Event Tickets - Mail-In Payment Gateway

A complementary WordPress plugin that adds a mail-in payment gateway for Event Tickets Commerce, allowing customers to pay by mailing checks.

Description

This plugin extends the Event Tickets plugin by adding a "Mail-In Payment (Check)" gateway that allows customers to reserve tickets and pay by mailing a check. It provides comprehensive order management features for administrators to track and process check payments.

Features

• Check Payment Gateway: Seamlessly integrates with Event Tickets Commerce
• Order Management: Admin interface to track pending check payments
• Email Notifications: Automated emails for payment instructions, confirmations, and cancellations
• Customizable Settings: Configure mailing address, payment instructions, and reservation periods
• Order Tracking: Track check received status, bounce handling, and order notes
• Auto-Cancellation: Optional automatic cancellation of expired orders
• Template System: Customizable checkout and email templates

Requirements

• WordPress 6.6 or higher
• PHP 7.4 or higher
• Event Tickets plugin (with Commerce module)
• The Events Calendar plugin (recommended)

Installation

1. Download the plugin files
2. Upload the event-tickets-mail-in-payment folder to /wp-content/plugins/
3. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
4. Configure the gateway settings under Tickets > Settings > Payments

Configuration

Basic Setup

1. Navigate to Tickets > Settings > Payments
2. Find the "Mail-In Payment (Check) Settings" section
3. Configure the required settings:
   • Enable Mail-In Payments: Check to activate the gateway
   • Make Check Payable To: Organization or person name for checks
   • Mailing Address: Complete address where checks should be sent
   • Payment Instructions: Custom instructions for customers

Advanced Settings

• Payment Method Title: Customize the gateway name shown to customers
• Payment Method Description: Brief description shown during checkout
• Reservation Period: Number of days to hold tickets while awaiting payment
• Auto-Cancel Expired Orders: Automatically cancel orders after reservation period

Order Management

Admin Interface

Access mail-in payment management through:

• Tickets > Orders > Mail-In Payments - Dedicated management page
• Individual order edit screens include mail-in payment details

Order Processing

1. Pending Orders: Orders awaiting check payment appear in the management interface
2. Mark as Received: When a check arrives, mark it as received with optional notes
3. Mark as Bounced: Handle returned/bounced checks with reason tracking
4. Automatic Emails: System sends confirmation emails when status changes

Order Statuses

• Pending/Approved: Order created, awaiting check payment
• Completed: Check received and processed
• Denied: Check bounced or order manually cancelled

Templates

Customization

Templates can be overridden by copying them to your theme:

wp-content/themes/[your-theme]/event-tickets-mail-in/
├── checkout/
│   └── mail-in-form.php
├── emails/
│   ├── payment-instructions.php
│   ├── payment-confirmation.php
│   └── order-cancelled.php
└── admin/
    ├── mail-in-orders.php
    └── order-meta-box.php

Available Templates

• Checkout Form: checkout/mail-in-form.php - Payment method display during checkout
• Email Templates: Complete HTML email templates for all notifications
• Admin Templates: Management interface templates

Hooks and Filters

Actions

// Triggered when a check is marked as received
do_action( 'et_mail_in_check_received', $order_id, $notes );

// Triggered when a check is marked as bounced
do_action( 'et_mail_in_check_bounced', $order_id, $reason );

// Daily cleanup of expired orders
do_action( 'et_mail_in_cleanup_expired_orders' );

Filters

// Customize payment instructions
add_filter( 'et_mail_in_payment_instructions', function( $instructions, $order ) {
    return $instructions;
}, 10, 2 );

// Modify email content
add_filter( 'et_mail_in_email_content', function( $content, $template, $order ) {
    return $content;
}, 10, 3 );

// Customize reservation period per order
add_filter( 'et_mail_in_reservation_days', function( $days, $order ) {
    return $days;
}, 10, 2 );

Email System

Automated Emails

1. Payment Instructions: Sent when order is created
2. Payment Confirmation: Sent when check is marked as received
3. Order Cancellation: Sent when order is cancelled or expires

Email Customization

• HTML templates with responsive design
• Includes order details, payment instructions, and mailing address
• Uses WordPress mail system with customizable headers

Security Features

• Nonce Verification: All admin actions are protected with WordPress nonces
• Capability Checks: Admin functions require appropriate user permissions
• Data Sanitization: All user inputs are properly sanitized
• Order Validation: Prevents unauthorized access to order data

Development

File Structure

event-tickets-mail-in-payment/
├── event-tickets-mail-in-payment.php  # Main plugin file
├── src/                               # Core classes
│   ├── Gateway.php                   # Payment gateway implementation
│   ├── Order.php                     # Order management
│   ├── Settings.php                  # Configuration handling
│   ├── Provider.php                  # Service provider
│   └── Hooks.php                     # WordPress hooks
├── templates/                         # Template files
│   ├── checkout/                     # Frontend templates
│   ├── emails/                       # Email templates
│   └── admin/                        # Admin interface templates
└── README.md                         # Documentation

Extending the Plugin

The plugin is built with extensibility in mind:

• PSR-4 autoloading with namespace ET_Mail_In_Payment
• Service provider pattern for modular functionality
• Hook system for customization
• Template override system

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Gateway Not Appearing: Ensure Event Tickets plugin is active and Commerce module is enabled
2. Settings Not Saving: Check file permissions and WordPress error logs
3. Emails Not Sending: Verify WordPress mail configuration
4. Template Issues: Clear any caching plugins after template changes

Debug Mode

Enable WordPress debug mode to see detailed error messages:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );

Support

For support and questions:

1. Check the plugin settings and this documentation
2. Review WordPress error logs for any issues
3. Ensure all requirements are met
4. Contact the plugin developer for technical support

License

This plugin is licensed under the GPL v2 or later.

Changelog

1.0.0

• Initial release
• Mail-in payment gateway implementation
• Order management interface
• Email notification system
• Template system
• Settings configuration