[Feature Request] Change location/placement of "domain"-form on order forms (for servers)?

[HHawk]

Hi Davide,

(I also posted this on your website, but seeing you mentioned the "Feature request"-section there a couple of times, I decided to place it here)

I have been using WHMCS since 2016 and I agree on all of your points! WHMCS (staff) is simply terrible! You ask a question on support (even though I know better) and I get some BS answer. Ugh.

One of the biggest flaws with WHMCS (present since 6.x) is that when the option "Domain Required" is activated, a customer is forced to enter a domain before he can continues. For most products this would be okay, except for servers (virtual and dedicated). We need a domain for those, as it will be used in the hostname. So it's required to have that option for us.

Anyways, I think (actually I know for sure) it turns away customers. If a customer only wants to see how much a configured server costs (virtual or dedicated) he will not be interested to enter a domain.

Now I am wondering, since you are/were experienced a lot with WHMCS. If there is a smart workaround for certain products. E.g. that the required domain field is shown on the same page (location on the page does not matter obviously) as e.g. the configurable options and/or add-ons. That way a customer can tinker around with the options and see what the cost of the server will be without being forced to enter a domain. If he proceeds with the order, he will still need to enter a domain, but at least he can see the prices of a configured server he desires.

Currently it's like this with WHMCS (when the "Required Domain"-option is enabled):

(this is a customer who only wants to see/compare server prices)

1. Customer selects a server (based on CPU, memory, etc.)
2. Customer is presented with a field where he has to enter a domain
3. After domain is entered, he can configure the server fully (by configurable options/add-ons)
4. He will now see the total price of the desired and full configured server

This really turns away customers.

I would appreciate the ability to move the domain field (with WHOIS) to the same page as the configurable options. That way the customer can configure the server with all the options he desires, but without being forced to enter a domain first.

I decided to contact WHMCS about this again (since it was a long time ago I created a support ticket with them) and yes, I was stupid enough to believe they would actually help. Hahaha.

This was their "answer" to me: Thank you for contacting WHMCS support. Based on what you've described, it sounds like you've enabled "Require Domain" on the applicable VPS/server product under Configuration > System Settings > Products/Services, which normally isn't necessary for that type of product. For such products, the order process would request a hostname during the Configure Product step and that would be used by the assigned server module when provisioning the service.

So they decide for me that "normally" the "Require Domain" isn't normally necessary?! Who are they to tell me what is normal? Sigh.

Maybe you have an idea or workaround to move the "Domain" field to the next ordering template page, so it's displayed on the same page as "billing cycle, configurable options, add-ons, etc.". I would be forever in your debt!

I know there one page ordering templates out there. And they do exactly the above (I need), however... They make my other stuff stop working (custom code, modules, etc.). So that's not an option either...

So you are really my last hope on this! I sincerely hope you can think of solution, workaround or something else. And heck, I don't even mind paying for it, if that's is needed.

Sidenote; I also thought of a custom field for server domains, however than a new problem arises. It's not using WHOIS, so it doesn't check if it's a new domain, a domain which has to be transfered or if it's an own domain (or already with us). As you can see this is Catch-22 situation imho.

I really hope you can think of something... Even if it's not possible, thank you for reading and hearing me out.

Regards,
Michel