How do I manage ScienceDirect's purchase options?
Last updated on September 02, 2025
The Edit ScienceDirect Purchase Options- Account page allows you to edit ScienceDirect fences and the Credit Card Purchasing flag.
Note:
Consortium and Account Administrators have edit privileges for this page, but Group Administrators have view only access.
The ‘Overview of Group Settings’ button is unavailable for Group Administrators.
How
Select a relevant section below for specific instructions:
This setting prevents or allows users to access non-subscribed ScienceDirect content via prepaid draw- down accounts, monthly invoicing, or credit card purchasing. This prevention of access to non-subscribed content is dependent upon your Account setup.
Note: To enable Credit Card Purchasing, this setting must be enabled as well as the Account-level Credit Card Purchasing setting.
The ‘Inherited Default’ is the value as set at a level higher than the one you are working in, such as would be set at the Consortium or Product level.
How
Follow these steps to prevent transactional access:
- Go to the ‘ScienceDirect’ tab and click ‘Purchase Options’.
- From ‘Account Settings’, select one of the following for the Account or Group:
Note: Click ‘Yes’or ‘No’ to override the Inherited Default
|
|
|---|---|
Use Inherited Default |
The default value as set at a higher level, such as the default value determined by Elsevier at Product level, or by an Administrator at the Consortium level, or (if looking at a Group), the Account level. See Administrator Viewing and Editing Privileges for more information. |
Yes |
Prevent an Account User from purchasing access to ScienceDirect content. |
No |
Allow an Account User to purchase access to ScienceDirect content. |
- From Edit ScienceDirect Purchase Options, click one of the following:
- Click ‘Overview of Group Settings’ to open the ScienceDirect Purchase Options- Overview of Group Settings page.
- Click ‘Save’to save your Purchase Options settings. The View ScienceDirect Purchase Options- Account opens.
- Click ‘Cancel’to return to the Account ScienceDirect Information page.
This setting determines whether users are asked to log in before accessing unsubscribed ScienceDirect content via pre-paid accounts or monthly invoicing.
Allowing Anonymous Transactional Access is easier for users to access non-subscribed content by removing the registration barrier. However, it means that a breakdown of transactional usage by user name on your monthly invoice will no longer be possible. This makes it impossible to track non-subscribed access back to individuals
The Inherited Default is the value as set at a level higher than the one you are working in, such as would be set at the Consortium or Product level.
How
Follow these steps to allow anonymous transactional access:
- Go to the ‘ScienceDirect’ tab and click ‘Purchase Options’.
- From ‘Account Setting’, select one of the following for the Account or Group:
Note: Click ‘Yes’or ‘No’ to override the Inherited Default
|
|
|---|---|
Use Inherited Default |
The default value as set at a higher level, such as the default value determined by Elsevier at Product level, or by an Administrator at the Consortium level, or (if looking at a Group), the Account level. See Administrator Viewing and Editing Privileges for more information. |
Yes |
Allow an anonymous User to purchase access to ScienceDirect content. |
No |
Prevent an anonymous User from purchasing access to ScienceDirect content. |
- From Edit ScienceDirect Purchase Options, click one of the following:
- Click ‘Overview of Group Settings’ to open the ScienceDirect Purchase Options- Overview of Group Settings page.
- Click ‘Save’to save your Purchase Options settings. The View ScienceDirect Purchase Options- Account opens.
- Click ‘Cancel’to return to the Account ScienceDirect Information page.
This setting requires that a user enter a cost code when requesting transactional access for unsubscribed ScienceDirect content.
Once a ScienceDirect subscriber submits the Transactional Access form for unsubscribed content, an email is sent to the document delivery email address specified for the Consortium, Account, or Group.
The ‘Inherited Default’ is the value as set at a level higher than the one you are working in, such as would be set at the Consortium or Product level.
How
Follow these steps to allow a cost code for transactions:
- Go to the ‘ScienceDirect’ tab and click ‘Purchase Options’.
- From ‘Account Setting’, select one of the following for the Account or Group:
Note: Click ‘Yes’or ‘No’ to override the Inherited Default
|
|
|---|---|
Use Inherited Default |
The default value as set at a higher level, such as the default value determined by Elsevier at Product level, or by an Administrator at the Consortium level, or (if looking at a Group), the Account level. See Administrator Viewing and Editing Privileges for more information. |
Yes |
Prevents an Account User from transactional access to ScienceDirect content unless a cost code is entered. |
No |
Allows an Account User to access ScienceDirect content through transactional access without having to enter a cost code. |
- From Edit ScienceDirect Purchase Options, click one of the following:
- Click ‘Overview of Group Settings’ to open the ScienceDirect Purchase Options- Overview of Group Settings page.
- Click ‘Save’to save your Purchase Options settings. The View ScienceDirect Purchase Options- Account opens.
- Click ‘Cancel’to return to the Account ScienceDirect Information page.
This setting controls whether ScienceDirect displays an Order Document link next to unsubscribed, full-text content, and A&E database records. The ‘Order Document’ link allows an email document delivery request to be sent to the email address of your choice.
Note: Order document links will only be placed next to unsubscribed, full-text content if the Prevent Transactional Access setting is set to ‘Yes’. Transactional access takes precedence over Document Delivery for unsubscribed, full-text content.
The Inherited Default is the value as set at a level higher than the one you are working in, such as would be set at the Consortium or Product level.
How
Follow these steps to prevent document delivery:
- Go to the ‘ScienceDirect’ tab and click ‘Purchase Options’.
- From ‘Account Setting’, select one of the following for the Account or Group:
Note: Click ‘Yes’or ‘No’ to override the Inherited Default
|
|
|---|---|
Use Inherited Default |
The default value as set at a higher level, such as the default value determined by Elsevier at Product level, or by an Administrator at the Consortium level, or (if looking at a Group), the Account level. See Administrator Viewing and Editing Privileges for more information. |
Yes |
Prevent document delivery services for ScienceDirect content. |
No |
Allow document delivery services for ScienceDirect content. |
- From Edit ScienceDirect Purchase Options, click one of the following:
- Click ‘Overview of Group Settings’ to open the ScienceDirect Purchase Options- Overview of Group Settings page.
- Click ‘Save’to save your Purchase Options settings. The View ScienceDirect Purchase Options- Account opens.
- Click ‘Cancel’to return to the Account ScienceDirect Information page.
- Go to the ‘ScienceDirect’ tab and click ‘Purchase Options’.
- From Credit Card Purchasing, select whether to ‘Allow Credit Card Purchasing’.
|
|
|---|---|
Yes |
Allows Credit Card Purchasing. |
No |
Prevents Credit Card Purchasing. |
- In Edit ScienceDirect Purchase Options, click one of the following:
- Click ‘Overview of Group Settings’to open the ScienceDirect Purchase Options- Overview of Group Settings page.
- Click ‘Save’to save your Purchase Options settings. The View ScienceDirect Purchase Options- Account opens.
- Click ‘Cancel’to return to the Account ScienceDirect Information page.
Allow Bypass of Purchase Confirm Screen disables the ScienceDirect Full Text Access text message that is displayed on ScienceDirect, when users request an unsubscribed full-text article as part of transactional access.
Option | Explanation |
|---|---|
Use Inherited Default | The default value as set at a higher level, such as the default value determined by Elsevier at Product level, or by an Administrator at the Consortium level, or (if looking at a Group), the Account level. See Administrator Viewing and Editing Privileges for more information. |
Yes | Allows the purchase screen message to be bypassed in ScienceDirect. |
No | Does not allow the purchase screen message to be bypassed in ScienceDirect. |
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