want to charge a prorated price for the remaining time in the customer's subscription period when a customer upgrades their subscription. This option does not update the expiration date. Example: A customer purchases a yearly subscription. Six months into their subscription, the customer decides to upgrade their subscription product. When the customer upgrades their subscription, the system will charge them the difference between their original subscription product price and the upgrade product price for the remaining six months on their subscription term. Important: Be careful when using this option as the customer's experience may be adversely affected. Example: If you choose to prorate pricing and a shopper upgrades their subscription a few days before expiration, the system will charge the shopper a very small amount for the upgrade (because only a few days remain in the subscription) and then charge the shopper again to renew the subscription. Some shoppers may find multiple charges confusing or annoying. Process as a renewal number days before expiration date—Select this option when you want an upgrade to trigger a renewal before the subscription expiration date. The system adds the number of days before expiration when the system processes the renewal to the current subscription period so that the customer does not lose any time in their subscription. This option updates the expiration date.
Renewal Options	Display Current or Transfer Product—Indicates whether you want the current or transfer product to appear when a shopper renews their subscription. If you do not select this checkbox, the shopper will only see the upgrade or downgrade products. They will not see the current product or the transfer product when they view information on the subscription before renewal.

Upgrade Products

Use Upgrade Products to define the products you want to offer to a customer when they upgrade their subscription. A customer can upgrade their subscription themselves using www.findmyorder.com, or by calling Customer Service. 

How to upgrade a product

• Click Add Products and follow the prompts.

  Note: If you add multiple upgrade products, customers will see a list of options they can choose to upgrade their product. Use the Sort Order column to define the order in which you want the products to appear (products with a sort order of 1 appear first, and so on).

How to remove one or more upgrade products

• Choose one of the following options:

  • To remove an upgrade product, select the checkbox next to the product, and click Remove.
  • To remove all upgrade products, select the checkbox next to Sort Order, and click Remove.

Downgrade Products

Use Downgrade Products to define the products you want to offer to a shopper when they downgrade their subscription. A shopper can downgrade a subscription themselves using www.findmyorder.com, or by calling Customer Service. If you add multiple downgrade products, shoppers will see a list of options they can choose to downgrade their product.

How to add a downgraded product

• Click Add Products and follow the prompts.

  Note: If you add multiple downgrade products, shoppers will see a list of options they can choose to downgrade their product. Use the Sort Order column to define the order in which you want the products to appear.

  Example: A product with a sort order of 1 appear first, and so on.

How to remove one or more downgraded products

• Choose one of the following options:

  • To remove a downgraded product, select the checkbox next to the product, and click Remove.
  • To remove all downgraded products, select the checkbox next to Sort Order, and click Remove.

Subscription Integration Family

Use this option to add Subscription Service Notification (SSN). This option allows the integration to use different endpoints based on the product. After adding the product to the family, you need to provide the endpoint within the product set up. When the SSN goes out, it sends the message to the endpoint defined in the product set up. This also gives us the ability to apply a named XSLT to the integration based on the product set up.

Trial

A trial allows the customer to try the product before they buy a product. You can distribute a trial product with a trial period for customers to "try before you buy." Use the Trial page to configure the trial settings.

Attribute	Description
ARM File	Select or remove the ARM file associated with the product.
Day/Uses	Specify how long the trial will last in days or uses.
File Size (Bytes only)	Specify the size of the file in Bytes only.
License Type	Specify the license type associated with this product.
Platform	Specify the platform on which the software runs.
Trial Description	Enter a description of the trial for this product.
Use KMT LiveMetrics	Select the type of KMT LiveMetrics you want to use. Your options are as follows: <no value> off transmit write
Use Relevant Reach DLL	Select this checkbox if you want to use the Relevant Reach DLL
Version	Specify the software's version.
Wrap Type	Select the wrap type you want to use. Your options are as follows: <no value> Full Lite
allowReturnsActivations	Select this checkbox if you want to allow returns activation.
certificateName	Select the name of the certificate.
isSubmitted

Volume License Pricing

Use the Volume License Pricing setting to set up the point value for products that are a part of a volume license plan or used in a Purchase Plan with tiered pricing. Use this setting in conjunction with the pricing set up for the product to determine when shoppers get a special product based on their purchase of specific products in the plan.

Attribute	Description
Points	Used to indicate how many points this product counts for in the volume license purchasing plan.