DPD prevents unauthorized download of your products by only allowing download from devices that have been registered and authorized to a customer's profile in DPD.
Buyers can download their products as many times as they need from the registered device, but because it is locked to the device they are unable to share the download link with others.
What is a Device?
DPD uses the word "Device" throughout the admin and knowledge base. In the context of download controls, a Device is the browser + computer or other gadget that the buyer is using to download products.
Examples of Devices:
PC desktop + Firefox Browser
iPhone + Safari Browser
Android Phone + Android Browser
Mac Laptop + Safari Browser
So, when DPD mentions "Device" anywhere, it is short for the unique fingerprint of the computer or mobile gadget used by the buyer, the browser used, and the unique session cookie for that customer.
How does it work?
When a buyer completes a checkout with DPD we set a unique session tracking cookie on their browser. This cookie only works with that browser + computer (or mobile device combo) that was used to complete the purchase. This happens seamlessly in the background.
As long as the buyer has this unique session cookie authorizing their browser they can download the products they purchased whenever they like by visiting their download page or following the link in the purchase email they received from your DPD store when completing checkout.
Automatically Activated Device Scenario
If new paid purchases are made the device they originated from will be automatically activated until the Active Device Limit is hit, at which point the customer would just need to go through the activation process to activate their newest device and have their oldest deactivated.
What happens if they are on a different device?
If a buyer attempts to follow a download link from their email or bookmark on a device that is not previously authorized to access their downloads then DPD will prompt them to start the new device authentication process. This can happen when they buy on their phone but want to download on their PC, or buy on their iPad and want to download on their iPhone, etc.
The buyer will see a screen like this when following a download link to a purchase they're not authorized on:
Once the buyer enters their email they used to complete the purchase, DPD will send them a unique activation link and code they can use to authorize the device they are currently using.
When the buyer clicks on this link (or copy and pastes the code to the website) they will have authorized that device and will be shown the customer portal page where they can download their current or past purchases.
Do I need to change the device limits?
In most cases, you don't have to do anything!
We designed this system based on feedback from vendors, and the vast majority wanted a completely hands off system and less support headaches reactivating downloads. The DPD defaults for device limits should be good for most vendors, but if you want to adjust them we have a KB article here that explains how they work:
Setting Store Device Limits
What happens when a customer reaches their device limit?
Short answer: You raise the limits for that customer or the entire store. Please review the following KB article on your customer service options for raising the store or customer device limits and benefits and drawbacks of each method:
Customer Service: When a customer reaches their device limit