Set a payment method as a default

Question

I have many payment methods, and they will appear depending on the shipping method selected. How can I put as a default one of them? For example the first payment method from the list, I want that his radio button appears checked.

I am trying in methods.phtml but I don't know what I have to do.

Answer 1

First copy base file from app\design\frontend\base\default\template\checkout\onepage\payment\methods.phtml to your theme

app\design\frontend\your_packge\your_theme\template\checkout\onepage\payment\methods.phtml

After replace code from

<?php
    $methods = $this->getMethods();
    $oneMethod = count($methods) <= 1;
?>
<?php if (empty($methods)): ?>
    <dt>
        <?php echo $this->__('No Payment Methods') ?>
    </dt>
<?php else:
    foreach ($methods as $_method):
        $_code = $_method->getCode();
?>
    <dt id="dt_method_<?php echo $_code ?>">
    <?php if(!$oneMethod): ?>
        <input id="p_method_<?php echo $_code ?>" value="<?php echo $_code ?>" type="radio" name="payment[method]" title="<?php echo $this->escapeHtml($_method->getTitle()) ?>" onclick="payment.switchMethod('<?php echo $_code ?>')"<?php if($this->getSelectedMethodCode()==$_code): ?> checked="checked"<?php endif; ?> class="radio" />
    <?php else: ?>
        <span class="no-display"><input id="p_method_<?php echo $_code ?>" value="<?php echo $_code ?>" type="radio" name="payment[method]" checked="checked" class="radio" /></span>
        <?php $oneMethod = $_code; ?>
    <?php endif; ?>
        <label for="p_method_<?php echo $_code ?>"><?php echo $this->escapeHtml($this->getMethodTitle($_method)) ?> <?php echo $this->getMethodLabelAfterHtml($_method) ?></label>
    </dt>
    <?php if ($html = $this->getPaymentMethodFormHtml($_method)): ?>
    <dd id="dd_method_<?php echo $_code ?>">
        <?php echo $html; ?>
    </dd>
    <?php endif; ?>
<?php endforeach;
    endif;
?>
<?php echo $this->getChildChildHtml('additional'); ?>
<script type="text/javascript">
    //<![CDATA[
    <?php echo $this->getChildChildHtml('scripts'); ?>
    payment.init();
    <?php if (is_string($oneMethod)): ?>
    payment.switchMethod('<?php echo $oneMethod ?>');
        <?php endif; ?>
    //]]>
</script>

To

<?php
    $methods = $this->getMethods();
    $oneMethod = count($methods) <= 1;
?>
<?php if (empty($methods)): ?>
    <dt>
        <?php echo $this->__('No Payment Methods') ?>
    </dt>
<?php else:
    $p = 1;
    foreach ($methods as $_method):
        $_code = $_method->getCode();
?>
    <dt id="dt_method_<?php echo $_code ?>">
    <?php if(!$oneMethod): ?>
        <input id="p_method_<?php echo $_code ?>" value="<?php echo $_code ?>" <?php if($p==1):?>checked="checked"<?php else:?> <?php endif;?>type="radio" name="payment[method]" title="<?php echo $this->escapeHtml($_method->getTitle()) ?>" onclick="payment.switchMethod('<?php echo $_code ?>')"<?php if($this->getSelectedMethodCode()==$_code): ?> checked="checked"<?php endif; ?> class="radio" />
    <?php else: ?>
        <span class="no-display"><input id="p_method_<?php echo $_code ?>" value="<?php echo $_code ?>" checked="checked" type="radio" name="payment[method]" checked="checked" class="radio" /></span>
        <?php $oneMethod = $_code; ?>
    <?php endif; ?>
        <label for="p_method_<?php echo $_code ?>"><?php echo $this->escapeHtml($this->getMethodTitle($_method)) ?> <?php echo $this->getMethodLabelAfterHtml($_method) ?></label>
    </dt>
    <?php if ($html = $this->getPaymentMethodFormHtml($_method)): ?>
    <dd id="dd_method_<?php echo $_code ?>">
        <?php echo $html; ?>
    </dd>
    <?php endif; ?>
<?php $p++; endforeach;
    endif;
?>
<?php echo $this->getChildChildHtml('additional'); ?>
<script type="text/javascript">
    //<![CDATA[
    <?php echo $this->getChildChildHtml('scripts'); ?>
    payment.init();
    <?php if (is_string($oneMethod)): ?>
    payment.switchMethod('<?php echo $oneMethod ?>');
        <?php endif; ?>
    //]]>
</script>