# Selling on your website

How the shop fits together, and the order to set it up in.

Source: https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/overview/

**Add-on**
Commerce is an add-on, so not every website has it. If it is not in
your menu, see [Add-ons](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/billing/add-ons/) to add it.

Your website can take money. A visitor picks a thing, types their card, and
pays. The card details go to Stripe, never to your website.

This page is the map. Each part has its own page.

## The pieces, and where each one lives

| Piece | Where |
| --- | --- |
| Everything about the shop | **Plugins**, then **Commerce**. It sits in the **Store & Bookings** group. |
| The things you sell | The **Products** tab. See [Products and Plans](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/products-and-plans/). |
| The Shop page itself | **Content**, then **Pages**, entry **Shop**. See [The Shop page](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/shop-page/). |
| Your Stripe keys | The **Stripe keys →** button on the **Settings** tab |
| Buyer sign-in accounts | **Plugins**, then **Accounts** |
| Sales at a glance | The **Sales** and **Commerce activity** cards on your **Dashboard** |
| The card payment | Your own Stripe account |
| Shipping labels, if you use them | Your own Shippo account |

The **Commerce** screen has these tabs: **Orders**, **Subscriptions**,
**Products**, **Shipping**, **Customers**, **Reports** and **Settings**.
**Shipping** only shows when your store ships goods.

Commerce is for admins. An editor account cannot use it.

## What the shop can do

More than you may need. Start simple, and add the rest when you want it.

- **Things bought once, and plans paid monthly or yearly.** See
  [Products and Plans](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/products-and-plans/).
- **Sizes, colors and add-ons**, each with its own price and stock.
- **Stock counts**, if you want them. A product with no count never runs out.
- **Sale prices, volume pricing, and prices worked out from a size.**
- **Kits and sets** of products sold together.
- **Files to download.** See [Digital products](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/digital-products/).
- **Shipping by flat rate, weight, order price, or live carrier rates**, and
  in-store pickup. See [Shipping](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/shipping/).
- **Discount codes**, made in the panel. See
  [Commerce settings](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/settings/#discounts).
- **Referrals and affiliates.** See
  [Customers, credits and referrals](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/customers/#referrals) and
  [Affiliates](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/affiliates/).
- **Product reviews**, **proofs** for custom work, and reminders for carts left
  at checkout. See [Orders](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/orders/).

What it cannot do:

- Sales tax is for US orders only. There is no VAT or duty for other
  countries. See [Stripe key and sales tax](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/stripe-key-and-tax/).
- Bookings are a separate add-on, and a booking cannot take a payment. See
  [Bookings](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/plugins/booking/).

If either of those is the way your trade works, tell us before you start.

## The order to do it in

Work down this list. Each step needs the one above it.

1. [Connect Stripe](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/connect-stripe/). Stripe is the firm that takes
   the card payment. You make two keys in Stripe and paste them in. Then one
   button sets up the rest.
   [Stripe key and sales tax](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/stripe-key-and-tax/) lists what the
   key must be allowed to do.
2. [Fill in the settings](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/settings/). Money, tax, your invoice
   details, and the countries you sell to. Every shop starts selling to the
   United States only.
3. [Set up shipping](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/shipping/#shipping-settings), if you post
   things.
4. [Add your products and plans](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/products-and-plans/). One entry for
   each thing you sell. Publish the ones you want on sale.
5. [Put Shop in your menu](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/shop-page/#put-shop-in-your-menu).
   Nothing links to your shop until you add the link.
6. Buy something yourself, as a test. Stripe has a test mode with fake card
   numbers, so you can run a whole sale without moving any money.

## When an order comes in

Four things happen.

The sale shows up under **Plugins**, then **Commerce**, on the **Orders** tab.
[Orders](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/orders/) covers what you can do with it.

You get an alert. Where it goes is set under **Plugins**, then
**Notifications**. See [Notifications](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/plugins/notifications/).

The buyer gets a receipt from your website. It comes from your own address,
with your name on it. [Customer emails](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/customer-emails/) covers
what each email says, and when.

The buyer gets an account on your website, made from the email they paid with.
They sign in to it at `/account`. See
[What your customers see](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/commerce/customer-accounts/).

**Important**
Your shop is live the moment a product is published and Stripe is connected.
There is no separate "open for business" switch.

If you are not ready to sell, leave your products as drafts.