Easy Digital Downloads Manual Purchases: Manage Offline Sales Efficiently

Easy Digital Downloads Manual Purchases is an essential extension for digital store owners who need to record and manage offline or manual transactions. This tool is perfect for situations where you sell digital products in person, via phone, or through other offline channels, and need to keep your sales data consolidated within your Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) platform. By manually creating purchases, you can ensure your sales records are accurate and all customers receive the correct files and access rights.

Key Features of Easy Digital Downloads Manual Purchases

1. Create Manual Purchases

The extension allows you to create manual purchases for any of your digital products. Whether a customer pays you via cash, bank transfer, or another offline method, you can easily add the transaction to your EDD records.

2. Assign Purchases to Existing or New Customers

When creating a manual purchase, you can assign it to an existing customer in your database or create a new customer profile. This helps keep all customer records up to date, ensuring that everyone receives the correct product access and emails.

3. Manage Payment Status

For each manual purchase, you can set the payment status to pending, completed, refunded, or any other status available within EDD. This allows you to accurately track the payment process for offline sales.

4. Automatic File Delivery

Once a manual purchase is created and marked as completed, the customer receives the same file download links and access as if they had purchased the product online. This ensures consistency in customer experience, regardless of how the purchase was made.

5. Apply Discounts or Coupons

You can apply discounts or coupons to manual purchases, just as you would with online transactions. This is useful for in-person promotions or special offers.

6. Detailed Reporting

All manual purchases are included in your EDD sales reports, giving you a complete overview of your sales performance. This allows for better financial tracking and analysis.

7. Integration with Other EDD Extensions

Manual Purchases works seamlessly with other EDD extensions, such as Recurring Payments, Software Licensing, and Content Restriction. This ensures that all purchases, regardless of how they were made, are handled correctly within your broader EDD setup.

Benefits of Using Manual Purchases in Your EDD Store

1. Consolidated Sales Records

By recording offline sales within EDD, you can keep all your sales data in one place. This simplifies your reporting process and ensures that your financial data is complete and accurate.

2. Seamless Customer Experience

Customers who purchase offline still receive the same emails, download links, and access permissions as those who buy online. This ensures a consistent experience across all sales channels.

3. Improved Customer Management

With manual purchases recorded in EDD, you can better manage your customer relationships. All purchases are linked to customer profiles, making it easier to provide support, track purchase history, and target future marketing efforts.

4. Flexibility in Payment Methods

Manual Purchases allows you to accommodate customers who prefer to pay through non-digital methods, expanding your potential market.

5. Enhanced Reporting and Analytics

Including offline sales in your EDD reports provides a fuller picture of your business performance. This data can be crucial for decision-making and strategy development.

6. Easier Tax Management

By consolidating all sales data within EDD, you can more easily manage taxes, as all transactions are recorded within the same system.

Use Cases for Easy Digital Downloads Manual Purchases

1. In-Person Sales Events

If you sell digital products at live events, conferences, or trade shows, Manual Purchases allows you to add these transactions to your EDD store, ensuring that all sales are tracked and customers receive their downloads.

2. Phone or Email Orders

For customers who prefer to order via phone or email, you can manually create their purchase within EDD, maintaining a complete sales record and ensuring they receive the correct files.

3. Offline Payment Methods

If a customer pays by check, bank transfer, or any other offline method, Manual Purchases ensures that their transaction is recorded, and they gain access to the purchased digital products.

4. Special Discounts or Promotions

Manual Purchases can be used to apply special discounts or promotional offers that are only available offline, ensuring that these sales are still tracked within your EDD system.

5. Handling Refunds for Offline Sales

If you need to issue a refund for an offline purchase, you can do so within EDD, keeping your financial records accurate and up-to-date.

How to Set Up Manual Purchases in Easy Digital Downloads

1. Install and Activate the Manual Purchases Extension

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to Plugins > Add New and search for “EDD Manual Purchases.”
3. Install and activate the plugin.

2. Create a Manual Purchase

1. Navigate to Downloads > Payment History.
2. Click on the Add New button to create a new manual purchase.
3. Fill out the required details, including customer information, products purchased, and payment status.

3. Assign the Purchase to a Customer

1. Search for an existing customer or create a new one to assign the purchase.
2. This ensures that the purchase is linked to the correct customer profile, and they receive the necessary download links and emails.

4. Set Payment Status

1. Choose the appropriate payment status (e.g., pending, completed, refunded).
2. This status will affect whether the customer receives their download links immediately or after payment is confirmed.

5. Review and Finalize

1. Review all details to ensure accuracy.
2. Click Save to finalize the manual purchase and trigger any necessary emails or downloads.

Best Practices for Implementing Manual Purchases

1. Keep Customer Information Updated

Ensure that customer information is accurate when creating manual purchases. This helps with order tracking, customer support, and future marketing efforts.

2. Consistently Track Payment Statuses

Always update the payment status as it changes. This ensures that your sales records are accurate and reflects your financial reality.

3. Monitor Manual Purchases in Reports

Regularly review your sales reports to include data from manual purchases. This gives you a complete overview of your sales and helps with financial planning.

4. Provide Clear Instructions for Offline Payments

If you frequently handle offline payments, provide clear instructions on your website or through customer communication to streamline the process.

5. Combine with Other EDD Extensions

Consider integrating Manual Purchases with other EDD extensions, such as Recurring Payments or Software Licensing, to ensure all types of purchases are managed consistently.

Conclusion

Easy Digital Downloads Manual Purchases is a versatile and essential extension for any digital store that handles offline transactions. Whether you’re selling at events, processing phone orders, or accommodating offline payment methods, this extension ensures that all sales are recorded within your EDD store. By consolidating online and offline sales, you can maintain accurate records, improve customer management, and ensure a seamless experience for all your customers.