Levels without incremental access

I am interested in S2 Member Pro, but have a few questions before purchasing:

1) I would like to offer multiple subscription levels (to independent services), but without providing incremental access. I viewed your video on the topic, but the video example requires users to create new code to deliver the desired functionality. In the video, you mentioned that future versions of S2 Pro may eventually provide this functionality in a more user friendly fashion (with a minimum of coding). Does S2 Pro currently offer multiple levels without incremental access (with a minimum or no coding)? If not, when do you anticipate this functionality would be available in S2Pro?

2) When offering multiple non-overlapping, non-incremental subscription levels, would the user register once for each subscription, or would the same registration apply to each subscription?

3) Using S2 Pro, is it possible to require subscribers to agree to a page of terms and conditions either when registering or before accessing protected content? If so, how?

4) Is S2 Pro installed after installing the free version of S2 Member, or should S2 Member be deleted first?

Thanks,

Brian Johnson

Thank you for your inquiry.

Sorry about the delay in response.

1) I would like to offer multiple subscription levels (to independent services), but without providing incremental access. I viewed your video on the topic, but the video example requires users to create new code to deliver the desired functionality. In the video, you mentioned that future versions of S2 Pro may eventually provide this functionality in a more user friendly fashion (with a minimum of coding). Does S2 Pro currently offer multiple levels without incremental access (with a minimum or no coding)? If not, when do you anticipate this functionality would be available in S2Pro?

s2Member’s levels currently always have incremental access. We are addressing this concern in the rewrite of s2Member. Currently the way to accomplish what you want is to use Custom Capabilities to protect your content.

See: Dashboard -› s2Member® -› API / Scripting -› Custom Capabilities

Custom Capabilities are separate from membership levels and can be sold separately with Capability Buy Now Forms/Buttons, which gives you the ability to sell Custom Capabilities instead of Membership levels, and have non-incremental protection for your content.

See: Dashboard -› s2Member® -› PayPal® Buttons -› Capability (Buy Now) Buttons

2) When offering multiple non-overlapping, non-incremental subscription levels, would the user register once for each subscription, or would the same registration apply to each subscription?

With Custom Capabilities, the User can register once, and buy as many Capabilities as they’d like for their account.

3) Using S2 Pro, is it possible to require subscribers to agree to a page of terms and conditions either when registering or before accessing protected content? If so, how?

You would create a Custom Reigstration/Profile field that’s a checkbox, that requires Users to accept the Terms and Conditions before registering.

See: Dashboard -› s2Member® -› General Options -› Registration/Profile Fields

4) Is S2 Pro installed after installing the free version of S2 Member, or should S2 Member be deleted first?

No, s2Member is an add-on / module for the s2Member Framework. You install both together.

Bruce,

Thanks for the reply. You mentioned that the only way to offer non-overlapping subscriptions is with “custom capabilities.” I have not installed the free version yet or purchased the Pro version, so this may seem obvious, but does the custom capabilities method you described above require API programming on the part of the user?

If so, do you plan to offer a future version of S2 Member Pro that would not require API programming on the part of the user (similar to your current implementation of levels)?

When do you expect to release a version of S2 Member Pro with that functionality (offering non-overlapping levels or custom capabilities without API programming)?

Thanks,

Brian Johnson

I have not installed the free version yet or purchased the Pro version, so this may seem obvious, but does the custom capabilities method you described above require API programming on the part of the user?

s2Member makes working with Custom Capabilities as simple as possible. You can restrict access to a Post or Page with the same meta field in the Add/Edit Post Screen as if you were restricting access with a level:

To give access to a Custom Capability, you can either sell access to it on a One-Time basis (Buy Now) With capability Buy Now Forms, or you can use the extra field provided in the subscription forms for levels:

So no, it does not require any custom code to get started. However, when you start using Custom Capabilities you’ll notice that s2Member cannot restrict things quite as freely as it can with Membership Levels. As long as you’re just protecting select Posts/Pages or specific pieces of content then you’re fine. However, if you wanted to restrict access to a whole Category with Custom Capabilities, that’s not possible without custom code, due to their nature.

Does that make sense?

Bruce,

Thanks, the screenshots helped. I will install the software and begin experimenting with the interface. That should help me get up to speed.

Thanks,

Brian Johnson