Payments

One interface (shared/lib/payments.ts), three providers. Dodo is the default: Merchant of Record (handles global tax), India-friendly.

Choose a provider

PAYMENT_PROVIDER="dodo"   # default
# PAYMENT_PROVIDER="stripe"
# PAYMENT_PROVIDER="lemonsqueezy"

No code changes — the same createCheckoutSession() and handleWebhook() work for all three.

Product catalog (env-driven)

DODO_PRODUCTS_JSON maps provider product IDs to tiers — no product IDs in code:

{"pdt_starter": {"tier": "starter", "kind": "full"},
 "pdt_s2p": {"tier": "pro", "kind": "upgrade", "from": "starter"}}

Tiers: starter (Solo: 1 seat, 3 themes, 1yr updates) → pro (Team: 5 seats, 10 themes, 1yr) → pro_plus (Agency: unlimited, all themes, lifetime). Display names via tierName() — keys never reach buyers. Upgrades pay the difference and require owning the lower tier — enforced server-side.

What happens on payment

1. Checkout session created (Dodo REST shape proven in production).
2. Webhook verifies the real signature over raw bytes — failures return 401 and grant nothing.
3. Fulfillment writes idempotent orders + licenses rows, stamps coupon orders cashback-ineligible, records the instant-delivery waiver.
4. Receipt email fires best-effort — email failure never fails the webhook.

Unknown product IDs, missing emails, and upgrades without ownership throw instead of granting access. Money in, license out — or nothing.

Going live

Your first payout needs one thing no template can shortcut: the provider’s identity check (Dodo: ~1 day). Apply the moment you start building so it’s done before launch day. Everything else — products, webhook, prices — takes minutes.

Checkout checkbox contract

Your checkout UI must send metadata.instant_delivery_waiver='true' with the text: “I agree to instant delivery and waive my right to withdraw.” Stored per order (orders.waiver).

Refunds

Full or partial, from the provider dashboard — never pay buyers directly (MoR rule). Refunds should revoke the license key and remove repo access. See the refund policy pattern in src/pages/startplate/refund.astro.