Frequently Asked Questions

We require all text materials to be sent in electronic format, and this can be sent via mail or email to our customer service center. If mailing your content, ensure it is on a flash drive.

The content (text) of your web site must be saved as a Microsoft Word (.doc); plain text (.txt) or rich text format (.rtf). The programs that allow you to do this easily are Microsoft Word, Notepad, WordPad and WordPerfect.

Graphics can be submitted the same way in either .JPG, .GIF, .PNG .TIF, .EPS, or .BMP format.

If you do not have electronic copies of your graphics, we will scan your ORIGINAL photos for you. We will NOT scan photocopied or faxed images, nor will we scan copyrighted materials.

Remember to include your New Site Processing forms with your files.

The time it takes to create a Web site varies depending on the site. Most Web sites can be created within two to three weeks after all the information is submitted to ChoiceMall's customer service center. If all the information is not received (i.e. final copy, graphics and forms), it will delay the process, extending the time it takes to get the Web site up and running.

After your Web site is created, you may wish to make changes, and you are given 1 FREE set of changes after the initial creation.

You have 10 business days to notify us of these changes or it is assumed your site is acceptable and will be activated on the mall.

The Associate is responsible for providing ChoiceMall with final copy for their Web sites. ChoiceMall is in no way responsible for the quality or effectiveness of the writing. ChoiceMall does not write pages from scratch.

Associates should not assume that ChoiceMall automatically corrects their Web page. If ChoiceMall customer service spots a way to improve the site, they do contact the Associate. Otherwise, ChoiceMall will produce the Associates page "as is."

ChoiceMall does allow Associates to use frames on their site. For complex frame pages, extra charges may apply. ChoiceMall will allow up to 5 frames per Web Page. Remember, a page cannot exceed 600 words.

NOTE: New practices in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) discourages the use of frames. The use of frames may rank your site lower on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

No. Features cannot be traded between other sites the Associate owns.

Associates may link out to informational or educational sites. Associates may not link out to other selling sites, including other malls.

Associates may link out to provide additional product information which is appropriate for the Mall, however, they must first sufficiently introduce the product or service in the Mall before linking out. Associates may not use one or more pages to introduce a catalog and then link out to the "real" catalog.

Depending on the extent of the changes, they can be done anywhere between 2 to 10 business days of receipt of the changes.

For new sites, the Associate is allowed (1) set of free changes after the site is developed, that must be submitted within 10 days of initial completion.

There is a change fee for any future changes made to the site. The change fee represents a per page change. This means the Associate may make one or more changes to a page as long as the changes are requested at the same time.

ChoiceMall has a special program for skilled HTML programmers. For a one-time setup fee of $99, ChoiceMall will provide the Associate with an FTP account to their directory on the server. This allows them to program their changes without going through ChoiceMall customer service center. Therefore, the standard change fees do not apply.

Yes, but only the first five per page are free. ChoiceMall sells additional item buttons and pull-down boxes at $30 for 10 additional items.

No, however if you wish to accept credit card payments you MUST have a merchant account. ChoiceMall does NOT process credit card payments for you. Otherwise you can choose to accept check or money order only.

There are now many online merchant account services available, shopping around is now advised. When shopping around you may want to pay close attention to the merchant account transaction fees. They may be a flat rate you get charged for each credit card payment that is processed or they may charge based on a percentage of the total transaction. Other fees may still apply.

What type of shopping will be on your site?

1. Are you selling a few items which will not require a shopping cart? If so, you may want to look at using something like PayPal, Square or Payline.
2. Are you using X-Cart 4? Please contact an associate for the current accepted payment gateways for your version of the shopping cart.¹
3. If you do not want an online account you can contact your bank or credit card company for information on setting up a merchant account through them.

¹Qcommerce offers ChoiceMall associates a discounted rate for X-Cart 4, click here for more information.

ChoiceMall provides all Associates access to AWStats, free of charge. This allows you to receive a detailed report on number of visits, unique visitors, pages most viewed and more.

To learn how to log into AWStats please submit a ticket through the Qcommerce customer portal, email support@qcommerce.com or call a representative at 1-800-970-5999.

Web sites can be listed in up to four categories (major or minor) as long as the product or service is relevant to that category. Listings are randomly indexed at each visit except for "featured stores". These are now a sticky and are listed at the top of the category, however randomly selected in the right featured column..

The monthly fees only apply when the page is active. The fee is charged in advance for the coming month. Once the page is deactivated the fee is no longer charged. There is no charge to re-activate a page once it has been deactivated.

ChoiceMall requires that each Associate pay an Annual Renewal Fee (ARF) of $25 per Certificate (not per site). The Associate will be automatically billed for this amount, regardless of whether the Associate has activated their pages or not. The Associate could lose the ownership of the pages if this fee is not paid each year. This fee applies when the pages are purchased, NOT when they are activated.

ChoiceMall provides a wide range of services including: JavaScript Programming, Animation, Shockwave Programming, Digital Audio & Video Processing, Graphic Design, Search Engine Submission. Please contact our customer service center for pricing information.

There is a charge for any graphic design services that require custom illustration or graphic design.

ChoiceMall will scan, crop, re-size and optimize photos and graphic images at no additional charge.

ChoiceMall does allow Associates to have their own domain name on our server. So instead of www.choicemall.com/storename, a Web site may be named www.storename.com. The cost is $99. You must pay this fee whether or not ChoiceMall registers the name, and it is in addition to any domain registration fee, if applicable. A domain costs $35/year to register.

Hot Deal! ChoiceMall is currently running a promotion on domain name registration. See the hot deals page for details.

Associates may link to files either on our Mall or on other servers on the Internet. There is a setup fee of $50 per file and a monthly fee of $10 if stored on the Choice Mall server.

ChoiceMall customer service is open from 7:00am to 7:00pm Monday through Friday, Mountain Standard Time.

ChoiceMall offers "Lease Pages", which give you the right to use a page (without owning it). The fee to lease is $650 per year.

Alternatively, Qcommerce provides exclusive rates for ChoiceMall Associates. See hosting specials for more information.

ChoiceMall does not buy back Web pages, nor do we offer refunds on pages. You can sell your pages independently to another party. You must notify Qcommerce, Inc. of this transaction.

Open a ticket at Qcommerce customer portal, email support@qcommerce.com or call a representative at 1-800-970-5999.