Choose a checkout experience

FastSpring supports three checkout types. Each offers the same secure buying experience but provides different integration options. You can use different checkouts for different audiences, products, or workflows within the same Store.

Checkout types

Web checkout

Hosted Page. A standalone checkout page hosted by FastSpring. Buyers access this via direct links. Best for simple integrations or email marketing.

Popup checkout

Overlay Modal. A seamless checkout window that opens directly over your existing website. Best for keeping customers on your domain.

Embedded checkout

Inline Component. A checkout form embedded directly into your page layout <div>. Best for custom pricing pages and user portals.

Feature comparison

Use the matrix below to compare technical requirements and capabilities for each checkout type.

Decision Factor	Web Checkout	Popup Checkout	Embedded Checkout
Where it lives	FastSpring Hosted	Your Website	Your Website
Technical Skill	None	Minimal^*	Minimal^*
Buying Experience	Redirects to URL	Overlay (On page)	Inline (On page)
Saves Cart?	No	Yes (via SBL)	Yes (via SBL)
Can be Default?	Yes	No	No
^* Minimal: Requires copying and pasting a standard JavaScript snippet (Store Builder Library) into your website's HTML code. No custom programming is required.

How the order flow works

Understanding the lifecycle of a FastSpring transaction helps you choose the right integration. The diagram below illustrates the interaction between your customer, the checkout experience, and the backend processing.

sequenceDiagram
    autonumber
    participant User as Customer
    participant Store as Checkout (Popup/Web)
    participant FS as FastSpring Core
    participant Seller as Your Backend

    User->>Store: Selects Product & Clicks Buy
    Store->>FS: Initiate Checkout (Secure Payload or Link)
    FS-->>User: Display Checkout / 1ClickPay

    User->>FS: Enter Payment Info & Submit
   
    rect rgb(240, 240, 240)
    Note over FS: Risk Analysis Engine
    FS->>FS: Evaluate Fraud Score
    end

    alt Risk Check Passed
        FS->>FS: Process Payment
        FS-->>User: Payment Success & Receipt
        par Parallel Actions
            FS->>User: Email Fulfillment
            FS->>Seller: Webhook: order.completed
        end
    else Risk Check Failed
        FS-->>User: Decline Message
        FS->>Seller: Webhook: order.failed
    end

Default checkout configuration

Every Store includes a single Default Checkout. This specific checkout controls the appearance and styling of the customer Account Management site, where buyers view their order history and manage subscriptions.

Important:

The default checkout must be a Web Checkout.

Popup and embedded checkouts cannot serve as the default.

Your default checkout must be online for Account Management styling to apply.

Next steps

Once you have selected your checkout type, you can customize the experience further:

Payment Methods: Control which options (Credit Card, PayPal, Wire) are available.
1ClickPay: Enable frictionless purchasing for returning customers.