Need Help: Want to Create Digital Download Activated By Expiring Password

Business
1

Hi,

I need something userfriendly for non-techies that meets the following guidelines:

A person can walk into a store, buy a product, and, in the package, find a sticker for a free digital download if they punch in a unique code.

This code is good once and cannot be shared.

The link that the person receives will not reveal the true location of the file. It will be an expiring link instead. The link will either be good for a particular length of time or for one download.

It will have to be fixed so that thousands of people can take advantage of the offer by punching in their unique secret code.

This is a little different than a shopping basket because it is invite only and it’s free as a premium incentive for someone who has purchased a six-pack of Pabst, for instance.

I also need stats on who downloaded what.

Another add-on feature, but not totally necessary is: Someone subscribes to a magazine. They get a free digital download as an incentive for subscribing. How about something with a feature so that magazine staff can enter the email address, into the system, of the person who has just subscribed to the magazine? Then, the subscriber gets instructions on how to download the incentive item.

Can anyone tell me the cheapest way to do all this? I’m not a complete non-techie, but I have learned many things by “fiddling”. Therefore, tech lingo is something I do not understand. I do not know what a “php app” is or anything like that. Keep this in mind in your response.

It’s hard to keep track of things like this, so please copy any response to monkeyjediflame (at) gmail (dot) com. You can post it here, too, as a reference for others.

Thank you.

2

monkeywisdom, I wouldn’t bother trying to implement such a system. By limiting how many times your visitors can access what they pay for you open yourself up to all sorts of potential issues in regard to with-holding goods and services rightfully paid for. Your only reasoning for such a system seems to be to avoid distribution, but what you have failed to consider for is the chance that someone might just download the file and place it back on the web for other people to download (rather than copying the link). It’s not worth using a system which will damage your customers experience just to try and prevent something you have no control over. :slight_smile:

3

I actually found a good solution. Thanks. Your advice is good for someone who is SELLING to the customer. In this case, I’m not selling anything. Someone else already sold something to the customer, and they gave the customer a code to redeem for a free download. Even if they get a one week expiring link, they can share it with their friends. That’s no problem in itself. However, I have to bill that company for those downloads. Therefore, there can only at most one download per code. Once they download it, they keep it. They’re not restricted access in any way. And again, I found a system that fulfills my needs. The only problem is that they have to enter their credit card info or use their Paypal account, then enter a code for the full price. They are then charged $0.00. Just a slight hassle for them.
Thanks again.

4

monkeywisdom, any chance you could share the solution you have found?? I am trying to set up something similar with a set of files I am intending to market.