Convert more
A checkout that doesn't trust the browser.
Server-verified totals, live shipping rates, and tax before the charge ever happens.
Shepherd's cart and checkout recalculate every total server-side, validate stock, quote real carrier rates, estimate tax, and snapshot the entire cart at charge time. Guests check out without an account; logged-in customers get order history automatically.
100%
Totals recalculated server-side
Live
Carrier rates and tax at checkout
0
Accounts required. Guest checkout included.
Session carts
Anonymous session carts spin up instantly. Add by SKU, adjust quantities, and override fulfillment per line or for the whole cart. No login wall between a shopper and a sale.
- Session-based carts with instant creation, no account needed
- Add, remove, increment, decrement, or set quantity by SKU
- Per-line and cart-wide fulfillment overrides (e.g. local hand delivery)
- Abandoned carts tracked and surfaced in the store dashboard
Real rates, real tax, before the charge.
Physical items are bin-packed into your configured shipping boxes using actual product dimensions and weights, then quoted against live carrier APIs. Tax comes from Avalara when configured, with a nexus-state fallback so checkout never blocks.
- UPS-backed address validation before rating
- Dimensional bin packing into your own box catalog
- Live multi-carrier quotes (UPS direct, Shippo for USPS/FedEx/DHL)
- Avalara AvaTax estimation with nexus-based fallback rates
- Shipping and tax snapshots stored on the order
Checkout integrity by default.
The server recalculates subtotal, tax, and shipping at checkout. Client-submitted totals are overwritten. Stock is validated (respecting per-SKU backorder rules), and an immutable cart-at-charge-time snapshot is stored with every order for disputes and support.
- Client totals ignored; the server is the source of truth
- Stock validation with per-SKU backorder allowances
- Immutable checkout snapshot on every order
- Pending orders expire automatically when payment windows lapse
Pay how your customers want to pay.
Checkout hands off to the payment hub: embedded Stripe fields, hosted Stripe Checkout, Authorize.Net card capture, or a Coinbase Commerce crypto page, selected per order. Authorization-hold products capture later with one call.
- Provider chosen at checkout: Stripe, Authorize.Net, or Coinbase Commerce
- Embedded or hosted payment surfaces
- Subscription checkout for recurring and metered products
- Manual capture flow for authorize-now, charge-later items
- Status polling and webhooks complete the order automatically
Everything included.
Guest checkout
No forced account creation. Contact info is enough to complete an order.
Address validation
USPS-backed validation catches bad addresses before labels get printed.
Mixed-cart fulfillment
Physical, digital, and license items check out together in one order.
Invoice IDs
Human-readable, sequential invoice numbers on every order.
Promo code management
Manage promo codes with usage limits in admin today; automatic checkout application is on the roadmap.
Payment polling + webhooks
Orders confirm via Stripe webhooks or status polling for crypto.
Email confirmations
Templated order confirmation and merchant notification emails on completion.
Customer linkage
Logged-in checkouts attach to the customer's account and order history.
Easy for your whole team.
For ops teams
Disputes end with the snapshot
Every order stores exactly what the cart looked like at charge time: items, prices, fulfillment, and provider. Support questions have one answer.
For store managers
Watch conversion, not plumbing
Abandoned carts and conversion rate are on the dashboard. Rates, tax, and payment status all flow without manual steps.
For developers
A checkout you can actually build on
Documented REST endpoints for every step (cart, validation, rates, tax, checkout, status) power any frontend you want.
How it compares.
Checkout is where hosted platforms lock you in hardest. Shopify won't let you touch checkout without Plus. Shepherd's checkout is open API, end to end.
| Capability | Shepherd.Commerce | Shopify | BigCommerce | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checkout customization | Full (your code and API) | Limited; deep changes need Plus ($2,300+/mo) | One-page checkout, customizable via API | Full, via code and plugins |
| Live carrier rates at checkout | Included | Advanced plan ($399/mo) or app | Included on higher tiers | Paid extensions per carrier |
| Server-verified totals | Always | Yes (closed system) | Yes (closed system) | Depends on plugins |
| Guest checkout | Built in | Built in | Built in | Built in |
Competitor details compiled from public sources for general comparison; verify current terms with each provider. Third-party names are trademarks of their respective owners.
Works with the tools you already use.
Stripe
Embedded and hosted payment
UPS
Live rates & address validation
Shippo
Multi-carrier rates
Avalara
Sales tax estimation
Shepherd.Commerce is not affiliated with the providers above. We integrate with their services using your own accounts and credentials.
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Checkout on your terms.
Checkout runs on your API and your storefront code. No platform tier required to customize the flow.