E-Commerce - Genius CE & Enterprise

Introduction

One of the most significant features of Genius is its capability to facilitate payments from learners during the enrollment process for various learning opportunities listed in the Course Catalog. By enabling direct payment collection from learners as part of the registration process, Genius empowers your organization to transform its e-learning initiatives into a potential revenue stream. This functionality is particularly beneficial when creating educational content for a large audience, such as hundreds or even thousands of learners, making it essential for sustainability and growth.

E-Commerce in Genius CE & Enterprise: How it Works

When learners choose to enroll in courses or learning paths via Genius CE & Enterprise, they are presented with various payment method options. These default payment methods include:

• The ‘Pay via Website’ option enables learners to securely enter their credit card information and process their payments directly online, offering convenience and immediacy in securing their enrollment.
• The 'Purchase Order' option allows learners to upload a PDF document that acts as proof of purchase for the course or learning path they want to enroll in. After the learner uses the Purchase Order option, Genius administrators will then be able to approve the Purchase Orders and invoice for relevant charges through the Genius system.
• The ‘Mail a Check’ option provides learners with detailed instructions for making an offline payment. This method confirms their registration in the course once the payment has been received, ensuring a straightforward approach for those who prefer traditional payment methods.

Each of these options can be customized to better align with your organization’s specific needs, but the underlying functionality for each remains consistent. It is essential to note that the only payment option that redirects users to a payment gateway, if one is in place, is the ‘Pay via Website’ option. The other options should not be renamed to suggest a redirect to your payment gateway, as they do not function in that manner.

What happens when learners pay for their courses in Genius CE & Enterprise?

Upon selecting the 'Pay via Website' option, learners will input their credit card details directly within the Genius CE & Enterprise platform. After they provide this information, a series of secure transactions occur between Genius CE & Enterprise, their financial institution, and the chosen payment gateway, which are outlined in the following steps:

1. Genius CE & Enterprise transmits the learners’ credit card information to the payment gateway through a secure, SSL-encrypted pathway, ensuring that sensitive data is protected during the transaction.
2. Importantly, Genius CE & Enterprise does not retain any credit card information from learners. Each time a learner purchases within the platform, they are required to enter their credit card details anew, which enhances security and privacy.
3. The selected payment gateway processes the payment and sends a confirmation back to Genius CE & Enterprise, indicating whether the transaction was successful.
4. If the payment is successful, Genius CE & Enterprise registers the learner in the selected course section, allowing them to begin their learning experience as soon as it is available.
5. In the event of a successful transaction, the payment gateway credits your account or financial institution with the amount paid by the learner, minus any applicable fees or commissions from their end.
6. Conversely, if the payment fails, the payment gateway sends an error message back to Genius CE & Enterprise, which is then communicated to the learner attempting to register, ensuring they are informed of any issues.
7. All successful payment and registration attempts are recorded by Genius CE & Enterprise in its ledger, which is one of the readily available Reports for Administrators within the system.

For learners, the entire payment process is seamless and transparent. They remain within the Genius CE or Enterprise environment throughout the payment procedure, and their credit card information is safeguarded at all times. The capability to process various types of credit cards and payment methods is heavily dependent on the payment gateway selected by your organization.