=== VERIFIED Crypto Checkout – Card to USDC WooCommerce Payment Gateway ===
Contributors: verifiedcreditcard
Tags: woocommerce, crypto, payment-gateway, usdc, payments, qr-payments
Requires at least: 6.0
Tested up to: 6.9
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.56.23
WC requires at least: 5.8
WC tested up to: 10.3.6
License: GPLv3 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html

Accept credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay — settle in USDC on Polygon. Includes payment links, invoices, and in-person QR payments. No merchant account required.

== Description ==

VERIFIED Crypto Checkout is a WooCommerce crypto payment gateway that allows merchants to accept credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay while receiving settlement in USDC on the Polygon network.

Payments are processed through hosted crypto on-ramp providers including MoonPay, Ramp Network, Transak, Revolut, Stripe, Banxa, Simplex, Robinhood, Binance, and more — then converted into USDC and sent directly to your wallet.

VERIFIED Crypto Checkout settles exclusively in USDC on the Polygon network (Chain ID 137).

VERIFIED Crypto Checkout is software infrastructure only — VERIFIED does not custody or hold funds at any point.

No merchant account application. No provider accounts required to install.

Compatible with WordPress 6.x and WooCommerce 8.x and above.

Install VERIFIED Crypto Checkout and start accepting card payments with USDC settlement in under a minute.

Full plugin guide (always up to date): https://verified-crypto-checkout.gitbook.io/verified-crypto-checkout

== Features ==

* Accept credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay
* 20+ crypto on-ramp providers including Coinbase, MoonPay, Revolut, Ramp Network, Transak, Stripe, PayPal, Crypto.com, Binance, Robinhood, Simplex, Banxa, and more
* USDC settlement directly to your Polygon wallet — no reserves, no delays
* WooCommerce Classic Checkout and Blocks Checkout support
* Auto-Routing across all providers or single-provider mode
* Automated abandoned checkout recovery — sends tokenized Pay Now emails automatically to first-time customers who attempted checkout but did not complete payment
* Optional discount incentives on recovery emails — fixed amount, percentage, or shipping credit applied before the 4% infrastructure fee
* Recovered revenue dashboard — tracks total recovered orders and revenue directly in gateway settings
* At-checkout notices — explains the redirect flow, identity verification, debit card guidance, and privacy on the checkout page to reduce abandonment before it starts
* Subscription payments — recurring billing via email-based renewal links (works with free and paid WooCommerce subscription plugins)
* Order Payment Links — send payment links directly from WooCommerce orders for manual abandoned checkout recovery
* In-Person QR Payments — display a scannable QR code directly from WooCommerce order details for in-person or counter payments
* Create standalone payment links and invoices without checkout
* Built-in Crypto Ledger with all USDC transactions in one screen
* Blockchain tracking with direct PolygonScan links per order
* Full checkout customization (titles, descriptions, icons)
* Polygon network fees are typically very low (often under $0.01)
* Install and start accepting payments in minutes

== Automated Abandoned Checkout Recovery ==

VERIFIED Crypto Checkout includes a fully automated abandoned checkout recovery system that runs in the background and recovers revenue without any manual action from the merchant.

When a first-time customer selects a VERIFIED gateway, reaches the provider, and does not complete payment, the system automatically sends a branded recovery email with a direct tokenized Pay Now link — no login required.

How it works:

1. Customer selects VERIFIED Crypto Checkout and is redirected to a provider
2. Customer does not complete payment and abandons
3. VERIFIED detects the incomplete provider attempt automatically
4. A recovery email is sent after a configurable delay
5. The email contains a tokenized Pay Now link valid for 7 days
6. Customer clicks, goes directly to the provider, completes payment
7. WooCommerce order updates automatically on-chain confirmation

Recovery eligibility rules:

* Only applies to first-time VERIFIED customers — customers with a prior successful VCCP order are excluded
* Requires a confirmed provider attempt (customer reached the provider page)
* Subscription renewal orders are excluded — the subscription system handles those separately
* Stale orders beyond the merchant-configured window are skipped

Discount incentive engine:

Merchants can optionally attach an incentive to recovery emails to improve conversion:

* Fixed discount — a specific dollar amount off the order
* Percentage discount — a percentage reduction on the order total
* Shipping credit — covers shipping cost on the recovered order

Incentives are applied as a negative fee before the 4% infrastructure fee and are one-time only — they do not affect subscription renewals.

Recovery email features:

* Uses the same tokenized Pay Now link system as Order Payment Links
* Pricing snapshot stored at send time — prevents amount mismatch if order is later edited
* CTA with incentive: "Finish Your Order Instantly — No Login Required / Complete Purchase + Save Money"
* CTA without incentive: "Finish Your Order Instantly — No Login Required"
* Includes privacy explanation — confirms no product data is shared with the provider
* Includes first-time flow guidance — explains KYC, redirect, and debit card guidance

Recovered revenue tracking:

* Total recovered orders and total recovered revenue tracked per gateway
* Displayed directly in gateway settings for at-a-glance performance
* Per-order audit log in the WooCommerce order sidebar shows email sent, gateway used, incentive applied, final amount sent, and suppression reason if applicable

== Checkout Notices (At-Checkout Flow Guidance) ==

VERIFIED Crypto Checkout displays a notice directly on the checkout page — before the customer clicks Place Order — explaining exactly what will happen next.

This reduces abandonment caused by customers being surprised by the redirect to a provider, the identity verification step, or the lack of a return redirect after payment.

What the notice covers:

* The redirect — customer will be taken to a secure hosted payment page
* Identity verification — first purchases may require a government ID and brief liveness check; returning customers typically complete in seconds
* Debit card guidance — if a credit card is declined, a debit card works in almost every case
* Privacy assurance — the provider sees only a payment amount, not the products ordered
* Confirmation flow — payment confirms on-chain and WooCommerce updates the order automatically; the customer does not need to return to the store

Works on both WooCommerce Classic Checkout and Blocks Checkout — the notice is injected into the payment method UI at the point of selection so it is visible immediately when the customer chooses VERIFIED as their payment method.

== Subscription Payments ==

VERIFIED Crypto Checkout is among the first WooCommerce crypto on-ramp plugins to support subscription payments with on-chain settlement (as of 2026).

Every renewal settles on the Polygon blockchain in USDC — designed to eliminate traditional card chargeback exposure.

Works with:

* WooCommerce Subscriptions (paid)
* Subscriptions for WooCommerce by WP Swings (free)

No extra setup needed. Once your subscription plugin is active, VERIFIED detects it automatically.

Subscription renewal flow:

* Customers receive branded renewal reminder emails before each billing date
* Each email includes a one-click Pay Now — No Login Required link
* Customers are routed to the same provider they used originally
* Returning customers are already verified — most complete in seconds
* Customers can self-manage their preferred provider from My Account

Renewal reminder schedule:

* Monthly or longer — 7 days before, 3 days before, 1 day before
* Weekly — 3 days before, 1 day before
* Every 2–3 days — 1 day before, 4 hours before
* Daily — 4 hours before, 15 minutes before

This creates a chargeback-resistant subscription model using blockchain settlement — no stored card data, no acquiring bank, no traditional chargeback exposure.

== Order Payment Links (Abandoned Checkout Recovery) ==

Send payment links directly from any WooCommerce order screen. New in v1.51.

This works like a virtual terminal — build an order from scratch in admin, or recover an abandoned checkout, and send the customer a one-click Pay Now email. No login required. No cart. No checkout friction.

Use cases:

* Recover abandoned checkouts — open a Pending Payment order and send a direct Pay Now link
* Virtual terminal — create a manual order and request payment without the customer going through checkout
* Modify and re-request — edit order totals, then resend with the updated amount
* In-person scan-to-pay — display a QR code for the customer to scan and pay from their own phone

Includes:

* Secure tokenized Pay Now links (192-bit random token, SHA-256 hashed, 7-day expiry)
* Gateway selection per request from all enabled VERIFIED gateways
* Order status warnings (e.g. Cancelled orders automatically move to Pending Payment on send)
* Payment Request History — full audit log per order showing date, gateway, and admin who sent
* Automatic order updates after payment confirms on-chain
* Fee line item applied automatically if gateway is set to Customer pays fees
* In-person QR display from the order screen for counter, phone, event, or manual order payments

The customer receives a branded WooCommerce email with a full order summary, KYC expectations, debit card guidance, and a prominent Pay Now — No Login Required button.

== In-Person QR Payments (Scan to Pay) ==

New in v1.56.23.

VERIFIED Crypto Checkout now supports in-person QR payments directly from the WooCommerce order screen.

This turns any unpaid WooCommerce order into a simple "scan to pay" experience — useful for in-person transactions, counter payments, trade shows, events, pop-up shops, and manual orders created in WooCommerce admin.

How it works:

1. Open any unpaid WooCommerce order
2. Select a VERIFIED gateway from the QR payment section
3. Auto-Routing is selected by default when active
4. Click "Display QR Code for Customer"
5. A full-screen QR code lightbox appears
6. Customer scans the QR code on their phone
7. Payment opens on a secure hosted provider checkout page
8. Customer completes payment on their own device
9. WooCommerce updates the order automatically after on-chain confirmation

Key details:

* Uses the same secure tokenized Pay Now link system as Order Payment Links
* Tokenized QR payment links use a 192-bit random token, SHA-256 hashed, with 7-day expiry
* No login required for the customer
* No card data ever touches your WordPress site
* Customer scans and pays on their own device
* Cancelled orders automatically move to Pending Payment before QR generation
* Customer-paid 4% service fee is applied before QR generation if enabled
* Auto-Routing gateway is preferred by default when active
* The QR screen shows the store logo, order summary, total amount due, selected gateway, and Secure Card Checkout guidance

The customer always completes payment on a secure hosted checkout page operated by an independent crypto on-ramp provider. VERIFIED does not process card data, custody funds, or act as a financial institution.

== Payment Links & Invoices ==

Create payment requests without using WooCommerce checkout.

* Generate shareable payment links with QR codes, including in-person QR display from order screens
* Send via email, SMS, WhatsApp, or any messaging channel
* Create manual invoices with company details, line items, due date, and payment link embedded
* Send branded HTML invoice emails directly from WooCommerce admin
* Collect payments entirely outside your storefront

== Blockchain Transparency ==

Every payment is fully traceable on the public Polygon blockchain.

Inside each WooCommerce order:

* Transaction hash
* Settlement amount in USDC
* Wallet address
* Settlement timestamp
* Direct PolygonScan link for on-chain verification

Merchants can verify every payment independently — no reliance on provider dashboards.

== Crypto Ledger ==

The plugin includes a built-in transaction ledger at WooCommerce → VERIFIED Ledger:

* View all USDC settlements in one screen
* Filter by status (Confirmed, Pending, Failed)
* Track provider, wallet address, and timestamps
* Direct PolygonScan links per transaction
* Useful for month-end reconciliation against your Polygon wallet



== Missed Payment Protection (Webhook Fallback) ==

VERIFIED Crypto Checkout includes a built-in payment verification system that protects against missed payment confirmations.

In rare cases, a payment may complete on-chain while the confirmation webhook does not reach your store. When this happens, the order may remain in Pending status even though funds have already been received.

This system automatically:

1. Scans pending VERIFIED orders only
2. Checks the Polygon blockchain for matching USDC transfers
3. Adds an order note for visibility
4. Sends an admin alert email for review

Important:

* No customer action is required
* Orders are never auto-completed
* Merchants retain full control

Works out of the box using the public Polygon RPC.

Optional:

Merchants can add a free Polygonscan API key for more consistent detection on higher-volume stores.


== How It Works ==

1. Customer selects VERIFIED Crypto Checkout at your WooCommerce checkout
2. Customer is redirected to a secure hosted crypto on-ramp provider page
3. Customer pays using credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay
4. Provider converts the payment to USDC
5. USDC is sent directly to your Polygon wallet
6. WooCommerce updates the order automatically after on-chain confirmation

On-chain settlement to the merchant wallet typically occurs within minutes of payment confirmation — compared to traditional card processing, which typically takes 2–3 business days or longer.

== Checkout Experience ==

Customers are redirected to a secure hosted payment page operated by a licensed crypto on-ramp provider.

During a first purchase, customers may complete identity verification (KYC). Return visits to the same provider are significantly faster — most returning customers complete in seconds.

If a credit card is declined, debit cards often have higher approval rates. Many banks block crypto purchases on credit cards — this is a bank-level restriction outside your control.

WooCommerce updates the order automatically after blockchain confirmation — customers typically do not need to return to your site.

Provider availability, supported payment methods, and KYC requirements vary by country.

== Fees ==

VERIFIED Crypto Checkout charges a 4% infrastructure fee per transaction, which merchants can choose to absorb or pass to the customer as a checkout line item.

Third-party providers charge separate conversion fees, which are always covered by the merchant and deducted from the USDC settlement amount sent to your wallet.

Polygon network fees are typically very low (often under $0.01 per transaction).

Compared to traditional high-risk card processing, this model avoids:

* Long underwriting timelines
* Rolling reserves
* Monthly minimums
* Chargeback exposure from traditional card processing

Full fee documentation: https://verifiedcryptocheckout.com/fees/

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Does WooCommerce support crypto payments? =

WooCommerce does not include native cryptocurrency payments. Plugins like VERIFIED Crypto Checkout enable crypto-settled checkout through hosted crypto on-ramp providers.

= Where do funds settle? =

Payments settle directly to your configured wallet in USDC on the Polygon network (Chain ID 137).

= Who holds the funds during a transaction? =

Payments are processed by the hosted crypto on-ramp provider selected during checkout. VERIFIED does not custody, hold, or transmit funds at any point.

= Is there a reserve on settlements? =

No. VERIFIED does not hold a reserve. When a transaction is confirmed on-chain, USDC is sent directly to the merchant's Polygon wallet.

= How long does settlement take? =

On-chain settlement to your Polygon wallet typically occurs within minutes of payment confirmation.

= Can I recover abandoned checkouts? =

Yes. Open any Pending Payment, On-Hold, or Cancelled order and use the Request Payment for Order meta box to send the customer a direct Pay Now link. No login required on the customer's end.

= Can I accept in-person payments with a QR code? =

Yes. Open any unpaid WooCommerce order and use the In-Person QR Payment section to display a scannable QR code. The customer scans the QR code on their phone and completes payment on a secure hosted provider checkout page. No login is required, and no card data touches your WordPress site.

= Can I use QR payments for phone orders, counter payments, or events? =

Yes. The in-person QR payment feature is designed for manual WooCommerce orders, phone orders where the customer is nearby, counter payments, pop-up shops, trade shows, and other in-person situations where a customer can scan a QR code and pay on their own device.

= Can I build an order from scratch and send a payment link? =

Yes. Create a new order in WooCommerce → Orders → Add New, add billing details and line items, and use the Request Payment meta box to send a payment link. This works like a virtual terminal.

= Do customers need crypto? =

No. Customers pay with cards. Crypto conversion happens automatically at the provider level.

= What if a card is declined? =

Many banks block crypto purchases on credit cards. Debit cards (Visa or Mastercard) have significantly higher approval rates. Advise customers to try a debit card.

= What does VERIFIED Crypto Checkout cost? =

The plugin charges a 4% infrastructure fee per transaction. Merchants can absorb this or pass it to customers as a checkout line item. Third-party providers charge separate conversion fees. Polygon network fees are typically very low (often under $0.01).

= Will customers need to verify identity on every purchase? =

In most cases, once a customer completes KYC with a specific provider, subsequent purchases with that provider are faster or skip verification. Using a single dedicated provider (rather than Auto-Routing) maximizes returning-customer speed.

= What happens if a provider is unavailable? =

Merchants can switch providers at any time in WooCommerce settings. Auto-Routing automatically selects an available provider during checkout.

= Is this a replacement for credit card processing? =

No. VERIFIED Crypto Checkout is designed to expand payment options, not replace traditional payment gateways. Most stores use it alongside gateways such as Stripe or Authorize.Net.

= Which subscription plugins are supported? =

WooCommerce Subscriptions (paid) and Subscriptions for WooCommerce by WP Swings (free). Once either is active, VERIFIED detects it automatically — no extra configuration needed.

= Can customers change their subscription payment provider? =

Yes. Customers can log in to My Account → Subscription Payment and select a new provider. The next renewal email routes to the new provider automatically. If the new provider is one they have not used before, they will complete KYC once.

= Does the abandoned checkout recovery send automatically? =

Yes. The auto recovery system runs via Action Scheduler in the background. When an eligible customer abandons a VERIFIED checkout after reaching the provider, a recovery email is sent automatically after a configurable delay. No manual action is required.

= Who is eligible for automated recovery emails? =

Only first-time VERIFIED customers who reached the provider page but did not complete payment. Customers who have previously completed a successful VCCP order are excluded. Subscription renewal orders are also excluded — those are handled by the subscription renewal reminder system.

= Can I offer a discount in the recovery email? =

Yes. The incentive engine supports fixed discounts, percentage discounts, and shipping credits. Incentives are applied before the 4% infrastructure fee and are one-time only — they do not carry over to future orders or subscription renewals.

= What are the checkout notices and can I turn them off? =

Checkout notices are short explanations shown to the customer on your checkout page when they select VERIFIED as their payment method. They explain the redirect to the provider, identity verification on first purchase, debit card guidance if credit is declined, and the automatic order confirmation flow. They can be configured in gateway settings.

= How do I track how much revenue was recovered? =

Recovered order count and recovered revenue totals are displayed in your gateway settings screen. Each WooCommerce order also shows a per-order audit log in the sidebar with email sent date, gateway used, incentive applied, and final amount sent.

== Installation ==

1. Install the plugin from the WordPress plugin directory
2. Activate VERIFIED Crypto Checkout
3. Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Payments
4. Enable one or more VERIFIED gateways and click Manage
5. Enter your Polygon USDC wallet address
6. Set your Service Fee preference (merchant-absorbed or customer-paid)
7. Choose a specific provider or enable Auto-Routing
8. Save and start accepting payments

Full setup documentation: https://verifiedcryptocheckout.com
Plugin guide: https://verified-crypto-checkout.gitbook.io/verified-crypto-checkout

== Screenshots ==

1. WooCommerce Payments settings showing all 20 VERIFIED providers with icons and enable toggles.
2. Single gateway configuration — includes Service Fee, Auto Recovery Emails, Recovery Incentive, Smart Recovery Enhancements, Recovery Email Banner Styling, and Checkout Flow Notice Style controls.
3. Customer checkout page showing VERIFIED Crypto Checkout payment options list with flow-notice guidance and PayPal US-only clarification.
4. VERIFIED Ledger local queue page — delivery status, retries, and blockchain transaction hash tracking per order.
5. Order Payment Request meta box — generate a tokenized Pay Now link directly from any WooCommerce order screen.
6. In-Person QR Payment section in the order screen — select a gateway and display a QR code for counter or in-person payments.
7. QR code lightbox — full-screen scan-to-pay display with store branding, order summary, selected gateway, QR code, and Secure Card Checkout guidance.

== Third-Party Services ==

This plugin relies on external services to process payments. By installing and using this plugin you agree to the terms of these services.

= VERIFIED Checkout Infrastructure =

The plugin routes customers through hosted checkout pages at pay.verifiedcryptocheckout.com operated by VERIFIED Credit Card Processing.

Data transmitted per transaction:

* Order total and currency
* Customer billing email (for receipt purposes)
* Merchant-configured USDC wallet address
* Currency conversion requests (for non-USD stores)

Credit card data is processed entirely by the third-party provider and is never transmitted to or stored by VERIFIED.

* Service: https://pay.verifiedcryptocheckout.com
* Privacy Policy: https://verifiedcryptocheckout.com/privacy/
* Terms of Service: https://verifiedcryptocheckout.com/terms/
* Risk Disclosure: https://verifiedcryptocheckout.com/risk/
* Fees: https://verifiedcryptocheckout.com/fees/

= QR Code Generation =

The Request Payment and In-Person QR Payment features use the QuickChart API to generate QR codes for payment links.

* Service: https://quickchart.io
* Privacy Policy: https://quickchart.io/privacy

= Third-Party Crypto On-Ramp Providers =

Depending on customer location and gateway configuration, the hosted checkout may connect to any of the following independent providers. Each has independent terms, fees, and compliance requirements. VERIFIED is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or partnered with any provider listed below. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

* **Coinbase** – coinbase.com – https://www.coinbase.com/en-ca/legal/privacy
* **Crypto.com** – crypto.com – https://crypto.com/privacy/en
* **Stripe** – stripe.com – https://stripe.com/privacy
* **PayPal** – paypal.com – https://www.paypal.com/ca/legalhub/paypal/privacy-full
* **Coinbase** – coinbase.com – https://www.coinbase.com/en-ca/legal/privacy
* **Revolut** – revolut.com – https://www.revolut.com/legal/privacy
* **Transak** – transak.com – https://transak.com/privacy-policy
* **Ramp Network** – ramp.network – https://ramp.network/privacy-policy
* **Banxa** – banxa.com – https://banxa.com/privacy-policy
* **Guardarian** – guardarian.com – https://guardarian.com/privacy-policy
* **Simplex** – simplex.com – https://www.simplex.com/privacy
* **Binance** – binance.com – https://www.binance.com/en/privacy
* **Robinhood** – robinhood.com – https://robinhood.com/us/en/about/legal/
* **Topper** – topperpay.com – https://topperpay.com/privacy
* **Sardine** – sardine.ai – https://www.sardine.ai/legal/privacy-policy
* **Utorg** – utorg.pro – https://utorg.pro/privacy-policy
* **Unlimit** – unlimit.com – https://www.unlimit.com/privacy-policy
* **TransFi** – transfi.com – https://www.transfi.com/privacy-policy
* **Kryptonim** – kryptonim.com – https://kryptonim.com/privacy-policy
* **Cryptix** – cryptix.io – https://cryptix.io/privacy
* **Bitnovo** – bitnovo.com – https://www.bitnovo.com/privacy-policy
* **Interac** (Canada) – interac.ca – https://www.interac.ca/en/privacy-policy/
* **UPI** (India) – npci.org.in – https://www.npci.org.in/privacy-policy

== Privacy & Data Handling ==

**Data transmitted to external services:**

* Transaction amounts and currency
* Customer billing email (for receipt purposes only)
* Merchant wallet addresses
* Currency conversion requests

**Data NOT stored by this plugin:**

* Credit card numbers or CVV codes
* Customer billing or shipping addresses
* Product names, SKUs, or cart contents

All credit card data is processed directly by the third-party payment provider and is never stored on your WordPress server.

Full privacy details: https://verifiedcryptocheckout.com/privacy/

== Software Infrastructure Only ==

VERIFIED Crypto Checkout is not a bank, money transmitter, cryptocurrency exchange, broker-dealer, or financial institution.

VERIFIED does not:

* Accept, custody, or hold customer funds
* Transmit funds
* Convert currency
* Set or control third-party provider fees
* Guarantee settlement timing
* Provide legal, tax, or financial advice

All payment processing and settlement occur through independent third-party providers. Merchants are solely responsible for ensuring the legality of their products and services and for compliance with applicable tax, consumer protection, and local regulations.

Use of this plugin constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Service: https://verifiedcryptocheckout.com/terms/

== Changelog ==

= 1.56.23 =
* Added: In-Person QR Payment subsection inside the Order Payment Request meta box. Merchant selects a gateway and clicks "Display QR Code for Customer" to open a full-screen lightbox showing a scannable QR code linked to the existing tokenized Pay Now URL. Intended for counter, in-person, phone, manual order, and event payments — customer scans on their own device and completes payment on the hosted provider checkout. Cancelled orders are automatically moved to Pending Payment before token generation so the link can be redeemed. Customer-paid service fee (4%) is applied before QR generation, matching the email payment-request flow exactly. Auto-Routing gateway is preferred by default when active.

= 1.56.20 =
* Improved: Coinbase gateway description updated to inform customers that a Coinbase account is required and a payment method must be added. Continues to recommend debit over credit card to avoid cash advance fees and improve approval rates.

= 1.56.19 =
* Changed: All gateway titles updated from "Credit Card to USDC" to "Card to USDC" for accuracy — customers can pay with debit cards, not just credit cards. Coinbase title is "Card to USDC via Coinbase". Bank-transfer gateways (Interac, UPI) retain their existing "Bank Transfer to USDC" wording.

= 1.56.18 =
* Added: Coinbase Commerce gateway — customers pay with card via Coinbase; funds settle as USDC to your wallet. $1 minimum.
* Improved: Auto-Routing gateway now includes an automatic fallback to itself when a specific provider returns an error, ensuring customers are never left on a dead-end payment page.
* Improved: Auto-recovery emails now always include the Auto-Routing gateway as the first backup link, regardless of which gateway originally failed.

= 1.56.17 =
* Fixed: Interac and UPI gateway descriptions incorrectly read "Secure Card Checkout" — corrected to "Secure Bank Transfer Checkout" to accurately reflect that these are bank-transfer methods, not card payments. Fix applies to existing installs automatically without requiring merchants to reset the description field.

= 1.56.16 =
* Improved: All card-based gateway descriptions now recommend using a debit card to avoid cash advance fees and improve approval rates. Interac and UPI (bank-transfer gateways) unchanged.

= 1.56.15 =
* Improved: Checkout KYC notice now mentions government ID or SSN with an explicit "never shared with our store" clarification, addresses cash-advance fee risk on credit cards with a debit-card recommendation, and firms up the redirect behavior language ("will not" instead of "may not" be redirected back).

= 1.56.14 =
* Fixed: PayPal US-only note now always renders at checkout, even on sites that had a saved custom description from an earlier version. The gateway's get_description() override force-appends the warning if it's not already present, so merchants upgrading from 1.56.12 or earlier get the customer-facing clarification immediately without needing to reset the description field.

= 1.56.13 =
* Improved: PayPal gateway now clearly flagged as US-only at checkout and in admin settings — the upstream PayPal provider only supports US customers. Customers outside the US will see an inline note on the checkout description and a warning banner in the gateway settings. This matches the visual pattern used on Ramp/Simplex/TransFi gateways with upstream constraints.

= 1.56.12 =
* Added: Crypto.com standalone gateway (order min $5) — PayGate backend already supports it; now available as a direct checkout option alongside Auto-Routing
* Added: Crypto.com + PayPal gateway IDs to uninstall cleanup list

= 1.56.11 =
* Improved: Simplex and TransFi gateway settings pages now show the same top-of-page warning banner as Ramp, for visual consistency across all gateways flagged with upstream-provider issues. Description notes are unchanged.

= 1.56.10 =
* Fixed: Ramp Network gateway restored at checkout — v1.56.9 hid it entirely, which left some merchants without any checkout option. Now it stays visible (respects the Enable/Disable toggle) with an upstream-issue note appended to the gateway description. Customers selecting Ramp may be auto-routed to an alternate provider; payments still complete.
* Added: Upstream-issue note appended to Simplex and TransFi gateway descriptions — both have been removed from the provider roster and may auto-route customers to alternates. Gateways remain visible; merchants can disable if they prefer to hide.
* Fixed: PayPal gateway class name registration case consistency

= 1.56.9 =
* Changed: Ramp Network gateway hidden from checkout — provider has temporarily deactivated the integration upstream. Existing settings preserved; gateway returns automatically when the provider re-enables it. No merchant action required.
* Added: Inline notice on the Ramp Network gateway settings page explaining the temporary unavailability

= 1.56.8 =
* Fixed: Ledger "paid" events now require a blockchain transaction hash — orders completed without a tx hash are held for manual wallet reconciliation instead of being logged, preventing agent commission disputes
* Added: Admin warning banner on ledger/orders pages when orders are waiting on manual tx-hash reconciliation
* Added: Order note is written when a paid event is skipped so the merchant knows to verify against Polygonscan

= 1.56.7 =
* Added: Smart Recovery — backup payment options in recovery emails (up to 2 alternate gateways per provider)
* Added: Large-order guidance messaging with configurable per-gateway threshold
* Added: Section-based copy controls — copy timing, incentives, design, or Smart Recovery settings independently across gateways
* Added: Recovery performance panel showing emails sent, recovered orders, and recovered revenue per gateway
* Improved: Safer backup-link token handling — failed backup attempts no longer corrupt the order payment method
* Improved: Token generator guards against invalid order IDs
* Improved: Ledger action handler capability hardening
* Fixed: Plugin details modal showing “No plugin found” on merchant update screen

= 1.55.14 =
* Moved the Apply to All auto recovery action into the recovery email settings section
* Apply to All now copies all recovery and checkout notice styling details without enabling disabled gateways
* Added immediate visual reset behavior for the one-time Apply to All and Restore Notice Defaults checkboxes
* Changed the default recovery incentive label to “Finish Checkout and Save”


= 1.55.12 =
* Fixed checkout notice color reset option so the Restore to Default control appears in gateway settings and resets the correct notice color fields


= 1.55.11 =
* Added one-click "Restore checkout notice colors to default" action in gateway settings
* Checkout notice color customization continues to support Apply to All across VERIFIED gateways


= 1.55.10 =
* Added Missed Payment Protection (webhook fallback system)
* Detects on-chain payments if webhook fails and alerts merchant

= 1.54 =
* Automated abandoned checkout recovery system — sends tokenized Pay Now emails to first-time customers who reached the provider but did not complete payment
* Incentive engine — supports fixed discount, percentage discount, or shipping credit on recovery emails, applied before the 4% infrastructure fee
* Recovered revenue tracking — total recovered orders and revenue displayed in gateway settings
* Per-order audit log — recovery email status, suppression reason, gateway used, incentive applied, and final amount shown in WooCommerce order sidebar
* Checkout notices — at-checkout callout on Classic and Blocks checkout explaining redirect flow, KYC, debit card guidance, and privacy
* Admin onboarding modal on first install and What's New banner for returning merchants
* WooCommerce → VERIFIED Support submenu added
* Pricing snapshot stored at recovery email send time to prevent amount mismatch on edited orders

= 1.51 =
* Added Order Payment Request feature — send Pay Now links directly from any WooCommerce order screen with full audit log, gateway selector, status warnings, and automatic order update after payment
* Payment request email with branded WooCommerce template, order summary table, KYC guidance, and Pay Now — No Login Required button
* Customizable email via WooCommerce → Settings → Emails → VERIFIED — Order Payment Request
* Fees applied automatically to manual orders when gateway is set to Customer pays fees

= 1.50 =
* Fixed Blocks checkout fee not showing due to WooCommerce Store API nonce change
* Switched fee sync script to use wp.apiFetch for cross-version WooCommerce compatibility

= 1.49 =
* Updated gateway descriptions with improved checkout instructions for all providers
* Fixed duplicate service fee safety-net to match cart fee calculation
* One-time migration to decode HTML entities in stored gateway descriptions
* Fixed UPI and Interac gateway titles to Bank Transfer to USDC

= 1.45 =
* Added Request Payment and Invoice tool for generating standalone payment links from WooCommerce admin
* Minimum order amounts displayed to customers at checkout for all gateways
* Updated plugin page content for WordPress.org listing
* Fixed Terms of Service banner persisting after acceptance on version updates

= 1.4.2 =
* Updated gateway titles to show order minimum amounts per provider
* Replaced gateway descriptions with compliant wording
* Removed Classic/Block checkout compatibility warning from gateway settings

= 1.4.1 =
* Added Terms of Service acceptance gating for payment gateways
* Merchant and central admin ledger dashboards
* Fixed wallet address sanitization for payment flow reliability

= 1.4.0 =
* Added transaction ledger logging for financial reconciliation
* Local queue table with automatic retry and exponential backoff

= 1.3 =
* Classic Checkout stable release
* 4% configurable infrastructure service fee
* Blocks checkout beta support

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.56.23 =
Adds In-Person QR Payments from WooCommerce order screens. Merchants can display a scan-to-pay QR code for unpaid orders using the existing secure Pay Now token flow. Recommended for stores using manual orders, counter payments, phone orders, events, or virtual terminal workflows.

= 1.56.11 =
Minor: adds the same top-of-page warning banner to Simplex and TransFi gateway settings that Ramp already has.

= 1.56.10 =
Ramp Network restored at checkout with a warning note instead of being hidden. Upstream-issue notes added to Simplex and TransFi. Recommended for all merchants.

= 1.56.9 =
Ramp Network is hidden from checkout — the upstream provider deactivated it. Other gateways unaffected. Update recommended so customers don't see the broken Ramp option fall through to auto-routing.

= 1.56.8 =
Ledger accuracy fix: paid events now require a blockchain tx hash, preventing agent commission disputes. Orders without a tx hash are held for manual wallet reconciliation and surfaced in a new admin warning.

= 1.56.7 =
Smart Recovery: backup payment options in recovery emails, large-order guidance, section-based copy controls, and recovery performance tracking. Recommended update for all merchants using Auto Recovery.

= 1.55.10 =
* Added Missed Payment Protection (webhook fallback system)
* Detects on-chain payments if webhook fails and alerts merchant

= 1.54 =
* Automated abandoned checkout recovery system — sends tokenized Pay Now emails to first-time customers who reached the provider but did not complete payment
* Incentive engine — supports fixed discount, percentage discount, or shipping credit on recovery emails, applied before the 4% infrastructure fee
* Recovered revenue tracking — total recovered orders and revenue displayed in gateway settings
* Per-order audit log — recovery email status, suppression reason, gateway used, incentive applied, and final amount shown in WooCommerce order sidebar
* Checkout notices — at-checkout callout on Classic and Blocks checkout explaining redirect flow, KYC, debit card guidance, and privacy
* Admin onboarding modal on first install and What's New banner for returning merchants
* WooCommerce → VERIFIED Support submenu added
* Pricing snapshot stored at recovery email send time to prevent amount mismatch on edited orders

= 1.55.10 =
* Added Missed Payment Protection (webhook fallback system)
* Detects on-chain payments if webhook fails and alerts merchant

= 1.54 =
Major release. Adds automated abandoned checkout recovery with optional discount incentives, recovered revenue tracking, at-checkout flow notices, and admin onboarding. Recommended update for all merchants.

= 1.51 =
Adds Order Payment Request — send Pay Now links from any WooCommerce order for virtual terminal and abandoned checkout recovery. Recommended update for all merchants.
