Process flow
Checkout API enabled vs. disabled - Which should you choose?
Process flow determines how the base products and extra product options are processed on your checkout. Optionally, there are two methods of processing checkouts:
- Checkout API disabled: Creation of new product variants (New variation flow)
Checkout API enabled
Checkout API disabled
- 1.Visit Settings tab in EXPO app.
- 2.In the Process flow section, enable it to activate Checkout API mode, and disable it to activate the New Variation flow.
It can be summarised in the following table:
Features | Checkout API | New Variation flow |
|---|---|---|
Checkout process | Use Shopify's Checkout API to create items and complete checkouts | Create product variant of the form #EXPO |
Product options in admin | No new variants created | New variants created with unique ID (eg. #EXPO12345) |
Order history in admin | Your order shows "from EXPO ‑ Extra Product Options (via import)" as sales channel | Your order shows "from Online Store" as sales channel |
Line items | Line items with extra fees showing on cart, checkout, and email templates | Line items not showing. Extra fees are included in the product item's price |
Adding to cart | Normal | It has a minor delay while adding item(s) to cart |
Compatibility | Limited integrations with third party apps that interfere in the checkout process | Works with third party apps like bulk discounts, bundles, and tiered pricing apps |
Price formula | Unavailable | Supported |
Stock/Inventory | Unavailable | Supported |
If you select Checkout API as your checkout process flow, the product add-ons/fees will show as separate line items.
Please refer to the images below:
- Base product is a t-shirt, which costs $90
- Add-on product is "Simple Upgrade" option, which costs $88
Checkout API enabled - Separate line items on checkout page
Checkout API disabled - Base product and extra item combined into a single item
Checkout API enabled
Checkout API disabled
Below you will some other differences between the New Variation flow & Checkout API:
- 1.In Checkout API, it uses Shopify's API to create abandoned checkout so the checkout page is not the same as the default in some places, and New Variation flow will create product variant of the form #EXPO.
- 2.When you enable Checkout API mode, the checkbox ‘Use as price’ of option type Number is disabled so you can’t use the value as price. But in New Variation flow mode, you can check ‘Use as price’ and use the value of option type number as price and you can customize Price formula.
- 3.In checkout, Checkout API mode will show the text: ’Selections will add … to the product single price’ when the client selects the options to add to the cart and show all decrease prices as discount fees and increase prices or additional cost as extra fees. But New Variation flow is not, it only shows the text: ’Selections will add … to the product single price’ and don’t display specific items in check out.
Last modified 7mo ago