The difference between inline and checkout form layouts

WP Full Pay supports two types of payment form layouts:

1. Inline
2. Checkout

These layouts come with different visuals, and there are functional differences as well.

Table of contents:

• Inline forms
• Checkout forms
• Functional differences between inline and checkout forms

Inline forms

Inline forms are best when you have enough space on the page to display the entire form at once.

• Ideal for scenarios where there is ample screen space to display the entire form on a single page.
• All fields are displayed simultaneously, and when the payment button is pressed, the form is submitted.
• Suited for situations where users can complete the payment process without leaving the current page.

Inline payment forms show all fields together, and when the payment button is clicked, the form is submitted.

Checkout forms

Checkout forms are best when space is limited or when you want to embed payment forms in a pricing table. These forms are hosted by Stripe. The plugin sends visitors to the checkout form for payment and ensures they're redirected back to the starting page after payment.

• Suitable when screen space is limited or when embedding payment forms in a pricing table.
• Hosted by Stripe, meaning the actual payment form is on Stripe's platform.
• The plugin redirects visitors to the checkout form for payment and ensures they are redirected back to the starting page after completing the payment.
• Useful when a more compact or embedded form is preferred, and the payment process involves redirection to a dedicated checkout page.

Checkout forms display a button on the page which opens the form on Stripe’s website:

Checkout forms might display additional fields on the page:

Pressing the button sends the visitor to the checkout form where one can enter name, credit card data, billing address, and submit the form:

Submitting the form redirects back to your website, and the customer gets feedback on the page the checkout form was opened from:

Functional differences of inline and checkout forms

• Inline forms allow users to complete the entire payment process on the current page, while Checkout forms involve redirection to a dedicated Stripe-hosted page.
• Checkout forms are advantageous when space is a constraint or when the desire is to embed payment forms within a specific context, such as a pricing table.

The choice between Inline and Checkout forms depends on the design preferences, available screen space, and the desired user experience for handling payments on your WordPress site.

The following table compares the two layouts in detail: