Guide
Everything you need to know about running your shop
The Basics
Your First Steps
Setting up your shop is straightforward. Don't worry if it feels like a lot at first—most merchants complete setup in under 30 minutes. Here's what you need to do:
- Connect Stripe - This is how you get paid. Stripe is a trusted payment processor used by millions of businesses. See Stripe Setup below for the full walkthrough
- Add Contact Information - Go to Settings → Business tab → Contact Information. Enter your business name and support email. This appears on receipts and lets customers reach you
- Set Shipping & Returns Policies - Go to Settings → Business tab → Shipping & Returns Policies. Customers see these before checkout, and they're required before you can accept orders
- Add Your First Product - Click Inventory in your dashboard navigation, then click "+ Add New Product". Fill in the product details (name, price, description, images) and save. See Managing Products for full details on variants and inventory
- Customize Your Shop - From your dashboard, click the shop link to view your shop, then click the "Edit Shop" button in the top right to open the visual editor. You can change your logo, header style, background, layout, and social links. For additional branding options like favicon and social share image, go to Settings → Business tab → SEO & Social Sharing
Test Mode (No Real Money)
All new accounts start in test mode. This means you can test the entire checkout flow without charging real money. Use Stripe's test card: 4242 4242 4242 4242 with any future expiry date and any CVC. Test orders appear in your dashboard but no real payments occur.
14-Day Money-Back Guarantee
All subscriptions come with a 14-day money-back guarantee. If you haven't processed any customer orders within the first 14 days, you can request a full refund—no questions asked.
To request a refund, go to Settings → Payments tab → Billing & Subscription and click the "Request Full Refund" button. Your refund is processed automatically and should appear in your account within 5-10 business days.
Understanding Your Shop URL
Your shop has three types of URLs:
- Shop Catalog:
app.adaptiveshop.ai/shop/[your-merchant-id]- Shows all your products - Adaptive Link:
app.adaptiveshop.ai/l/[your-merchant-id]- AI-powered adaptive landing page (see Adaptive Links) - In-Person Shop:
app.adaptiveshop.ai/shop/[your-merchant-id]/inperson- Optimized for in-store displays and kiosks (see In-Person Mode)
Stripe Setup
Connecting Your Stripe Account
AdaptiveShop uses Stripe to process payments. Stripe is used by millions of businesses worldwide—it's the same payment system used by companies like Shopify, Amazon, and Instacart. Your customer payments go directly to your Stripe account. AdaptiveShop never holds your money.
Step-by-Step:
- Click Stripe Connect in your dashboard navigation (or go to Settings → Payments tab → Stripe Connection)
- Click "Connect Stripe Account"
- You'll be redirected to Stripe:
- If you have a Stripe account, log in
- If not, create one (it's free)
- Complete Stripe's verification process:
- Business details (or personal if you're a sole proprietor—this is fine!)
- Bank account information (where you'll receive payouts)
- Identity verification (government ID may be required)
- Important: At the end, click "Authorize access" to connect Stripe to AdaptiveShop. Don't skip this step!
- You'll be redirected back to AdaptiveShop—you should see a green "Connected" status
Test Mode vs Live Mode
When you first connect Stripe, your account starts in test mode. This lets you practice the entire checkout process without any real money changing hands.
- Test Mode: Practice with fake transactions. Use test card
4242 4242 4242 4242. No real charges occur—perfect for testing your shop before going live - Live Mode: Real payments with real money. When you're ready to start selling, Stripe will guide you through activation
To activate live mode, you'll need to complete Stripe's business verification. This can take 1-2 business days for approval. You can continue setting up your shop and products while you wait.
Understanding Payouts
Stripe automatically transfers funds to your bank account:
- Default Schedule: Every 2 business days (can be changed in Stripe dashboard)
- First Payout: May take 7-14 days (Stripe's standard verification period)
- Fees: Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction
Common Issue: Connection Failed
If the connection fails, make sure you clicked "Authorize access" at the end of Stripe's onboarding. You can try reconnecting from Settings.
Managing Your Stripe Account
From Settings → Payments tab → Stripe Connection, you can:
- View Dashboard: Opens your Stripe dashboard to see transactions, payouts, and disputes
- Disconnect: Removes Stripe connection (you'll need to reconnect to accept payments)
Buy Now Pay Later
What is Buy Now Pay Later?
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) lets your customers split their purchase into installments. AdaptiveShop supports Afterpay, Klarna, and Affirm through Stripe.
- Customers can pay in 4 interest-free installments
- You receive the full payment upfront—the BNPL provider collects from the customer
- BNPL options only appear for eligible orders (based on order amount and customer location)
Enabling BNPL
- Go to Settings → Payments tab → Buy Now Pay Later
- Toggle the switch to enable BNPL options
- When enabled, eligible customers will see Afterpay, Klarna, and Affirm at checkout
Note about fees
BNPL providers may charge different processing fees than standard card payments. Please review Afterpay, Klarna, and Affirm's merchant terms directly for current pricing information.
Supported Countries
- Afterpay: US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK
- Klarna: US, UK, and most European countries
- Affirm: US, Canada
BNPL options are automatically shown or hidden based on your customer's location.