# BitterCheckout Public Context

## Summary

BitterCheckout is a hosted Stripe Checkout handoff and signed-callback service
for small products.

It lets a product define checkout configuration, embed a widget, route buyers
to Stripe Checkout, observe Stripe webhook events, keep Checkout-local event
records, and send signed callbacks to the consuming product.

The consuming product still owns credits, access, fulfillment, refunds policy,
support, and the meaning of purchased value.

## Product Loop

```text
CheckoutConfig -> WidgetEmbed -> BuyerAction -> StripeCheckoutSession -> StripeWebhook -> CheckoutEvent -> SignedCallback -> ProductFulfillment
```

## User And Job

The user is a small product or site operator who needs paid checkout without
rebuilding widget UX, session creation, webhook receipt, and callback plumbing.

## Bitter Role

BitterCheckout is a platform satellite. It should work as a standalone product,
with BitterHub federation additive where shared identity or entitlement
projection helps.

Factory and other Bitter properties can consume it, but they are not the
product boundary.

## Boundaries

BitterCheckout is not a payment processor, credit ledger, entitlement engine,
Hub identity system, credential custody service, accounting system, refund
authority, or support workflow.

Stripe owns hosted payment collection, card data, payment methods, processor
receipts, disputes, and payouts. BitterHub can own shared account identity and
ecosystem entitlement projection. The consuming product owns what the payment
unlocks.

## Public Claims

Source-supported public claims:

- BitterCheckout hosts checkout configuration.
- BitterCheckout serves an embeddable widget.
- BitterCheckout creates Stripe Checkout sessions.
- BitterCheckout receives Stripe webhook events.
- BitterCheckout records checkout events.
- BitterCheckout signs callbacks to consuming products.
- The consuming product remains responsible for fulfillment.

Claims to avoid unless separately verified:

- no backend code needed
- no Stripe dashboard or API keys needed
- instant self-serve public launch
- BitterCheckout stores credit balances
- BitterCheckout grants entitlements by itself
- BitterCheckout is the payment processor
- BitterCheckout handles buyer support or refunds

## Current Deployment Boundary

Status: source-shaped app repo, live stale, not public-ready.

On 2026-06-04:

- `https://bittercheckout.com/` is live and backed by this app/runtime service.
- live `/up` reports release `c366b023765930938216aef73878ce7fe6783949`
- local/remote `main` is `689c375f687522569a6ccde69c469815ba245ebc`
- Grid desired/release is `227aae12c4d352c3141a34258700ad97de47eb17`
- Grid deploy and verify state is failed
- live `/llms.txt`, `/llms-full.txt`, and `/index.md` return 404
- `app.bittercheckout.com` does not resolve
- GitHub repository visibility remains private

Publication requires a separate public marketing split repository or a
dedicated app-repo publication scrub plus successful Grid source reconciliation
and live verification.

## Repository

The GitHub source link is omitted until publication safety review, public
visibility, and live route behavior all verify.