Checkout Process
Overview
The checkout process controls what a user sees after they have added products into their shopping cart and clicked on "Checkout".
Things to Remember
- You will need to have a working SSL certificate before users can checkout. Please contact your web hosting provider to have the certificate installed.
- Before any money can be processed, you need to set up a payment gateway.
- Any time money is collected through the program, it goes through the shopping cart. This includes the obvious situations like a shopping cart purchase, but also includes paid registration forms, event registrations, and invoice payments.
Checkout Process
Several steps take place before a user completes a purchase. In most cases, the user will be taken directly to the billing information page, however in some cases, based on the settings of the products in the user's cart, additional steps will be required.
| Step | Required | Description | Templates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yes | Checkout User clicks the "Checkout" button from the shopping cart screen. | Cart Contents |
| 1a | No | Terms If a product in the user's cart has terms associated with it, the user will be requested to agree to the terms. | Terms and Conditions |
| 1b | No | Dependency Forms If a product in the user's cart has a dependency form associated with it, the user will be requested to complete one or more dependency forms. | Additional Information Required |
| 1c | No | Upsell Suggestions If a product in the user's cart has an upsell product associated with it, the user will be asked if he/she is interested in adding any additional products to their order. | Related Products |
| 1d | No | Shipping Options If you are not using an API payment gateway, and if a product in the user's cart is physical, meaning that it requires shipping, the user will be be prompted to select their shipping options. | Shipping and Handling |
| 2 | Yes | Billing Information Page This page allows the user to select their payment method, input their billing information, and if required, their shipping information. | Checkout |
| 3 | Yes | Billing Preview Page This page is a review of the previous page and includes a breakdown of the order the user is about to place. | Preview Order |
| 4 | Yes | Order Complete Page At this point the order is complete. What the user sees on this step depends on the conditions that led up to the order. See the "Order Completion Steps" below for more information. | See Below... |
Billing Information Page
The billing information page is the location from which users select their billing method, input their billing/shipping information, and complete their orders.
| Item | Description | Template |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Order overview Breakdown of what the user is ordering. | Each product is rendered using the "Entry: Cart Product Small" template. |
| 2 | Totals and Promotional Code If the user has inputted a promotional code, it will be displayed here. | - |
| 3 | Promotional Code Allows the user to input a new promotional code. | - |
| 4 | Payment Methods Displays a list of available payment methods to the user. | Each method is rendered using the "Entry: Cart Billing Method Option" template. |
| 5 | Billing Information Address information associated with the billing method, most likely a credit card. | |
| 6 | Shipping Options Desired shipping option for the user. Section will only appear if the user has a physical product in their cart. | Each option is rendered using the "Entry: Shipping Option" template. |
| 7 | Shipping Information Allows user to input his/her shipping address and directions. Only appears if the user has a physical product in their cart. | - |
| 8 | Method Information Credit card, eCheck, or invoice information, depending on which payment method the user selected. | - |
Order Completion Steps
Front-End
The last step of the above process will change depending on where the order originated from. Consider the following possibilities:
| Origin of Purchase | Description | Template |
|---|---|---|
| Shopping Cart | User will be redirected to the order completion page. | View Order |
| Invoice Payment | User will be redirect back to the online invoice overview page. | Viewing Invoice |
| Event Registration | User will be shown the "Event Registration Confirmed" template. | Event Registration Confirmed |
| Member Registration Form | User will be shown the "Registration Complete" template. | Registration Complete |
In all cases, the user will be emailed a copy of their receipt in the form the "Cart Receipt" template. Additional emails may also be sent depending on which action the user originated from. Please see the documentation for the respective "Origins" above for more information.
Article Links
- Overview
- Things to Remember
- Checkout Process
- Billing Information Page
- Order Completion Steps
- Front-End
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Published on 2013/07/12.
Last updated on 2013/07/12.