How to provide digital downloads with physical purchases in local stores?

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

Goal: enable customers who buy physical products in local partner stores to receive a digital download link.

  • Current state: The merchant already automates delivery of download links for purchases on their online Shopify store.
  • Challenge: Find the best way for offline (in-store) purchasers to access the digital download—ideally a secure, user-friendly method that partners can implement (e.g., unique codes, QR links, or receipt-based access), though specific methods are not proposed yet.
  • Context: Set within wholesale arrangements with local businesses; seeks a scalable process that works at point of sale.
  • Status: Request for ideas and best practices; no solutions or decisions provided yet. Discussion remains open.
Summarized with AI on January 6. AI used: gpt-5.
1

Hi,

I am setting up some wholesale deals with local businesses, and want to offer a digital download link for physical items of mine customers buy at their stores. I can do this automatically when the items are bought on my online store, but am looking for the best way for the customers of the local businesses to get the download link.

Does anyone have any ideas about how best to implement this? Many thanks in advance.

Scott