wallet

Zen Cart – e-commerce software

Zen Cart is an open source e-commerce shopping program. Built on a foundation of OScommerce code, it provides an easy-to-setup and run online store. It offers easy administration / product management with working credit card processing out of the box.

The software is also designed to make online shopping easy for customers and simple for the shop owner to manage.

Its features include product attributes managers, built-in gift certificates and discount coupons, HTML editor, a template system, “register globals off”-compatibility, and much more.

There is a large library of addons and contributed modules which enhance the functionality of the software. These include admin & marketing tools, shipping modules, templates, and payment modules.

Features include:

  • Easily keep products/catalog updated – no HTML coding required to add, delete, or modify products.
  • Secure – no one but your administrative personnel can access your customer/catalog data.
  • User frontend is validated to XHTML 1.0 Transitional.
  • Advanced template system using stylesheets and images.
  • Any PHP coding changes can be protected during upgrades by using the built-in override protection system.
  • Switching from one installed template to another is as simple as a couple of clicks in the Admin.
  • Merchandise Pricing options – single and multiple items can be put on sale. Sale options include percentage-off, fixed amount off, new price, etc. Sales can include or exclude product attributes.
  • Products can be marked as free or Call for Price.
  • Products can be marked as featured for specific highlighting/attention.
  • Products can be linked and/or copied to multiple categories.
  • Minimum or maximum quantities and units – you can sell one per customer, or require at least four and in multiples of two. Set requirements on a per-product basis.
  • Quantity discounts can be configured per-product for varying pricing levels or quantity levels.
  • Product attributes can be added, either as radio buttons, checkboxes, drop-down lists, text boxes, file uploads, file downloads, and more. Attribute options can upcharge the price of an item, and an item can have its price completely controlled by attributes. Attributes can be configured as read only so as to provide a features list.
  • One-time fees can be added to products via attributes.
  • Attributes also support text pricing, such as price-per-word or price-per-letter for personalizing.
  • Attributes can show image/color swatches.
  • Store layout can be controlled in great detail simply by switching settings in the Admin area. Choose your side column and box widths, bread crumb separator, which sideboxes you want to appear where on the page, enable/disable links in various places.
  • Entire categories of products (or individual products) can be enabled/disabled with just a few clicks.
  • Sort order of products is easily controlled in the Admin area.
  • Integrate with phpBB so that your support forum login passwords match your Zen Cart shop.
  • Nearly every piece of information about  products can be controlled in the Admin area, giving you the ability to fine-tune how your products and services appear to your customers. Features and options can be enabled/disabled quickly and easily
  • Multiple items can be added to the shopping cart by simply entering quantities and clicking Add.
  • The product type feature allows you to customize information fields and display format for different products differently. Products for sale vs. documents for viewing, vs. music downloads, and the list goes on.
  • You can add multiple images to your products, in small/medium/large format. Popups are available if desired for viewing of larger images.
  • CVV2 card verification number support is available for compliance with most merchant agreements.
  • Shipping options – multiple carriers are supported, including hold for pickup, free delivery in an area, and most major couriers and postal services.
  • Customer access control – you can set up your shop to only allow customers access to pricing or pricing but not buying until after being authorized by an administrator. You can restrict them from browsing at all too, if desired.
  • Showcase – you can set your store up to be simply a product showcase, without pricing at all.
  • Search options allow you to search for products based on name, description, metatags, price, and more.
  • Meta tags keywords and descriptions can be controlled at the per-product level, all from the administrative interface.
  • Automatic detection of search engine spiders.
  • Intelligent generation of metatags content for search engines.
  • Easily upgrade from one version to the next. Upgrade detection notifies administrators of new versions at login.
  • Built in WYSIWYG page editor for modifying non-database pages.
  • Tight security on password handling, login/logout, and more.
  • HTML-style email supported.
  • Email can be sent via sendmail, smtp, or smtp-with-authorization.
  • Email archiving supported for audit trail.
  • Administrative activity logging enabled for audit trail – especially beneficial with recent merchant agreement requirements concerning tracking of activity related to accessing customer information.
  • Advertising banners.
  • Shipping estimator allows your customer to get an idea of their shipping costs prior to checkout.
  • Coupons and gift certificates are easily handled both by customers and administrators.
  • Customer group pricing allows groups of users to receive a set discount amount at checkout.
  • Newsletter and product notification systems.
  • Low order fees can be configured.
  • COD fees can be added.
  • Shipping tare, large package handling to give fine-grain control over shipping services.
  • Tax rates, tax zones, etc easily configured in the Admin area.
  • PayPal and many other popular merchant services supported.
  • Customers can write product reviews (approvals can be required by an Administrator).
  • Low stock notifications to administrator when inventory is getting low (level can be configured).
  • For the developer – simple customization via stylesheets.
  • Developers toolkit helps quickly locate a setting or text string to be customized.
  • Scalable from small shops to larger shops with hundreds of thousands of products.
  • Track who is online interactively.
  • Multiple language support.
  • Multiple currency support.

Website: www.zen-cart.com
Support: Tutorials/FAQs, GitHub Code Repository
Developer: Zen Ventures, LLC
License: GNU General Public License v2.0

Zen Cart is written in PHP. Learn PHP with our recommended free books and free tutorials.

Return to eCommerce


Popular series
Free and Open Source SoftwareThe largest compilation of the best free and open source software in the universe. Each article is supplied with a legendary ratings chart helping you to make informed decisions.
ReviewsHundreds of in-depth reviews offering our unbiased and expert opinion on software. We offer helpful and impartial information.
The Big List of Active Linux Distros is a large compilation of actively developed Linux distributions.
Alternatives to Proprietary SoftwareReplace proprietary software with open source alternatives: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Autodesk, Oracle, Atlassian, Corel, Cisco, Intuit, and SAS.
GamesAwesome Free Linux Games Tools showcases a series of tools that making gaming on Linux a more pleasurable experience. This is a new series.
Artificial intelligence iconMachine Learning explores practical applications of machine learning and deep learning from a Linux perspective. We've written reviews of more than 40 self-hosted apps. All are free and open source.
Guide to LinuxNew to Linux? Read our Linux for Starters series. We start right at the basics and teach you everything you need to know to get started with Linux.
Alternatives to popular CLI tools showcases essential tools that are modern replacements for core Linux utilities.
System ToolsEssential Linux system tools focuses on small, indispensable utilities, useful for system administrators as well as regular users.
ProductivityLinux utilities to maximise your productivity. Small, indispensable tools, useful for anyone running a Linux machine.
AudioSurveys popular streaming services from a Linux perspective: Amazon Music Unlimited, Myuzi, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal.
Saving Money with LinuxSaving Money with Linux looks at how you can reduce your energy bills running Linux.
Home ComputersHome computers became commonplace in the 1980s. Emulate home computers including the Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, ZX81, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum.
Now and ThenNow and Then examines how promising open source software fared over the years. It can be a bumpy ride.
Linux at HomeLinux at Home looks at a range of home activities where Linux can play its part, making the most of our time at home, keeping active and engaged.
Linux CandyLinux Candy reveals the lighter side of Linux. Have some fun and escape from the daily drudgery.
DockerGetting Started with Docker helps you master Docker, a set of platform as a service products that delivers software in packages called containers.
Android AppsBest Free Android Apps. We showcase free Android apps that are definitely worth downloading. There's a strict eligibility criteria for inclusion in this series.
Programming BooksThese best free books accelerate your learning of every programming language. Learn a new language today!
Programming TutorialsThese free tutorials offer the perfect tonic to our free programming books series.
Linux Around The WorldLinux Around The World showcases usergroups that are relevant to Linux enthusiasts. Great ways to meet up with fellow enthusiasts.
Stars and StripesStars and Stripes is an occasional series looking at the impact of Linux in the USA.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Please read our Comment FAQ before posting a comment.

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments