Display multiple currencies in the shopping cart


	Display multiple currencies in the shopping cart
	Last Edited - 12/30/2013 1:59pm PST
	Category Path - Shopping Cart Software Components > Storefront > FAQs & Tutorials

The Modular Merchant shopping cart software includes the ability for customers from other countries to click a button in your storefront and have all of the prices displayed in their currency and adjusted for the exchange rate. This functionality is built-in to most pre-made store Template Packages created as of Spring 2012.

If you would like to add this functionality to an older Template Package (or a custom one you're building from scratch), here's instructions on what to do:

Adding a currency selection form to your shopping cart

Following is a bare-bones example of the minimum code that will add support for multiple currencies.

currency selection form

<form name="currency_form" action="{THIS-PAGE}" method="post">
   {FIELD-CURRENCY-MENU}
   <input type="submit" name="submit" value="go">
</form>

{IF-CURRENCY-OVERRIDE-BEGIN}
   <p>{CURRENCY-EXCHANGE-RATE}</p>
{IF-CURRENCY-OVERRIDE-END}

The {FIELD-CURRENCY-MENU} QuickCode Tag will display a select menu that lists every currency available to choose from. Here's an abbreviated version of what the select menu that is created by the QuickCode Tag would look like:

The content between the {IF-CURRENCY-OVERRIDE-BEGIN} and {IF-CURRENCY-OVERRIDE-BEGIN} tags is only displayed if the customer has used the menu to change the currency applied to the storefront.

The {CURRENCY-EXCHANGE-RATE} QuickCode Tag will display the current exchange rate information, based on the difference between the storefront's default currency and the selected one.

example of currency-exchange-rate output

For example, if the storefront's default currency is U.S. Dollar, and Australian Dollar was selected from the menu, then the following would be displayed:

$1 USD = $0.9567 AUD

Notes and tips on using the currency display...

When using this set of QuickCode Tags to allow the storefront's currency to be overridden, be aware of the following items:

all prices throughout the storefront will be affected

When used, all prices displayed in the storefront will be switched to the selected currency. This includes storefront, webpage and email receipts, customer account area, etc.

The change will remain in affect for the duration of the customer's browsing session (until they close their web browser).

only the displayed currency is altered

Only the prices displayed in the storefront are altered. Orders will still be submitted to the payment gateway using the store's default currency, selected in the System Settings.

For example, if the shopping cart is set to use U.S. Dollars, and a customer switches their storefront to display prices in Euros, the actual transaction will still be processed in the equivalent U.S. Dollars.

displayed price vs. actual price

When viewing the storefront with an alternate currency, the prices displayed are only an estimate, based on the exchange rate at the time the request was made.

The actual amount charged to the customer will be in the currency selected in the System Settings, not the alternate currency being displayed. Since exchange rates fluctuate frequently, the actual amount charged to the customer by the payment gateway at the time of purchase may differ from the amount displayed in the storefront.

admin preview & reset

Viewing any page of the store's Administration Area will reset your storefront back to the currency that has been selected in the System Settings. This affects only your web browser. Any customers who are viewing an alternate currency in the storefront will not be reset.