Axle Docs

Direct Checkout is the default mode for AxleButton. When a customer clicks the button, a Stripe checkout session opens immediately—no intermediate overlay, no form fields, just a direct path to payment.

When to Use Direct Checkout

Direct Checkout is ideal for:

Simple, straightforward products with no customization needed
Minimal checkout friction—get customers to payment as fast as possible
No need for customer details beyond what Stripe collects (email, address)
Single-item purchases with a fixed price
Quick impulse purchases (digital downloads, simple services)

How It Works

Customer clicks button
   ↓
Stripe checkout opens immediately
   ↓
Customer enters payment details
   ↓
Payment completed

Compare this to Form Mode, which includes an additional overlay before Stripe opens.

How Direct Checkout Works

Direct Checkout is active by default. The Axle Form toggle in the "Axle Form" group is set to No out of the box.

When Direct Checkout is active:

The form overlay is hidden
Form-related controls disappear (no Button Text, no Quantity Selector, no Form Fields, etc.)
Only Stripe collects payment information
The button directly triggers a Stripe checkout session

Stripe's default checkout still collects essential information (email and billing address) that you'll receive with the transaction. Direct Checkout mode just means you're skipping Axle's custom form layer.

Configuration

Direct Checkout still uses the top-level properties:

Property	Purpose
Amount	How much the customer pays
Currency	The currency for the amount
Product Title	Product name shown in Stripe checkout
Product Description	Product description shown in Stripe checkout
SKU	Internal product identifier (optional)
Submission Mail Title	Title in payment confirmation emails (optional)

Customize these to match your product. Everything else is handled by Stripe.

Button Styling

You still have full control over how the button looks:

Customize text, font, padding, colors
Set hover states
Adjust spinner appearance while processing

See Button Styling for all options.

Transaction Data

When a customer completes Direct Checkout:

Email & Address — Collected by Stripe and available in your Stripe dashboard
SKU — Stored with the transaction for internal reference
Amount & Currency — Recorded in the payment record
Product Details — The title and description appear in the Stripe receipt

No custom form data is collected or stored since no form is shown.

Best Practices

Clear Product Info — Make sure your Product Title and Description are clear and compelling in Stripe checkout
Right for Your Product — Only use Direct Checkout if your product really doesn't need customization options
Mobile Friendly — Direct Checkout works seamlessly on all devices
Minimal Button Text — Keep button text short and action-oriented: "Buy Now", "Purchase", "Checkout", etc.

When You Might Want Form Mode Instead

Consider switching to Form Mode if you need to:

Collect any custom information (name, phone, preferences)
Offer quantity selection
Require terms acceptance
Customize the pre-checkout experience

Next Steps

Button Styling — Customize your button appearance
Form Mode — If you need to collect customer data
Testing — Validate your payment flow works correctly

Direct Checkout

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