How payments work.

The flow, step by step

The same path as the diagram above, with what happens at each hop.

1. 01

   Partner shares a tracked checkout link.

   The link carries a referral code so a completed checkout can be tied to the approved partner who drove it.

2. 02

   Buyer lands on your Stripe Checkout.

   The buyer selects an active price and continues to Stripe Checkout on the founder's connected account.

3. 03

   Stripe captures the payment.

   Stripe processes the payment on the founder's connected account. Comstein does not receive or hold the buyer's funds.

4. 04

   Comstein records attribution and commission.

   For a paid checkout or renewal, the Stripe event identifies the product and partner. Comstein calculates the commission amount and creates a pending commission record.

5. 05

   Partner payout is handled separately.

   Comstein does not currently transfer the recorded commission to the partner or create a transaction-time split. The founder settles partner payout outside this automated flow.

What gets tracked

Comstein records supported paid events and their attribution so the conversion and commission records reflect the underlying Stripe state.

• The partner who drove each transaction

  Paid-checkout attribution tied to the approved partner's referral code.

• The conversion event itself

  First charge, recurring renewal, or one-time purchase — each is recorded.

• The commission amount and percentage

  The commission percentage captured for the partnership and the amount calculated from the paid transaction.

• Refunds and new disputes

  Comstein reverses the recorded conversion and commission status when the matching Stripe event arrives.

What you need

Managed checkout is available only when the listing, Stripe account, price, and approved partnership are ready.

1. 01

   A connected Stripe account

   Charges, payout setup, and account details must be enabled for managed checkout.

2. 02

   A published listing and active price

   The listing needs a supported Stripe price selected for managed checkout.

3. 03

   An approved partner

   Managed checkout requires an active partnership and a valid referral code.

Changes reflected in commission records

For supported Stripe events, Comstein updates the matching conversion and commission records when the underlying payment changes.