When is guest checkout available?
Guest checkout is offered automatically when all of the following conditions are met:| Condition | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| A payment gateway is configured | Payment must be collected at checkout, so a gateway (Stripe, PayPal, Spreedly, etc.) is required. |
| The order total is greater than zero | Free orders are handled through a different confirmation flow. |
| No required registration fields beyond address details | If your location requires extra profile fields (e.g. company name, tax ID), the customer must create an account so those fields can be collected. |
| The product has no benefits attached | Products that grant benefits (such as booking credits or access) need a customer account to be applied to. |
| The basket does not contain a course | Courses track progress and completions, which require a customer account. |
If any of the conditions above is not met, the guest checkout option is hidden and the customer is prompted to create an account instead.
What the customer sees
When a customer who is not logged in reaches the checkout page, the flow depends on whether guest checkout is available.Guest checkout available
- A banner invites the customer to log in for faster checkout and special pricing.
- A link to create an account is shown for customers who want to provide invoice or company details.
- A Continue as guest button skips registration and goes straight to the payment method selection.
Guest checkout not available
- The same log-in banner is shown.
- A Create an account button opens a registration form. The customer must complete it before proceeding to payment.
How registration fields affect guest checkout
Your location’s checkout field configuration controls whether guest checkout is offered. The portal fetches the required fields for the items in the basket and checks whether any required fields fall outside the standard address group (address, post code, city, state, and country).- If only address fields are required — guest checkout is available, because those fields are collected during payment.
- If any other fields are required — guest checkout is not available, and the customer must register first.
Payment methods during guest checkout
Once a guest customer clicks Continue as guest, they see the same payment method options as any other customer — credit/debit card, PayPal, hosted payment providers, and so on. The available options depend on which payment gateways are enabled for your location.The Pay via Invoice option is only available to logged-in customers with an active booking, so guest customers will not see it.
What happens after payment
When a guest customer completes payment, the system automatically creates a customer record and an invoice on their behalf. The exact sequence depends on the payment gateway, but the overall outcome is the same: the guest ends up with a customer profile in your location and a paid invoice.Automatic customer creation
The system creates a new customer record using the details the payment provider collects during checkout. The information pulled from each gateway is:| Field | Stripe | PayPal | Spreedly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Billing name from the checkout form | Payer’s given name and surname | Cardholder full name |
| Email entered during checkout | Payer’s email address | Email from payment method | |
| Address, city, post code, state | Billing address from the checkout form | Payer’s address | Address from payment method |
| Country | Looked up from the billing country code | Looked up from the payer’s country code | Defaults to the location’s country |
How the order is processed
Regardless of which payment gateway is used, the experience is the same for both customers and operators:Customer record is created
A new customer profile is created in your location using the details collected by the payment provider.
No invoice is visible — to the customer or in the Nexudus dashboard — until payment has been confirmed by the payment provider. You will never see an unpaid guest checkout invoice.
Automatic refunds on failure
If something goes wrong after payment but before the invoice can be created (for example, a product becomes unavailable), the system automatically refunds the customer:- Stripe — the payment intent is refunded in full and the session is marked as refunded.
- PayPal — the captured payment is refunded and the session is marked as refunded.
- Spreedly — because Spreedly processes the card directly in the portal, a failed transaction is detected immediately. The session is cancelled and no invoice number is ever assigned, so the customer is not charged in the first place. There is nothing to refund.
Card storage
After a guest checkout, card details may be stored depending on your location’s payment settings:- Stripe — a Stripe customer ID is created and linked to the new customer record. If the Enable subscriptions setting is on, the payment method is saved for future off-session charges.
- Spreedly — card details are retained based on the Keep card details for contacts and Keep card details for members settings in the Nexudus dashboard. Only the last four digits and a token are stored.
- PayPal — no card details are stored. Each transaction is independent.
After checkout — account creation prompt
Once a guest customer completes their purchase, the confirmation page invites them to create an account. This is optional — their order is already confirmed and paid regardless. The confirmation page shows:- A summary of the transaction (ID, date, payment method, total amount).
- The purchased items.
- A Create an account button (only shown to guests who are not logged in).
- A Continue link to return to the home page.
Creating an account will allow you to place bookings faster, manage all your bookings and purchases, view invoices, and much more. We will send you an email with your login details.If the customer confirms, an account is created from the invoice details and they are automatically logged in and taken to their personal dashboard. If they choose not to create an account, their order is unaffected — they can simply continue or close the page.