> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.freway.ai/checkout-how-it-works/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.freway.ai/_mcp/server.

# How the Checkout Agent works

## The short version

Freway watches every checkout on your store. When a buyer stalls, Janine steps in on the best available channel. She might answer a sizing question, suggest a better-fitting product, or help them past a confusing shipping form.

You only pay commission on sales she closes.

> **Info**
>
> For the underlying intent-scoring methodology and the academic grounding behind it, see the [Intent Prediction Methodology](https://freway.ai/methodology/intent-prediction) on the marketing site.

## Step by step

### 1. Checkout tracking

When a buyer starts checkout, Freway's pixel collects signals:

* What stage they're at (entered email, filled shipping, attempted payment)
* How long they've been on the page
* Whether they've visited before
* What's in their cart and how much it's worth

These signals feed into Freway's decision engine.

### 2. Signal evaluation

Freway classifies each checkout based on the signals it collects:

* **Engage (high intent)**: The buyer got deep into checkout. Janine sends a direct message to help them finish.
* **Engage (low intent)**: The buyer started checkout but didn't get far. Janine sends a softer message.
* **Wait**: Not enough signal yet. Freway holds off and keeps watching.
* **Skip**: The cart is below your minimum threshold, or the buyer already purchased.

### 3. Channel selection

Janine picks the best channel based on what contact info she has and what your plan supports:

* If she has an email, she starts there.
* If SMS or WhatsApp are enabled and she has a phone number, she can use those too.
* Voice calls are available on Enterprise plans for high-value carts.
* The storefront chat widget is always available if the buyer is still on your site.

### 4. The conversation

Janine doesn't send a "you left something in your cart" email. She has a conversation.

Depending on the buyer's intent, she might:

* Answer a question about sizing or shipping
* Suggest a related product
* Explain your return policy
* Offer a discount if you've configured one
* Add a product directly to their cart

She pulls answers from your knowledge base and your product catalog. If she can't handle something, she escalates to your team.

### 5. Conversion

When the buyer completes their purchase, Freway attributes the sale to the channel and conversation that closed it. You'll see this in your analytics dashboard, including the commission.

## Buyers who convert on their own

Freway tracks those too. If a buyer completes checkout without any interaction from Janine, it's marked as an organic conversion. You pay zero commission on organic sales.

## What happens after checkout

Once the sale is complete, the [Lifecycle Agent](/lifecycle-overview) takes over. It handles post-purchase follow-up, cross-sells, and winback conversations. The Checkout Agent and Lifecycle Agent share the same buyer profile, so there's no gap in context.

> What happens between a buyer starting checkout and Janine closing the sale.