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Definition
Checkout - The process by which an order is completed either by entering payment and additional shipping information or by simply submitting the order for fulfillment.
The checkout procedure is your last communication avenue to your customer. Not only is it an important step to insure proper order completion including payment information, but it is also a final area by which you can try to sell more of your products either by way of special offers (upsells) or free gifts.
The checkout screen below demonstrates all of this in a clear format.
 A. Completed shopping cart is always prominent in the checkout process so shoppers can confirm what they are purchasing.
B. Shoppers can always return to the shopping system to continue to add items to their cart.
C. Clear trail indicating that the checkout process has two full steps (this is not the only page). Helps reduce half-completed orders.
D. If a accounting system is in place (for customer accounts) and the shopper has not already registered, an explanation of the benefits of the customer registration is displayed.
E. Special offers in the form of “Upsells” and Free Gifts can be configured to encourage shoppers to buy more. Multiple gifts at different thresholds can be defined so rewards can vary based on total purchase amount.
F. Promotion codes, discount codes, gift certificates, and special wholesaler codes can be provided to your customers so the system can automatically apply the necessary discounts.
G. Billing information is automatically filled in if the customer is logged into the shopping system with their own account, otherwise a very concise form is displayed requiring intelligent responses before checkout can be completed.
H. Credit cards of any type can be configured as valid card types in the system. Rudimentary validation (CRC) is done on specific cards and processing can be automated through a third party processor such as Verisign.
I. If the customer is not already logged into the available accounting system, they are given the opportunity to do so here to make the checkout process easier and also to enhance your tracking and order statistics.
J. Special offer verbiage is entirely customizable and can include a “near threshold” message to indicate that the shopper has almost enough in their cart to qualify for the next better special offer.
K. When entering a promotion code, customers can recalculate their order to display an accurate cost as well as validate the code.
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