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Offer concepts

What is an offer?

Once courses and other learning content have been created in OpenOlat, it must be determined which users should have access to them and when. Access can be granted (approved) in two ways:

  • Private: By entering them in the member management section of the (course) administration, registered OpenOlat users become members of the course or learning resource and can then access it.

  • Bookable and open offers: An offer is added to a course by the owner (author). Users can then find this offer in the catalog and initiate membership themselves by booking the offer.
    Several different offers for different target groups can also be created for the same course.
    For example, a course can be offered free of charge to internal users, while a second offer provides the same course to external users for a fee. Offers can also be displayed in the catalog for specific organizational units only. However, they can also be displayed for everyone; membership is not even required.

Example of courses offered in the catalog: offer_concepts_example_v1_de.png

More about offers >

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What can be shown in offers?

The visible part of the offer is displayed as a card in the catalog (or in the list view). (The invisible part of an offer includes the rules: When and where is the offer displayed?)

What is displayed on a card in the catalog can be specified (uniformly for all cards) by administrators under
Administration > Module > Catalog > Tab Layout > Section Launchers

  • Implementation format
  • Certificate
  • Credit Points
  • Characteristic
  • Type
  • Title
  • Teaser
  • Authors
  • Time required
  • Main language
  • Period of time for implementation
  • Place of implementation
  • Specialist areas / Catalog

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Where can offers be displayed?

OpenOlat has an internal and an external catalog. You can specify whether an offer is displayed in only one or in both catalogs.

Within the catalog, there are sections called launchers. As the owner of a course or session, you can determine in which launcher your offering should appear. The offerings are then dynamically compiled from the catalog (V2) and assigned to the various launchers.

An advertisement can also appear in several different launchers in the catalog (V2). For example, in a launcher called "Popular Courses" and a launcher that compiles courses thematically based on a specific taxonomy.

Offers can also be displayed in catalog areas (launchers) that are visible only to members of certain organizational units. (This requires that the "Organizations" module be activated.)

The release settings can be configured under
Course/Implementation > Administration > Settings > Share > Section Offers > Link "Edit Offer"

offer_concepts_share_org_v1_de.png

Note

Offers can be booked in the catalog as soon as their status has been set to "Published".

Hint

Sorting can also be performed within a launcher. Find out more >

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Where can offers be created?

Offers are created

  • in a course
    or
  • in an implementation (within the Course Planner)

Create offers in courses

To offer a course in the catalog, select the relevant course and then
Administration > Settings > Share > Section "Offers"

offer_concepts_create_offer_course_v1_de.png

Hint

Once offers have been created, they can also be viewed in the (course) administration under "Offer types".

Create offers in the Course Planner

To offer an implementation in the catalog, select the relevant course in the Course Planner and then the
Tab Catalog > Button Offers

offer_concepts_create_offer_implementation_v1_de.png

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Offer Types

The following types of offers can be created:

Member status available in
Without booking without With this offer, the resource is accessible to users without a membership. Single course
Freely available Membership This offer allows the resource to be booked. Users receive a corresponding membership that gives them access to the resource. Single course and implementation
Access code Membership With this offer, the resource can be booked with an access code. Users receive a corresponding membership that allows them to access the resource. Single course and implementation
PayPal Checkout Membership With this offer, the resource can be booked for a fee using PayPal. Users receive a corresponding membership that gives them access to the resource. Single course and implementation
Invoice Membership With this offer, the resource can be booked for a fee via invoice. Users receive a corresponding membership that gives them access to the resource. Implementation

More about Offer Types >

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What is offered?

The catalog can include offers for

  • Courses
  • Implementation
  • other learning resources

Offer Courses

Offers of a Course can be created under
(Course) Administration > Settings > Share > Section "Offers"
Please note that the option "Bookable and open offers" must be selected beforehand under "Access for participants".

offer_concepts_types_course1_v1_de.png

offer_concepts_types_course2_v1_de.png

Detailed information about offering courses in the catalog can be found here >

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Offer implementation

If the same course is to be offered several times on different dates, this can be done in the Course Planner using Instances.

Events can also be advertised in the catalog if it is still unclear whether they will actually take place (e.g., because they depend on the number of registrations/bookings). An offer for an implementation must therefore always be created in the Course Planner in the respective implementation and not in a course that is intended for this implementation. Courses can be specifically designated for use in implementations and then do not have their own member management.

Users can book these courses by logging in from the catalog (if they are already OpenOlat users) or by registering as new users (if they have found a suitable course in the external catalog, which they can view without registering).

If an offer has been made in the catalog from within Course Planner that can be booked with an invoice, interested parties will be guided through the registration process to enter their billing address, etc. A booking number will also be generated. (As of release 20.1, this is only possible with Course Planner.)

The booking request can then be confirmed.

Offers for implementation are created in the Course Planner at:
(Course Planner > Implementation > Tab Catalog > Tab Offers)

offer_concepts_types_course_planner1_v1_de.png

offer_concepts_types_course_planner2_v1_de.png

More about offering tours in the catalog >

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Offer other learning resources

If individual videos or documents are to be offered in the catalog, courses with only one course element can be set up for each (e.g., course element video or course element document). Please note that when the course is called up, it automatically switches to the first course element.

The procedure for creating an offer is then identical to the offers for other independent courses.

The metadata and descriptions of such a "course" can only be adapted to the learning resource it contains, so that, for example, "Video xy" appears as an offering in the catalog.

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Offers with payment

PayPal

The PayPal payment module allows authors to unlock learning content in exchange for money. It must be set up and activated in advance in the administration section.

After successfully configuring the PayPal module, you can select the PayPal offer type on the course details page or in the administration environment of the workgroup.

Setting up the PayPal payment module (Administration) >

Invoice

Payment by invoice is currently only possible for courses created in Course Planner. (As of February 2026)

For offers with invoices,

  • immediate active membership or
  • Membership is initially pending until an administrative role confirms the reservation.

offer_concepts_invoice_membership_v1_de.png

Hint

In the Course Planner under
Implementations > Catalog tab > Booking orders tab, the booking orders are collected and can be exported as an Excel file and used in another program (e.g., for invoicing).

Setting up the invoice payment module (Administration) >

Credit Points

Since release 20.1, credit point systems can be set up in OpenOlat. A credit point system allows credit points to be collected across different learning opportunities. Using the "Credit points" module, you can define your own credit point systems globally. These enable participants to collect educational points/credits, such as ECTS or LearnCoins, for passing courses.

These points can also be used in certificate programs for recertification, for example. Participants can earn credit points for each course they successfully complete. They can then use these credit points to purchase another course.

Organizations can define and name their own credit point systems and restrict them as needed, for example, by role or organizational area. After successfully completing a learning program, credit points can be assigned in a targeted manner to support long-term use for recertification.

Activate Credit Points system-wide (Administration) >
Awarding credit points in courses >
Credit Points in the Personal Menu >

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Further conditions for Offers

Additional conditions can be set for quotes. Most configuration options are entered directly when creating a new quote.

offer_concepts_example1_v1_de.png

  • Available when the implementation status is "provisional" and "confirmed":
    An implementation does not have to be fully planned in order to publish an offer.

  • Available during a specific period:
    The offer will be displayed in the specified time window regardless of its status and can be booked.

  • Membership Standard:
    Membership is active immediately after booking the offer.

  • Membership with confirmation:
    Membership is pending. Your reservation must be confirmed by an administrative role.

  • Automatic Booking:
    Membership is automatically created when the course is opened. When booking automatically, the offer description is not displayed and users are only offered the "Open" action. This option should not be used in conjunction with other offers.

  • Even with immediate active membership (implementation, offer with invoice), acceptance of the privacy policy and other terms of use is usually required first. Additional terms and conditions may be specified in the terms of use.

  • A tender/offer for implementation can be made even if it is still unclear whether implementation will take place. A course does not even have to exist at the time the offer is made. If, on the other hand, an independent course is offered, the offer must be created in the course and will only appear in the catalog once the course has been published.

  • With an "access code" offer, the resource can be booked with an access code. Users receive a corresponding membership that allows them to access the resource.

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Further information

More about the Catalog >
More about Offers >
How do I show my Courses in the Catalog? >
Access configuration/Share >
Offering bushings in the catalog >
Payment Module PayPal (Administration) >
Payment module invoice (Administration) >
Credit Points for the Personal Menu >
Activate credit points system-wide (Administration) >
Awarding credit points in courses >

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