Use Cases

The Chariow API enables a wide range of integration scenarios for selling digital products. Here are five common use cases to help you get started.

1. Custom Storefront Integration

Build a fully branded shopping experience on your own website while leveraging Chariow for payment processing and product delivery.

Scenario

You have an existing website or web application and want to sell digital products without redirecting customers to an external store.

Implementation

Display Products

Fetch your product catalog using the List Products endpoint and display them on your website.

Collect Customer Information

Create a custom checkout form to collect customer details (name, email, phone).

Initiate Checkout

Call the Checkout API with customer data and redirect to the payment URL.

Handle Completion

Use a custom redirect_url to bring customers back to your thank-you page, and set up Pulses for reliable sale notifications.

Code Example

// Fetch products for display
const products = await fetch('https://api.chariow.com/v1/products', {
  headers: { 'Authorization': 'Bearer sk_live_your_api_key' }
}).then(res => res.json());

// When customer submits checkout form
async function handleCheckout(productId, customerData) {
  const response = await fetch('https://api.chariow.com/v1/checkout', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer sk_live_your_api_key',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      product_id: productId,
      email: customerData.email,
      first_name: customerData.firstName,
      last_name: customerData.lastName,
      phone: {
        number: customerData.phone,
        country_code: customerData.countryCode
      },
      redirect_url: 'https://yoursite.com/thank-you?sale={sale_id}'
    })
  });

  const result = await response.json();

  if (result.data.step === 'payment') {
    window.location.href = result.data.payment.checkout_url;
  }
}

2. Software License Management

Sell software with automated license key generation, validation, and activation management.

Scenario

You develop desktop or mobile software and need to protect it with license keys, control the number of installations, and manage activations.

Implementation

Sell License Products

Create license-type products in Chariow with activation limits configured.

Validate on Launch

When your software starts, call the Get License endpoint to check if the license is valid (verify is_active, is_expired, and can_activate fields).

Activate on Install

On first run, call Activate License with a unique machine identifier.

Manage Activations

Allow users to revoke licenses when switching devices using Revoke License.

Code Example

import requests
import hashlib
import platform

def get_machine_id():
    """Generate a unique machine identifier"""
    machine_info = f"{platform.node()}-{platform.machine()}-{platform.processor()}"
    return hashlib.sha256(machine_info.encode()).hexdigest()[:32]

def validate_license(license_key):
    """Check if license is valid via Get License endpoint"""
    response = requests.get(
        f'https://api.chariow.com/v1/licenses/{license_key}',
        headers={'Authorization': 'Bearer sk_live_your_api_key'}
    )
    data = response.json()
    return data['data']['is_active'] and not data['data']['is_expired']

def activate_license(license_key):
    """Activate license for this machine"""
    response = requests.post(
        'https://api.chariow.com/v1/licenses/activate',
        headers={'Authorization': 'Bearer sk_live_your_api_key'},
        json={
            'license_key': license_key,
            'identifier': get_machine_id(),
            'label': f"{platform.node()} - {platform.system()}"
        }
    )
    return response.json()

# On application startup
license_key = load_stored_license()
if not validate_license(license_key):
    show_license_expired_dialog()

3. E-commerce Platform Plugin

Create a plugin or integration for e-commerce platforms (WordPress, Shopify, etc.) to sell Chariow products.

Scenario

You want to extend an existing e-commerce platform to sell digital products managed in Chariow, synchronizing products and processing orders.

Implementation

Sync Product Catalog

Periodically fetch products from Chariow and sync them to your platform’s database.

Handle Add to Cart

Store Chariow product IDs alongside platform cart items.

Process Checkout

On checkout, create Chariow checkout sessions for each digital product.

Fulfill Orders

Listen to Chariow Pulses to mark orders as fulfilled in your platform.

Code Example

<?php
// WordPress/WooCommerce example

// Sync products from Chariow
function sync_chariow_products() {
    $response = wp_remote_get('https://api.chariow.com/v1/products', [
        'headers' => [
            'Authorization' => 'Bearer ' . get_option('chariow_api_key')
        ]
    ]);

    $products = json_decode(wp_remote_retrieve_body($response), true);

    foreach ($products['data'] as $product) {
        update_or_create_wc_product($product);
    }
}

// Process checkout for Chariow product
function process_chariow_checkout($order_id) {
    $order = wc_get_order($order_id);

    foreach ($order->get_items() as $item) {
        $chariow_product_id = get_post_meta($item->get_product_id(), '_chariow_product_id', true);

        if ($chariow_product_id) {
            $response = wp_remote_post('https://api.chariow.com/v1/checkout', [
                'headers' => [
                    'Authorization' => 'Bearer ' . get_option('chariow_api_key'),
                    'Content-Type' => 'application/json'
                ],
                'body' => json_encode([
                    'product_id' => $chariow_product_id,
                    'email' => $order->get_billing_email(),
                    'first_name' => $order->get_billing_first_name(),
                    'last_name' => $order->get_billing_last_name(),
                    'phone' => [
                        'number' => preg_replace('/[^0-9]/', '', $order->get_billing_phone()),
                        'country_code' => $order->get_billing_country()
                    ]
                ])
            ]);

            $result = json_decode(wp_remote_retrieve_body($response), true);
            update_post_meta($order_id, '_chariow_sale_id', $result['data']['purchase']['id']);
        }
    }
}

4. Course Platform with Access Control

Build an online learning platform where course access is controlled by Chariow purchases.

Scenario

You run an educational platform and want to sell courses, controlling access based on purchase status and managing enrollments.

Implementation

Create Course Products

Set up course-type products in Chariow with your curriculum content.

Verify Access

When users try to access course content, verify their purchase using the Get Sale endpoint.

Handle Enrollments

Use Pulses to automatically enroll users when purchases complete.

Track Progress

Store course progress in your database, linked to the Chariow customer ID.

Code Example

// Express.js middleware for course access control

async function verifyCourseAccess(req, res, next) {
  const { courseSlug } = req.params;
  const userEmail = req.user.email;

  // Find the sale for this user and course
  const salesResponse = await fetch(
    `https://api.chariow.com/v1/sales?product_slug=${courseSlug}&customer_email=${userEmail}`,
    {
      headers: { 'Authorization': 'Bearer sk_live_your_api_key' }
    }
  );

  const sales = await salesResponse.json();
  const validSale = sales.data.find(sale => sale.status === 'completed');

  if (!validSale) {
    return res.status(403).json({
      error: 'Access denied',
      message: 'Please purchase this course to access the content',
      purchase_url: `/checkout/${courseSlug}`
    });
  }

  req.sale = validSale;
  next();
}

// Pulse webhook handler for auto-enrollment
app.post('/webhooks/chariow', async (req, res) => {
  const { event, data } = req.body;

  if (event === 'sale.completed') {
    const { customer, product } = data;

    // Auto-enroll user in course
    await db.enrollments.create({
      user_email: customer.email,
      course_id: product.id,
      enrolled_at: new Date(),
      sale_id: data.id
    });

    // Send welcome email
    await sendCourseWelcomeEmail(customer.email, product.name);
  }

  res.status(200).send('OK');
});

5. Affiliate and Campaign Tracking

Track sales attribution across marketing campaigns and affiliate partners.

Scenario

You run marketing campaigns or have affiliate partners and need to track which sales come from which sources to calculate commissions or measure ROI.

Implementation

Create Campaign IDs

Generate unique campaign identifiers for each marketing channel or affiliate.

Pass Campaign on Checkout

Include the campaign_id parameter when initiating checkouts.

Track in Pulses

Capture campaign data from sale Pulses to attribute conversions.

Generate Reports

Use the List Sales endpoint with campaign filters to generate attribution reports.

Code Example

// Track campaign from URL parameters
function getCheckoutDataWithCampaign(productId, customerData) {
  const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
  const campaignId = urlParams.get('ref') || urlParams.get('utm_campaign') || urlParams.get('affiliate');

  const checkoutData = {
    product_id: productId,
    email: customerData.email,
    first_name: customerData.firstName,
    last_name: customerData.lastName,
    phone: {
      number: customerData.phone,
      country_code: customerData.countryCode
    }
  };

  if (campaignId) {
    checkoutData.campaign_id = campaignId;
  }

  return checkoutData;
}

// Backend: Generate affiliate report
async function generateAffiliateReport(affiliateId, startDate, endDate) {
  const response = await fetch(
    `https://api.chariow.com/v1/sales?campaign_id=${affiliateId}&from=${startDate}&to=${endDate}`,
    {
      headers: { 'Authorization': 'Bearer sk_live_your_api_key' }
    }
  );

  const sales = await response.json();

  const report = {
    affiliate_id: affiliateId,
    period: { start: startDate, end: endDate },
    total_sales: sales.data.length,
    total_revenue: sales.data.reduce((sum, sale) => sum + sale.amount.value, 0),
    commission: 0
  };

  // Calculate 20% commission
  report.commission = report.total_revenue * 0.20;

  return report;
}

Next Steps

Best Practices

Learn checkout API best practices for production

Checkout Guide

Deep dive into the checkout flow

Pulses

Set up webhooks for real-time notifications

API Reference

Explore the complete API documentation

Introduction

Guides

MCP Integration

n8n Integration

Resources

1. Custom Storefront Integration

Scenario

Implementation

Code Example

2. Software License Management

Scenario

Implementation

Code Example

3. E-commerce Platform Plugin

Scenario

Implementation

Code Example

4. Course Platform with Access Control

Scenario

Implementation

Code Example

5. Affiliate and Campaign Tracking

Scenario

Implementation

Code Example

Next Steps

Best Practices

Checkout Guide

Pulses

API Reference

​1. Custom Storefront Integration

​Scenario

​Implementation

​Code Example

​2. Software License Management

​Scenario

​Implementation

​Code Example

​3. E-commerce Platform Plugin

​Scenario

​Implementation

​Code Example

​4. Course Platform with Access Control

​Scenario

​Implementation

​Code Example

​5. Affiliate and Campaign Tracking

​Scenario

​Implementation

​Code Example

​Next Steps

Best Practices

Checkout Guide

Pulses

API Reference

1. Custom Storefront Integration

Scenario

Implementation

Code Example

2. Software License Management

Scenario

Implementation

Code Example

3. E-commerce Platform Plugin

Scenario

Implementation

Code Example

4. Course Platform with Access Control

Scenario

Implementation

Code Example

5. Affiliate and Campaign Tracking

Scenario

Implementation

Code Example

Next Steps