Re: Checkout API spec published

On 02/11/2016 06:19 AM, Zach Koch wrote:
> Hi all -
>
> I've been mulling this over the last week, and I've posted some
> thoughts below. Hopefully we can talk more about this on today's
> call:
>
> * I don't think we should break this out into two separate APIs. I
> would still prefer a single API that developers can use in a
> consistent way to get the information necessary to finalize a
> transaction (i.e. payment credential, potentially a shipping
> address).

We don't know if the Checkout API we come up with is going to be the
best way to do things. Over time, people have found that a good
approach to that problem is to standardize the low-level bits that you
need to add to the Web Platform in order build higher-level APIs, and
then let people experiment with JS on top.

We might come up with a Checkout API that simply doesn't work the right
way or that accidentally codifies or increases, for example, certain
reasons for cart abandonment. I'm fine with us forging ahead and
creating a Checkout API and experience that we think will help, but it
is a bit cart before the horse. At the same time, clearly sites have
been wrestling with this for a long time and need "a way" to forge
forward because they've shown they want help and it's not happening on
their own. I'm supportive of developing a standard for people to work
with in those cases. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't, but at least
put it out there as a common way forward.

Keeping all that mind, let's protect ourselves and ensure that we're
also putting out a low-level API that provides the minimum bits
necessary to build Web payments into the Web Platform; we need that
low-level API.

The same could be said for low-level shipping address APIs and similar,
but we're pushing those off because there's a potential for future work
by other groups to touch on that.

>
> I also would prefer an event-based mechanism for thinks like
> shippingOptionChange and addressChange. It just feels cleaner.

I like the concept of being notified of what changed. The problem is
that "you need to respond to it and transfer control back". I tried find
a middle ground where the merchant site can request various things at
various times and expect to receive that information when the Promise
resolves.


-- 
Dave Longley
CTO
Digital Bazaar, Inc.
http://digitalbazaar.com

Received on Thursday, 11 February 2016 18:30:54 UTC