Shareware

Kaisen2100 · Post by **Kaisen2100** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 3:25 pm

Hello i am plannig to make a shareware program ... but i am looking for help before.

I am looking for some ideas about the registration system, i don't want the code i am just looking for some ideas from people that is already selling shareware programs. I want to know if you are using something like "www.shareit.com" or whatever to manage your registration keys (and your money) ...

Thanks

J. Baker · Post by **J. Baker** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 4:15 pm

I use http://www.regsoft.com and they take $3USD or 8.9%, which ever is greater. They also have a system to where you can upload 2000 registration keys and when someone places an order, a key and the software is automatically emailed to them (software is provided by a download link in the email). I've been happy with them so far. Payments come once a month as long as you have sold more then $25USD, else it overlapse to the next month. Oh, and there's only a one time starting fee, which is pretty low, can't remember the exact cost.

Hope that helps some.

Kaisen2100 · Post by **Kaisen2100** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 5:07 pm

thansk J. Baker ... but i tryed to enter in that site ... but it dont work ... i cant enter http://www.regsoft.com/ ... i dont know why ...

Can you tell me if you use a "unique key" registration system? it is if the program have only one regkey valid for that PC .. or you check if the regkey is valid with some kind of algorithm in your program? ... thaks again

Num3 · Post by **Num3** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 5:55 pm

Cheapest place i've found was http://www.esellerate.net/ ...

No subscription fee and fixed rate per sale...

You can also subscribe to www.paypal.com

dagcrack · Post by **dagcrack** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 9:31 pm

If your program will have a small amount of customers, I'd say your best option is to use paypal on your own, and deliver the program by your own (once you recieved that some person bought a license, you send him a key) but it depends on how youre planning your security system... Will you have a cheap algorithm that will check if a key is "correct" and then proceed? (this will work on a "cheap" application anyway... who would want to crack your 10 dollars program? - its just a comment, dont take as offence please... - So it really depends!).

If not, Share-IT is good! but as far as I know, no one (here?) implemented their key-gen system yet... Or maybe yes and they dont wanted to share?! I'll have a look in the given time.

PB · Post by PB » Sun Jun 19, 2005 9:34 pm

> who would want to crack your 10 dollars program?

I've seen $3 apps cracked.

Anything that is protected usually gets cracked.

dagcrack · Post by **dagcrack** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 10:24 pm

Oh yes but if they are of interest! if not.. why would you crack it? apart from proving that.. " I can do it because I have nothing else to do and I need a life because im a little wannabe nooblet who calls himself a cracker or a hacker -depending on the weather- and I tell my friends -if any- that I will |-|aXz0r them if they keep on sharing my sisters nude picture -which is in fact not my sister as I got none- but they dont know that! "

Sorry had to say it

J. Baker · Post by **J. Baker** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 11:54 pm

Kaisen2100 wrote:thansk J. Baker ... but i tryed to enter in that site ... but it dont work ... i cant enter http://www.regsoft.com/ ... i dont know why ...

Can you tell me if you use a "unique key" registration system? it is if the program have only one regkey valid for that PC .. or you check if the regkey is valid with some kind of algorithm in your program? ... thaks again

Hmmm, link works fine for me. I'm not sure why it doesn't for you.

I do have my own method of "keys" but that is something for each developer to come up with on their own. Sorry, I hope you don't take that in a rude way.

Anyway, nothing is full proof and everything can be cracked. I just offer a demo for users to try out and then after they purchase it, they get the full program with a "key" through a automatic email service provided by RegSoft. This way I don't have to send out a "key" to each person by email. This could get crazy if you have alot of buyers.

As for paypal, they charged more for each sale. That's why I went through RegSoft. I looked into quite a few actually and RegSoft had the lowest charge, good features, well known and have been around for a while(at least for what I needed).

Hope that helps some.

ricardo · Post by **ricardo** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 8:09 pm

PB wrote:> who would want to crack your 10 dollars program?

I've seen $3 apps cracked. Anything that is protected usually gets cracked.

Agree.

Its not the $ of the software but the popularity that determines which one get cracked.

MrMat · Post by **MrMat** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 8:54 pm

Someone cracked the Kristal audio engine last year. The funny thing is it's freeware!

Kaisen2100 · Post by **Kaisen2100** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 1:02 am

i cant believe how can someone crack a free app ... he do not have another thing to do? ... so shareware is not 100 % ... i know the only think really secure is the free software ... or Open Source ... or GPL ... or whatever free ... but you cannot make money if yor software is free

...

J. Baker thanks for your help

... NUM3 thanks too ... podes falar em portugues ... somos do mesmo pais hehehe

Pantcho!! · Post by **Pantcho!!** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:42 am

let me understand a few stuff here.
if i am not wrong selling software/shareware(to be software) you MUST own a company, and you MUST declare your sales and stuff ... or i am wrong?

becuase i am also intrested in selling my sharewares in the future so you guys say its enough for me to use PayPal and say "Donate" but its actually not because its a shareware! and it should be a FREEWARE if i use paypal "donate" option.

for other sites that take some percent of the income, are those sites especially for people who DO'NT own a company? like Http://www.regsoft.com ?

thank you , and i would like to hear from programmers who sold thier software and DO'NT own a company.

J. Baker · Post by **J. Baker** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 10:08 am

I would say if you sell software, you can call yourself a company or not.

As for asking for donations for your software, I would call that "Donationware" or "Freeware", it's up to you. Donationware usally has a nag screen and you can get rid of it by donation.

As for using PayPal, that's cool but if you are going to be using registration keys and would like automated emails sent when someone buys your product, I would go with a company like RegSoft or something similar.

As for me, right now I wouldn't call myself a company. I do it for a hobbie because I love PB and extra cash.

DoubleDutch · Post by **DoubleDutch** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 9:42 am

You are NOT allowed to call yourself a company if you are not a registered company, it is in fact a criminal offence - you will get into serious trouble if you get caught.

If your selling something in the UK, the safest way to do is it thru a (ltd) company. They protect the owner of the company because they have limited liability.

If you want to start a UK company (ltd) its quite easy.

A UK company needs one secretary and at least one director. It can have one or more share holders. The paperwork is dealt with by the secretary, the directors run the business. The shareholder(s) own the business. At the moment its the law that there needs to be at least two "entities" involved in a company, an entity can also be another limited company!

If entities are limited companies they must not loop...

You just download the forms (pdf) from companies house http://www.companieshouse.co.uk) and then send the filled in forms and a cheque for about £20 (or so - can't remember) to companies house in either Manchester or Cardif. A week or so later and you will have a limited company.

After that it costs £15 (online, £30 if on paper) per year to keep things going (you have to do an annual return - it sounds scary but it isn't), you can also do all the accounts yourself (unless your company turns over millions). If you don't want to do your own accounts a cheap accountant will submit a small set of books for about £50 per year, just keep your paperwork tidy.

In the UK there are plans to get rid of the self-employed, sole traders and partnerships. A new type of company is to be made for single individuals. Then, unless you are registered you will not be able to sell goods or services in the UK.

Its because a lot of tax revenue is being lost and it will clear up the complications of stamp duty - and I think it will also apply to traders on car boot sales and ebay, etc.

Its also worth noting that if you start to make a lot of money its worth registering for VAT, if you don't and you go over the VAT limit then you may have a backdated VAT bill covering things that you didn't ask for VAT on. When registered for VAT you can claim VAT back from the government for all things that have VAT added that are to do with the running/setup of your business. But you have to charge VAT on most goods and services (thats then in turn paid to the government).

Hope this helps...

-Anthony

ivory · Post by **ivory** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 6:12 pm

if i am not wrong selling software/shareware(to be software) you MUST own a company, and you MUST declare your sales and stuff ... or i am wrong?

In the US (at least in the states I have worked) you do not need to incorporate are create a company. Anyone can say they are a business if the name of their business includes their NAME. It would be a sole proprietorship. So it is a company, but it's no big deal.

Yes. You do need to declare your sales, local, state and federal, but if you shareware sales are enough to influence your taxable income, good for you!

If you have a business name, that is not your surname, you will want to register it with the local municipality at least. It can still be a sole proprietorship.

In either case, you don't need to file separate taxes, it can be rolled into your personal filing.

Of course, local, state and national laws may vary.