5.7.3 Downloads 

CactuShop now supports the ability to ship items as Downloads. This is an 

excellent way to ship items like software, images, online books, etc which can 

be downloaded rather than sent via post or email.  

When you create the version in the backend, specify a full URL for the item 

(including http://). Once a customer has purchased an item that is shipped by 

download, they complete the transaction in the usual way. Once the 

transaction is completed, the item will be listed as an available download in 

the customer's  My Account  section. From here the customer can access ALL 

items previously purchased, assuming that item has not been removed from 

the store. In this way customers who have previously bought an item and 

then mislaid it can obtain another copy without requiring assistance from the 

merchant. 

5.7.4 Cookie based 

security 

The user's email address and password are stored on a per session cookie 

that expires with the end of the session. 

5.8 Affiliates 

Section 

5.8.1 Affiliate 

Application 

Visitors to the site can apply to become affiliates. They enter their details and 

submit. An email is sent informing you that there is a new application to check 

in the back end. 

5.8.2 Click through 

tracking 

CactuShop has an affiliate system that lets you track click throughs to the site 

via affiliate links. This is dealt with in more detail in section 6.11.2. This page 

logs an affiliate click through in the 

tblCactuShopAffiliateLog

 table and also 

plants a cookie on the visitor's browser that is used later on if the visitor 

makes an order through the site. 

5.8.3 

Assigning a customer to an affiliate 

During checkout, CactuShop checks to see if there is a cookie planted with an 

affiliate ID, indicating that the visitor came to the site via an affiliate link. If 

there is such a cookie, the customer record created on the 

mailorder.asp

 page 

(or payment system alternative page), it is linked to this affiliate ID. All future 

orders by this customer (as well as the current one) will be credited to the 

affiliate responsible for them first signing up. 

5.8.4 Affiliate 

statistics 

Affiliates can access statistics on the hits and sales their link has generated for 

each month of the last 12 months. 

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