The Blackout Windows feature of Aspenware Commerce allows resorts to set blackout windows for products to limit when guests can purchase or make changes to purchases using specification attributes. The configuration of this window can be specified to a specific time on a particular number of days in advance of arrival date.
Setup Checklist
This section is a comprehensive and high level summary of all tasks and prerequisites required for this feature to function properly. This section is purposed for use after an administrator is familiar with configuring this feature as an “audit” checklist. For detailed set-up instructions, jump down to “Prerequisite Tasks” and “Detailed Setup Guide” and then follow up with this checklist to ensure all steps are completed.
1. POS TASKS | |
|---|---|
POS Task 1 REQUIRED Set up date-based product in POS. | PREREQUISITE |
2. COMMERCE TASKS | |
Prerequisite Commerce Task - REQUIRED Ensure that Product Cutoff Days [Cutoff Days][Hidden] and/or Product Cutoff Time [Cutoff Time][Hidden] have been set up as a specification attribute under Catalog > Attributes > Specification attributes. | PREREQUISITE |
Language String, Setting, HTML widget, etc. Task 4 - OPTIONAL Ensure that seasonsettings.productcutofftime is configured. | PREREQUISITE |
Configuration Tasks - REQUIRED Set Up Number of Days Requirement for Blackout Window REQUIRED Overwrite Store Cut-off Time for Blackout Window OPTIONAL | DETAILED SETUP |
Prerequisite Tasks
This section describes all requirements that must be completed before you can begin setting up this feature. Once these tasks are complete continue to the next section.
POS Tasks
Ensure that the product set up in the POS.
Commerce Tasks
Create specification attributes for Product Cutoff Days [Cutoff Days] and Product Cutoff Time [Cutoff Time] under Catalog > Attributes > Specification attributes.
Settings, Language Strings and/or HTML Widgets for this Feature
This feature may require updates to the following settings, language strings and/or HTML Widgets. Learn more about how to update and create Settings, Language Strings, and HTML widgets follow the links to the respective section.
Settings
Configure the seasonsettings.productcutofftime (store cutoff time) setting. The attribute, Product Cutoff Days [Cutoff Days], works in conjunction with store cutoff time. For example, if your store-wide cutoff time is 13:00, and your cutoff days is set to 1, the product will not be available to buy after 1 pm the day before the booking in the resort’s timezone. However, if your storewide cutoff time is 23:00 and you have cutoff days set to 1, it will be available until 11:00 pm the day before in the store’s timezone.
Detailed Setup Guide
1. Set Up Number of Days Requirement for Blackout Window
Follow these instructions to set up a blackout window that restricts a product booking to a set number of days in advance.
Go to Catalog > Products to find the core product to which you would like to add a blackout window. Select the product and click Edit.
Scroll to the Specification attributes section on the Edit product details page. (If collapsed, click + to expand.) Click Add attribute.
From the Add a new product specification attribute page, enter the following into the designated fields:
Attribute type: select Custom Text.
Attribute: Select the Product Cutoff Days [Cutoff Days]
Value: enter the number of days in advance that a customer must book (e.g. 2.)
Show on product page: leave checked.
Display order: Leave blank
NOTE: The attribute, Product Cutoff Days [Cutoff Days], must be first set up as a specification attribute under Catalog > Attributes > Specification attributes if it does not show up in the Attribute type menu.
2. (Optional) Overwrite Store Cut-off Time for Blackout Window
The attribute, Product Cutoff Days [Cutoff Days], works in conjunction with store cutoff time (configured in settings as seasonsettings.productcutofftime.) For example, if your store-wide cutoff time is 13:00, and your cutoff days is set to 1, the product will not be available to buy after 1 pm the day before the booking in the resort’s timezone. However, if your storewide cutoff time is 23:00 and you have cutoff days set to 1, it will be available until 11:00 pm the day before in the store’s timezone.
If you would like the cutoff time to be different from the store cutoff time, follow the instructions below.
Go to Catalog > Products to find the core product that has a blackout window with a time that needs to be configured. Select the product and click Edit.
Scroll to the Specification attributes section on the Edit product details page. (If collapsed, click + to expand.) You should see that Product Cutoff Days [Cutoff Days][Hidden] has already been added. Click Add attribute.
From the Add a new product specification attribute page, enter the following into the designated fields:
Attribute type: select Custom Text.
Attribute: Select the Product Cutoff Time [Cutoff Time]
Value: Set it to set to the time of day (in military time) in advance the customer must book (e.g. 14:00.)
Show on product page: leave checked.
Display order: Leave blank
NOTE: The attribute, Product Cutoff Time [Cutoff Time] must be first set up as a specification attribute under Catalog > Attributes > Specification attributes if it does not show up in the Attribute type menu.
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