The shop allows users to buy content from Liquid Barcodes. The shop provides a set of shop offers that are items that have a defined price and that end users can purchase.
Dashboard users can create shop offers and the related actions. Each shop offers has a unique shop offer token that serves to define the shop offer and add security.
When content has been issued, Liquid Barcodes updates the unique user's content record if relevant. The app shows the purchased content as described under Content Management.
Receipts from successful purchases can be obtained as described under Receipt handling.
At this point, it is important to mention that the payment provider is a third-party participant in the process that handles the transaction of real money. It can be directly integrated within Liquid Barcodes' back end or an external party that is integrated through your system. Note: if the currency in the shop is loyalty points this can be handled entirely by Liquid Barcodes.
Integrated Payment Provider
When the payment provider is integrated with the Liquid Barcodes system, the user needs to configure the payment method in the App. To do this, GET /payment/configuration method will give an URL that has to be open in the browser as illustrated below:
The interaction flow when buying a shop offer is as follows (where the app is only involved in steps 1 to 3 and 5):
- 1. The App calls the function GET /ShopOffers and gets a list of offers that can be bought for a certain price by the consumer. This call will provide all the details necessary for the consumer to make a choice and all the necessary details for issuing coupons.
- 2. The user selects which offer he wants by putting them into a basket. When buying subscriptions, the app should check any price adjustment with Liquid Barcodes before proceeding to check out.
- 3. When checkout of the basket is selected, the app sends a request to the shop back-end using POST /ProcessShopBasket call.
- 4. The app sends requests to Liquid Barcodes with shop offer to purchase and preferred payment option. Liquid Barcodes back-end, which is integrated towards the payment provider, will request the basket grand total to be reserved by the payment provider (note that this is not the actual payment, but reserving an amount of money on the consumer's account).
- The shop back-end will check that the request is valid and represents the offers that were provided in GET /ShopOffers. This is to prevent tampering.
- Dependent on the third-party payment provider the request will be processed synchronously (
SuccessCode = OK) or asynchronously (SuccessCode = InProcess). If processed asynchronously the app needs to request the status using GET /ShopTransactionStatus to know whether the payment has finished later.
- 5. Appropriate information should be given to the user that the process has been completed, how much was paid, and if any, which coupons could not be issued.
- 6. When payment has been reserved, one or multiple actions can be triggered in the Liquid Barcodes system, such as starting a subscription, issuing a coupon, or topping up a gift card. When actions are complete, Liquid Barcodes will confirm the payment with the payment provider. On error, Liquid Barcodes will cancel the payment.
External Payment Provider
Liquid Barcodes also support payment provider integrations by third parties. Use this flow if you want to integrate with the payment provider or if you manage your own payment service (eg. your own points program or private label gift cards):
- 1. The App calls the function GET /ShopOffers and gets a list of offers that can be bought for a certain price by the consumer. This call will provide all the details necessary for the consumer to make a choice and all the necessary details for issuing coupons.
- 2. The user selects which offer he wants by putting them into a basket. When buying subscriptions, the app should check any price adjustment with Liquid Barcodes before proceeding to check out.
- 3. When checkout of the basket is selected, the app sends a request to the third-party back-end.
- 4. Third-party back end decrypts
OfferToken(see Offer Tokens) and processes the payment by comparing the amount and product prices with the decrypted data. - 5. Third-party back end sends POST /transactions/reserved with
InternalOfferTokento Liquid Barcodes Content API. - 6. When payment has been reserved, one or multiple actions can be triggered in the Liquid Barcodes system, such as starting a subscription, issuing a coupon, or topping up a gift card.
