Free Registration

[Magicmarker]

I have my site set for a $12/year PayPal subscription but want to make it free for a while to up subscribers. But I still want to register people before they can access the site.

Where/how do I do that?

[Eduan]

¿You want to block everything to non-member users and offer a trial? If else please tell me again .
If so then you have to do several things:

1. Under WP Admin -> s2Member -> General Options -> Open registration put the option to YES. If you have the Pro version then this video may be of interest.

2. You have to block content to everything except the registration page and maybe an introduction under WP Admin -> s2Member -> General Options, see this video for more information.

3. Go to WP Admin -> s2Member -> Restriction Options -> Alternate View Protection and configure that. For more information see this video.

It may be a little long the process but it'll do the trick, hope it helps .

[Magicmarker]

Thanks. I want the home page to show but nothing else—like it is now. Will your directions do that?

www.thechicacafe.com

[Eduan]

Yes... If you do it correctly.

[Cristián Lávaque]

Yes. If you set the page and post restrictions to "all". WP Admin -> s2Member -> Restriction Options -> Pages and Posts

eave Alt Views allowed, you'll have the posts and pages themselves restricted, but the listings would still show them up to where you use the "more" tag.
WP Admin -> s2Member -> Restriction Options -> Alt. Views
http://codex.wordpress.org/Customizing_the_Read_More

Or you can restrict the alt. views too and have a static home page instead, just don't choose the same page you're using for the Membership Options cause it could cause trouble with WordPress. WP Admin -> Settings -> Reading -> Front page

I hope this helps.

[Magicmarker]

OK, I set the Open Reg to yes and restricted all pages and posts. But when I go to the Membership page (http://thechicacafe.com/chica-membershi ... evel_req=0) I still have my PayPal button and link.

How do I get rid of the PayPal option and just have a registration area/button?

[Eduan]

You want to remove the PayPal button, this would be a problem if they paid access, if they don't have to pay for anything it doesn't matter, just remove the PayPal button's shortcode.

The shortcode looks something like this:
[s2Member-PayPal-Button level="1" ccaps="" desc="Bronze Member / description and pricing details here." ps="paypal" lc="" cc="USD" dg="0" ns="1" custom="example.com" ta="0" tp="0" tt="D" ra="0.01" rp="1" rt="M" rr="1" rrt="" rra="1" image="default" output="button" /]

Tell me how it goes.

[Magicmarker]

I can get rid of the button but where do they enter their info? Over in the right hand column? And that's it?

Thanks!

[Eduan]

If you have PRO you can use Pro forms free registration. You'll find it under WP Admin -> s2Member -> PayPal® Pro Forms -> PayPal® Pro Free Registration Forms. Tip: Be sure to read that section to use them correctly.

If you don't have PRO then you can offer free membership in the right hand column right under the Password field you'll find a little link that says "Register", if they click there they can register for free on the standard WordPress register page.

Hope this helps.

[Eduan]

Just a little question:
Are you trying to make them register while they pay, but without using the PayPal button?
If not then please explain me again or see if what I posted above helps.
Thanks.

[Magicmarker]

I want the site to be Free but need registration (username, email, etc.).

I'm trying to incorporate a social site plugin called Mingle with S2. If you go to the membership page and click on the "register" link (http://thechicacafe.com/chica-membershi ... evel_req=0) it just takes me back to the same page?

Is Mingle conflicting or getting in the way?

[Eduan]

Okay you can use the process I posted above.
As to Mingle, have you tried deactivating and trying the registration page?

P.S. The page that you gave me is supposed to be the Membership Options Page right?

[Magicmarker]

I don't understand. The link I gave you when you click on"register" doesn't work.

[Eduan]

The page to which I'm redirected when I click register is supposed to be the Membership Options Page?

Have you tried deactivating Mingle and while it's deactivated have you tried the registration page?

Please post back.

[Magicmarker]

I checked and I don't even have a Membership Options page (?). I'm not sure I want to turn Mingle off since I have 100 members using the site.

Any other ideas? Thanks!

[Eduan]

Maybe that's the problem...
You really need to have a Membership Options Page, since s2Member is based on this page, it's the page non-users (or members without the correct membership level) will be redirected. You'll find it under WP Admin -> s2Member -> General Options -> Membership Options Page, while you're at it be sure to configure your Login Welcome Page correctly, which is under WP Admin -> s2Member -> General Options -> Login Welcome Page.

Hope this helps.

[Magicmarker]

Sorry, I did configure those pages. Here's my Membership options page that currently has the PayPal button: http://thechicacafe.com/chica-membership/?s2member_seeking=page-13&s2member_level_req=0

This is where clicking on "Register" brings you. My question is what do I do to have them just register on this page? What do I put in this page now that I'm deleting PayPal? What form, etc. do I use and how does it get captured and to where?

[Eduan]

If you have PRO you can use Pro forms free registration. You'll find it under WP Admin -> s2Member -> PayPal® Pro Forms -> PayPal® Pro Free Registration Forms. Tip: Be sure to read that section to use them correctly.

[Magicmarker]

I don't have PRO. Are you saying that's the only way to configure this page for free registration?

[Eduan]

If you want to have the registration, free or not, without the users leaving that page, well yeah.

[Magicmarker]

Well I don't care what page they go to for registration.

Hard for me to believe it's easier to set up PayPal registration than it is to set up free registration.

I just need a step by step setup of the registration page for Free Membership once I take off the PayPal button.

You said to click on register but I still need to know what goes on that page.

[Eduan]

What goes on that page is what you find, and can configure, under WP Admin -> s2Member -> General Options -> Login Registration Design and Registration/Profile Fields & Options.

Hope this helps.
P.S. Remember the page where they go to register (should be http://thechicacafe.com/wp-login.php?action=register/ not http://thechicacafe.com/signup/ [which is what it is right now]) should not be protected to any member level.

[Magicmarker]

OK-I'll go there next. Thanks for your patience-this is kind of frustrating for me.

[Eduan]

Okay, hope you find everything you want. Oh, by the way the register button in the right-hand column is redirecting to the wrong page, it's redirecting to http://thechicacafe.com/signup/ instead of http://thechicacafe.com/wp-login.php?action=register/

Hope this helps.

[Magicmarker]

Yeah-Mingle has kind of been a pain because it wants to take control of registration too.

I think I'm getting this. I set up a test account and it seems to work. But I noticed it lists the role as "subscriber" instead of sMember Level 0?