Invoice Payment Methods

info

Configuration Options for Invoice-based Payment Methods

Unchained provides two invoice-based payment plugins for different billing workflows: standard invoicing and prepaid invoicing.

Invoice Payment Plugin

The standard invoice payment plugin allows orders to be confirmed immediately with payment processed separately through your invoicing system.

Configuration

createPaymentProvider(
  paymentProvider: {
    type: INVOICE
    adapterKey: "shop.unchained.invoice"
    configuration: []
  }
) {
  _id
}

Features

• Pay Later Allowed: Orders can be confirmed before payment is received
• Immediate Order Confirmation: Orders are processed immediately upon checkout
• External Payment Processing: Payment is handled through your separate invoicing system
• No Payment Validation: No upfront payment verification required

Use Cases

• B2B Sales: Business customers with established credit terms
• Traditional Invoicing: Standard invoice-then-pay workflow
• Credit Customers: Customers with approved payment terms
• Wholesale Orders: Large orders with net payment terms

Invoice Prepaid Payment Plugin

The prepaid invoice payment plugin requires payment confirmation before order fulfillment, typically used for prepayment scenarios.

Configuration

createPaymentProvider(
  paymentProvider: {
    type: INVOICE
    adapterKey: "shop.unchained.invoice-prepaid"
    configuration: []
  }
) {
  _id
}

Features

• Pay Later Not Allowed: Payment must be confirmed before order completion
• Manual Payment Confirmation: Requires manual confirmation of payment receipt
• Order Hold: Orders remain pending until payment is confirmed
• Payment Verification: Manual verification process required

Use Cases

• Prepayment Required: Orders requiring payment before processing
• Bank Transfer Payments: Manual confirmation of wire transfers
• Check Payments: Orders paid by check requiring manual verification
• High-Value Orders: Orders requiring payment confirmation before shipping

Usage

Standard Invoice Flow

1. Create Order: Customer places order normally
2. Checkout: Order is confirmed immediately
3. Invoice Generation: Generate invoice through your external system
4. Payment Processing: Handle payment through your invoicing workflow
5. Order Fulfillment: Process and ship order

Prepaid Invoice Flow

1. Create Order: Customer places order
2. Checkout: Order enters pending payment status
3. Payment Request: Send payment instructions to customer
4. Payment Confirmation: Manually confirm payment receipt in admin
5. Order Processing: Order moves to confirmed status after payment confirmation

Integration Notes

Standard Invoice

• Orders are confirmed immediately upon checkout
• No payment processing happens in Unchained
• Integration with external invoicing systems required
• Suitable for established business relationships

Prepaid Invoice

• Orders require manual payment confirmation
• Use admin interface to confirm payments
• Suitable for one-time customers or high-risk orders
• Manual oversight required for each transaction

Administrative Tasks

Confirming Prepaid Payments

For prepaid invoice orders, use the admin interface to:

1. Review pending payment orders
2. Verify payment receipt through your banking/payment system
3. Mark orders as paid in the Unchained admin
4. Process confirmed orders for fulfillment

Managing Invoice Orders

• Monitor order status and payment terms
• Generate invoices through your external system
• Track payment receipts and reconciliation
• Handle payment disputes and collections

Comparison

Feature	Standard Invoice	Prepaid Invoice
Order Confirmation	Immediate	After payment
Pay Later	Yes	No
Payment Processing	External	Manual confirmation
Use Case	Established customers	New/high-risk customers
Administrative Overhead	Low	High
Cash Flow	Delayed	Immediate

Choose the appropriate invoice method based on your business model, customer relationships, and cash flow requirements.