osCommerce

What is osCommerce

osCommerce is an open-source eCommerce platform that allows businesses to create and manage their own online stores. First released in the year 2000, it is one of the oldest and most established shopping cart solutions available. The core purpose of osCommerce is to provide a free, self-hosted alternative to subscription-based platforms, giving merchants full ownership and control over their website, data, and code. The company behind the project is osCommerce Ltd., based in the United Kingdom. The platform is built on modern technologies like PHP and MariaDB, focusing on performance, security, and flexibility. Users can start with a basic store and expand its capabilities by adding applications from the osCommerce App Store.

osCommerce Features

• Open Source Platform: The core software is free to download, use, and modify. This gives you complete control over your store's functionality and appearance.
• Full Data Ownership: Because you host the store yourself, you own all your customer and product data, with no restrictions from a third-party platform.
• App Store: Extend your store's features with a wide range of free and paid add-ons. This includes payment gateways, shipping modules, design themes, and marketing tools.
• Modern Technology: osCommerce v4 uses recent versions of PHP and MariaDB, ensuring your website is fast, secure, and compatible with modern hosting environments.
• Mobile-Friendly Design: The platform is designed to be responsive, providing a good shopping experience for customers on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
• SEO Tools: It includes features to help you optimize your store for search engines, improving your visibility in search results.
• No Platform Fees: Unlike many SaaS platforms, osCommerce does not charge any transaction fees on your sales. You only pay for your hosting and any payment processor fees.
• Large Community: A large and active community of developers and store owners provides support, advice, and custom solutions through forums.

osCommerce Pricing Plans

osCommerce operates on a different model than subscription-based services. The core software is completely free.

• Free Core Software: This plan includes the full eCommerce platform, which you can download and install on your own web hosting. It is suitable for anyone who has the technical skill to set up and manage a website.
• Retail App Pack: This is a bundle of paid applications designed for standard retail businesses. It adds advanced features to the free core software.
• Wholesale App Pack: This pack extends the platform with B2B (business-to-business) functionality. It is for distributors and manufacturers who need features like customer-specific pricing, credit controls, and bulk ordering.
• Enterprise Pack: This is the most comprehensive option, including all osCommerce-made apps. It turns the shopping cart into a complete business management tool. This plan is for large businesses that need an all-in-one solution, with options for dedicated hosting and support.

osCommerce Free Plan

osCommerce is fundamentally a free product. The core eCommerce platform is available to everyone at no cost. You can download the software and use it to build a fully functional online store.

What is included is a complete shopping cart system with product management, order processing, and basic configuration. The limitations are that you must provide your own web hosting and domain name. Technical support is primarily through the community forums. For more advanced features or professional themes, you will likely need to purchase them from the App Store.

How to use osCommerce

Getting started with osCommerce involves a few technical steps:

1. Get Hosting: First, you need a web hosting plan that supports PHP and a database like MariaDB or MySQL.
2. Download osCommerce: Go to the official osCommerce website and download the latest version of the software package.
3. Upload Files: Unzip the downloaded file and upload the contents to your web server using an FTP client.
4. Create a Database: Use your hosting control panel (like cPanel) to create a new database and a database user.
5. Run the Installer: Open your web browser and go to your domain name. The osCommerce installation wizard will start automatically.
6. Follow Instructions: The wizard will guide you through configuring the database connection and setting up your store administrator account.
7. Configure Your Store: After installation, log in to your admin panel. From here, you can add products, set up categories, configure payment methods like PayPal, and define shipping rules.
8. Customize and Extend: You can change your store's design by installing a new template or customize the existing one. Visit the App Store to add more functionality as your business grows.

Pros and Cons of osCommerce

Pros:

• Completely Free: The core software costs nothing, which is great for startups with a small budget.
• Full Control: You have 100% ownership and control over every aspect of your store, from the code to the customer data.
• Highly Customizable: With access to the source code and a large library of apps, you can build a store that does exactly what you need.
• No Transaction Fees: You keep more of your revenue because there are no platform fees per sale.
• Strong Community: A large, long-standing community means you can often find help and resources for free.

Cons:

• Technical Skill Required: You need some technical knowledge to install, configure, and maintain the software and server.
• You Are Responsible for Security: You must handle security updates, SSL certificates, and PCI compliance yourself.
• Hidden Costs: While the software is free, you must pay for web hosting, a domain name, and potentially premium themes and apps.
• Support Can Be Slow: Community support is not guaranteed to be fast. For immediate help, you may need to hire a developer or pay for a support plan.

osCommerce Integrations

osCommerce integrates with hundreds of third-party services through its App Store. These integrations are available as modules or apps that you can install on your store. Key integration categories include:

• Payment Gateways: Connect with major payment processors. Examples include PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.Net, and Opayo.
• Shipping Providers: Integrate with carriers to offer real-time shipping rates and print labels. Common integrations are for UPS, USPS, FedEx, and Royal Mail.
• Marketing Tools: Connect your store to email marketing services like Mailchimp or analytics platforms like Google Analytics.
• Accounting Software: Export order and customer data to accounting systems such as QuickBooks.

Integrations are managed by installing the corresponding app from the osCommerce App Store into your admin dashboard.

osCommerce Alternatives

1. WooCommerce: A free, open-source plugin for WordPress. It is a great alternative if you want to combine a content-rich website or blog with an online store. It is easier to use for those already familiar with WordPress.
2. PrestaShop: Another popular open-source eCommerce platform. It is known for having a more user-friendly admin interface out of the box compared to osCommerce and has a large add-on marketplace.
3. Magento Open Source (by Adobe): A very powerful and scalable open-source platform aimed at larger businesses with complex needs. It is more resource-intensive and requires significant technical expertise to manage.
4. Shopify: A leading SaaS (Software as a Service) platform. It is much easier to set up and manage, as hosting and security are included. However, it comes with monthly fees, transaction fees (if not using Shopify Payments), and less customization freedom.

osCommerce API

Yes, osCommerce provides a powerful API for developers. The latest version, osCommerce v4, includes a modern RESTful API that allows for deep integration with other systems. Developers can use the API to create custom applications, connect to third-party services like ERPs or CRMs, and manage store data programmatically.

Since osCommerce is open-source, the API is fully accessible within the codebase. Documentation for developers is available on the osCommerce website and through its community resources. There is no cost to use the API or obtain a key; developers can generate keys directly from within their own installation for their custom applications.

Example API Interaction (Conceptual PHP):

<?php
// This is a conceptual example
$apiKey = 'YOUR_GENERATED_API_KEY';
$apiUser = 'YOUR_API_USER';
$storeUrl = 'https://yourstore.com/api/';

$ch = curl_init($storeUrl . 'products/123');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
    'Authorization: Bearer ' . base64_encode($apiUser . ':' . $apiKey),
    'Content-Type: application/json'
]);

$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

$productData = json_decode($response, true);
print_r($productData);
?>

osCommerce Affiliate program

osCommerce does not offer a traditional affiliate program where you earn a commission for referring customers. Instead, it has a Partner Program for developers, designers, and agencies. Partners can earn money in several ways:

• Creating and Selling Apps: Developers can build applications and design themes and sell them on the osCommerce App Store, earning a revenue share on each sale.
• Client Projects: Partners can get project leads to build or maintain osCommerce stores for clients.
• White Label and Co-branding: Agency partners may have options for white-labeling the solution for their clients.

To join, you should visit the 'Partners' section on the osCommerce website. There you can find information on how to register as a developer or design partner. If you are an influencer looking for a different kind of partnership, it is best to contact their business development team directly through their official contact channels.