Auto Order FAQ

The Auto Order feature in UltraCart is a powerful tool for automating recurring product purchases. By defining an order schedule, you can streamline reorders and significantly increase gross sales. This feature utilizes stored customer details (shipping address, billing address, and credit card details) for subsequent orders, requiring customer involvement only in the initial purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the distinction between "cancels" and "disabled" auto orders, specifically?

Answer: “Cancels” refers to orders in which either the customer or the merchant cancelled the auto order, whereas “Disabled” refers to orders in which the auto order failed rebilling attempts threshold configured in the Auto Order Processing configuration page.

Is it possible to cancel an auto ship order without sending a cancellation notification to the customer?

Answer: The “Auto Order - Cancel” transactional email is sent to the customer when an auto order is cancelled or disabled. So, the only way to prevent the email being sent would be to first navigate to the storefront host in the UltraCart backend and then navigating to the “Transactional Emails” and specifically selecting the ‘Skip’ option for the “Auto Order - Cancel” notification template.

On auto ship accounts, if I put ‘No more orders’ after a specific date will that cancel or disable an account?

Answer: When an auto order reaches the specified date to the auto order item override ‘No orders after (MM/DD/YY)’ configured in the auto order record, the auto order is effectively disabled/cancelled, as seen by the fact that the “Future” orders tab no longer appears in the auto order record. Please note that when searching the auto order search, the order will show “Yes (Paused)” in the ‘Active column of the search results table. And, when editing/viewing the auto order record, the Status will show as 'Enabled’. The key identifier as to the disabled state of the auto order is the missing future orders tab.

Which payment types are valid with auto orders?

Answer: PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Credit cards are all supported for recurring billing. Other payment options such as Amazon Payments, purchase orders, and paper checks are not valid for auto orders. This is because only credit card transactions allow for the storage of necessary billing details to generate future payments. Payment types like Amazon Payments do not allow for billing details to be stored for future use.

The orders in UltraCart do not contain the CVV number located on the credit card. How will that affect the processing of auto orders?

Answer: PCI regulations prohibit storing the CVV number in databases that contain other credit card billing details. This security protocol protects the integrity of credit card data through two-factor authentication, where the CVV acts as a validator available only to the person with direct access to the physical credit card.

For auto orders, you typically configure your UltraCart checkout to require the customer to enter the CVV number during their initial purchase. The CVV is passed along with other credit card data to your credit card gateway during the checkout authentication step but is not stored in the UltraCart order database. Therefore, for subsequent auto orders, you must configure your gateway to allow payment processing without the CVV value.

If your gateway does not support this configuration (i.e., requires the CVV number for all card authorizations), you will not be able to configure auto order items, as all automated transactions would result in a decline.

If I am creating a kit item, can it contain a component item that has an auto order schedule configured on it?

Answer: Yes, but only if the kit item itself does not have an auto order schedule defined. It's an "either/or" scenario. You have the option of defining an auto order in the auto order tab of the kit item, or, if the kit item has no auto order configuration, one or more of its component items can be configured as auto order items.

We updated the address in the auto order record, and the address also changed on the original order. Why?

Answer: The original order acts as the template for subsequent rebills. Therefore, if the address is updated in the auto order record, those new address details will also populate the original order.

Can I edit the item ID of an auto order item?

Answer: We highly recommend that you do not change the item ID for an item associated with active auto orders. Changing the item ID will break the relationship and cause rebilling to fail. Instead, consider the following options:

• Use the Grandfather Pricing option on the Auto Order Tab for simple price changes.

• Set up a new item with a different schedule, pricing, etc. Allow the old rebills to run their course and begin selling the new item.

What happens when the credit card associated with an auto order reaches its expiration?

Answer: If a credit card is expired, the system automatically advances the year by three. This is the most common renewal period used by card companies. By default, UltraCart also sends an email notification to the customer containing a link they can use to update their billing details (card details and billing address).

See Also:

• Understanding Emails Related to Auto Order Processing

What time does UltraCart charge Auto Orders when they are re-billed?

Answer: Auto orders begin processing on the platform at midnight EST. The platform continues processing them until finished, which can vary depending on the daily volume. The goal is to process all auto orders before 7 AM, when the first East Coast fulfillment houses open to begin preparing shipments.

How can I configure an auto order to trigger on a specific day of the month, regardless of when the auto order item is originally purchased?

Answer: To achieve this, start the auto order item's auto order steps with a "pause" step and set the delay until a future date. All new orders placed will then pause rebilling until that specified date. As you ship for that month, simply edit the item and set a new pause date.

How do I go about making changes to a specific customer's auto order only? (e.g., change items, billing amount)

Answer: To affect the auto order for a specific customer, you will make the changes directly within that customer's "auto order" record. Changes for all customers with active auto orders for an item require editing the auto order steps within the "auto order" tab in the item editor.

When making recurring payments, do most companies using UltraCart require the user to create an account on the checkout page before they complete the order, or is it possible to have that step on the receipt?

Answer: Most merchants do not require a customer profile to checkout because it introduces additional friction for the customer and is not necessary. If a customer returns after their original purchase and establishes a customer profile with the same email, the system will backfill their customer profile with their order history.

Once a customer has an account, what are the options within the account to change address, change frequency, change quantity, and cancel a subscription?

Answer: Within the MyAccount customer portal, you can enable the following options for the customer:

• Display Auto Orders

• Allow Customers to Cancel Auto Orders

• Allow Customers to Change Next Shipment Date

• Allow Customers to Update Billing

• Allow Customers to Update Shipping

• Allow Customers to Update Payment

Is it possible to add new items to a subscription once it's started, or does the customer have to go through the checkout process again?

Answer: You, the merchant, can edit the customer's auto order record and add or remove auto order items. You cannot add one-time purchase items in the auto order editor; they must be configured with an auto order schedule. Customers do not have this option within their customer profile.

Is it possible to have recurring/subscription upsells included, or are the upsells only 1-time purchase?

Answer: Upsell items are compatible with the upsell after configuration. Many merchants use an upsell to offer the product on a subscription at a discounted price when the customer initially chooses the single-time purchase item during their initial checkout.

Is there a way to configure in Ultracart how many times a customer can pause their auto ship?

Answer: Currently there is no configuration that allows for Max # of pauses of the auto order by the customer. The customer is either allowed to pause their auto order or they are not.

Related Documentation

Auto Order Processing Configuration screen (must be logged in to access)

Auto Order Processing

Auto Order Search

Edit Auto Orders

Converting a Regular Order to Auto Order

Allowing the Customer to Cancel an Auto Order

Giving an Auto Order Customer One Free Item

Understanding Emails Related to Auto Order Processing