Checkout Flow

How your customers complete purchases

Checkout Overview

Waffo Pancake uses a two-step checkout flow optimized for conversion. This design collects customer details first, then payment information, reducing abandonment and supporting accurate tax calculation.

Two Ways to Check Out

Waffo Pancake supports two checkout methods — choose the one that fits your use case:

Product Purchase Link

Permanent link — never expires, stays valid even when you update the product.

• Best for: sharing on websites, social media, email
• No code required

Checkout Session (API)

Dynamic link — created via API with custom parameters.

• Best for: custom checkout flows, dynamic pricing, metadata
• 45-minute default TTL (configurable up to 7 days)

Product Purchase Links

Every product gets a permanent purchase link:

https://checkout.waffo.ai/{store-slug}/{product-slug}

Test mode:

https://checkout.waffo.ai/{store-slug}/{product-slug}/test

A checkout session is created automatically when the customer opens the link. Just click “Copy Link” in the Dashboard.

Checkout Sessions (API)

For advanced use cases, create a checkout session via the API:

POST /v1/actions/checkout/create-session

Authenticated vs Anonymous Checkout

When creating sessions via the API, you can choose between two modes:

• Authenticated: Provide buyerIdentity to bind orders to a stable identifier. Pre-fills the checkout form and enables post-purchase self-service.
• Anonymous: No identity required. Buyer fills in details manually. Suitable for shared links and template stores.

Authenticated checkout is strongly recommended when you know the buyer. See SDK Checkout Modes for details.

The resulting checkout URL follows this structure:

https://checkout.waffo.ai/{store-slug}/checkout/{sessionId}

Component	Description
store-slug	Your store’s unique URL slug
sessionId	Checkout session identifier (default 45-minute TTL, configurable up to 7 days)

Checkout sessions are generated server-side and lock the product version and price at creation time.

Two-Step Checkout Flow

1. Consumer Details

   Collect email, country, and billing info for tax calculation and order processing.

2. Payment

   Enter card details or use Apple Pay / Google Pay to complete payment.

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Step 1: Consumer Details

The first step collects information needed for tax calculation and order processing.

Required Fields

Field	Purpose
Email address	Receipt, account creation, Customer Portal access
Country	Tax jurisdiction determination

Conditional Fields (Based on Country)

Field	When Required
ZIP/Postal Code	US, CA, UK, and most countries
State/Province	US, CA, AU, IN
City	EU countries (for VAT)
Street Address	EU countries (full address for compliance)

Business Purchase Option

Customers can toggle “I’m purchasing as a business” to provide:

• Business name
• Full billing address
• Tax ID (optional, for VAT exemption)

EU tax compliance requires full address for accurate VAT calculation and invoicing.

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Step 2: Payment

The second step collects payment information.

Payment Methods

Card Payment

• Card number
• Expiry date (MM/YY)
• CVC/CVV
• Cardholder name

Digital Wallets

• Apple Pay (iOS, Safari)
• Google Pay (Android, Chrome)
• One-click with biometric auth

Order Summary

Displayed alongside payment form:

Element	Description
Product name	What customer is buying
Product image	Visual confirmation
Subtotal	Product price
Tax	Calculated from Step 1 location
Total	Final amount to charge

Terms Agreement

Customer must agree to terms before completing purchase. Links to:

• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Merchant of Record disclosure

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Processing

After payment submission:

1. Card validation - Luhn check, expiry, CVC
2. 3D Secure - Bank verification (if required)
3. Fraud check - Risk assessment
4. Authorization - Charge to card
5. Order creation - Record in system

Customer sees:

• Animated loading indicator
• “Processing your payment” message
• Real-time status updates

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Result Pages

Success Page

On successful payment:

• Order confirmation number
• “Receipt sent to your email” message
• Next steps or access instructions
• Customer Portal link

Failed Page

On payment failure:

• Clear error explanation
• Suggested action
• Retry button
• Support contact option

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Subscription Checkout

For subscription products, additional information displays:

Billing Preview

Element	Example
Billing frequency	”Billed monthly”
Recurring amount	”$29.00/month”
Next billing date	Calculated from today

Trial Information (if enabled)

Element	Example
Trial duration	”7-day free trial”
First charge date	Date after trial ends
Cancel anytime	Reassurance message

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Multi-Language Support

Checkout follows the shopper’s browser language automatically, across 19 languages:

Language	Code	Language	Code
English	en	Italian	it
Chinese (Simplified)	zh	Russian	ru
Chinese (Traditional)	zh-Hant	Arabic	ar
Japanese	ja	Hindi	hi
Korean	ko	Thai	th
German	de	Vietnamese	vi
French	fr	Indonesian	id
Spanish	es	Dutch	nl
Portuguese	pt	Polish	pl
		Turkish	tr

Unsupported languages fall back to English. Shoppers can also switch languages from the selector in the checkout footer, and the payment page opens in whichever language they were using when they clicked Pay.

See Checkout Language for details.

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Test Checkout

Use Test Mode to try the checkout flow without real charges.

Test Card Numbers

Card	Number	Result
Visa Credit	4576 7500 0000 0110	Success
Mastercard Credit	2226 9000 0000 0110	Success
Visa Debit	4001 7000 0000 0110	Success
Mastercard Debit	2226 9300 0000 0110	Success
Visa Credit	4576 7500 0000 0220	Declined
Mastercard Credit	2226 9000 0000 0220	Declined

Any future expiry date and any 3-digit CVC will work.

Test mode is indicated by a banner: “Test Mode - No real charges will be made”

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Error Handling

Common Payment Errors

Error	Cause	Customer Action
Card declined	Insufficient funds or bank block	Try different card
Invalid card	Incorrect card number	Check and re-enter
Expired card	Card past expiration	Use valid card
CVC mismatch	Wrong security code	Re-enter CVC
3DS failed	Bank verification failed	Contact bank

Error Display

Error messages are:

• Clear and actionable
• Non-technical language
• Include helpful next steps
• Do not expose sensitive data

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Checkout Security

Product Purchase Links

• Link is permanent and public — no sensitive data is embedded
• A fresh checkout session is created server-side each time a customer opens the link
• Product version and pricing are resolved at the moment of access

Checkout Sessions (API)

• Sessions lock the product version and price snapshot at creation time
• Sessions include a cryptographic signature and cannot be tampered with
• Sessions expire after 45 minutes by default (configurable up to 7 days via expiresInSeconds)

Checkout sessions expire after 45 minutes by default. Use expiresInSeconds to extend up to 7 days. Customers must start a new session after expiration.

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Merchant of Record Notice

At checkout footer, customers see:

“This order is processed by our online reseller & Merchant of Record, Waffo Pancake, who also handles order-related inquiries and returns.”

This disclosure is required for MoR compliance and helps customers understand the payment relationship.

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Next Steps

Payment Methods

Supported cards and wallets

Customization

Brand your checkout experience