Hi guys,
I'm at the final stages of a new mCommerce gateway module for Drupal ecommerce for a client that okayed the release of it on Drupal.org.
...in brief, what the module does is allow you to use mobile phones as a method of payment on a Drupal ecommerce site. i.e. instead of using paypal, credit cards, debit cards, google checkout etc. you can now offer an mCommerce option where the customer pays via their mobile phone (reverse SMS txt billing message).
In anticipation of the module release (It's for version Drupal eCommerce 5.x-3.5 and will be updated to Drupal eCommerce version 4 soon) I've setup a demo site, which is a very simple Drupal music downloads shop, to illustrate how it works.
Working demo: http://www.dublindrupaller.com/mobillcash_demo
Mobillcash Demo Music Shop.
Click here for more details about the mCommerce payment provider, mobillcash (part of Vidicom) or to setup a free merchant account.
The mobillcash.module will be available over the next few days from drupal.org - If you want a copy of the module for testing or to try out, please drop me an email and I'll email you a copy.
cheers
Dub
Comments
Ubercart?
I installed ubercart for a client last week and was really impressed. Great installer, super easy to implement.
I haven't used the drupal e-commerce suite since June 2007, but felt it was clumsy back then.
ubercart version
Charlie,
I think clumsy is probably the wrong word to choose...it's comprehensive and therefore difficult to get to grips with initially, but, I wouldn't describe it as clumsy. Far from it. Drupal ecommerce has never been for beginners really....so it was good to see ubercart come along and fill that gap between professional developers and beginners.
From what I've seen, the new version of Drupal eCommerce looks really good and is much smaller in code than earlier versions - which means it's more efficient - but, I think it's still more for pro-developers working on ecommerce solutions for clients with specific requirements.
I have had a few emails from Ubercart users already requesting a version of the mobillcash.module for ubercart, so I'll look into converting it over after the version for eC 4.x is finished.
dub, awesome looking module.
dub,
awesome looking module. i like the idea of quick payment via a cellphone...no paypal/credit card worries or steps. but i wonder for users, will they be suspicious of paying for things in this way? i've never heard of paying for products with your cell phone in the US, maybe it is different in other countries. all things considered though, i would be interested in testing this out on a project i've got going on in the next few months.
also interested to hear your thoughts on ecommerce module vs. ubercart and why you chose to develop for ecommerce.
thanks zirafa..
HI Zirafa,
thanks for the compliment.
The main reason is that more people have mobile phones than credit/debit cards. using your mobile phone is also more secure than using a credit/debit card online. When someone runs a fraudulent transaction on your credit card, you don't know about it until your next statement...but with a mobile phone, the person has to validate every transaction, so, unless someone steals your phone, they can't rip you off.
In europe, it's very common use your mobile phone as a mobile wallet....most parking meters in europe allow you to pay for your parking ticket using your mobile phone. In Scandinavia, You can buy cinema tickets, gig tickets and many other items using your phone.
The client for the mCommerce gateway for Drupal eCommerce is a music industry client and using your mobile phone as a method of payment for music downloads is huge, because it means it opens up online music sales to under 18s...who don't have a credit/debit card and probably have to ask their parents to buy their music on itunes or amazon mp3 or prchase a voucher in the high street. A mobile phone payment is more immediate & convenient and kids have been buying ringtones/games for their mobile phones for years.
I'm not so sure people will be suspicious of using their mobile phone to pay for stuff. True there have been a few scams recently where companies fooled people into signing up to subscriptions..when the customer thought they were just buying a single item but, I think people are getting more suspicious about using their credit cards online at sites other than the big main ones, like amazon etc.
They are both extremely similar, but, I have always found Drupal eCommerce to be far superior in terms of functionality and flexibility. Ubercart is good for a beginner getting a shop online very quickly, but, I've always ran into problems when trying to change things and usually reverted back to Drupal eCommerce.
With the new version 4 of ecommerce almost finished (Have you seen the new code base for eCommerce? - it's very impressive), it's possible to have either a single-page checkout or a multi-step checkout, which is probably the only key unique feature ubercart has had over ecommerce, so, I think the dilemna for Drupal professionals will be more about Drupal eCommerce V Magento eCommerce rather than ecommerce V ubercart. The Magento community is skyrocketing and it's probably the only non-Drupal ecommerce solution I've looked at and liked.
That said, I have had a few emails from ubercart users already requesting a version of the mobillcash.module for ubercart already, so I'll look into converting it over after the version for eC 4.x is finished.
While I'm on, If anyone in the following countries has the time, it would be great if they could test out the Music shop demo: http://www.dublindrupaller.com/mobillcash_demo and report back on here,
United States
Netherlands
Belgium
Spain
Austria
UNITED KINGOM - already tested.
Denmark
Sweden
Norway
Germany
IRELAND - already tested.
Finland
cheers
Dub
I am hoping that with the
I am hoping that with the new version the barrier to entry is a lot lower, and will allow stores to be taken a lot further.
--
Gordon Heydon
--
Gordon Heydon
I definitely look forward to
I definitely look forward to trying this out. Right now it appears AT&T is the only carrier in the US, hopefully mobillcash will expand their market reach in the US (I have Verizon).
Works great in Norway!
Cool module. Just checked it out (you should be about 23 kr. richer by now :-)
Works fine. I managed to download a birdsong for NOK 23 (the system converts to my local currency - very good)
/Sten
tusen takk!
many thanks for testing it Sten. i'm unable to edit my previous list of countries, but, it's good to know it's been tested by a Norwegian user.
The only drawback to mobilphone payments is the telco charges are very high and vary wildly from country to country and network to network.
For larger value transactions it varies as well. For example if someone wants to pay for an order worth 20 euro (about 200 NOK or 18 pounds sterling or 23 us dollars) or more, it may take more than 24 hrs to complete the payment because in some countries there is a limit on what the phone owner can buy via SMS each day so it loses that immediacy as a payment option for higher value orders in some countries.
That said, I think it will be very useful for Subscriptions (the renewal or recurring subscriptions control panel that comes with mobillcash is very comprehensive) and once off payments, particularly for downloads.
Over time the size of the charges and varying values per country/network should level out with credit card transaction processing charges as it becomes more popular, but, until then, it's quite tricky working out the "sweet spot" price - billing fits into price steps rather than regular credit card processing. More details are available at the mobillcash site.
Anyway...thanks again Sten. If you ever find yourself passing through dublin let me know and I'll grab you for an utepils (is that the right spelling?).
Dub
module now available.
just updating this thread to let people know that the <a href="http://www.drupal.org/project/mobillcash>mobillcash.module is now available to download from it's project page. I'll be updating d.o. with more detailed documentation, so in the meantime, just drop me an email via my contact page.
cheers
dub
link
Hi dub,
interesting module.
there's something wrong with your link. it doesn't click through. should be http://drupal.org/project/mobillcash
update
just updating this thread with the news that India is also included now by mobillcash in their counties covered list.
Click through to the mobillcash website for a current list of countries covered.
Congratulations
a mcommerce solution which quite a few of us have been waiting for. Going to start testing it right from today.
Will getback soon with test results :)
Simplicity in Solutions
Hi Dublin, I require this
Hi Dublin,
I require this module for Ubercart Drupal6. I can help test it for India on fashionjewelery.co.in
Ragavendra BN
Dub, that's a great concept,
Dub, that's a great concept, cannot wait to implement this in practice !
Just one question and one note:
1 Question: how did you get these cute album covers in 'jewel case' frames ? are they generated automatically ?
2 Note: in a search to enable sms-payment in ukraine (a dark europe's corner, uncovered by [ http://mobillcash.com ] so far :/), i've found another service with seemingly the same purpose: [ http://smscoin.com/software/ ] (sorry, 'russki' only), they seem to have a drupal script -- can you tell at brief, would it be hard to adapt your solution to work with them ? (I guess, conceptually it should all look identically, but i'm more fluent with topic from a gsm billing perspective..)
quick one
<div class="cover"><a class="jewel_case_125" title="click for track listing and audio previews" href="demosingle01">
<img alt="CD Single Cover - click for track listing and audio previews" src="jewel-case-125.png"/>
</a>
<img class="cover_125" alt=" demosingle01 album cover" src="cover-single01.png"/>
</div>
a.jewel_case_125 {background-color:transparent;
left:0;
position:absolute;
top:0;
}
img.cover_125 {
height:125px;
margin-left:17px;
margin-top:4px;
width:125px;
}
I'm sure that the smscoin service could be integrated in the same way as we've done with the ec_mobillcash.module. If you have a live project that needs it, just drop me an email and I can schedule in the development work.
hope that helps..
dub
Great Method
Good it makes even much more easier than ecommerce.
mcommerce is Great concept.
Bala
Chennai-Coimbatore
All sounds great
I'm working on something with a friend of mine where we would like to use mobilcash with Ubercart, but it is Drupal 5 rather than 6, don't know how much scope there would be for backwards compatibility with any D6/Ubercart work you are doing?
just to update this thread.
Mobillcash have re-branded to boku and have changed their order submission process so I need to check to see if the current mobillcash.module will still work or if it requires tweaking. Won't get a chance to do that this week, but, will report back up here later with any updates.
nice module ... but im
nice module ... but im wondering is it only for digital product ?? how about the real product ?? i mean like tshirt, jacket, and etc, example : customer pick the tshirt, and pay via mobilecash, we got an email or report there was a new order, than we check it, after we receive the payment we send the tshirt to the customer...can we use the module for payment metode ?? thanks ...
physical too
you can sell physical products too
As what I'd been told by Boku
As what I'd been told by Boku (previously known as mobillcash), they will only provide you with their service if you're selling downloadable items.
But if they changed their terms, and allow physical items to be sold now, please do let me know.
you're right
mobillcash did allow for physical sales, but, you're right, Boku don't allow physical sales...or to quote their FAQ
Is the project dead?
Hi Im looking for this module or something similar? any suggestions? Thank you