Mass Order Import API
 

We currently run a membership based dropshipping website. In a nutshell, customers place orders on our website once they have sold our products on their site (Ebay, Amazon, etc), and we blind dropship the products to their customers.

One feature we would like to add would be to have an API that would allow customers to mass import their orders into our X-Cart backend for processing. As far as payment goes, we would probably process a single transaction at the end of the day to pay for the orders that get processed through the API. Does anyone know of such a "module", or would anyone be willing to custom code this for us? Obviously, we are willing to pay for such a "module".

I hope to hear and possibly have an open discussion about this with some of the amazing members of our community!

Thank you all!

Re: Mass Order Import API
 

This sounds like an interesting project. I already have a API framework for X-cart that could be used for this by adding the order requests to it. Orders would be sent with an HTTP request to the API.

Another method is to allow each customer to send orders via FTP as a CSV file. Then a program would check his directory regularly to see if any order files are present. This would be simpler than a full fledged API if you did not already have the framework for one. Order files could be saved as required for proof of orders.

I'm not sure how to handle a custom payment process where one payment is made at the end of the day. With that scenario you would need to defer approval on each order, then at the end of the day "wrap up" all of a customer's orders with one payment. From my experience, it would be probably be best to charge the customer for each order. You don't want to send out a bunch of orders during the day only to find out that the customer did not have enough credit on his card to charge the order's total. By using the "normal" xcart payment methods, If the order credit card was not approved, then the order would be queued and not sent to final customer.

You would probably want a custom packing list that did not show your company name but your customer's name. Including how to contact the company, etc..

Re: Mass Order Import API
 

Rogue,

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my request. It's awesome to hear you already have an API framework that could potentially handle the order requests. This idea is currently really in brainstorming right now. We are just trying to think of a way to allow our customers to mass import orders to help save them time. Some of our customers put in up to 50 orders a day on our site.

The payment processing is something we have not quite figured out how to handle yet. I was really just putting out some feelers in our community here to see if the mass order import would even be possible before I started to work out how to handle the payments. However, if anyone has a plausible idea, I am all ears.

Re: Mass Order Import API
 

We do mass order input as well for some of our customers. We use either Authorize.net CIM or DPM to store the cards securely on authorize.net and then charge after the order is uploaded via token system. Some clients also use a Purchase Order system for this too or a mix of both.

You're welcome to contact us when you have a list of features you need.

Thanks,

Carrie

Re: Mass Order Import API
 

Carrie,

This sounds like an ideal situation for us. I still need to work out a lot of specifics regarding this, but it may be something we move forward on sooner rather than later. I'll reach out to you folks directly via your website support system when I get together some more specific questions. I have dealt with y'all many times in the past, and BCSE always has provided the best service.

Thanks for responding to my post!

Re: Mass Order Import API
 

Sounds great! Talk to you soon then!

Carrie