An order-on-behalf workflow lets an authorized employee enter a customer's storefront context, prepare the purchase, and complete checkout while Magento still records who did the work. It is useful for orders received by phone, email, or during a customer visit.
Why customer context matters
A separate quick-entry screen may miss customer-specific prices, catalog restrictions, tax classes, addresses, shipping methods, payment terms, or extensions that alter checkout. Working in the customer's actual session lets Magento evaluate the same rules the customer would see.
The representative identity must remain separate. SoftwareSilo keeps the staff session and the impersonated customer session connected, stores the staff ID on the quote, and returns the user to the staff area when the customer session ends.
A controlled process
- The representative signs in with personal staff credentials.
- The portal shows assigned customers, unless broader access was granted.
- The representative selects the customer and enters its storefront context.
- Products, prices, addresses, shipping, and payment are reviewed as that customer.
- Authorized users may adjust cart prices within policy.
- Checkout creates an order with customer and staff attribution.
- The representative exits the customer context and returns to the portal.
Decisions before launch
Decide whether representatives may see all customers, create new accounts, change item prices, use zero prices, or edit existing orders. Define which payment details staff may handle and how customer consent is documented for telephone orders.
Email routing also needs a deliberate rule. The customer should receive the expected order confirmation. The representative may need a copy, while shared sales mailboxes belong in CC or BCC only when policy requires them.
Editing an existing order
SoftwareSilo can let the assigned representative reopen an eligible order through cart and checkout. Allowed order states are configured, and the original order identity is retained. This is powerful and should be tested with payment capture, invoices, shipments, inventory reservations, taxes, third-party checkout modules, and ERP exports.
Acceptance tests
Use a customer with individual prices and restricted payment. Place the same basket directly as the customer and through the representative. Compare totals, addresses, shipping, payment, emails, order staff fields, stock, and downstream exports. Repeat with cancellation, price change, session timeout, and an unauthorized customer.
Related reading
Last reviewed: August 9, 2026.