Oscommerce Module Installation and Oscommerce Customization This is an article that describes what oscommerce modules are, what's the use of installing oscommerce modules to your existing store, and a number of prominent oscommerce modules that are in widespread use today.

What are oscommerce modules ?

Oscommerce modules are small plug-ins (small packets of code and design) that you can insert into your existing oscommerce store in order to extend its functionality. Modules can be for numerous things; they may be adding a new shipping method to your store, allowing another input field you need to collect from customers to an order form, providing a specific export function in order for your accounting/inventory needs, bringing new sales functionality that doesnt exist in oscommerce like multiple vendors per product, or offering Gift vouchers and discount coupons to your customers and so on. Possibilities are practically endless, because a module that does not exist yet, can be programmed. The idea behind modules is great - you can insert and remove functionalities without disturbing and needing to fundamentally change oscommerce's base code. In that, its an infinitely scalable concept.

Modules already exist in your current store

Actually oscommerce does many things it does through modules. Flat rate shipping option for example, is a preinstalled oscommerce module. So are Simple Credit Card, Standard Paypal modules. From time to time, the services that these modules use may change their methods, causing the need to update the preinstalled modules. Ie, if Paypal changes the way their payment API (interface) works, you will need to get your Paypal payment module updated. Same goes for real time quote shipping modules like UPS, USPS, Fedex and such.

Most commonly used Oscommerce Modules

Below are some of the modules that many oscommerce stores are lacking, and frequently gets installation requests. We can install any oscommerce module and program custom modules, this list is intended as a resource to provide answers to some questions you might have about the modules you are going to get installed.

Please just contact us from this link or send a free quote request from this link if you require module installation and modification/programming for any oscommerce modules listed or below or not listed.

Coupon Codes/Gift Voucher Module

One of the most popular modules. This module enables you to provide coupons to customers and also sell gift certificates. Some features :

• You can create coupon codes from admin side for one time use, or set the number of times the coupon can be used, per customer
• You can see statistics of coupon usage
• You create a gift certificate product and sell it like any other product. Customers can buy it and then can mail it to a friend. Friend comes in and uses the gift voucher to purchase products from your store
• Both coupons and gift certificates can be used at the same time. First the gift certificate amount is subtracted from the total order, and if there is any amount that needs to be paid after that, customer can apply discount coupon, and pay the discounted amount.

RMA Module (product returns)

Return Material Authorization module provides an easy way to allow your customers to return products and you to easily keep track of it by assigning them RMA numbers. Customers come to your estore, and process the return product form through RMA mdoule. Then you can either accept and process the return through admin or refuse. You can also assign a surcharge as a percent of the product purchase value.

Affiliate Module

With affiliate system you can offer other people/webmasters to link your products and advertise them, and in return get a commission. This in return increases your exposure and sales. Commission rates can be set per affiliate. You can see statistics on how much affiliates have sold and your commissions owed them.

Basic Template Module

This module allows changing of oscommerce visual design much easier. Additionally it makes you able to move infoboxes in right and left columns up and down, order them, show or not show them upon selection.

Easy Populate Module

Easy populate module allows you to import/export your products, prices, categories with ease, or change prices and other details easily by importing/exporting from CSV spreadsheets. You can edit those in MS Excel.

Multiple Format Feed Uploader Module(CSV, Excel tab files)

This module allows multiple feed format import from multiple vendors. You can change each column's settings as in price, weight, sku, quantity in inventory and the like. Offers more versatility than easy populate. Can be used to delete non existent products or set to 0 inventory quantity via import sheets.

Points and Rewards Module

A point and rewards system resembling cash back or discount systems, this module is for increasing sales and get new customer signups. System assigns points to customers for what they spend. Points can be redeemed as cash (only after admin approval of points manually). Later this cash can be used for ordering during checkout.

Points and Rewards Module

Separate Pricing Per Customer Module (wholesale/retail pricing, multiple pricing levels) This is a much needed module in that it will allow you to provide different groups with different pricing. You can therefore assign customers to wholesale group, and they can use wholesale prices for same products, and retail group which will use retail prices. Works with any pricing level structures.

Quickbooks Import Export Module

Allows you to easily export your orders from oscommerce into quickbooks. You can also export your products to quickbooks. Install, configuration and testing requires 5 hours.

Thumbnail Images Module

Creates thumbnail size pictures for your products, eliminating the pixellated or distorted product images in listings. Images are dynamically created, does not require you to upload new images. Requires PHP GD library.

Custom Computer/Product Creator Module

Allows your customers to assemble products from parts (computer, any other customizable product) and then order the end product like a single product, like alienware.com and the like. Please see this page for further details

Rental Queue/DVD Rental Module

This is a Netflix like rental queue system for Oscommerce. Please see this page for further details

WYSIWYG Product Description HTML Editor

- Edit your product descriptions and Newsletters in HTML format rather than the boring plain text that is the default in Oscommerce. With this module you can easily edit your product descriptions in visual format rather than needing to know html.

Recover Cart Sales Module

Customers add items to their cart, and for some reason they do not finish the purchase. With this module you can find such orders left in the cart, and then contact the customer in order to find out why they left the product at the cart, increasing sales.

Product Specials by Product Category or Whole Store

Useful for running site specials without having to individually mark each product on special. Specials/Sales are great for increasing your site sales.

Product Specials by Product Category or Whole Store

You can mark any product category, or entire store for specials with this module, instead of marking products one by one.

Product Attributes Inventory Module

With this module you can keep a product attributes inventory, to assign to products as you require, rather than having to put attributes to each and every product at the time you create them.

Down For Maintenance Announcement

During maintenance you can turn on a custom warning from your admin so that customers will not be able to order or use your site, but see this warning message instead.

Detailed Sales and Tax Reports

This module shows monthly or daily reports of your gross income, taxable sales, taxes collected, shipping and handling charges, product sales, and allows you to print them easily or export to csvs.

Order Editor, Creator, and Manual Customer Account Creator from admin side

Gives you the capability to manually create and edit orders, customer accounts from admin side. And edit old orders. When you create an order in admin side, it doesnt directly go through your payment module and get processed, you will have to process it manually.

How Did You Hear About Us Module

Provides a way to track how people found your web site. Very useful for seo work. On customer registration there will be a drop down box where they can select the referrer. In admin you can set up this dropdown with 'Google' or 'Somewebsite.com' and so on.

Google Base (Froogle), Yahoo, Bizrate, Shopping.com Feeds

These feeds will provide that your store will have feeds compatible with shopping comparison sites such as Froogle, shopping.com and so on. Additionally you can request a cron to be set up which will feed your products to these sites on daily basis, increasing sales.

Articles and info Manager Module

You can add any type of articles to your oscommerce store with this module, just like it was a news publishing site. About products, promotions, tips, anything. Adding such useful content to your site also increases your SEO ratings. Module allows you to edit meta keywords and description, title of the article you are publishing.

Ebay listings Module

You can show a listing of your ebay listings on your oscommerce store with this module. Picture, item price, start date, end date, name and highest bidder is shown.

Information Page Manager

With this module you can easily edit shipping, contact us, about us sections of your oscommerce site. No html knowledge needed.

Shipping Estimator on Shopping Cart

This module will show an estimate shipping cost on cart page, therefore customers will be able to see the approx. shipping charges before they go to checkout. Saves sales in that customers will not be left in doubt or have to contact you before they order.

Oscommerce SEO Modules


Header Tags Controller

Enables you to have unique meta title, description and keyword tags for each page of your site. This is very important in that it will give each product page higher rankings because each will have relevant meta tags in regard to their contents. Meta tags are dynamically created from product title and descriptions. Requires 3 hours for installation.

SEO Urls (mod-rewrite)

This module changes the url that shows up in your products and categories pages. instead of showing generic product_info.php urls, it puts in the name of the product as the url, as in "hp_deskjet_pro.html". This boosts search engine rankings for that keyword and therefore the entire page. requires mod_rewrite present in your web hosting account. 5 hours required for install and testing.

All Products Page Module

All products page lists all of your products in a single page to enable search engines access your products easier from a single page, and thereby boosting SEO ratings. Requires 2 hours for installation.

Oscommerce Shipping Modules


FedEx Shipping Module

Gets live quotes from FedEx based on customers' cart contents and display on your cart page. Quotes are based on weights of the products. Also allows insurance, and shipping and handling fee.

USPS Shipping Module

Display live USPS shipping quotes and also be able to choose what USPS methods are allowed for shipping, Priority Mail, Ground and so on. Allows your own shipping and handling fee.

UPS Shipping Module

Allows selection of UPS modules and live UPS shipping quotes on your cart. Provides shipping and handling fee and insurance too.

Multi-Vendor Shipping Module

This module provides different shipping methods for you rproducts. A product can be a free shipping product, whereas another can ship from USPS or UPS, and another can ship using only UPS. Module also allows emailing of different vendors you use to draw your orders from.

FedEx, USPS, UPS, DHL Real Time Order Tracking

Provides the store admin to track orders from admin page after entering relevant tracking number. Your customers can also thrack their orders by a track button from their order history.

Oscommerce Payment Modules


Credit Card With CVV Code

Allows you to accept CVV codes from your customers and remove it after processing order from your admin. Important to remain Visa compliant.

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