I'd like to use the affiliate plugin with s2Member plugin, is this possible? It mentions that it can be integrated using pixel tracking but I think I read somewhere else in this forum that you don't recommend this method.
Can you please advise me the best way to do this?
Thanks
WP Affiliate Platform do not have pixel tracking (as it's not very reliable) but you can just place a bit of code (that I will give you) in the post payment processing script of the s2Member plugin and it will track the commission.
To be more specific.. you will have to add in the code I give you in the "paypal-return.inc.php" file (in the "includes/functions" directory) of the s2Member plugin.
The other option is to use the IPN handling script to award the commission.
Hi Amin
Thanks for your reply. I'm not sure if this helps for the best method to use but I got this from the plugin:
You may also want to check the s2Member API Notifications panel. You'll find additional layers of automation available through the use of the Signup, Payment, EOT/Deletion and Refund/Reversal notifications that are available to you through the s2Member API. These make it easy to integrate with 3rd party applications like affiliate programs and other back-office routines. Since the s2Member API Notifications operate silently on the back-end, in conjunction with the PayPal® IPN system, they tend to be more reliable and also more versatile. That being said, nothing really replaces the simplicity of using Pixel Tracking, and the s2Member API Notifications are not necessarily the best tool for the job in all cases. For instance, API Notifications will NOT work with Google® Analytics, or 1 pixel <img> tags. They operate silently behind-the-scenes, using cURL connections, as opposed to being loaded in a browser.
I'll be using your affiliate program with your estore plugin too, and want to add s2Member plugin to allow extra features.
Which method would you recommend? I'm happy for you to send me the code if you think this is the best way to go.
Thanks again
Yeah awarding commission through the IPN handling script is the best way to go (this is what eStore does).
Looks like the "API Notifications" options make it very easy to integrate too. The only question is... do they allow you to add a value in the "custom" field of PayPal dynamically? This value will be needed at the back end.
It looks like you can add custom fields. I've posted the info here just to make sure!
If you use affiliate software, or have back-office routines that need to be notified whenever payment transactions take place, and/or for recurring payments, you'll want to read this section. This is marked Payment, because the URLs that you list below will be notified each time an actual payment occurs. Depending on your fee structure, this may include a first initial payment that establishes a subscription. But more importantly, this will be triggered on all future payments that are received for the lifetime of the subscription. So unlike the Signup notification, Payment notifications take place whenever actual payments are received, instead of just once after signup is completed. If a payment is required during signup ( e.g. no free trial is being offered ), a signup notification will be triggered, and a payment notification will ALSO be triggered. In other words, a payment notification occurs anytime funds are received, no matter what. Please note, this feature is not to be confused with the PayPal® IPN service. PayPal® IPN integration is already built into s2Member and remains active at all times. These Payment Notifications are an added layer of functionality, and they are completely optional; used primarily in affiliate program integration & other back-office routines.
They allow entry for:
Payment Notification urls
Payment notifications take place silently behind-the-scenes, using a cURL connection. Each URL will be notified every time an initial and/or recurring payment occurs.
You can also use these special replacement codes if you need them:
* %%subscr_id%% = The PayPal® Subscription ID, which remains constant throughout any & all future payments. [ ? ]
* %%txn_id%% = The PayPal® unique Transaction ID, which is always unique for each payment received.
* %%amount%% = The amount of the payment in USD. Most affiliate programs calculate commissions from this.
* %%first_name%% = The first name of the customer who purchased the membership subscription through PayPal®.
* %%last_name%% = The last name of the customer who purchased the membership subscription through PayPal®.
* %%full_name%% = The full name ( first & last ) of the customer who purchased the membership subscription.
* %%payer_email%% = The email address of the customer who purchased the membership subscription through PayPal®.
* %%item_number%% = The item number ( in other words, the membership level: 1, 2, 3 or 4 ) that the payment is for.
* %%item_name%% = The item name ( in other words, the associated membership level label that briefly describes the item number ).
Custom replacement codes can also be inserted using these instructions:
* %%cv0%% = The domain of your site, which is passed through to PayPal® using the custom field in your PayPal® button code.
* %%cv1%% = If you need to track additional custom variables, you can pipe delimit them into the custom field of your button code like this: <input type="hidden" name="custom" value="mysite.com|cv1|cv2|cv3" />. You can have an unlimited number of custom variables that track IP addresses, affiliate IDs, etc. In some cases you may need to use PHP code to insert a value into the custom field dynamically. Obviously this is for advanced webmasters, but the functionality has been made available for those who need it.
This example uses cv1 to track a user's IP address:
( The IP address can be referenced in your notification URL using %%cv1%% )
<input type="hidden" name="custom" value="mysite.com|<?php echo $_SERVER["REMOTE_ADDR"]; ?>" />
The same information is available on the account deletion and payment reversals sections too.
Thanks!
Nice.. it makes the integration simple. Okay so now you can integrate in two ways
1) Through the IPN handing script.
2) Through the "Thank You" page.
Let me know which one you prefer and I will send you the instructions.
Alright... in eStore's scenerio I have placed a bit of code in the IPN handling script which awards the commission.
In s2Member's scenerio we can maybe take advantage of the Notification API. I have added an API for awarding commission via HTTP GET or POST request in the Affiliate Platform plugin. You can find the documentation on this here:
http://www.tipsandtricks-hq.com/wordpress-affiliate/awarding-commission-via-http-get-or-post-189
So, the idea is to pass the Referrer ID using the custom field like the following:
<input type="hidden" name="custom" value="<?php echo $_COOKIE['ap_id']; ?>" />
Then use the s2Member's Notification API to post a request to the affiliate platform's API to award the commission.
Let me know if this makes sense. You will need an updated version of the Affiliate platform plugin to have this new API that I added. Please use this URL to request an update:
Hi, I sent you an update via email. Please let me know if you do not receive this email.
Cheers,
Ivy
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