Chapter 2
Build, buy or hire
Three ways to get a checkout rule built, and what each one asks of you afterwards.
The right choice depends on who you have in-house, how unusual the rule is, and who'll look after it once it's live.
Which way fits your team
Read the upkeep row as closely as the cost row. It's the one you live with after launch.
| Build it yourselves | Buy an app | Hire a developer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | A team with its own developer who knows Functions | A common discount rule an app already handles | A rule no app covers, and no developer in-house |
| Cost | Your team's time | The app's monthly plan, from its App Store listing | The developer's quote |
| Upkeep | Your team updates it each quarter | The app's developer updates it | Your team, or a monthly retainer |
| Control | Full | What the app's settings allow | Full, handed over with notes |
| Watch for | A rule that only one person understands | A rule the app almost covers | Work handed over without the note from chapter 1 |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Questions to ask a developer
- How will you keep it current as Shopify releases new versions, and who does that after you hand it over?
- If it breaks after launch, what happens, and how quickly does the old rule come back?
- What did you test it with, and did that include a large cart?
- What do you hand over when the work is done: the code, the note, and access to the run log?
Whoever builds it, ask who looks after it next quarter.
If you're building in-house or buying an app, chapter 1 still applies: someone owns the quarterly check. If you'd rather hand the build to me, that's what the quote request below is for.