Over the years I’ve sure appreciated having Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) plugin to platform my plugin sales. It’s pretty cool, and handles most my needs including software licensing.
However, I have had numerous little issues with the plugin. I apply each update with trepidation, because often changes (“upgrades”) cause abrupt slumps in my sales. Of course the developers are well-meaning, and I’m sure these upgrades are in fact upgrades for certain people. But it’s becoming more and more clear that even though I’m a paying subscriber of EDD, their developers might not be “in touch” with the my reality or my customers’ realities.
There are things a customer just. does. not. want. to. see. when. shopping.
Case in Point
With the latest updates to the Stripe payment gateway plugin, EDD moved to the new API and allows small text to appear on screen just below the credit card fields, which easily would scare off a good number of customers:
“By providing your card information, you allow [Business Name] to charge your card for future payments in accordance with their terms.”
Oh dear God! How long has my website been telling people THAT? “Their terms?” What terms? Where does the customer now go to find those terms? Away from your checkout, that’s where.
Let’s Fix THAT
I know that EDD is stressing the subscription model and has a strong integration with Stripe for that model, but for those of us running EDD shops without subscription, this kind of small print is… not great. Luckily there’s an easy fix, but it does involve a few lines of PHP
add_filter( 'edds_stripe_payment_elements_terms', function( $terms ) {
$terms['card'] = 'never';
$terms['applePay'] = 'never';
$terms['sofort'] = 'never';
$terms['cashapp'] = 'never';
$terms['bancontact'] = 'never';
// view more methods here: https://stripe.com/docs/js/elements_object/create_payment_element#payment_element_create-options-terms
return $terms;
} );Other payment methods might need to have these off-putting terms turned off too. You can view their keys here: https://stripe.com/docs/js/elements_object/create_payment_element#payment_element_create-options-terms
My Verdict
The card terms should be set to “never” by default, and set to the other ☠️☠️☠️ option when EDD store subscriptions are enabled. Developers should be serving the majority of their users, esp. their paying users. I can’t imagine that most EDD users are using the subscription model. It’s expensive, complex and controversial amongst merchants and customers.
After various other SNAFUs over the years, makes me very hesitant to apply site upgrades on anything but a development server. This is frustrating. I just don’t like the prospect of combing through upgrades to review UX each time. I’m paying them so it just doesn’t seem like it should be my job. </tirade>