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Building a Custom Checkout Experience

· 4 min read
Strahinja
Strahinja
Lead Developer @ Tanqory

Create a seamless checkout experience that converts. Learn how to customize every step of the checkout process.

The Checkout Challenge​

The checkout is where conversions happen - or don't. A confusing or slow checkout can lose you customers at the final hurdle.

The goal: Make checkout fast, simple, and trustworthy.

Checkout Architecture​

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           Cart Summary                   │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐ │
│  │ Info    │→ │ Shipping│→ │ Payment │ │
│  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│           Order Review                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Step 1: Customer Information​

Keep it minimal - only ask for what you need:

const customerInfoSchema = {
  email: {
    required: true,
    validate: (value) => /^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/.test(value)
  },
  firstName: { required: true },
  lastName: { required: true },
  phone: { required: false } // Optional!
};

Smart Form Design​

function CustomerForm({ onSubmit }) {
  const [errors, setErrors] = useState({});

  return (
    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
      <div className="form-group">
        <label htmlFor="email">Email</label>
        <input
          type="email"
          id="email"
          autoComplete="email"
          autoFocus
        />
        {errors.email && <span className="error">{errors.email}</span>}
      </div>

      <div className="form-row">
        <div className="form-group">
          <label htmlFor="firstName">First name</label>
          <input
            type="text"
            id="firstName"
            autoComplete="given-name"
          />
        </div>
        <div className="form-group">
          <label htmlFor="lastName">Last name</label>
          <input
            type="text"
            id="lastName"
            autoComplete="family-name"
          />
        </div>
      </div>

      <button type="submit" className="btn-primary">
        Continue to shipping
      </button>
    </form>
  );
}

Step 2: Shipping Options​

Present shipping options clearly with delivery estimates:

const shippingOptions = [
  {
    id: 'standard',
    name: 'Standard Shipping',
    price: 0,
    estimate: '5-7 business days',
    description: 'Free for orders over $50'
  },
  {
    id: 'express',
    name: 'Express Shipping',
    price: 9.99,
    estimate: '2-3 business days',
    description: 'Fast & reliable'
  },
  {
    id: 'overnight',
    name: 'Overnight Shipping',
    price: 24.99,
    estimate: 'Next business day',
    description: 'Order by 2pm for same-day dispatch'
  }
];

Shipping UI Component​

function ShippingOptions({ options, selected, onSelect }) {
  return (
    <div className="shipping-options">
      {options.map(option => (
        <label
          key={option.id}
          className={`shipping-option ${selected === option.id ? 'selected' : ''}`}
        >
          <input
            type="radio"
            name="shipping"
            value={option.id}
            checked={selected === option.id}
            onChange={() => onSelect(option.id)}
          />
          <div className="option-details">
            <span className="option-name">{option.name}</span>
            <span className="option-estimate">{option.estimate}</span>
          </div>
          <span className="option-price">
            {option.price === 0 ? 'FREE' : `$${option.price}`}
          </span>
        </label>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

Step 3: Payment Integration​

Integrate multiple payment methods for maximum conversion:

const paymentMethods = [
  { id: 'card', name: 'Credit Card', icon: 'credit-card' },
  { id: 'paypal', name: 'PayPal', icon: 'paypal' },
  { id: 'apple-pay', name: 'Apple Pay', icon: 'apple' },
  { id: 'google-pay', name: 'Google Pay', icon: 'google' }
];

Secure Payment Form​

function PaymentForm({ onSubmit }) {
  return (
    <div className="payment-form">
      <div className="security-badge">
        <LockIcon />
        <span>Secure, encrypted payment</span>
      </div>

      <div className="card-input">
        <label>Card number</label>
        <input
          type="text"
          inputMode="numeric"
          autoComplete="cc-number"
          placeholder="1234 5678 9012 3456"
        />
      </div>

      <div className="form-row">
        <div className="form-group">
          <label>Expiry</label>
          <input
            type="text"
            autoComplete="cc-exp"
            placeholder="MM/YY"
          />
        </div>
        <div className="form-group">
          <label>CVC</label>
          <input
            type="text"
            inputMode="numeric"
            autoComplete="cc-csc"
            placeholder="123"
          />
        </div>
      </div>

      <button type="submit" className="btn-primary btn-large">
        Pay now
      </button>
    </div>
  );
}

Trust Signals​

Add trust signals throughout the checkout:

function TrustSignals() {
  return (
    <div className="trust-signals">
      <div className="signal">
        <ShieldIcon />
        <span>Secure checkout</span>
      </div>
      <div className="signal">
        <TruckIcon />
        <span>Free returns</span>
      </div>
      <div className="signal">
        <SupportIcon />
        <span>24/7 support</span>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

Order Summary​

Always show a clear order summary:

function OrderSummary({ items, shipping, discount }) {
  const subtotal = items.reduce((sum, item) => sum + item.price * item.quantity, 0);
  const total = subtotal + shipping - discount;

  return (
    <div className="order-summary">
      <h3>Order Summary</h3>

      {items.map(item => (
        <div key={item.id} className="summary-item">
          <img src={item.image} alt={item.name} />
          <div>
            <p>{item.name}</p>
            <p className="quantity">Qty: {item.quantity}</p>
          </div>
          <span>${item.price * item.quantity}</span>
        </div>
      ))}

      <div className="summary-totals">
        <div className="row">
          <span>Subtotal</span>
          <span>${subtotal.toFixed(2)}</span>
        </div>
        <div className="row">
          <span>Shipping</span>
          <span>{shipping === 0 ? 'FREE' : `$${shipping.toFixed(2)}`}</span>
        </div>
        {discount > 0 && (
          <div className="row discount">
            <span>Discount</span>
            <span>-${discount.toFixed(2)}</span>
          </div>
        )}
        <div className="row total">
          <span>Total</span>
          <span>${total.toFixed(2)}</span>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

Checkout Optimization Tips​

  1. Enable guest checkout - Don't force account creation
  2. Auto-fill where possible - Use autocomplete attributes
  3. Show progress - Let users know where they are
  4. Mobile-first design - Most checkouts happen on mobile
  5. Minimize form fields - Every field is friction
  6. Real-time validation - Don't wait for form submission
  7. Save cart state - Let users return later

Conclusion​

A great checkout experience is invisible - it just works. Focus on removing friction, building trust, and making the process as fast as possible.

Want to see these patterns in action? Check out our checkout starter kit on GitHub.