Skip to main content

Glossary

A​

API access token​

An automatically-generated, unique string that identifies you when using the Bold APIs. For endpoints that require it, the API access token must be included in the “Authorization” header of the call.

Applicable product: All

For more information: Checkout Getting Started, Subscriptions Getting Started, Price Rules Getting Started

access scope​

Controls which the type of access an integration has to a store's data via API endpoints.

Applicable product: All

For more information: Access Scopes

action (Price Rules)​

A property of a rule that defines how to adjust the prices of items in a product selection.

Applicable product: Price Rules

For more information: Rulesets and Rules

action (Checkout Plugin)​

A command sent from a plugin to Bold Checkout in response to an event. Actions often result in changes to an order's application state. Part of the event-action loop.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Concepts: Plugins

application programming interface (API)​

A mechanism for two software systems to communicate. Bold provides a robust set of APIs that enable you to create a custom checkout, integrate with Bold Checkout, and perform many other functions.

Applicable product: All

For more information: API Specifications

amendment/amendable​

An order is amendable if it can be edited after the customer submits an order (calling the Process Order endpoint), but before the order is processed. Examples include Bold's Upsell application, certain fees, etc. One of these edits to an order is called an amendment.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout References: Plugin Events

app hook​

An application hook (or app hook) is a custom event that you can use to communicate between Bold Checkout and your plugin. It allows a plugin with custom frontend components to participate in the event-action loop.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Create Custom Events with App Hooks

average order value (AOV)​

The average amount a customer spends per transaction. Calculated by dividing total value of all orders by the number of orders.

AOV is one of Bold's three Power Trio metrics. See also conversion rate and lifetime value.

Applicable product: Checkout

B​

Blueprints​

A category in Bold's Solution Library. This category includes high-level, conceptual explanations of how Bold Checkout could be used to provide a unique experience or address a business case. These solutions include general instructions and architecture diagrams. See also Example Projects and Bold-Built Integrations.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Read the Blueprint Solutions

Bold-Built Integrations​

A category in Bold's Solution Library. This category includes out-of-the-box solutions that you can adopt simply by installing Bold Checkout. These solutions typically require little or no customization. See also Blueprints and Example Projects.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Read the Bold-Built Integration Solutions

Bold-hosted flow​

A standard flow created and optimized for Bold for optimal performance.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Flows

box​

An entity that connects Subscription Builder to a subscription group.

Applicable product: Subscriptions (Subscription Builder)

For more information: Configuring Subscription Builder Entities

box product​

An entity that identifies a product/variant to be made available to a box's time slots.

Applicable product: Subscriptions (Subscription Builder)

For more information: Configuring Subscription Builder Entities

box size​

An entity that determines the pricing and product availability of a box.

Applicable product: Subscriptions (Subscription Builder)

For more information: Configuring Subscription Builder Entities

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)​

A payment plan that enables a customer to complete a purchase immediately, but split the payment into several installments, to be paid later.

BNPL options can be provided through a payment gateway or through a third-party application. Common BNPL providers include PayPal, Klarna, Afterpay, and many others.

Applicable product: Checkout

Buy Online, Pickup In Store (BOPIS)​

A shipment option that enables the user to purchase an item online, and pick their order up in the store. This option is often presented as a way to help the user save on shipping costs.

You can configure your checkout to accept BOPIS by editing your shipping settings in the Bold Checkout admin.

Applicable product: Checkout

C​

cart parameter​

Metadata, defined in key and value pairs, that can be appended to a Bold Checkout order.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Concepts

checkout abandonment rate​

The percentage of users that add a product to their cart but do not checkout. The average cart abandonment rate is 72%.

Applicable product: Checkout

Checkout Backend API​

As one portion of a headless checkout, the Checkout Backend API performs tasks such as initializing an order, adding an authenticated customer, and capturing payments. These calls are made from a secure server rather than from a browser, so they only require an API access token.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Backend API Specification

checkout completion rate (CCR)​

A value that measures the percentage of completed orders, and it is calculated using the completed order count divided by the API session count.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Configure Checkout Flow Metrics

Checkout Experience​

What a shopper experiences when completing a checkout.

Applicable product: Checkout

Checkout Flow (Flow)​

Patent Pending. An optimized checkout experience designed to serve a specific set of shoppers based on a set of criteria.

Examples of criteria:

  • the type of device a shopper is interacting with
  • the shopper's screen size
  • the items in the shopper's cart

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Flows

Checkout Frontend API​

As one portion of a headless checkout, the Checkout Frontend API performs user-driven functions, such as adding and editing cart line items, editing billing and shipping addresses, and choosing a shipping method. Because these requests are triggered by customer actions in a browser or similar client, these requests require the use of a temporary JSON web token (JWT) to authenticate changes to an order on a customer's behalf.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Frontend API Specification

condition​

A property of a rule that defines the criteria for triggering a rule’s actions.

Applicable product: Price Rules

For more information: Rulesets and Rules

conversion rate​

The percentage of site visitors who make a purchase. Calculate by dividing the number of completed orders by the number of website visitors.

A subset of the conversion rate is the Checkout Completion rate (CCR).

Conversion rate is one of Bold's three Power Trio metrics. See also average order value and lifetime value.

Applicable product: Checkout

composable commerce​

A technology stack architecture that allows businesses to assemble various commerce components to create a custom solution that aligns with unique business needs. Composable commerce enables companies to break down backend functionality into individual, interchangeable components, or “microservices”.

The modular approach of composable commerce maintains the benefits of headless commerce, such as the ability to create unique customer experiences across multiple touchpoints, while also enhancing the adaptability and scalability of the system as a whole, allowing businesses to innovate, test, and iterate rapidly in response to market changes.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Headless vs. Composable Commerce

custom frontend​

Any frontend interface not created by Bold Commerce. Requires the use of a custom backend.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Create a Self-Hosted Checkout Flow

custom flow​

A bespoke flow created by a merchant (or a development agency on behalf of a merchant). Composed of a custom frontend and custom backend.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Flows

customer-targeted pricing​

A type of price rule that applies a ruleset to a subset of customers.

Applicable product: Price Rules

For more information: Customer-Targeted Pricing

D​

default zone​

A catch-all zone for regions that are not explicitly placed in a geographic zone.

Applicable products: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Admin API specification

Dual Checkout​

A configuration option for Bold Checkout on Adobe Commerce that enables you to run Bold Commerce alongside your existing checkout.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Adobe Commerce Overview

E​

event​

A predefined point of significance in the Checkout experience, such as order_submitted or order_changed. Part of the event-action loop.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Concepts: Plugins

event-action loop​

The primary mechanism used for communication between Bold Checkout and plugins.

A Checkout plugin listens for events, and the plugin responds with one or more actions. Bold Checkout executes the actions, which often result in changes to the order. This pattern is called the event-action loop.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Concepts: Plugins

Example Projects​

A category in Bold's Solution Library. This category includes detailed instructions that guide you through a solution from start to finish, accelerating you on the path to customization. These solutions often reference example code. See also Blueprints and Bold-Built Integrations.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Read the Example Project Solutions

extension​

A piece of code that extends or customizes behavior on Adobe Commerce or Magento 1. The Bold Checkout Extension enables Bold Checkout to communicate with these platforms.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information:

F​

flow identifier​

A unique string (in the flow_id field) used to label a specific checkout flow and used to distinguish it from other checkout flows.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Flows

flow logic​

The process of programmatically selecting a specific checkout flow for a shopper based on a set of met criteria.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Flows

flow metrics​

The measurable statistics tied to a specific checkout flow.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Flows

frontend​

Any interface that a user will interact with that collects the information required by the backend to process an order. For instance a frontend could be:

  • An online form a shopper fills out.
  • The interface an employee uses during an in-store purchase.
  • The voice prompts used when placing an order with a virtual assistant.

Applicable product: All

frontend template​

An interface that is created and optimized by Bold Commerce. They are ready to use out-of-the-box but can also be used as a starting point for a custom frontend.

Applicable product: Checkout

G​

generic item​

An item that is not created in the platform, and the product data is added to the order by Bold. Generic cart items are supported on BigCommerce, commercetools, and Shopify stores only.

Applicable product: Checkout

H​

headless​

A software architecture that enables developers to decouple the frontend (i.e. the “head”) and backend of an application.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Concepts

headless checkout​

An offering that enables a merchant to completely customize the look and feel of the Checkout experience, while maintaining the features and functionality of Bold Checkout. For example, the headless Bold Checkout enables a merchant to create “heads” in a variety of channels, including desktop, mobile, in-store kiosks, and more. The merchant can create custom, branded checkout experiences that are all enabled by Bold Checkout.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Headless architecture

I​

idempotency key​

An arbitrary, alphanumeric string used to identify a unique set of data (i.e. a subscription, an order, or a webhook). Bold APIs use idempotency keys to give each entity or process a unique ID. If an API receives multiple requests with the same idempotency key, the API will always pick up where it left off.

Applicable product: Checkout, Subscriptions

For more information: Create Subscriptions

integration​

Software that is built to work with or communicate with other software (in this case, Bold Checkout, Subscriptions, or Price Rules). See also private integration and public integration.

Applicable product: All

For more information: Extending Bold Checkout

L​

lifetime value (LTV)​

A prediction of the total revenue that a business can expect from a customer throughout the life of their relationship.

LTV is one of Bold's three Power Trio metrics. See also average order value and conversion rate.

Applicable product: Checkout

Lightweight Frontend Experience (LiFE)​

The Checkout Lightweight Frontend Experience (LiFE) mechanism enables merchants to add customizable text fields, checkboxes, and other elements to a variety of locations on the checkout page.

Common uses for Checkout LiFE include:

  • An HTML snippet including a link to more information.
  • A checkbox to indicate whether the customer is tax exempt.
  • A text input field for a VAT ID.
  • A long text input field for a gift message.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Add Customized Elements to Checkout

O​

OAuth 2.0​

An authorization framework that enables integrations to securely access a store's data as it exists in Bold's system and the platforms we integrate with. Public integrations may use OAuth 2.0 to obtain API access tokens. More information about OAuth can be found in The OAuth 2.0 Authorization Framework.

Applicable product: All

For more information: Building Public Integrations

override​

A mechanism that enables developers to bypass standard Bold functionality in favor of custom functionality or rules.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Overrides

P​

partner flow​

A flow created by a partner for a specific platform, technology partner, or other use case. Examples include social media partner flows or payment partner flows.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Flows

Payment Booster​

A solution that enables you to retain the entirety of your current checkout experience, and use Bold to add additional payment options to your checkout. Built for Adobe Commerce.

This solution increases security, reduces complexity, and provides built-in support for payment providers such as PayPal.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Install Bold Checkout on Adobe Commerce

Payment Isolation Gateway Interface (PIGI)​

The interface that a customer uses to input their payment information and add the payment method to an order. PIGI isolates customer payment information from everything else that happens during a checkout experience. This separation increases the security of the customer’s payment information by preventing any third party scripts from having access to information shoppers input into the payment fields.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Concepts: PIGI

PayPal Checkout Flow​

A partner flow that uses Bold Checkout to add PayPal checkout options to your store. Using the built-in Adobe Commerce checkout and PayPal Checkout Flow together allows merchants to choose which payment processor an order should go to. Customers also have the option of checking out with their payment information or their PayPal account.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Install the PayPal Checkout Flow

platform​

The software that provides an interface for merchants to sell their goods and services, and for shoppers to purchase those goods and services. Platforms usually offer a form of product management, customer authentication, order management, and other management features.

Bold provides out-of-the-box support for several platforms, including BigCommerce, commercetools, and Shopify.

note

All fields in the API specifications that refer to a platform_id refer to an ID for the given resource that is generated by the platform.

Applicable product: All

platform connector​

A server that Bold uses to connect between any platform and the Bold APIs in order to interact with your customer, order, and product information.

Applicable product: All

For more information: Platform Connector: Concepts

platform connector destinations​

The locations on your platform connector server that you make accessible to Bold. To register platform connector destinations, use the Create Destination endpoint.

Applicable product: All

For more information: Provide platform connector destinations to Bold

platform connector specifications​

The OpenAPI specifications, created by Bold, that provide implementation details for platform connectors. Bold calls the endpoints defined in this specification to contact your platform connector.

Applicable product: All

For more information:

platform event notifications​

An OpenAPI specification that defines the ways to notify Bold of changes to the customers, orders, and products on your store. For use with a platform connector.

Applicable product: All

For more information:

plugin​

A custom application that extends the capability of Bold Checkout. Merchants, partners, and other third-party developers can all create plugins.

Bold Checkout has various methods of interacting with plugins, typically through the event-action loop.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Concepts: Plugins

Price Rules Engine (PRE)​

A set of API endpoints that allow you to configure, edit, delete, and view price rulesets and order conditions.

Applicable product: Price Rules

For more information: Price Rules Overview

private integration​

An integration manually installed on a store. It is not listed in the Integration Marketplace, and these integrations only require an API access token obtained through the Bold Account Center.

Applicable product: All

For more information: Extending Bold Checkout

public integration​

An integration that can be conveniently installed on more than one store. They can be published (listed in Bold Account Center’s Integration Marketplace) or unpublished. Partners building public integrations must create API access tokens using the OAuth 2.0 flow.

Applicable product: All

For more information: Build Public Integrations

R​

remote state authority (RSA)​

A method to allow your platform to serve as the authority on the order state throughout the checkout process. The RSA enables your platform to have complete control over certain tasks, such as editing and validating customer, address, and other information.

Only available when also using a platform connector.

Applicable product: All

For more information:

rule​

A feature of Price Rules that defines the pricing actions to take when a set of conditions are satisfied.

Applicable product: Price Rules

For more information: Rulesets and Rules

ruleset​

The core resource of the Price Rules API, which allows you to dynamically manage the pricing of products on an ecommerce store. Rulesets are JSON objects with a defined structure and elements.

Applicable product: Price Rules

For more information: Rulesets and Rules

S​

selection​

A collection of box products that a shopper adds to a subscription order for a selection line item on a specific date.

Applicable product: Subscriptions (Subscription Builder)

For more information: Configuring Subscription Builder Entities

selection line item​

A single box product that has been (or will be) added to a subscription within a selection.

Applicable product: Subscriptions (Subscription Builder)

For more information: Configuring Subscription Builder Entities

self-hosted​

Refers to code or an interface that is not hosted by Bold Commerce.

Applicable product: Checkout

shell product​

A product that is programmatically added to the cart along with the other product selections, which allows Subscription Builder to differentiate a Subscription Builder order from a regular Bold Subscriptions order.

Applicable product: Subscriptions (Subscription Builder)

For more information: Configuring Subscription Builder Entities

shell subscription group​

A subscription group containing only the shell product.

Applicable product: Subscriptions (Subscription Builder)

For more information: Configuring Subscription Builder Entities

shipping zone​

A specific type of zone used to define areas where particular shipping carriers and rates are available.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Admin API specification

Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)​

A regulatory requirement set by the second Payment Services Directive (PSD2), which aims to create additional layers of security for banks and customers in Europe. Banks that facilitate transactions between a merchant and customer that are both in Europe may require two of the following three methods of authentication:

  • Something the customer knows.
  • Something the customer has.
  • Something the customer is.

The 3D Secure (3DS) technology helps merchants adhere to the SCA requirements.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Handling Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)

Subscription Builder​

A Bold integration that allows you to offer selections to your customers with each subscription recurrence or make choices for them based on their preferences.

Applicable product: Subscriptions (Subscription Builder)

For more information: Subscription Builder

subscription line item​

A single line item in a customer’s subscription that is associated with a box.

Applicable product: Subscriptions (Subscription Builder)

For more information: Configuring Subscription Builder Entities

T​

tax zone​

A specific type of zone used to define areas that are served by a given tax provider.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Admin API specification

time slot​

A collection of box products available in a time range for a box. These are typically used to denote the different options your customers can choose from for each of your delivery cycles.

Applicable product: Subscriptions (Subscription Builder)

For more information: Configuring Subscription Builder Entities

time slot option​

A single box product available within a time slot.

Applicable product: Subscriptions (Subscription Builder)

For more information: Configuring Subscription Builder Entities

W​

warehouse zone​

A specific type of zone used to define areas that are served by a single shipping origin. Warehouse zones are used to determine where shipping is available and sometimes how taxes are calculated, depending on the tax provider.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Admin API specification

webhook​

A method for Bold to notify you when an important event occurs. Register for a webhook by providing a user-defined callback URL that Bold sends a response to when the given event occurs.

Applicable product: Checkout and Subscriptions

For more information: Register for Checkout Webhooks or Register for Subscriptions Webhooks

widget​

A customizable UI component that you can add to a storefront and configure to call Bold APIs. Most commonly used in Bold Subscriptions to allow a customer to subscribe to recurring orders.

Applicable product: Subscriptions

For more information: Building Custom Widgets

Z​

zone​

A geographic area made up of one or more regions. Zones come in three types: warehouse, tax, and shipping.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Checkout Admin API specification

3D Secure (3DS)​

A technology that requires customers to complete additional steps to verify their identity, with the aim of reducing fraud and meeting the requirements of the Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) regulation.

Applicable product: Checkout

For more information: Handling Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)