Checkout Configuration
The Checkout Configuration section allows you to manage the core functionality of your store's checkout process. While many of the visual aspects can be customized using the UltraCart Visual Builder, this area focuses on the underlying business logic and settings that control how customers interact with the checkout.
This guide provides an overview of the various options available, which are categorized into "Basic" and "Advanced" settings.
Basic Options
These options affect the core checkout process of your store.
Advertising Sources
This setting enables you to track how your customers learned about your store. Customers will indicate the source during checkout, which helps you determine where your advertising efforts are most effective.
Coupons
Coupons allow merchants to offer discounts on items or order-related costs. You can create coupon codes for customers to enter during checkout, or generate random, single-use codes for email campaigns.
Customer Profiles
This is where you can enable or require customer profiles for your checkout process. You can also configure the "My Account" customer portal and settings for wholesale sign-ups and pricing tiers.
Customer Service
This screen configures the contact information displayed on customer email notifications, such as a contact name, email, and phone number. The information from your initial sign-up will appear here by default, but you can update it as needed. Each Screen Branding Theme can have its own dedicated customer service section.
Gift Certificates
UltraCart's Gift Certificate function allows you to create and sell gift certificates as a specific item, or to create on-demand gift certificates when necessary.
Payments
Use this section to configure the payment methods that customers can use to pay for their purchases.
Return Policy
Enter the return policy that will be visible to customers during the checkout process, on their receipt, and on their packing slip. Each Screen Branding Theme has its own configuration section for the return policy.
Sales Tax
This is where you configure sales tax rates, taxable addresses, automatic exemptions, and other tax tools.
Shipping
This section allows you to configure shipping distribution centers, shipping methods, packages, and handling charges related to shippable items.
Single Page Checkout
You can use this page to toggle the default checkout experience between a single-page checkout and a multi-page checkout.
Terms & Conditions
If you require customers to agree to terms and conditions before completing a sale, you can specify them here. The terms will appear on the review page of the checkout process and can be customized for each individual StoreFront.
Advanced Options
These more advanced options allow for further configuration of your checkout process.
Abandon Interval
The abandon interval setting controls the amount of inactive time a shopping cart session can have before it is purged by UltraCart. The default is 1 hour, but this interval can be expanded if features like return emails are enabled.
Allowed Countries
This feature lets you specify the countries from which you will accept orders by checking the appropriate boxes.
Digital Delivery
By default, a customer is allowed a maximum of five digital download attempts over a three-day period. You can change these settings here.
Fraud Prevention
The UltraCart fraud prevention system uses a set of rules to help protect your store from potential customer fraud.
Free Promotional Item
This feature allows you to give a customer a free item when their order reaches a certain size, making it easy to run promotions without a coupon.
Gift Giving
The gift giving feature allows customers to enter a gift message during checkout. This action indicates the purchase is a gift, and predetermined handling fees may be added to the total cost.
Minimum Amount
UltraCart can enforce a minimum order subtotal or item count. This is useful for merchants selling inexpensive products, as it ensures the profit margin is sufficient to cover transaction fees.
Multi-Currency
Multi-currency configuration allows a customer to change their shopping cart to their native currency via a hyperlink in the shopping cart table. Items can also be optionally configured with a specific currency designation.
Order ID Scheme
UltraCart supports two types of order ID schemes. You can use a sequential numeric scheme with a starting number and specified width, or an ID scheme based on the date and time the order was placed.
Related Items
UltraCart can automatically suggest items during the checkout process that are frequently purchased with the customer's current cart contents. This feature can increase sales by exposing customers to additional items. Note that changes can take up to 24 hours to take effect.
Required Contact Information
This page allows you to configure which contact information is requested or required from the customer to place an order.
SSL Certificate (Custom)
This is the area for the purchase and/or configuration of a custom SSL certificate.