Shopping Cart Overview
Introduction
The Shopping Cart service provides a comprehensive self-service purchasing experience for customers in the Ink platform. Unlike the Quotes system which is designed for direct sales efforts, the Cart system enables indirect selling modes such as ecommerce and in-app purchases where customers independently browse, select, and purchase products.
Selling Mode: Indirect (Self-Service)
Primary Use Cases: Ecommerce, In-App Purchases, Self-Service Portals
Integration Points: Product Catalog, Pricing Engine, Payment Processing, Order Management
Key Features
- Self-Service Shopping: Customers independently add/remove products
- Real-Time Pricing: Automatic price calculations with discounts and taxes
- Session Persistence: Cart saved across sessions and devices
- Inventory Integration: Real-time stock availability checks
- Promotional Support: Coupon codes, volume discounts, and promotions
- Guest & Authenticated: Support for both guest and logged-in users
- Multi-Currency: Support for international customers
- Abandoned Cart Recovery: Email notifications for incomplete purchases
Cart vs Quote Comparison
| Feature | Shopping Cart | Quote |
|---|---|---|
| Selling Mode | Indirect (Self-Service) | Direct (Sales-Assisted) |
| User Type | Customer | Sales Representative |
| Pricing | Catalog Prices + Auto Discounts | Custom Negotiated Pricing |
| Approval | None Required | May Require Approval |
| Expiration | Session-based (24-72 hours) | Configurable (30-90 days) |
| Conversion | Direct to Order | Requires Acceptance |
| Use Case | Ecommerce, In-App Purchases | Enterprise Sales, Custom Solutions |
| Payment | Immediate at Checkout | Invoice or Terms |
Cart Lifecycle
Core Concepts
Cart Entity
A Cart represents a customer's current shopping session, containing:
- Items: Products selected for purchase
- Pricing: Subtotal, discounts, taxes, total
- Customer Info: Guest or authenticated user
- Session: Browser session or user account
- Metadata: Device, location, referral source
Cart Items
Each cart item includes:
- Product: Reference to product catalog
- Quantity: Number of units
- Unit Price: Current product price
- Discounts: Applied promotional discounts
- Total: Calculated line item total
Pricing Calculation
Use Cases
1. Ecommerce Purchase Flow
2. Abandoned Cart Recovery
3. Guest to Registered User Conversion
Related Documentation
- Cart Data Model
- Product Catalog
- Order Management
- Payment Processing
Next Steps: Review Cart Data Model to understand the entity structure.