Payment flow - Ionic Docs

Ionic separates your server integration from buyer payment collection. Your backend creates checkout resources and may update open-session choices. Ionic checkout collects payment details and drives the buyer through the payment experience.

Objects in the flow

Object	What it represents	Who usually creates it
Checkout session	One buyer attempt to pay through hosted checkout.	Your server.
Payment link	Reusable hosted checkout configuration.	Your server or dashboard workflow.
Product	What you sell.	Your server or dashboard workflow.
Price	The amount and currency for a product.	Your server or dashboard workflow.
Customer	Buyer identity and contact details.	Your server or checkout collection.
Refund	A reversal against a completed payment.	Your server or support workflow.

Happy path

cart -> checkout session -> hosted checkout -> paid state -> fulfillment

Embedded and custom flows can include a server-side confirm step before collection: The embedded path is covered end to end in the embedded checkout guide — same session object, rendered on your own page.

cart -> checkout session -> confirm session -> collect payment -> paid state

Payment link path

catalog -> payment link -> buyer opens link -> hosted checkout -> paid state

Recovery path

timeout or redirect issue -> retrieve checkout session -> check payment status

Your fulfillment system should verify server-side state before shipping goods, provisioning access, or marking an order complete. Redirects are useful for buyer experience, but they are not a settlement signal by themselves.