Custom Payment Configuration

Custom payment items allow customers to make payments for custom orders, deposits, special requests, or any payment that doesn't fit your standard product catalogue.

What are custom payment items?

Custom payment items are flexible payment entries that customers can create on your website when they need to pay for something outside your normal product range.

Common use cases

Deposits and partial payments:

• Pay a deposit for a custom order
• Make installment payments on large purchases
• Secure a booking or reservation

Custom orders:

• Pay for bespoke products
• Commission custom work
• Special requests requiring consultation

Special circumstances:

• Pay an invoice amount
• Settle a specific quoted price
• Make a payment for services rendered

Balance payments:

• Pay the remaining amount after a deposit
• Complete payment on a previously quoted order

Accessing configuration

1. Go to Settings in your admin portal
2. Click Custom Payment Configuration
3. Configure the options for your store

Configuration options

Enable custom payments

Toggle custom payments on or off for your entire store.

Enabled:

• Customers can access the custom payment page on your website
• They can create custom payment items with amounts you specify
• Custom payments appear in your orders alongside regular product orders

Disabled:

• Custom payment page returns a 404 error (not found)
• Customers cannot create custom payment items
• Existing configuration is preserved but not active

Fulfilment tags

Select which fulfilment tags apply to custom payment items. This determines what shipping options customers see when they create a custom payment.

How it works:

1. Customer creates a custom payment item
2. Item is assigned the selected fulfilment tags
3. At checkout, they see shipping options matching those tags
4. They can choose appropriate delivery method

Example: If you select "Standard Shipping" and "Express Shipping" tags, customers can choose between those delivery speeds when paying.

Special cases:

Digital or collection-based custom payments: Select a tag for digital delivery or local collection if the custom payment doesn't require physical shipping.

Multiple tags: You can select multiple tags to give customers options. For example, both standard and express shipping.

Minimum amount

Set the minimum payment amount customers can enter.

Default: £0.01 or your currency equivalent

Use cases:

• Prevent zero or very small payments
• Set a minimum deposit amount (e.g., £50)
• Ensure payments cover processing costs

Example: If you set minimum amount to £100, customers cannot create custom payments below that value.

Maximum amount

Set the maximum payment amount customers can enter.

Default: No limit (very high value)

Use cases:

• Prevent accidentally large payments
• Limit exposure to fraud or errors
• Match your payment processor limits
• Cap deposit amounts

Example: If you set maximum amount to £5,000, customers cannot create custom payments above that value.

File uploads

Control whether customers can attach files to their custom payment items.

Require file upload

Enabled:

• Customers must upload at least one file
• Useful when custom payments need supporting documents
• Order creation fails if no file is uploaded

Disabled (default):

• File upload is optional
• Customers can create custom payments without files

When to require files:

• Customers need to send quotes or invoices
• Custom work requires design files or specifications
• You need supporting documentation for every custom payment

Maximum number of files

Set how many files customers can upload per custom payment item.

Range: 0 to 10 files

Considerations:

• More files = more storage used
• Balance convenience with practical limits
• Consider what customers genuinely need to send

Examples:

• 1 file: Simple quote or invoice upload
• 3-5 files: Multiple supporting documents
• 10 files: Complex custom orders with many specifications

Allowed file types

Currently supported:

• Images (JPEG, PNG, GIF, etc.)
• Documents (PDF)
• Common file formats

File type restrictions are handled at upload time to prevent unsupported formats.

Setting up custom payments

Step-by-step setup

1. Enable the feature

   • Toggle "Enable custom payments" to On

2. Select fulfilment tags

   • Choose one or more tags that match how custom payment items will be fulfilled
   • Ensure tags exist in Shipping Configuration first

3. Set amount limits

   • Enter minimum amount (e.g., £1 or £50 for deposits)
   • Enter maximum amount (e.g., £10,000 or leave very high for no practical limit)
   • Limits appear on the customer-facing form as guidance

4. Configure file uploads

   • Toggle "Require file upload" if every custom payment needs files
   • Set maximum number of files (typically 1-5)
   • System allows standard file types automatically

5. Save configuration

   • Click Save to apply changes
   • Configuration takes effect immediately

6. Test on your website

   • Visit the custom payment page as a customer
   • Verify amount limits work as expected
   • Test file upload requirements
   • Complete a test custom payment order

How customers use custom payments

Once configured, customers can:

1. Access the page

   • Navigate to your custom payment page (link provided by you)
   • See the configured amount limits in the help text

2. Enter payment amount

   • Input the amount they need to pay
   • System validates against your min/max settings
   • Clear error messages if amount is out of range

3. Add description

   • Describe what the payment is for
   • Helps you identify the payment purpose

4. Upload files (if configured)

   • Attach required documents, quotes, or designs
   • Upload limit enforced by your configuration

5. Add to cart and checkout

   • Custom payment item added to cart like a product
   • Select from available shipping options (based on fulfilment tags)
   • Complete payment through your standard checkout

6. Order confirmation

   • Receive order confirmation email
   • Custom payment appears as an order item

Managing custom payment orders

Custom payment orders appear in your admin portal alongside regular orders:

In the orders list

• Custom payment items show with the customer's description
• Order total matches the amount entered
• Payment status shows whether paid

In order details

• Item description includes customer's text
• Attached files are downloadable
• Fulfilment tags match your configuration
• Shipping options match the selected tags

Fulfilment workflow

Custom payment orders follow the same fulfilment process as regular orders:

1. Receive order notification
2. Review custom payment details and files
3. Process the request (create custom product, provide service, etc.)
4. Fulfill and ship if applicable
5. Mark as complete

Validation and errors

The system validates custom payments at multiple points:

Customer-side validation

Amount validation:

• "Amount must be at least £X" if below minimum
• "Amount cannot exceed £X" if above maximum
• Real-time feedback in the form

File validation:

• "At least one file is required" if required but not uploaded
• "Maximum X files allowed" if limit exceeded
• File type errors for unsupported formats

Order creation validation

If configuration changes after a customer starts but before they complete checkout:

• Order creation validates against current configuration
• Prevents orders that no longer meet requirements
• Error message explains the issue

Disabling custom payments

To stop accepting custom payments:

1. Go to Settings → Custom Payment Configuration
2. Toggle "Enable custom payments" to Off
3. Save configuration

What happens:

• Custom payment page returns 404 (not found)
• Customers cannot create new custom payments
• Existing custom payment orders remain unaffected
• Configuration settings are preserved (not deleted)

You can re-enable at any time by toggling back to On.

Best practices

Amount limits

Set realistic minimums:

• Cover payment processing fees
• Match your smallest typical custom order
• Don't set too high - allow flexibility

Set safe maximums:

• Consider payment processor limits
• Prevent user errors (adding extra zeros)
• Match your largest reasonable custom payment

File requirements

Only require files when necessary:

• Required files add friction to the process
• Optional uploads are more user-friendly
• Require only for quotes, invoices, or custom work

Set reasonable file limits:

• 1-3 files covers most needs
• More files = more storage and review time
• Balance flexibility with practicality

Fulfilment tags

Match your business model:

• Digital/collection tags if no shipping needed
• Standard shipping for most custom payments
• Express option if customers might need rush service

Keep it simple:

• Don't offer tags that don't make sense for custom payments
• Too many options confuse customers
• 1-2 tags usually sufficient

Testing

Test changes before going live:

• Create test custom payments
• Verify amount validation works
• Check file uploads if configured
• Complete a test order end-to-end

Monitor regularly:

• Review custom payment orders for patterns
• Adjust limits based on actual usage
• Update configuration as business needs change

Next steps

• Configure fulfilment tags for custom payment items
• Set up shipping methods matching your tags
• Review orders to see custom payment orders
• Test the customer experience on your website