DPD Is Now Integrated with ConvertKit

  • Jason@DPD
  • November 17, 2015
  • No Comments

ConvertKitWe’re happy to announce that DPD is now integrated with ConvertKit, a powerful email marketing platform for bloggers, eBook marketing, and eLearning / courseware.

ConvertKit has unique automation features to send series of drip emails based on powerful automation rules, as well as support for sending one-off broadcasts to subscribers on demand. They also have a series of pre-made automation blueprints with sample automation flows to get you started quickly.

ConvertKit Automation

DPD will automatically send your store’s customers to ConvertKit upon completion of checkout and tag the subscriber with your ConvertKit tag of choice. This lets you follow up on your sales with a series of marketing, training, or support information.

Add The ConvertKit integration to your store:

1. Log in to DPD and go to Integrations in the left menu
2. Add the ConvertKit integration to your store
3. Log in to ConvertKit and go to your Account page. Copy and paste the API key from ConvertKit to DPD.
4. Select the existing ConvertKit tag you want to attach to all DPD customers sent to ConvertKit and save.

For detailed instructions and screenshots please see our Integrating with ConvertKit KB article.

All future sales through DPD will automatically send your customer’s information to ConvertKit with the tag you selected. These subscribers can then be used for automation rules, broadcasts, or courses in ConvertKit.

We’re really impressed with the ConvertKit system and look forward to working with them!

Other Changes in this Update:

  • Fixed Upsell feature image height alignment issues
  • Fixed a text display issue with span tags in the Upsell feature
  • Fixed a display issue related to daylight savings time and the dashboard graphs
  • Updated invoice template to always show customer name / email provided in the cart
  • Added user selectable test mode to card based payment methods
  • Internal tool and script updates for customer service

New Features: Product Upsell Feature and Store Policies

  • Jason@DPD
  • October 29, 2015
  • 5 Comments

Product Upsells

Today we released our new product upsell feature. This feature lets you configure an upsell product to be offered when one of your products is added to the DPD cart or during instant checkout. This encourages your customers to spend more and increase your cart totals!

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For each product in DPD you can configure the following:

1. The Upsell Product to be offered from your currently available products.

2. The Upsell Message to be displayed, such as “Upgrade to the Deluxe version for $3 more!”

You can view a demo of the new Product Upsell Feature on our product demo page.

Store Policy Support

DPD now supports store policies to be displayed in the footer of every page of your DPD hosted cart and checkout. This is for compliance with some processors and merchant account providers and to better protect vendors.

Once configured from the Policies menu item under Store Options in DPD the policies will be displayed in your cart footer as seen below:

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These new policy links only show if a policy is configured in DPD. The links open to a new page that displays the policies you have defined.

We’d love to hear your feedback on product upsells, the new policy support, and whatever other features and options you’d like to see- please drop us a line through our support desk or talk to one of our support team on live chat and let us know!

Oct 7, 2015 Update: Goodbye old and busted, hello new hotness.

  • Jason@DPD
  • October 7, 2015
  • 2 Comments

About a million years ago in internet time we released the first version of the DPD cart. It was pretty awesome for the early 2000’s, but the internet (and DPD!) have moved on. We’ve since released the v2 cart in 2011 and the v3 cart this year, which adds a whole slew of new features, responsiveness, and better customization.

When we released these new versions we never forced anyone to upgrade. This lead us to having vendors using 3 different versions of DPD, some of which (v1 and v2) are barely supported anymore. It’s a bit of a support and development nightmare.

Automatic Version Upgrade!

Well, today marks the end of the v1 cart for everyone. We loved you baby, but we’ve moved on with our lives. All active v1 carts have automatically been upgraded to the v3 cart.

Vendors don’t need to do anything but enjoy the more reliable, responsive and feature rich checkout experience.

This is one of several preparation steps to releasing our new session based download system that is going to improve the customer experience (and reduce vendor support headaches) for everyone!

In addition to the automatic upgrade:

  • Added VAT exceptions for Azores (18%) and Maderia (22%), Portugal; and the Canary Islands (0%), Spain.
  • The pulldown builder now allows sorting product order during creation.
  • Fixed a bug where a product with no active purchase actions was able to be purchased. You can now deactivate all purchase actions and temporarily prevent a product from being purchased.
  • Combo products now list the bundled products in the correct order on the product detail page.
  • Fixed incorrectly calculating the longest subscriber stat in subscription stores.

PayPal Certificate Upgrade Notice

  • Jacob@DPD
  • September 11, 2015
  • 1 Comment

As most of you are already aware, PayPal will be upgrading the SSL certificate for www.paypal.com to SHA-256 on 9/30/2015 and has been sending out notices to pretty much everybody that uses their service.

What DPD is Doing

Our developers have known about this change for months and have taken the necessary action to accommodate it.

What You Need to Do

Nothing! We’ve taken care of this so you can all relax.

If you have further questions please feel free to write in a support ticket or talk with us on livechat.

Upcoming Change: Improving Download Controls and Self Service Activation

  • Jason@DPD
  • July 27, 2015
  • 2 Comments

We’re putting the finishing touches on a massive service improvement to DPD that will completely change the way we authorize and deliver product files.

We understand that many people are resistant to change, but the advantages of the new system we’re prepping for release are overwhelmingly positive for both the vendor and consumer and we’re excited to start this series of posts explaining the new system.

How DPD Works Now: Time and Attempt Based System

DPD currently lets the vendor set two options that controls how buyers can download their products- Time Limit and Attempt Limit. This is basically how every other service works too.

Time Limit: How long the download links should remain active. This can be set as anything from 24 hours to unlimited.

Attempt Limit: How many download attempts (clicks of the download button) that can take place before it is deactivated.

Once either of these limits are reached the buyer can no longer access their files. They must then contact the vendor, the vendor must manually reactivate the download, and the buyer must follow the new email link sent to them.

The Problem We’re Trying to Solve

Manual reactivation is the number one pain point that vendors tell us about- its the primary customer service problem for most vendors (where buyers lose their files and need to re-download months later) and it makes buyers angry to not be able to access their purchases.

Also, if a buyer purchases multiple times from the same store, the purchases are not available together- the buyer must find each individual purchase email to get the unique download link from that purchase.

Mobile devices like iPads and phones make this problem worse- these devices don’t always download the files, opening them from their location on our server. When the time or attempt limit is reached, these files just stop working, causing another CS headache for the vendor and reducing buyer confidence.

Our Solution: Session Based Download Controls

Where the current system authorizes attempts for a certain amount of time, the new system will be session based and authorize a particular computer or mobile device to access the file.

Once a computer is authorized, they can download the file whenever they want, on that device, for as long as the vendor wants to allow.

If the buyer attempts to download the file from an unknown device DPD will ask them for their email address, and a new authorization link for that device will be sent to their email. Only the person with access to the buyers email will be able to authorize new download sessions.

The vendor will be able to control how many devices can be activated at one time. For example, as a vendor you may allow 3 devices at once (a desktop or laptop, iPad, and mobile phone). The vendor will also be able to specify how many activations total can occur before they need to be manually reset.

This is a massive improvement for several reasons:

  1. The buyer can always access their files.
  2. The buyer can not easily share access with others, and if they do they will burn their own access sessions.
  3. The buyer will be able to authorize their computer and have access to all their purchases using that email, not just the current one.
  4. If the buyer is using a new device they can do self-service reactivation using their email, eliminating the need for manual reactivation by the vendor and related customer service woes.
  5. Session based download controls will allow us to offer more advanced anti-sharing features, like hosted ebook readers. We’ll have a post about our new hosted ebook reader in the next few days!

Those who play computer games may be familiar with Steam. Steam uses a device based authorization system extremely similar to the new system DPD is rolling out where if you log in from a new device you must authorize it using your email and a code they send you. This is that system for anything sold through DPD.

The Plan Going Forward

1. Once we finish final testing on session based downloads (already in progress) we will release them as the default activation method for all new stores created in DPD.

2. Once we are sure there are no issues with new stores, we will be moving all existing stores to the new responsive checkout and session based activation.

This will be a forced upgrade for all existing stores- we have older stores using cart versions that are 2-3 versions out of date. We are going to modernize every checkout using DPD, drop support for previous cart versions, and focus 100% of our development efforts on the new, modern, responsive checkout.

Questions?

We’ll make a release post when sessions are released for new stores. Everyone will have at least 30 days to try the new activation system and put it through its paces before we force upgrade for every store.

If anyone has any questions about the new session based activation system we’re always here to answer them for you. We understand that change can sometimes be scary, but the massive improvements of this new system are worth it.

Service Outage: Power Loss at Primary Data Center Due to Backup Power Failure

  • Jason@DPD
  • July 20, 2015
  • 2 Comments

This morning the Softlayer datacenter where DPD’s primary servers are located experienced power loss.

The Softlayer datacenter has both battery and backup generator backup power supplies, but the automatic transfer switch for the backup generators failed, resulting in DPD’s servers losing power when the backup battery supplies were exhausted.

This resulted in an unclean shutdown of DPD’s primary database server. As a result, the database was corrupted on disk. DPD maintains regular backups of database data and we immediately worked to restore the latest backup that happened approximately 39 minutes before the power loss event.

DPD is now up and fully operational.

We are working to restore the missing data that happened between the time the last backup happened at 6:25 AM EST and the power loss event at 7:04 AM EST. We hope to restore this data within the next 24-48 hours but we’ll need to extract the data from the corrupt database and insert it in to the new restored database, so it will take some time to complete.

Power Outage Event Timeline:

All times Eastern

  • 6:25 : Last regular database backup.
  • 7:04 : Our datacenter received a power outage. Redundant power failed to take over before battery backups were exhausted. The pod our servers are located in then lost power.
  • 9:40 : Power was restored.
  • 9:41 : We discovered an anomaly with the database. Further investigation shows on-disk corruption from the power outage.
  • 10:10 : It was determined that the database was not recoverable in a reasonable time and we would restore from backup.
  • 10:45 : Recovery complete. Approximately 39 minutes of data was lost in the recovery.
  • Ongoing: We’re working to restore the missing data between the last backup and the outage. Updates will be posted as they happen.



We responded to support requests through our help desk, email, Twitter, and Facebook during the outage. We are looking into better ways of relaying system status to you in the future, including a 3rd party status monitor everyone can check.

DPD Update: Multiple Quantities in Bundles, Minor Bug Fixes

  • Jason@DPD
  • June 22, 2015
  • No Comments

In this update we’ve added the ability to add multiple quantities of individual products to bundles. This will be great for selling volume licenses and product keys with a quantity discount. We also squashed a couple bugs related to the new Proof of Delivery page and Subscriber Areas.

Bundles Support Multiple Quantities

When adding items to bundle products vendors can now specify a quantity for each line item in the bundle. If a component product contains product keys and there are multiple quantities added, DPD will deliver that number of product keys.

A possible use for this is selling bulk licenses at a discounted price without having to use coupons or hidden price points. You could create a key product for $10 and then create a bundle that contains 5x that key product for $45, for example.

To add quantities to new or existing bundle products you simply need to edit the quantity in the provided field on the product edit page:

Bundle Quantity Field

As before, you can drag and drop each line item to reorder their display on the delivery page.

Other changes in this update:

  • Minor layout tweaks to Proof of Delivery page
  • Removed some sensitive transaction log information from Proof of Delivery page (vendor emails, URLs, etc.)
  • Fixed an issue with downloads not being authorized for Subscriber Area trial accounts.
  • Added autocomplete tags for fields on mobile checkout
  • Fixed a bug that was spamming some vendors with $0 bills for the first <5 subscribers on their account.

PayPal Policy Update: Added Purchase Protection for Intangible Goods and How it Affects You

  • Jason@DPD
  • June 11, 2015
  • 6 Comments

Last night PayPal notified of a policy update, effective July 1, 2015, that included a number of changes to their User Agreement, Acceptable Use Policy, and Privacy Policy.

Intangible Items Added To Buyer Purchase Protection

The most important change to sellers of intangible items such as games, software, ebooks, music, or audio files is that they are now extending Purchase Protection to buyers of intangible goods.

Section 13.3
We are increasing the scope of PayPal Purchase Protection to now include coverage for intangible items.

More importantly, while they are extending Purchase Protection to buyers, they are not extending Seller Protection.

Section 11.4
Although we are expanding PayPal Purchase Protection to buyers for intangible items, Seller Protection will not apply to intangible items. We are including a note in this section about this. In addition, we are adding a definition of Proof of Delivery for intangible or virtual items or services which can help a seller win a buyer’s Item Not Received Purchase Protection Claim.

Proof of Delivery for Intangible Items

As they mention above, the note added to the section defines proof of delivery as “documentation satisfactory to PayPal” that the item or service was provided to the buyer such as proof of download including the date of fulfillment.

“Proof of Delivery” for intangible or virtual items or services is documentation satisfactory to PayPal that the item or service was provided to the buyer such as proof of download including the date of fulfillment.

NOTE: Although Purchase Protection extends coverage to buyers for intangible items, Seller Protection does not apply to intangible items. However, having proper Proof of Delivery can help a seller win a buyer’s Item Not Received Purchase Protection Claim.

It is important to note that they only say proof of delivery, including proof of download and the date of fulfillment “can help a seller win a buyer’s Item Not Received” claim and does not guarantee a decision in the vendors favor.

In summary, PayPal has made it easier than ever for buyers to make Purchase Protection Claims against sellers of intangible (downloadable) goods. They have outlined in a very non-specific way how vendors can provide proof of delivery of intangible goods and said that it will in some way influence or “help” the claims process.

View the Entire PayPal Policy Update Here

What DPD Is Doing for Vendors

DPD is a Gold PayPal Partner and listed in the PayPal Solutions Directory.

DPD has always recorded purchase details such as the time the purchase took place, buyer IP address, the full PayPal responses and IPNs, and all buyer information provided to the DPD or PayPal checkout flow.

We have also always recorded download attempts including the amount of the file transferred, if we can detect a successful full delivery (based on transmitted data and the actual file size stored on our servers), the download IP address, and user agent.

We have taken all this information and compiled a Proof of Delivery page that can be provided to PayPal in the event of a Item Not Received Purchase Protection Claim. The page is hosted on DPD servers at a public but salted and randomized URL to protect buyer and seller information.

Here is an example Proof of Delivery page: Demo Purchase Proof of Delivery

Proof of Delivery Screenshot

DPD vendors can get this page for any transaction from its Purchase Detail page in DPD.

1. Log in to DPD

2. Go to Purchases in the left menu

3. Browse or search for the purchase and click the Purchase ID in the table to open the detail page.

4. At the top of the purchase detail page, click the Proof of Delivery button

Purchase Detail Page

Future Updates

We have contacted PayPal in an attempt to get further clarification on what additional information needs to be added to the Proof of Delivery page to maximize its effectiveness for vendors selling intangible items. Unfortunately, responses from PayPal are generally slow. As we receive more information from them we will update the proof of delivery page as needed.

Announcing DPD Subscription Areas and Drip Feed Content

  • Jason@DPD
  • June 8, 2015
  • 8 Comments

This weekend we released support for subscription areas in DPD. Vendors can now create their own DPD hosted subscriber “mini-site” and sell recurring subscriptions for access to content. This massive update includes many new features enabling you to sell access to scheduled content, drip feed subscriptions, and paid podcasts.

Based on the feedback and usage of our limited private beta of subscription stores we have modernized the subscriber area, added numerous features such as search, archives, better subscriber management, and an all new post interface, and changed the layout of content both in the admin and subscriber area for better readability.

The Subscriber Area

The all new subscriber area features a responsive design like our cart and checkout and layout optimized for readability and the way subscribers consume content.

Subscriber Index

The subscriber index is the first seen after subscribers log in. It has the first post in full, with the most recent posts below.

Subscriber Area Index

Post Page

Each post opens to its own post page, with any related content and downloads.

Individual Post Page

Archives / Search

The searchable archives page lists all posts in a compact list format. Both the post title and contents are searchable.

Post Archive / Search Page

Responsive Design for Mobile

Like our responsive cart and checkout, we’ve optimized the entire subscriber area for viewing on mobile devices.

Responsive Design

Creating a New Subscriber Area

We’ve added a wizard that guides you through creating your new subscriber area. To get started, create a new store. When prompted, select Subscriptions and the wizard will guide you through the process, step by step.

We’ve created a KB article to explain all the features and options during setup:

Getting Started with a DPD Subscriber Area

Multiple Ways to Post Content

DPD subscriber areas let you post content two ways- scheduled content and Drip Feed posts. The new post page in the DPD admin allows you to write content, attach files and a post image, and specify how this content will be released.

DPD Admin - Post Page

Scheduled Content

Like a traditional blog, you can schedule posts to go live on a specific date / time (or immediately) and all subscribers will see the post when it is published. You can attach downloads and a post image to your posts.

For more information on posting content:

Creating Content Posts

Drip Feed Content

One of the most popular requests we’ve ever had, DPD now supports drip feed content series where you specify what day after signup that a subscriber gets access to content. Drip feed posts allow you to queue up content and release it for each individual subscriber when they reach the drip feed interval.

Drip Feed Posts

For more information on creating drip feed posts:

Setting up a Drip Feed Series of Posts

Paid Postcast / RSS Support

You can optionally enable paid podcast / RSS feed support so that your subscribers can view your content feed in iTunes or their favorite feed reader. This will add the iTunes and RSS buttons you see in the index screenshot above to your subscriber site.

Check out the KB article below for more information on enabling podcast support:

Setting up a Paid Podcast Feed

Managing Subscribers

You can manage your subscribers from the DPD admin. Easy search tools let you find subscribers and modify their subscriptions, send a password reset, or cancel the subscriber.

Subscriber List in DPD Admin

You can drill down to each subscriber by clicking their name to find out how long they’ve been subscribed, their payment history, and perform account operations.

Subscriber Management page

For more information on managing subscribers:

Managing Subscribers

Need more help?

You can view all the documentation available for the DPD subscriber area in the new knowledgebase category listed below:

Subscriber Areas: Selling Access to Paid Subscription Content with DPD

We’re also here for you! Send us a live chat or submit a support request and one of our support team will do our best to get you started selling subscriptions and drip feed content with DPD. We welcome your feedback!

New ActiveCampaign Integration

  • Jason@DPD
  • April 28, 2015
  • No Comments

ac_symbol_transDPD now integrates with ActiveCampaign and passes customer info from your DPD store to the ActiveCampaign list of your choice when a purchase is made.

Setup only takes a couple minutes and works through ActiveCampaign’s API method for reliability and ease of use.

Other (minor) Changes in this update:

  • Fixed a sort order bug affecting the country list on older carts
  • Moved subtotal above the discount in v3 carts
  • Fixed formatting on user/support page.
  • Added select-to-text input on billing state inputs