Marketplace

About Marketplace

Visit the A-State Marketplace>>

Treasurer's Office at Arkansas State has teamed with Marketplace and TouchNet Information Systems to provide a secure and convenient way to extend campus business operations to the online world.  This platform provides a safe environment by creating uStores that allow buyers and sellers to connect electronically, making it easy for students, parents, alumni, and the community to do business with Arkansas State.  It is cost-effective and allows departments to easily operate online storefronts to sell products or accept online payments.

Marketplace has a variety of purposes.  Since it's implementation in 2016, Marketplace has been used by numerous Arkansas State campus departments, from University Housing to the Equine Center.  A number of student organizations have taken advantage of this resource as well.  Stores can be used to allow students, parents, faculty/staff, alumni and community members to register for events, pay organization membership dues, or shop items for sale at the time most convenient for them.

If you have any questions, please contact the Marketplace Team at marketplace@astate.edu or 870-972-2285.

Marketplace Features

Marketplace has a variety of features that make selling products, gathering information, and communicating with customers simple.

Dynamic Pricing

Dynamic pricing allows you to offer different pricing options for the same product. The price is changed automatically depending upon which options the customer selects. This gives you the ability to offer different pricing tiers for conferences or size and color selections for merchandise. It is convenient for the customer because the calculations are completed for them and all payments can be made at once.

Data Collection & Reporting

Marketplace offers you the ability to collect as much information as you would like from your customers. With options such as drop down menus, text entry, and checkbox selections, our system is able to provide you with the tools you need. Fields can even be made optional or required, guaranteeing you get the information you need. 

Marketplace also offers you the ability to access real-time sales reports that consist of the data the customer provided, plus information regarding the products sold. Multiple reports are able to be accessed at the same time.

Refunds

Every so often, a situation arises where a customer will request a refund. Marketplace allows for this process to be efficient for both parties. The system allows for refunds up to the selling price, which will be credited to the original form of payment. The customer will receive an email when their refund has been processed..

Customer Communication

Communication with your customers throughout the buying process is essential. Marketplace keeps customers informed with automatic system generated emails. Customer communications are sent out upon purchase, when an order is cancelled, and when an order is refunded. Marketplace can even be configured to send you an email every time an order is placed.

Promotional Codes

Marketplace allows you to offer promotional codes at checkout. These can be presented as a dollar amount off the purchase price or a percentage taken off of the total. Promotional codes can start and expire on any day you choose. They can be offered as single use or unlimited use.

If you have any questions, please contact our Marketplace Team at marketplace@astate.edu or 870-972-2285.

Marketplace uStore Creation Process

Creating your own Marketplace uStore is as easy as following these 4 steps:

1. Complete Application

You can find the Marketplace application form, New uStore Request Form.pdf.

2. Design Your Store

Once your application has been received and approved by our office, we will be in contact to discuss specific text, images, and personalized details you envision for your store. Your site will then be built to your specifications.

3. Test the Store

We will launch a trial version of your store and you will be asked to test the customer experience. If any modifications need to be made, we will have the opportunity to correct them before your store goes live.

4. Go Live!

Once you have approved your store, you will be in the last step of production. We will manage your online store and have the ability to make changes if necessary. You will receive email reports regarding your product orders. The store can be set to close on a certain day, or the Treasurer's Office can close it when you see fit.

Once a store has been created, it is saved in the Marketplace database and can be relaunched at any time. You can also add products to existing stores by filling out an additional "Add Product" application, Add Product to Existing uStore Form.pdf.

If you have any questions, please contact our Marketplace Team at marketplace@astate.edu or call 870-972-2285.

Marketplace FAQ's

We hope that this page can help answer any questions you may have about opening a Marketplace uStore for your department, organization or event.

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❓ Question 1:  Is there a set-up fee to acquire a Marketplace Store?
**Answer:**  No. Store set-up is completely free.

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❓ Question 2:  How long does it take to open a uStore?
**Answer:**  It typically takes 2 weeks to open a uStore from the completion/submission of the application form.

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❓ Question 3:  Do stores have to come offline for changes to be made?
**Answer:**  No. Changes to any aspect of the store can be made while the store is active.

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❓ Question 4:  Can products come on and offline?
**Answer:**  Products can be taken on and offline during normal business hours OR be scheduled automatically.  

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 ❓ Question 5:  What if no payment is required?
**Answer:**  Our system has the ability to process $0 payments.  This occurs when there is no fee for an event registration or when a promotional code brings the total amount to $0.  No billing information will be collected for a $0 purchase.

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 ❓ Question 6:  Can I receive an email every time an order is placed?
**Answer:**  Yes.  Marketplace offers this option upon completion of store setup.

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❓ Question 7:  Are cash and personal checks accepted as payment methods?
**Answer:**  Marketplace is an online system and therefore cannot accept cash as a payment method.  However, we gladly accept payment through personal electronic checks.  These require the customer's routing and account number.

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 ❓ Question 8:  What type of credit cards does Marketplace accept?
**Answer:**  Marketplace accepts all major credit cards.  These include:

Marketplace also accepts debit cards with a MasterCard or Visa logo.

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❓ Question 9:  Is there a credit card processing fee?
**Answer:**  No, the customer will only be charged for the cost of the product.

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 ❓ Question 10:  Can I collect additional customer information?
**Answer:**  Yes.  The department has the ability to gather as much information from the customer as they would like.  Information requested can be required or optional.  Our information gathering methods include textbox entries, drop-down selections, and multiple selected check boxes.  Price increases or decreases can be configured based on the options selected.

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❓ Question 11:  Can additional items be offered at checkout?
**Answer:**  Yes.  The department has the ability to offer additional items at checkout.  For example, a department can offer a customer the ability to purchase a T-shirt for a conference after registration.

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 ❓ Question 12:  Can a customer print out a receipt?
**Answer:**  Yes.  The customer will have the ability to print a receipt after checkout is complete.

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❓ Question 13:  Will the customer automatically receive an order confirmation?
**Answer:**  After completing the buying process, the customer will be redirected to a confirmation page.  The customer will also receive an email with their confirmation and receipt.  Order confirmation can also be delivered via a text message if the customer chooses that option during checkout.

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❓ Question 14:  Where do I access the Marketplace Mall?
**Answer:**  Visit Marketplace Mall

If you have any additional questions, please contact our Marketplace Team at marketplace@astate.edu or 870-972-2285.

 

Add a Product to Your uStore in Marketplace