Auto Order Processing

Auto Order Processing

Auto Order Processing

The Auto Order Processing section in UltraCart provides special settings to control the behavior of your auto orders. These settings are organized into six distinct sections: General, Notifications, Retry Settings, Payment Settings, Shipping Settings, and Links.

Navigation

Main Menu → Configuration → Order Management → Auto Order Processing

General

The General settings allow you to configure how custom fields and coupons behave with auto orders.

image-20250611-125435.png

Fields

This section contains four configurable fields:

  • Propagate Custom Fields: When checked, custom fields from the original order will be carried over to subsequent auto order rebills.

  • Remove None Option: This setting removes, the None option from the Customer Selectable Auto order schedule, forcing the customer to select a schedule option.

  • Skip Coupons From Original Order: When checked, coupons applied to the original order will not be applied to subsequent auto order rebills.

  • Ignore Coupon Expiration: When checked, coupons applied to the original order will continue to be honored on rebills even if their expiration date has passed.

  • Do Not Bill Customer for Prior Missed Shipments: If a customer restarts an order auto order, do not try to bill them for any missing order to catch up on the orders.

Notifications

The Notifications section allows you to suppress specific email communications related to auto order events.

Auto Order Skip Notification Settings

By checking the boxes on this screen, you will suppress the sending of emails related to events on the recurring orders.

image-20250611-125817.png

Fields

This section contains four configurable fields:

  • Skip Receipt Email: By selecting this option the system will now skip the Receipt email for any recurring auto order. The customer will get no notification that a new order has been placed for them as part of an auto order.

  • Skip Shipment Notification: By selecting this option, the system will no longer provide Shipment notification emails to the customer when an order is shipped.

  • Skip Problem Emails: This setting suppresses the "Auto Order Update Billing" & "Auto Order Update Billing Decline" email notifications that would normally be sent out when a decline occurs on the processing of an auto order.

  • Skip 3rd Party Marketing Emails: When the rebill occurs, don't enroll the customer in any 3rd party marketing email programs like iContact, GetResponse, MailChimp, etc.

  • Suppress Easy Cancel Emails: If not otherwise suppressed, after the Receipt Email is sent to the customer for the auto order transaction, a second email is sent to the customer which provides them a cancellation link that would prevent any future orders from occurring.

  • Prohibit Cancellation Until: Block the customer from canceling an auto order until at least a certain number of days after shipment. This prevents trial merchants from having the customer quick cancel on them and limiting their chance of rebill.

Retry Settings

By default, UltraCart attempts to process a failed auto order three times with a three-day delay between attempts. If an auto order fails three times, it will be cancelled. Merchants can adjust the number of retries and the frequency of these attempts in this section.

Warning: Increasing the number of tries may impact your credit card processing fees.

Processing Retries Configuration

image-20250611-130639.png

Fields

  • Number of Retries: Enter the desired number of times UltraCart should attempt to re-process a failed auto order. If left blank, the default is 3 retries.

  • Delay Between Retries (Days): Enter the number of days UltraCart should wait between retry attempts. If left blank, the default is 3 days.

    • Recommendation: We recommend a delay of at least 3 days. This provides sufficient time for a decline attempt, which can create a temporary "hold" against the card's available credit for the attempted transaction amount, to expire (typically 2-3 business days).

  • Try Cancel Item After Max Retries: When checked, this setting will trigger the processing of an order with a cancel item if one has been configured and the auto order reaches its maximum number of retries.

  • Send Failures to Accounts Receivable: When checked, failed auto orders will be sent to Accounts Receivable, allowing you to follow up with the customer directly.

Payment Settings

The Payment Settings section allows you to restrict certain credit card types from being used for recurring auto orders.

Warning: If you restrict a card type (e.g., Visa), a customer can still use their Visa for the original auto order purchase. However, when the recurring order processes (e.g., a month later), it will fail. Ensure you understand the ramifications of this feature before using it. If in doubt, contact UltraCart Support.

image-20250611-131115.png

Fields

  • "Prohibit Credit Cards That Expire In __ Months": This setting validates the customer's credit card, requiring its expiration date to be equal to or greater than the defined number of months.

  • Prohibit E-Checks: If e-checks are a configured payment method, selecting this option will suppress the E-Check form from appearing as a payment method for auto orders.

  • Auth Test Zero Dollar Orders: (***Only appears if valid for your configured payment gateway) If selected, this activates settings within the auto order tab of the item editor:

    • "Auth Test Amount": Define the amount the card should be tested for authorization. If left blank, the default test amount is $1.

    • "Auth Test Amount for Future Order": Allows you to define an amount to test for the first future authorization. If successful, it then proceeds to the auth test amount for the zero-dollar purchase on day one. The future authorization remains open but is not captured.

  • Use Same Rotating Transaction Gateway for Rebills: (***Only appears if valid for your configured payment gateway) This overrides the default rotating gateway rules and ensures the same Rotating Transaction Gateway (RTG) used on the original order is maintained for rebills.

  • Delay Rotating Transaction Gateway Cascade: (***Only appears if valid for your configured payment gateway) By default, the cascade (rollover) to the next gateway initiates on a decline. If this setting is selected, a 6-hour delay occurs before the cascade.

  • Restrict American Express: Restricts American Express from being used as a payment method for auto order purchases.

  • Restrict Diners Club: Restricts Diners Club from being used as a payment method for auto order purchases.

  • Restrict Discover: Restricts Discover from being used as a payment method for auto order purchases.

  • Restrict JCB: Restricts JCB from being used as a payment method for auto order purchases.

  • Restrict MasterCard: Restricts MasterCard from being used as a payment method for auto order purchases.

  • Restrict Visa: Restricts Visa from being used as a payment method for auto order purchases.

Shipping Settings

image-20250611-131309.png

Field

  • Ship Via Lowest Cost Method: This setting allows the system to find the lowest cost shipping method and use it for any future auto orders.

Cancel Reasons

This configuration allows you to set custom cancelation reasons that are required to be selected when an auto order is cancelled.

image-20250611-131534.png

Once the options configured, they will be displayed within the Auto order editor screen as shown below. This option is only present if configured and are required to cancel an auto order.

image-20250611-132428.png

You can then report on this data, to see why customer are cancelling their auto orders with the Cancel Reason Report

Cancel Reason Report

Window

The Window settings allow you to select a customer time period for the system to process your auto orders, by default the system starts this process at 12 am (midnight) Eastern. If you would like the system to process your auto order later in the day you can use the following setting to set when the system should start processing your auto order and end processing your auto orders. The window must be at least 4 hours

It is still possible for auto order to process outside of this window if the processing is being help up by a delay from the payment gateway.

image-20250611-132704.png

Links

This simply provides a cancelation link that can be placed on your website or within an email so that the customer can cancel their auto order at any time. This link will be different based your merchant ID and storefront URL.

image-20250611-133237.png

Related Documenation

Auto Order Tab