Our Performance Checkout (previously available only to those using Thinkific Payments), is the default checkout for every new creator. Existing creators who are still using our Two-Step Checkout have the option to opt-in to the Performance Checkout - in this article, you'll learn the difference between the two checkouts, and how to enable the Performance Checkout.
In this article:
What is the Performance Checkout?
Performance Checkout Improvements
Performance Checkout: Unsupported Features
How to Opt-In to the Performance Checkout
Who Is This Article For?
If you have a Thinkific account that was created before February 24, 2022 and are not using Thinkific Payments as your payment processor, you have the option to switch from the Two-Step Checkout to the new Performance Checkout.
We've written this article to clearly outline the differences between the two checkouts, so you can better understand the benefits, and any possible impacts on your business and student experience.
This article will not apply to Creators who have joined since February 24, 2022, or to any Creators using Thinkific Payments as their payment processor, as the Performance Checkout will already be enabled in your account as the default.
What is the Performance Checkout?
Recently released with TCommerce, and now available to all of our creators, our default Performance Checkout is built on checkout best practices and is regularly updated to ensure a smooth and secure experience for students. The Performance Checkout is the end result of a long process of testing and development, aimed at streamlining and improving our built-in checkout.
The Performance Checkout is the default checkout for any new Thinkific creators, as well as creators using Thinkific Payments (part of our TCommerce suite of business tools). It is also available to existing creators through the opt-in process outlined below.
Comparing the Checkouts
If you're still using the Two-Step Checkout, it's important to understand how it compares to the Performance Checkout. If you have made changes to your existing checkout pages, or make use of any Apps that interact with the checkout, depending on the nature of the customizations made, they may not currently be supported on the Performance Checkout.
What improvements does the Performance Checkout make compared to the Two-Step Checkout?
We wouldn't have made the Performance Checkout our default checkout if we didn't think it provided a better overall experience than the Two-Step Checkout. We want your business to succeed - and that means making it as easy as possible for you to sell your products!
Here are a few of the areas where we think the Performance Checkout shines:
- At its core, the Performance Checkout delivers a more streamlined experience, focusing on collecting payment information first, and creating student accounts only once the payment has been processed.
- By minimizing required fields and prioritizing only essential information, it reduces friction for potential students, making it less likely that they will abandon the checkout process.
- The checkout offers support for returning students, automatically recognizing their email and pre-populating their payment information.
- A responsive design means that the checkout is mobile-ready, working as smoothly on a phone as on a laptop; we've also focused on improving accessibility, with dynamic adjustments that make form input easier.
- The Performance Checkout is designed to work straight out of the box, with no need for additional customization.
What features of the Two-Step Checkout are not currently supported by the Performance Checkout?
Available to creators with accounts created prior to February 24, 2022, our Two-Step Checkout offers a different level of control for those who want to make use of specific third-party apps, or want to directly modify their student's checkout experience. Certain features (listed below) may not be available on the Performance Checkout.
Apps & Integrations
For security reasons, Performance Checkout does not currently support Apps or Integrations that interact directly with the checkout process, or that customize the checkout page. For example, Quaderno, CartStack, and Invoicebus are not currently supported by Performance Checkout.
If you currently rely on these apps or any other apps or integrations which interact with or significantly customize your checkout, we advise against switching to Performance Checkout at this time.
Note that tracking apps such as Google Analytics 4, Facebook Pixel, ActiveCampaign, and Sumo will not work with Performance Checkout if their installation requires an edit to be made to the site's theme code, or by adding a code snippet to the site footer code. Our team intends to continue expanding support for similar site-wide applications, to ensure that they can do their work without compromising the security of the checkout page. For the time being, we recommend using the Two-Step Checkout for these Apps and Integrations.
Site Builder Page/Customization
The Two-Step Checkout exists as a Default Page in Site Builder, which allows for direct customization of the page. This is not currently true of Performance Checkout. If you have heavily customized your checkout page, you will not be able to apply the same changes to the Performance Checkout, should you decide to switch. (Basic theme elements like your logo, font, and some brand colors are still automatically applied to the Performance Checkout.)
Custom Fields are supported in both checkouts. However, in the Performance Checkout, these fields are not populated until after the purchase is made: students are prompted to fill out their custom fields after their payment is processed.
Note that After-Purchase Flows and other pages surrounding the checkout process (such as custom Thank You pages) are available with both checkouts, and will not be disrupted by switching to Performance Checkout.
Site Footer Code
Any code added through customizing your Site Footer is applied to all pages on your site, including the two-step Checkout pages. The Performance Checkout does not run any Site Footer code, and any scripts injected via the site footer will not run on the checkout page. They will still continue to work on all other site pages.
Have a question about a specific feature or customization not covered here? We want to hear from you! Please send us a message; your feedback will help our team decide where to focus their efforts as we continue to improve the Performance Checkout.
Other Considerations
While Thinkific will continue to support both versions of our checkout, we are putting our efforts into improving the Performance Checkout. This includes building support for apps and customization, but also general, ongoing optimization of every facet of the checkout process. Opting into the Performance Checkout means that you can take advantage of these ongoing improvements, with no additional work on your part.
Opting in to the Performance Checkout
Once you've decided to enable the Performance Checkout, opting in is a straightforward process.
How to Opt-In
To switch over to the Performance Checkout, start by logging in to your Thinkific Admin Dashboard, then:
- Click on Settings, in the left navigation
- Under the Site tab, scroll down to Performance Checkout (or click Performance Checkout in the menu navigation)
- Set the Activate Performance Checkout toggle to the On position
That's it! You should see a pop-up message confirming the change, and the status next to the Performance Checkout section will show it as Active.
Opting Out
The option to disable the Performance Checkout will only be available to you if you have a Thinkific account that was created before February 24, 2022 and are not using Thinkific Payments as your payment processor. If you meet this criteria, you can disable the Performance Checkout by following the steps listed above (in the Opt-in section) and sliding the toggle to Deactivate Performance Checkout.
If you are currently using Thinkific Payments as your payment processor, the Performance Checkout will be your default checkout option. As the Performance Checkout was designed for compatibility with TCommerce (powered by Thinkific Payments), it cannot be disabled while using Thinkific Payments as your payment processor.
Frequently Asked Questions
It sounds like Thinkific is putting a lot of work into the Performance Checkout — does that mean you're going to discontinue support for the Two-Step Checkout? Will I be forced to change to the new checkout?
It's true that we have put a lot of effort into the Performance Checkout, and that is going to continue, but that does not mean we have stopped supporting the Two-Step Checkout. There are no immediate plans to deprecate the Two-Step Checkout, and we will continue to ensure that it is a secure and effective way to sell your courses.
Will switching to Performance Checkout also give me access to Order Bumps?
No, Order Bumps are currently only available to creators using Thinkific Payments.