Classified Ads Software Features: Credit System

Credit system is an internal system of payments for services provided by iLister Classified Ads Software - based websites. This system has a substantial degree of independence from external payment gateways. Use of external payment gateways is restricted to user credit account balance replenishment. Therefore, payment gateways are not connected with anything else in the software, which greatly simplifies the integration of new payment gateways.

Features at a glance:

• Website administrator is able to create credit packages and set prices for each option.
• Each registered user gets an account within the system.
• Users can purchase credits stored in accounts.
• Users can add credits by buying a certain amount of credits via one of the payment gateways, or admin can grant credits free of charge.
• Prices for listings, services, packages and other options are quoted in credits.

How Credit System Looks in Admin Panel

Setting Credit Packages:

• A new section was created: Admin Panel -> Payment Management -> Credit Packages, where website administrator is able to create credit packages.

• When setting a credit package, website admin sets a number of credits for this package and the total price of the package.
• Website admin can create, edit and delete credit packages.
• All packages are available for every user group. There are no user group-specific packages.

User Credit Management

• A new field called 'Available Credits’ was added to the ‘Manage Users’ section that displays current user account balances in credits.

• In this section, there is also a field to add credits to user accounts. Type the amount to add, select checkboxes against the appropriate users and click ‘Add Credits’. It will add credits to several user accounts at once.
• The admin cannot decrease account credits for any user.
• In the 'Transactions’ section, a transaction log is displayed. The admin filters transactions by username.

Credit Management by User:

• On the ‘Edit User’ page, there is a field with a current user account balance.
• Type a number of credits to be added and hit the ‘Add Credits’ button to add credits to a user account.

• There is also a link to user transaction journal on the ‘Transactions’ page.
• In the ‘System Settings’ section, we added an input box and a checkbox to manage low account balance notifications and reminders to add credits to the account. Low balance may prevent user from paying for or re-activating listings or other options.

How Credit System Looks on the Front End

We have renamed the ‘My Payments’ section to ‘My Account’ in the menu area of the registered user interface.

In this section, a current user account status is displayed along with the available credit packages. User can buy one or more of the packages available.

By clicking ‘Buy’ the user will be redirected to buy packages via an external payment gateway.

When payment is completed, the credits purchased will be added to the user account to pay for website services and options. 

All balance-related activities are reflected on the ‘Transactions’ page. Users can view their transactions in real time.

Automatic Listing/Package Reactivation:

• All user packages and listings are reactivated automatically as long as user has enough credits on account.
• In case user account balance is below the threshold specified by the admin, an account balance replenishment email is automatically dispatch containing a payment link.
• Adequate amount of credits on the account are required to renew links/services.