FAQs
From Shopp Documentation
What is the difference between a Single-site and Developer Access "license" purchase?
A Shopp update key provided you with access to software updates and support for activated WordPress sites.
Single-Site Access key
Single-Site Access key will give you the ability to activate one site for updates and support.
Developer Access key
A Developer Site Access key will give you the ability to activate unlimited sites for updates and support, as well as give you access to the exclusive developer's forum, bleeding-edge releases, and more.
Developer (Upgrade) Access key
A Single-Site Access key can be be upgraded to a Developer Access key at a discounted upgrade cost. This provides a low-cost of entry to try out the Shopp platform before committing to the Developer Access key.
Only one Single-Site Access key can be upgraded to a Developer Access key (multiple Single-Site keys cannot be combined for extra discounts).
I'm having problems getting Shopp to activate. Where can I find help?
Most of the known issues that cause this are from things outside of Shopp, like your web hosting setup. Take a look at the Troubleshooting (login required) articles for details.
Is technical support free?
Yes and No. We have free and paid support options. If you have a technical support issue that is time sensitive, such as if you have a deadline looming or an emergency, you will need to use our paid support option.
Free Support Options
Documentation
First, we also have extensive documentation on this site, which is intended as the "Shopp Manual". Please make use of this information, as we have invested hundreds of hours producing it.
Help your brother
Second, many other Shopp users may be experiencing the same issues as you, so we have our Community Forum available to talk through issues together. The Community forum should also be used for development and how-to discussions, as this is outside the scope of free support.
Ask the Support Team a Question
Third, we have the official Support team. Free Non-priority official support from Ingenesis Limited is available for finding, diagnosing and fixing problems that do not need to be resolved quickly. Please be aware that we will not answer how-to or development questions! See our Support Policy for more information. The official Support Team is accessible, by going to the Forum Site, logging in (important), and clicking the Ask the Support Team a question button.
The Official Support Team is literally dealing with hundreds of issues at the same time, so you should imagine that you may be standing in a long line with many other people with a little piece of paper that has the number 246 written on it.
We have published our real-time statistical averages for response times on our Help Desk, so that you can get an idea of what the load of our Help Desk is this week. If these numbers horrify you, there is a red carpet near by, leading toward our Paid Support services. There is barely anyone standing in that line. A Priority Support credit is your ticket to line jump. Don't feel guilty about using it!
Paid Support Options
Finally, our paid Priority Support services are available for time critical technical support incidents. This is the only service we offer with guaranteed, fast, and first-priority technical support response. You will never wait more than 1 business day for a priority response, guaranteed, and most are handled the same day, within hours.
To get Priority Support, first purchase a support credit, then login (important) and click the Ask the Support Team a question button on the Forum site, and select your Priority credit from the Priority menu before submitting your support incident.
Once you have applied your credit to your incident on the Help Desk, our Priority Support team will immediately be paged to let them know about your incident, and they will spring up to answer.
Do you have a customer service number?
You can call +1 (888) 977-4662 and leave a message. This is not a technical support hotline.
Please understand that we do not offer phone technical support.
This line is not staffed. You will be reaching a voicemail box for the company. Please allow up to one business day for a response (We operate Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm Eastern Time).
We will not respond to messages left for technical support. If you are in urgent need of technical support, purchase a priority support credit, and apply it to your issue on the Help Desk forum.
Who develops and maintains Shopp?
Shopp was originally developed by Jonathan Davis of Ingenesis Limited. Ingenesis Limited currently focuses on Shopp development as its primary business focus. Ingenesis also provides professional development consulting for Shopp and other WordPress related projects when and if time is available to do so.
Ingenesis Limited P.O. Box 2846 Springfield, Ohio 45503
Can I get access to your forums and documentation before I buy?
No, our forums and documentation site is for members only. We have a refund policy, if you feel Shopp hasn't lived up to its reputation. Feel free to ask a specific pre-sales question on our Forum by clicking the big Ask the Support Team a question button, and selecting pre-sales before submitting.
Is there a 30-day trial/evaluation version?
No, we do not offer an evaluation version, but we do have a refund policy if you are not satisfied. Also, you can checkout our live Shopp Demo, and even login to the admin to experience the merchant and administration features.
I heard Shopp was "open source". Why can't I just download it?
We produce, and sell software. Open source (or free software as we prefer to call it), is not free of cost as in free beer. In this case, the English word "free" means "protecting your freedoms and liberty", not "free from cost". We sell access to the software at the Shopp Store. Sales cover the costs of distribution and also help support the continued development of the project.
Shopp is licensed under the GNU GPLv3, the most prominent Free (as in liberty) Software license.
Is there a refund policy?
Yes, there is. Please see our sales and refund policy.
How do I find out if my hosting provider will support Shopp?
Check the Requirements of Shopp to start. You can download and install the Shopp Requirements Check plugin that will tell you if your hosting environment will work for Shopp.
The following hosting providers are known to meet the basic technical requirements of Shopp, but haven't yet been tested fully for compatibility:
Which version of Shopp should I purchase for a WordPress Multisite/network install?
For Single-Site Access key purchases, bear in mind that we will only support a Single-Site for updates and technical support. If you would like to updates and support for unlimited sites, you will need a Developer Access key.
Can I upgrade from a Single-Site Access key to Developer Access for Shopp?
Yes, you can upgrade one Single-Site Access key to a Developer Access key. To do so, visit the Shopp Store, and select Developer Access [Upgrade]. Then enter your Single-Site Access key. After purchase, the key will be converted to a Developer Access key and will then be able to be used on multiple sites.
Can I use more than one Single-Site key to further discount my developer key purchase?
No, you may upgrade one Single-Site access key only.
Can I use Shopp on my development or testing site without purchasing an additional key?
Yes, you can use the plugin on your testing/dev site without activation. If you need support and updates on your test/dev site before going live, you may activate the site. Just be sure to deactivate the key before moving to your live server. That way you can activate there.
Is purchase one-time, or will I have to pay to upgrade?
Upgrades are free for the existing major release of Shopp. Currently Shopp is version 1.x, and we will continue releasing bug-fixes and enhancements for some time to come on this version. (Example: There is no upgrade fee to upgrade from Shopp 1.0 to Shopp 1.1, Shopp 1.2, Shopp 1.3, etc.) There will be a modest upgrade fee when we develop Shopp 2.x.
There is no annual or monthly cost from Ingenesis Limited to use the Shopp software.
Do I need to purchase addons for each site if I have a Developer Access key?
No, you need only purchase one copy of the Payment, Shipping, or Storage addons if you have a Developer Access key.
Do you offer custom development services?
If we have development time available on our schedule, we will quote you for your project based on $300 USD per hour. ($2400 minimum)
Can you develop support for my payment processor?
Our currently supported payment options are listed on the Shopp Store. If your payment option is not listed here, we can develop it for you, provided that your bank/payment processor has a publicly accessible programming API documented on their site. If you can do the footwork of getting this information from your bank/payment processor, as well as testing account information, it will go a long way toward getting this done. We can not give you time estimates on completion, so if time is of the essence, you may need to inquire about paid development services.
Do you have an affiliate/partners program?
No, we do not currently offer an affiliate program.
