PDF Stamping and Updating Files

[canuckystan]

I want to offer users 1 year of unlimited downloads for a set price. I will update the pdf files on occasion during the year.



According the pdf stamping documentation, these users will not be able to access the updated pdf file. Is this true?



Also, must there be a password with a stamped pdf file? I'd rather the customer not need a password if the pdf file will be stamped.



Thanks!

[E-junkie_Monster]

Hello,



The password parameter in the PDF stamping feature is for when your existing file has a password that we'd need to know in order to edit it. After applying the stamp we lock the file with a completely random password just to be sure no one can get in to change it later, but buyers won't need a password to read the file.



There are two things going on in regards to updates and stamped PDFs. Links generated by the Update service or the free download link tool in your Seller Admin screen don't have any transaction data to apply to the file in the first place. There's nothing for us to stamp.



The part where a buyer won't get an updated file deals only with their original download link that they received after purchase. If you did not put a time limit for expiration on your download links then a buyer could possibly download as many copies of your file as you allowed download attempts for it. Should they make one of these downloads after you have updated a file under normal circumstances they would get the updated file, but with PDF stamping we are basically generating a unique stamped copy of your original file for a particular buyer. That buyer's download link will always provide the same stamped file it gave the first time around regardless of any changes you made to the product since.



In the end there isn't a way to make updates compatible with PDF stamping. Also, to clarify you won't be able to provide a buyer with unlimited downloads after a purchase since the maximum number of download attempts you can allow for a link is 9. You CAN send those buyers as many updated download links as you care to generate over the course of the year though, and typically a buyer shouldn't want to download unlimited copies of the same update version anyway so what you are planning should be fine as long as you are willing to pass on the stamping feature.

[canuckystan]

This right here is why you folks have the best e-payment system out there - nobody else responds in such detail.



That's fine - I can do without the pdf stamping for my purposes.



Just to clarify though, is this correct:



1) I can set a 1 year expiration on the download links sent out

2) During that year, the customer downloads a few times, he or she WILL get the updated pdf file

3) This will work with bundles (i.e., one purchase but customer gets 2 download links for 2 different files, no zipping. In other words, this is for a "buy this pdf and get a free that" pdf)

4) This won't work with pdf stamping (fine with me).



Yes?

[E-junkie_Ninja]

The answer to all of those is yes.



1) You can set the expiration to one year. It will need to be in hours so you will need to enter in 8760 in the field for the number of hours. Your buyers will still be limited to 9 download attempts for the purchase. there is not a way to set more then 9 attempts.



2) If you update the file within your account, when the buyer goes to download the file after the update they will get the new file.



3) As long as both of the products in the bundle are setup to have the year expiration, the buyer will have two links that will not expire for a year.



4) Our PDF stamping feature does not work with our bundle product feature.