PostFinance Plugin(CraftCMS) - https://www.vonmoos-luzern.ch/
Post Finance Plugin for Craft CMS and Craft Commerce
Post Finance Plugin for Craft CMS and what it is important?
PostFinance did not offer a plugin compatible with Craft CMS or Craft Commerce, even though these platforms enjoy significant popularity in Switzerland and Germany.
This presented a predicament for VonMoos, a retailer specializing in sports and outdoor equipment, as they sought to enhance their online store and provide a wider range of payment options for their customers.
Given the popularity of PostFinance as a payment service provider, it became imperative to include this payment method for online buyers.
Unfortunately, due to the absence of an existing plugin, VonMoos turned to their online marketing partner, Klarplan AG, for a solution.
In response, Klarplan engaged Soft Solutions4U,for development of the plugin. With our extensive experience in crafting custom plugins, we enthusiastically embraced the task at hand.
Plugin development posed significant challenges, particularly due to the absence of comprehensive documentation for both the Craft CMS and PostFinance file structures. This compelled us to meticulously craft a detailed development plan, which involved a thorough examination of potential pitfalls and areas of uncertainty.
In addition, we undertook a comprehensive review of the user experience (UX) to ensure that all errors arising from user interactions were effectively addressed. This diligent approach was crucial in creating a plugin that would not only work seamlessly but also provide a user-friendly experience, mitigating any potential issues for end users.
TECHNICAL CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
Technology Stack
Technology Stack: Craft CMS (Backend – admin panel), Craft Commerce
CodyHouse (Frontend), HTML5, SASS, JavaScript,MySQL
Web Service API Client
Craft CMS
MySQL Database
Integration Challenge and Solution
Several meticulous steps had to be taken collectively to form the foundation of a robust plugin that seamlessly integrated PostFinance into Craft CMS, enhancing the overall payment experience for both the business and its customers.
- Payment Process Implementation for PostFinance:
- This stage primarily focused on integrating the PostFinance payment system into the Craft CMS platform.
- Collecting Payment Details:
- We systematically gathered critical payment information such as the transaction amount, currency, and customer details directly from the Craft CMS.
- Sending API Requests to PostFinance:
- To facilitate the payment, we initiated API requests to PostFinance, leveraging their SDK or cURL, to securely transmit the collected payment data.
- Handling API Responses:
- We established a mechanism to process and interpret the responses received from the PostFinance API. This step was pivotal in determining the success or failure of the payment transaction.
- Displaying Results on Craft CMS:
- Upon receiving and processing the API response, we implemented a feature to display the outcome directly within the Craft CMS interface, ensuring users are promptly informed of the payment status.
- Redirection to Payment Page:
- In cases where it was necessary to redirect the buyer to the PostFinance payment page for further processing, we seamlessly facilitated this transition to ensure a smooth and secure payment experience.
- Final Result Presentation:
- Following payment processing or redirection, we ensured that the final result, whether successful or otherwise, was effectively communicated to the buyer. This step played a vital role in user satisfaction and transparency in the payment process.
Resolving Default Homepage Loading Issue
A meticulous testing process was vital to ensure that the plugin performed reliably, providing a smooth and error-free experience for users, regardless of the status, credentials, or payment outcome. We ensure the plugin was tested against all the following factors
- Comprehensive Testing for Seamless User Experience:
- Extensive testing was conducted to guarantee a flawless and user-friendly experience throughout the plugin’s operation.
- Verification of Plugin Status (Active/Inactive):
- The plugin underwent rigorous testing to confirm that it operated correctly under various status conditions, ensuring it functioned as intended whether active or inactive.
- Validation of Entered Credentials (Valid/Invalid):
- Thorough testing was performed to validate the correctness of credentials input into the plugin, assessing its ability to distinguish between valid and invalid entries accurately.
- Confirmation of Correct Plugin Display on Payment Page:
- Testing included the verification of the plugin’s proper display on the payment page, ensuring it seamlessly integrated into the user interface.
- Processing of Successful and Failed Payments:
- The plugin was rigorously tested to handle both successful and failed payment transactions effectively, guaranteeing that the desired actions were taken for each scenario.
Other Technologies
- 1 JavaScript for Frontend development
- 2 Rest API
- 3 Craft Commerce for the Online Store
October CMS Upgrade
Enhancing the Admin Backend Challenge: While the Front-End of HotelCard was intricately intertwined with the Laravel Framework, the backend relied on the older version 1.x.x of October CMS. The objective was to introduce enhancements and novel features, necessitating an upgrade of the CMS.
Enhancing Elastic Search Functionality
Revamping the search functionality was a pivotal task. Our mission encompassed implementing the ability to select additional services (such as breakfast, extra bed, etc.) during hotel room bookings. These services featured distinct price options, and multilingual support was a crucial requirement.
SoftSolutions4U Team did a fabulous job of creating a complex Craft Commerce Plugin for Post Finance. The plugin works perfectly and is very easy to use.
OWNER KLARPLAN 
SoftSolutions4U Team did a fabulous job of creating a complex Craft Commerce Plugin for Post Finance. The plugin works perfectly and is very easy to use.
OWNER KLARPLAN 
