8.4. How can I trace the source of a purchase and run a partners program?
Interchange has a facility that adds a parameter called source to the session database for that user. You should give your partners a source code, which must contain at least one letter character (A-Za-z only). It is placed in the sourcing URL as a query string of:
mv_pc=Source1
If this is appended to the URL with which the user calls Interchange, it will then be placed in the session identifier source.
This URL:
http://yourcatalog.com/cgi-in/yourcat/sp_offer?mv_pc=Source1
will yield Source1 from the Interchange tag [data session source].
The Minivend 3 idiom ?;;Source1 continues to be supported, so existing partner sites should work without change.