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A kinder checkout, built on PayPal

Offer "PayPal, protected by Steady." Normal orders capture as usual. Risky ones wait for the buyer's own second look.

Join the pilot See the demo shop

Why add it

  • Fewer regret returns and disputes. That's the aim. If a buyer changes their mind, the order is voided before you ship, not returned after.
  • Care for buyers who asked for it. Some medicines bring strong urges to buy. Buyers set up Steady themselves, with someone they trust.
  • No declines at the till. Nothing is refused. A risky order waits, calmly.
  • Normal orders stay normal. They're captured right away, and you ship as usual.

In 2016, Money and Mental Health asked shops to "delay processing and despatch of items ordered at night until the purchase has been re-confirmed in the morning."

Steady does exactly this, with PayPal. Source: Money and Mental Health, 2016

How it works with PayPal

  1. The buyer pays with PayPal. The order is created with intent AUTHORIZE, so PayPal puts the amount on hold instead of taking it.
  2. Steady checks the order against the buyer's pact.
  3. Normal order: captured right away. You ship as usual.
  4. Risky order: the authorization stays on hold, not taken, up to the buyer's hold limit. That's 48 hours by default, and 24 to 72 hours by pact, so it stays inside PayPal's 3 day honor period.
  5. Kept or approved: PayPal captures the payment, and you ship.
  6. Let go, or nobody decides: PayPal voids the authorization. Nothing to ship, nothing to refund.
  7. Verified PayPal webhooks confirm each step. Tracking you add after capture lets the buyer's partner ask "Has it shipped?"

Returning buyers pay with saved PayPal (PayPal Vault): a press and hold, no PayPal login.

What changes for you

  • Some orders arrive on hold. Ship only once they're captured.
  • Some night orders will be let go before they ship.
  • Steady never touches the money. PayPal does, in your own PayPal business account.

The pilot

  • Free for shops during the pilot.
  • Try it today in our demo shop, Northside Goods, on PayPal's sandbox. No real money moves.
  • Going live: shops join through PayPal's partner onboarding, which needs PayPal to approve Steady as a platform. Until then, the pilot runs in the sandbox.
  • What we'll track together: orders put on hold, how many are kept, regret returns and disputes.
  • Where this goes: we hope PayPal builds a second look into every PayPal wallet. Until then, shops can offer it at checkout.

Tell us about your shop:

Open an issue on GitHub