Practical guide

Map each purchase option to its files

Last materially reviewed 2026-09-27

Quick answerA variant is an entitlement choice: verify what each option delivers, not just how its label looks.
What to know

Write the mapping first

Make one row for each option and one column for each file. Mark exactly which files belong to each purchase. A fictional basic package might include instructions and one print format; an extended package might add another format. Do not use a tier label such as premium as a substitute for this concrete list.

What to know

Compare it with the documented control

Payhip documents assigning uploaded files to individual digital-product variants. Its layout options can affect how much explanatory text is visible. Review the buyer-facing description as well as the assignment. A correct checkbox behind an ambiguous label still leaves the customer making an unclear choice.

What to know

Review the edge cases

Ask what a buyer should receive if an option is renamed, retired or corrected. Do not assume deletion has the same effect on an option and its underlying files. Payhip’s documentation distinguishes those actions, so preserve the file mapping and old-purchase requirements before making changes.

What to know

Use the mapping for support

When a buyer reports the wrong format, compare their actual purchased option with the saved mapping. Resolve a mistaken assignment or clearly explain an entitlement difference; do not automatically charge them again. Keep customer-specific details out of public troubleshooting examples and record any authorised correction privately.

What to know

An original working example

An original mapping example has rows “instructions only” and “instructions plus print layout”, and columns for the instruction document and layout file. The first row receives only the first file; the second receives both. This is an illustration, not a recommended commercial split. Add a review column for the buyer-facing label and another for a past purchase after a change. If any cell depends on a guess about platform behaviour, leave it unknown until documented or observed through an authorised check. Keep the mapping alongside the released product description so a later rename does not erase the meaning of an earlier purchase.

Continue when useful

Next: Make a pattern package the buyer can understand

List every delivered file and its purpose before uploading; a folder is not an explanation.

Open Make a pattern package the buyer can understand →

Sources used for this page

These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.

  1. Digital product variants — Merchant documentation · help.payhip.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-27