Commerce Cloud cannot store payment details such as credit card information in between when an order is placed and when the order is approved. As such, storefronts that use the order approvals feature must implement two checkout layouts, one for the initial checkout flow and a second for when payment is provided after approval has been given. The initial checkout flow layout handles orders in the following way:
If an order does not require approval, the shopper can pay for it immediately using any payment method she chooses to provide.
If the order requires approval, the shopper can either:
Pay for it immediately with a deferred payment method like invoice or cash that does not require storing payment details. Orders that fall into this category are immediately processed after approval is given and require no further interaction by the shopper.
Opt to pay for the order after approval is given, using a non-deferred payment method like a credit card or gift card. The shopper is notified via email after order approval is given and must return to the store to provide payment information. This is when the shopper is presented with the post-approval checkout layout.
Because order approval is based on aspects of the order (such as the order total or items the order contains) at the time the shopper submitted the order, the post-approval checkout layout must restrict the shopper from editing the order in any way other than providing payment information. To pay for an approved order, the shopper must view the order’s details, either by clicking a link in the Order Approved notification email or by viewing her order history and clicking the order that is pending payment. When a shopper is viewing order details for an approved order that is pending payment, a Complete Payment button is provided. Clicking this button sends the shopper to the post-approval checkout layout, where she can provide the payment information.
The following sections describe how to create the two checkout layouts that support order approvals.
Note: The sections below provide the minimum version number for each of the widgets you will be placing on the checkout layout. In order for the order approvals feature to work as described in this section, you must use these minimum versions or later. To tell which version of a widget you are using, view the widget’s settings and click the About tab to see the widget’s version number.
