WordPress Plugin Case Study
The Challenge
Mawatynki – Token Based Pay Per View for Dementia Education
Medical educator Nicky Taylor, creates specialist video content to help families and professionals support people living with dementia. Nicky runs a WordPress based education site and wanted visitors to buy credits and spend them on the specific videos that mattered to them.
No off the shelf WordPress paywall and membership plugins could meet this requirement. Tools like Restrict Content Pro focused on subscriptions or simple pay per view and could not combine token bundles, per video spending and a visible wallet balance, all while working with DRM protected video hosting. After weeks of research, Nicky was repeatedly told that the token system she wanted “could not be done”.
Eventually RD Research were recommended to her. We were asked to design a bespoke WordPress plugin that would deliver a token based pay per view model with a simple experience for carers, families and clinicians and a sustainable business model for the site.
The Development Process
We began by reviewing the existing Restrict Content Pro setup and mapping the key journeys: a new visitor arriving on a video page, a family carer buying a small bundle of credits, and returning professional users who would top up regularly.
We produced a concise functional specification for a custom plugin to replace the subscription workaround. We then designed a token engine that tracks purchases, balance changes and usage history per user.
Admins can configure bundles such as “1 token for £1” and “10 tokens for £6” from within WordPress, and the plugin integrates with existing e-commerce tools for payments, receipts and tax handling. The solution uses page level access control so that when a user with sufficient tokens visits a protected video page, the plugin checks their balance, records the spend and grants access.
To work with DRM, the plugin protects the video page URL rather than the underlying media file. Admin screens allow Nicky to see token purchases and usage, and new videos are brought under token control with minimal extra configuration. The result is a focused, maintainable piece of custom software development built to WordPress standards.
Key features
- Bespoke WordPress plugin for token based pay per view of video content
- Configurable token bundles and discounts managed from the WordPress admin
- Per user wallet with visible token balance and automatic deduction on viewing
- DRM aware access control by protecting page URLs rather than direct video files
- Integration with existing WordPress user accounts and payment processing
- Automatic inclusion of new videos in the token system with minimal admin overhead
- Usage logging to support customer queries and understand which topics are most popular
Outcome
The new token based system gave a medical site exactly what the owner had originally envisaged: a clear and fair way to monetise specialist dementia content on a per view basis. Visitors can now choose a bundle that suits their budget, see their credit balance and decide which videos to watch without committing to an ongoing subscription.
The bespoke plugin has removed the complexity and compromises of generic membership tools. Admin time has reduced, reporting is clearer and adding a new monthly video is now a simple, repeatable task. The solution respects DRM constraints while keeping the user experience smooth and predictable.
The project shows how a custom WordPress plugin and targeted digital content monetisation can unlock models that off the shelf products cannot support, aligning technology with the real needs of dementia education providers and their audiences.
“After searching both nationally and internationally, and talking to numerous developers we had almost given up hope of finding anyone capable of doing exactly what we needed. Fortunately, we found RD Research Ltd and established that they were, indeed, able to assist us.”
Nicky Taylor, Director, Mawatynki