---
title: "Stripe Connect & Checkout"
description: "Connect Stripe for AI-facilitated checkout: checkout session creation, complete URL, transaction log. Worker URL and Connectivity tab in CognitiveCart."
url: "https://docs.cognitivecartplugin.com/features/stripe-connect-checkout/"
---
## When Stripe is connected

Until you connect Stripe, the UCP manifest and Abilities API still expose discovery and cart abilities (list products, add to cart, get cart summary, etc.). Only **checkout** requires Stripe. Once connected:

*   The UCP manifest includes **checkoutCreateSessionEndpoint** and **checkoutCompleteUrlTemplate**.
*   Agents (or your chat UI) can call **get-checkout-url** (session-based cart) or **create-checkout-session** (line items for third-party agents) to get a Stripe Checkout URL.
*   The customer completes payment in their browser; Stripe redirects back to your site where CognitiveCart completes the order and marks it as paid.
*   Transactions can be logged with a **source** (e.g. Chat vs Agent) for reporting.

## Checkout session creation

Two flows are supported:

1.  **Session-based (get-checkout-url)** — The visitor has a WooCommerce session and a cart. The API creates a Stripe Checkout session for that cart and returns the redirect URL. Used when the purchase originates from your site or chat.
2.  **Line-items (create-checkout-session)** — The agent sends `line_items` (name, amount\_total in cents, quantity) plus `success_url` and `cancel_url`. No WooCommerce session is required. Used by third-party AI agents (e.g. Claude, ChatGPT) that don’t share your session.

In both cases, the user is sent to Stripe Checkout; after payment, Stripe redirects to the completion URL. CognitiveCart’s completion endpoint creates or updates the order and marks the payment as completed.

## Worker URL

Stripe Connect and checkout are coordinated via a CognitiveCart **Worker** (hosted by Gaucho Plugins by default). The plugin uses `COGNITIVE_CART_WORKER_URL` to talk to the Worker. You can override this in `wp-config.php` if you run your own Worker:

```
define( 'COGNITIVE_CART_WORKER_URL', 'https://your-worker.example.com' );
```

If the Worker URL is not set or the Worker is unreachable, Connect and checkout will not work; discovery and cart abilities are unaffected.

## Connectivity tab

In the WordPress admin, go to **CognitiveCart → Connectivity**. From there you can:

*   Start the Stripe Connect OAuth flow to connect your Stripe account.
*   See connection status and disconnect if needed.

After connecting, the UCP manifest will include the checkout endpoints and agents can create checkout sessions (subject to your Kill-Switch and any other restrictions).