EDD Member Downloads
The Easy Digital Downloads Member Downloads add-on for Restrict Content Pro lets you offer membership plans that give your customers access to a specified number of free downloads based on the membership level the customer has. This is useful for sites that want to offer products to their customers for free while they have an active membership. One example is a stock photography site.
Installing The Easy Digital Downloads Member Downloads Add-On
Download and install the plugin from your account dashboard here. If you need help installing the plugin, refer to the WordPress plugin installation documentation.
To license the plugin, please view our “How Do I License iThemes Products on My Sites” article.
Configuring The Easy Digital Downloads Member Downloads Add-On
Easy Digital Downloads Member Downloads must be enabled on the membership levels whose members you want to have free downloads. To do that, go to Restrict > Membership Levels, add a new membership level or edit an existing level, and enter the number of downloads allowed for that membership level. See the screenshot below.
That’s all there is to setting up the plugin! Everything else is handled automatically.
How It Works
If a customer with a download-enabled membership visits an EDD product page, the Add to Cart button will turn into a Download button to indicate to the member that the item is available for download. When the member clicks the Download button, the file attached to the product is automatically downloaded. Behind the scenes, a payment is recorded in EDD for the amount of $0 and added to the member’s account. A note is added to the payment record to indicate that it was created due to the customer downloading the item allowed by their membership. See the screenshot below.
Why Is The Payment Recorded?
Because Easy Digital Downloads protects files attached to a product, based partly on the payment details. This payment data is used to construct a secure link for the customer to download the file. This also allows the customer to later download the file again, if needed, from the Purchase History page created by Easy Digital Downloads. It also gives you and the customer a record of the products downloaded.
What Happens When A Customer Reaches The Download Limit?
The regular Add to Cart button is shown, allowing the customer to purchase the product if desired.
What Happens If A Customer Expires?
The regular Add to Cart button is shown, allowing the customer to purchase the product if desired.
Do Unused Downloads Carry Over Into The Next Period?
No, not at this time.
What happens when a customer renews the membership or the membership automatically renews?
The download count is reset for each membership period. For example, if a membership level is set up for a 1-month duration, and the membership level allows 10 downloads, which means the customer can download 10 items per month as long as he or she has an active membership.
Does It Support EDD Product Bundles?
No, not at this time.
Does It Support EDD Variable Price Options?
No, not at this time.
How Can I Display How Many Downloads The Current Customer Has Left?
This can be done with a shortcode: [rcp_edd_member_downloads_remaining] This will display the number of downloads the currently logged in user has left in the current period.
How Do Allowances Work If A Customer Holds Multiple Active Memberships?
If a customer has more than one membership to a download-enabled membership level then the highest allowance is used. For example: if a customer holds a membership that grants them 10 downloads per month, but they also hold a second membership that grants them 200 downloads per year, then their allowance is treated as 200 downloads per year because it is the higher number. Allowances do not combine at this time; only one value is used.
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