Material Policies
Material Policies decide how each material behaves at checkout — including whether it’s optional, included, or required, and how students are charged.
Choosing the right policy ensures:
Students are charged correctly
Requirements are clear
Materials are delivered the right way in the Student Portal
Every material you attach to a course uses one of four policies:
Optional
Included
Required (Waivable)
Required (Bundled, Non-Waivable)
How Material Policies Work
Material Policies are set when you create or edit a course offering.
They control:
Whether the material is selected by default
Whether the student can remove it
Whether the price is bundled or added at checkout
Policy 1 — Optional
What it means
Not included by default
Student can choose it at checkout
Price is added only if selected
Best for
Add-ons
CPR masks or equipment
Optional books or manuals
Extra certifications
What students see
A checkbox
A price
A short description
Policy 2 — Included
What it means
Always included with registration
Student cannot remove it
No extra charge appears at checkout
Delivered automatically in the Student Portal
Best for
ARC courses with manuals included
Free PDFs
Handouts or instructions
Items you always provide
What students see
“Included” label
No line item
No option to deselect
Policy 3 — Required (Waivable)
What it means
Added by default
Student can opt out (“I already have this”)
Best for
AHA HeartCode when students may buy directly
Bring-your-own manual situations
Why this matters
Creates a clear opt-out record
Reduces confusion at checkout
What students see
Material pre-selected
A toggle to opt out
A short explanation
Policy 4 — Required (Bundled, Non-Waivable)
What it means
Automatically added
Price is added on top of the course fee
Student cannot remove it
Shows as a separate line item
Best for
Required materials with extra cost
Instructor-issued keycodes
Required manuals you sell
What students see
“Required” tag
Course price + material price
No option to deselect
How Policies Affect Checkout
Policy | Price Added? | Can Student Remove? | Best For |
Optional | Only if selected | Yes | Upsells, masks, books |
Included | No | No | Bundled materials, ARC manuals |
Required (Waivable) | Yes (by default) | Yes | HeartCode, bring-your-own items |
Required (Bundled) | Yes | No | Mandatory materials |
Common Examples
AHA HeartCode — Purchase Link
Material: HeartCode BLS – Purchase Link
Policy: Required (Bundled)
Price: $0
Flow: Student buys directly from AHA
AHA HeartCode — Keycode
Material: HeartCode BLS Online
Policy: Required (Waivable)
Price: Your resale rate
Flow: Student receives keycode in the Student Portal
BLS Add-On
Material: Custom “BLS Add-On”
Policy: Optional
Price: Your add-on rate
CPR Pocket Mask
Material: Custom
Policy: Optional
Price: Your retail price
Best Practices
Use Included for anything every student should always receive.
Use Required (Waivable) for HeartCode and similar materials where students may already own access.
Use Required (Bundled) only when the item is truly mandatory, and you want to charge extra.
Always test checkout once before publishing a new course.