LatePoint Integration with SureCart

If you’ve been exploring ways to improve the checkout experience for your LatePoint booking system, there’s exciting news: You can now use SureCart to process your LatePoint payments. This integration opens up new possibilities for customizing your booking process and managing transactions. In this article, I’ll guide you step-by-step through the integration of LatePoint with SureCart, discuss its current strengths and weaknesses, and help you decide if this integration is right for your business.

Prefer a video version? I have a complete walkthrough of the integration and all of my thoughts contained within this writeup available to you in video format.

Why Integrate LatePoint with SureCart?

LatePoint’s native checkout system has always felt a bit restrictive or uncustomizable for many appointment-based businesses that I work with. Feedback from my community consistently points out that the default LatePoint checkout doesn’t provide the flexibility they need. Integrating SureCart into LatePoint offers:

• Customizable Checkouts: SureCart enables you to create a fully customized checkout experience that aligns with your branding and design preferences.
• Bundles and Discounts: Create product bundles directly in LatePoint and seamlessly sell them through SureCart.
• Integration Opportunities: Connect your bookings to other tools and services via SureTriggers or SureCart’s built-in integrations.

How to Set Up SureCart Integration with LatePoint

Here’s a straightforward walkthrough on setting up SureCart with your LatePoint booking system:

Step 1: Preparing Your LatePoint Environment

If you haven’t recently updated or used LatePoint, you’ll first need to make sure everything is properly activated:

• Log into your LatePoint dashboard.
• Download and install the Pro Features add-on.
• Activate your license key under Settings → Premium Features.

This activation unlocks the add-ons section you’ll need to set up the SureCart integration.

Step 2: Enable the SureCart Add-on in LatePoint

Once your Pro Features are enabled:

• Go to LatePoint → Add-ons.
• Locate the SureCart integration and toggle it to enable.
• Proceed to Payments in your LatePoint settings.
• Enable SureCart under payment processors. (I recommend disabling other checkout methods like WooCommerce or Stripe Connect to avoid confusion or yet another step for the person booking)

Step 3: Create and Configure Your Products and Bundles

To demonstrate, let’s quickly create a bundle or a service. I’ll make a bundle to let someone book three calls with me at a set special price:

• In LatePoint, navigate to Bundles.
• Click on Create Bundle and name it (e.g., “Three Call Bundle”).
• Select the included service (e.g., “Tech Help Call”) and set the quantity (e.g., 3 calls at a bundled discount).
• Save the bundle, and it’s ready to be sold through SureCart.

Step 4: Generating a SureCart Product

When you enable the SureCart add-on and set up payments:

• Click the Regenerate button to create your SureCart product.
• You’ll notice that SureCart automatically creates a product named “LatePoint Booking.” You should customize this name (e.g., “Calls with Doug” or your service name).
• You might encounter some quirks here, such as multiple products being generated if you repeatedly regenerate. If this happens, delete duplicates and retain the newest one.

Step 5: Customizing the Checkout Experience

With your SureCart product ready, customize its presentation:

• Go to SureCart → Products.
• Rename product fields like “LatePoint Booking Price” to something more appealing, such as “Booking Package Price.”
• Customize your default SureCart checkout to fit your branding.

Step 6: Embedding Your Booking Form

Embed the LatePoint booking form directly onto your page:

• Create or edit a page on your website.
• Insert the LatePoint booking form block or shortcode.
• Let customers choose their desired service or bundle at booking. If you set a specific service, it will bypass the option to choose a bundle. Just FYI there.
• This form will collect basic contact details before redirecting to SureCart for payment.

Step 7: Testing the Checkout Flow

Before launching, perform thorough testing:

• Set LatePoint to Development Mode to allow test transactions.
• Walk through the checkout flow to verify the redirection from LatePoint to SureCart works smoothly.
• Be aware: Transactions made in Development Mode may not fully record in SureCart. For accurate tests, consider running a live test purchase.

Observations and Improvements Needed

While testing, I encountered some notable limitations and areas for improvement:

• Checkout Redirection Delay: There’s a noticeable lag when redirecting from LatePoint to SureCart. A quicker, seamless transition would significantly enhance user experience.
• Confirmation Page Issues: Using the LatePoint confirmation popup didn’t function correctly in testing. A SureCart confirmation page provided a more reliable experience.
• Test Mode Transactions: Transactions in LatePoint’s Development Mode didn’t fully record in SureCart or LatePoint, making thorough testing challenging.
• Refund Handling: Refunds currently must be handled through LatePoint. SureCart refunds for LatePoint products aren’t yet available.

These hiccups highlight that, although functional, the integration currently has rough edges and requires careful live-mode testing.

Pros and Cons of Using SureCart with LatePoint

✅ Pros

• Custom Checkout: Fully customizable checkout pages to match your branding.
• Product Integration: Enables advanced integrations via SureTriggers or SureCart’s own integration capabilities with other platforms, tools, and downloads.
• You can loop in SureCart’s upsells, downsells, and bumps.

❌ Cons

• User Experience: Redirecting to SureCart disrupts the seamless booking ecosystem of LatePoint.
• Development Mode Limitations: Difficulties testing in a non-live environment; transactions don’t record correctly.
• Limited Product Association: Currently, you can only set up one SureCart product for LatePoint, limiting per-service customization. I’d like to see a SureCart product created for each LatePoint Service.

My Final Take: Should You Use SureCart for LatePoint Bookings?

Integrating SureCart with LatePoint introduces powerful customization and integration opportunities but comes with trade-offs. The biggest downside, in my view, is leaving LatePoint’s cohesive booking ecosystem. The checkout redirect isn’t as smooth as I’d prefer, but the benefits might outweigh this inconvenience depending on your needs.

Use SureCart with LatePoint if:

• You value highly customizable checkouts.
• You want to leverage SureCart’s integrations.
• You have a sales funnel in mind for your bookings.

Stick with native LatePoint checkout if:

• You prefer a seamless booking experience without redirects or further complication.

Ultimately, it’s about matching this integration to your business priorities and customer experience goals. If flexibility and integration power are your top priorities, this SureCart-LatePoint integration is well worth exploring—just approach it with the nuances in mind.