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Zen Cart Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q.  How much do you charge for setting up a Zen Cart?
A.  I currently charge $30 per hour.  I can usually completely install/configure a typical Zen Cart in about 3 hours ($90) depending on how much you do with the product catalog, photos, delivery sites, etc.  Typically inputting products into the catalog is the most time consuming part of the process.  Dealing with graphics/photos can also be time intensive.  This is where you can save money if you are willing to do the work.  See the next question.

Q.  Will you do everything or will I have to do some of the setup?  Can I do some of the setup to save money?
A.  I am flexible and can help a lot or a little depending on what you need and ask me to do.  I can completely setup and configure your Zen Cart (more time and money) or you can do some of the setup and configuration (i.e., product insertion into the catalog).   Depending on how many custom options you may need (such as unique delivery drop sites or custom reports), much of the configuration can be done within the Zen Cart Admin.  Since you will probably want (need) to learn to use the Admin to keep your product inventories, prices, etc updated, I recommend you become familiar with it ASAP.  I am available for custom consultation at my regular rate at any time if you need additional features/adjustments at any time.

Q.  Are there any resources available for working with Zen Cart?
A.  There are some books that you can buy.  I recommend using Google to search for solutions to specific questions/problems.  Just include “Zen Cart” in your search query and any additional words to describe your problem.  The best answers usually come from a Zen Cart users forum which will usually show up in your Google search results.  See the links above in the Resource section.

Q.  How long does it take to complete the Zen Cart?
A.  I can usually get to this type of work with a day or two notice, so time is not a real issue in terms of getting it installed.  The configuration phase can be quick (a couple of hours) or long (many hours or days if you have a lot of products, custom options, etc or want to do some of it yourself but cannot get to it immediately).  If you are willing to get right on it and have photos of your products, etc.  It can come together quickly.
 
Q.  Can Zen Cart be integrated with QuickBooks?
A.  Yes.  There are several options depending on your needs.  It depends to a large extent whether the amounts (quantities and prices) you charge at checkout are the same as the final invoice at delivery.  For some farm products they are not necessarily the same and you may need a custom Quickbooks Integration package and a hosting company that supports it.

Q.  Does Zen Cart allow purchases with credit cards?
A.  Yes.  I highly recommend that you use PayPal for credit card purchases for security purposes.  Zen cart works well with PayPal.  Please note that PayPal payment WITHIN ZENCART DURING CHECKOUT should only be done when the products have a definite, permanent price.  You cannot use Zen Cart for PayPal payments with the adjusted invoice approach discussed above.  You would need a third party system (such as Quickbooks or PayPal itself) to use PayPal for adjusted invoice orders.

Q.  What do you need from me in order to get started?
A.  You need a web host that supports Zen Cart.  If you already have a website, you should check to see if it supports Zen Cart.  If so we can try that since it is usually a free install.  If it works, fine.  If not, we can try another web host such as Hostmonster.com.  Either way, to do the install I will need access to your hosting account (username and password) and the name of your hosting company.  If you already have a website on the hosting server, it is always a best practice to back up everything before doing this kind of install.  Do you know how to back up your website?  If so, please do it before we proceed.  If you don’t know how, ask me and I will do it for you.  In addition to a web host, it is helpful if you have a logo, graphics, color scheme, or page content that I can use rather than creating it all from scratch.  If you have an existing site, I can often pull from that.  Product photos are useful if you choose to include those in your product descriptions (but you don't have to).

Q.  Can Zen Cart handle taxes?
A.  Yes.  Sales tax is the most common tax and it can be configured for any state or zone that we define in the Admin.
 
Q.  After customers complete their shopping, how does the order arrive to us? Does it come in the form of an email? Or does it just show up in the Zen cart admin control panel?
A.  You will get an email confirmation with all the specifics as to quantities and prices, delivery location, etc.  The Admin also tracks customers and orders for you.   I can also set up a custom report for you to track sales in various ways if you think that would be helpful.  The report draws from the MYSQL database used by Zen Cart so all that info is available, depending on how you want it presented.