Layaway Settings Tutorial

A brief tutorial on setting up your Master Layaway Settings

Edit Layaway Settings

The Edit Layaway Settings button on the Dashboard allows you to edit and manage the various settings for your Layaways and apply these settings to all of your Stores.

Master Layaway Settings

The Merchant Master Layaway Settings page has two tabs as shown to the right.

The first is the Master Layaway Settings tab that allows you to set your master settings that all of your stores will use.

The second allows you to set business hours of operations for your Stores.

Master Layaway SettingsThe Master Layaway Settings tab is divided into two panels. The left panel allows you to view and edit the various settings.

The right panel provides help for each area as you click on any field.

You may also click on the plus sign on any topic in the right panel to view the help.

Master Layaway SettingsAs you move the mouse over any field, additional help and detailed information for that field will be displayed in a popup window and the right panel will open the help information for the field…

Basic Min and Max Settings

The top portion of the left panel allows you to set minimum and maximum values for the basic Layaway settings.

The Legal Resource Compliance Engine and the LTA system will automatically adjust all of the min and max in this form values based on your legal jurisdiction and will not allow you to enter an invalid value. This assures that all Layaways conform to your local laws and regulations.

Layaway Origination Fee

There is an Origination Fee charged to the customer for each new Layaway.

If the layaway is created in your store, you, the Merchant, receive the Origination Fee.

If the layaway is created online (via your website’s shopping cart and the LayThisAway Express Checkout feature), the Origination Fee is split between you, the Merchant, and LayThisAway.

LayThisAway defines the minimum and maximum range of the Origination Fee which can be overridden by the Legal Resource Compliance Engine (LRCE) based on the legal requirement for your Store’s jurisdiction.

Origination Fee Settings

If the Use Origination Fee Tiers dropdown is set to No, the Origination Fee charged to the Consumer will be the value set in the Fixed Origination Fee field, which must be within the range set by the Min Origination Fee and Max Origination Fee settings.

The Legal Resource Compliance Engine and the LTA system will automatically adjust the min and max values based on your legal jurisdiction and will not allow you to enter an invalid value. This assures that all Layaways conform to your local laws and regulations.

Origination Fee Settings

Fields that have a colored background are Read/Only fields that you may not change.

Fields will be set Read/Only based on the Yes/No value of the Use Origination Fee Tiers field and will change color to insure that only valid fields are enabled.

Origination Fee Settings

If the Use Origination Fee Tiers dropdown is set to Yes, the Origination Fee charged to the Consumer will be calculated based on the Amount Per Tier and the Fee Tier Interval values.

For example, setting the Amount Per Tier to $5.00 and the Origination Fee Tier Interval to $500.00 will increase the origination fee by $5.00 for every $500 of the Layaway up to the Max Origination Fee value. In this example a $1,500 purchase would have a $15.00 origination fee.

Layaway Cancellation Fee

There is an Cancellation Fee charged to the customer if the customer cancels a Layaway.

If the layaway is canceled by the customer in your store, you, the Merchant, receive the Cancellation Fee.

If the layaway is canceled online (via the LTA website), the Cancellation Fee is split between you, the Merchant, and LayThisAway.

LayThisAway defines the minimum and maximum range of the Cancellation Fee which can be overridden by the Legal Resource Compliance Engine (LRCE) based on the legal requirement for your Store’s jurisdiction.

Cancellation Fee Settings

If the Use Cancellation Fee Tiers dropdown is set to No, the Cancellation Fee charged to the Consumer will be the value set in the Fixed Cancellation Fee field, which must be within the range set by the Min Cancellation Fee and Max Cancellation Fee settings.

The Legal Resource Compliance Engine and the LTA system will automatically adjust the min and max values based on your legal jurisdiction and will not allow you to enter an invalid value. This assures that all Layaways conform to your local laws and regulations.

Cancellation Fee Settings

If the Use Cancellation Fee Tiers dropdown is set to Yes, the Cancellation Fee charged to the Consumer will be calculated based on the Amount Per Tier and the Fee Tier Interval values.

For example, setting the Amount Per Tier to $5.00 and the Origination Fee Tier Interval to $500.00 will increase the origination fee by $5.00 for every $500 of the Layaway up to the Max Origination Fee value. In this example a $1,500 purchase would have a $15.00 cancellation fee.

LayThisAway Escrow ServiceLayThisAway offers a Layaway Escrow Service that allows you the option to put all Layaway Payments for a given Layaway into your LTA Escrow Account which will not be released to you until all Layaway payments have been made by the Customer.

This is especially helpful for large Layaways. For example, if a customer makes $3,000 in payments towards a $4,000 layaway and then cancels the Layaway, you would have to refund the $3,000 (less the Cancellation Fee) to the customer from your operating account.By placing large Layaways in escrow, the funds will remain in escrow and should the customer cancel the Layaway, LTA will automatically deduct the proper amount from your LTA Escrow Account and remit the funds, less the Cancellation Fee, to your customer.

Escrow Fee Settings

If the Escrow Only dropdown is set to No, the person at your Store that is creating the Layaway has the option of placing the Layaway in escrow or not placing the Layaway in escrow.

If the Escrow Only dropdown is set to Yes, all Layaways will be placed in escrow automatically and the Escrow Fee, which is paid by the customer, will be automatically added to the total amount of the Layaway.

When Escrow is Required

LayThisAway requires that all Layaways be placed in escrow for Merchants who have been in business for less than one (1) year.

If your organization has been in business for less than one year, the Escrow Only field will be set to Yes and all three Escrow fields will be set Read/Only and cannot be changed.

The Escrow Only field will be enabled automatically once your business has been an LTA Member for at least six (6) months.

Down Payment Settings

Set All Stores to Use Master Settings

The Set all Stores to these Master Settings checkbox at the bottom of the form allows you to define one set of Layaway Settings that will be used by all of your Stores.

This allows you to set all of your Stores to use the same settings. You may also set an individual Store’s Layaway Settings on a Store-by-Store basis via the Manage Your Stores button on the Dashboard.

Note that the settings for a particular store may be overridden by the LRCE if dictated by the laws and regulations for that Store’s jurisdiction are different that your Master Settings.

Master Store Hours TabThe Master Store Hours Tab allows you to define the master hours of operations for your Stores. All of your Stores will display these business hours unless you set different hours for a particular Store via the Manage Your Stores button on the Dashboard.

Master Store Hours TabThe example shown below sets the hours to be:

• Monday through Friday: 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM• Saturday: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM• Closed on Sunday

Master Layaway Settings Summary

Your Master Layaway Settings will be inherited by all of your Stores unless you set an individual Store’s settings differently via the Manage Your Stores button on the Dashboard.

Remember that settings for a particular Store may be different from the Master Settings if the Legal Resource Compliance Engine (LRCE) overrides one or more values to insure that the Layaways created by that Store are compliant with all laws and regulations based on the Store’s Zip Code.

When a new Layaway is created, the Create a New Layaway input form will automatically use these Layaway Settings and only allow input that conforms to the minimum and maximum settings that you have defined.

Additional TutorialsClick here to open the Manage Your Stores Tutorial in a new window.

Click here to open the Create a New Layaway Tutorial in a new window.

Click here to read about the Legal Resource Compliance Engine in a new window.

Click here to view a listing of all of the Merchant Tutorials in a new window.