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====== Why traditional split testing tools stop at checkout ======

Most traditional split testing and A/B testing tools work well on landing pages.

They optimize things like:
  * Headlines
  * Buttons
  * Hero images
  * Pricing blocks


But the moment a user clicks **Buy Now** and enters checkout, these tools silently stop working.

This is not a coincidence.

It is a structural limitation of how legacy experimentation tools were designed.

CBSplit exists specifically because of this gap.

===== 1. Checkout is usually not owned by the site =====

In modern affiliate and SaaS funnels, checkout is often:
  * Hosted on third-party platforms
  * Embedded via iframe
  * Redirected to a payment processor domain

Common examples include:
  * Sticky.io
  * CheckoutChamp
  * Digistore24
  * ThriveCart
  * Custom PSP-hosted flows

Traditional split testing tools rely on:
  * JavaScript injected on your own domain
  * DOM-level manipulation
  * Page-level variation assignment

Once the user leaves your domain, that control is lost.

CBSplit was designed with the assumption that checkout is **external**, not internal.

===== 2. Checkout systems are stateful and fragile =====

Landing pages are mostly stateless.

You can reload them without consequences.

Checkout pages are different. They are:
  * Session-bound
  * Tokenized
  * Order-state dependent

Small changes can:
  * Break order attribution
  * Invalidate payment tokens
  * Trigger fraud protection rules

Most testing tools intentionally avoid checkout to reduce operational and legal risk.

CBSplit operates **around checkout state**, instead of injecting scripts blindly into it.

===== 3. Payment compliance blocks experimentation =====

Checkout pages operate under strict controls such as:
  * PCI compliance
  * Fraud detection systems
  * Risk scoring engines

Injecting uncontrolled third-party scripts can:
  * Increase compliance risk
  * Violate processor terms
  * Raise fraud flags

Because of this, checkout providers often restrict:
  * Script execution
  * DOM mutation
  * External tracking tools

CBSplit does not try to bypass these restrictions.

Instead, it routes logic **before checkout** and **after checkout** where it is safe and reliable.

===== 4. Traditional tools optimize clicks, not revenue =====

Most A/B testing tools are designed to optimize:
  * Click-through rate
  * Button engagement
  * Page-level conversions

They stop measuring the moment the user leaves the page.

Critical checkout outcomes such as:
  * Payment declines
  * Retry success rates
  * Upsell acceptance
  * Subscription retention

Remain invisible to them.

CBSplit treats checkout as a **revenue engine**, not a black box.

===== 5. Attribution breaks after the first redirect =====

Standard split testing tools rely on:
  * Browser cookies
  * Client-side identifiers
  * Session continuity

Checkout flows often involve:
  * Cross-domain redirects
  * Server-to-server callbacks
  * Asynchronous payment confirmations

Attribution breaks at this point.

CBSplit uses:
  * Server-side event stitching
  * Order-level identifiers
  * Postback-driven attribution

This replaces browser guesses with transaction truth.

===== 6. Checkout variation requires infrastructure, not UI tweaks =====

Proper checkout testing involves changing things like:
  * Offer structure
  * Billing model
  * Retry and decline logic
  * Subscription terms

This is not a CSS or UI problem.

It is a systems-level problem.

CBSplit operates at the system layer, not as a page decorator.

===== 7. Why most tools stop, and why CBSplit starts =====

Traditional split testing tools stop at checkout because:
  * They lack domain control
  * They avoid compliance risk
  * They cannot safely handle state
  * They optimize surface metrics

CBSplit starts at checkout because:
  * That is where revenue is decided
  * That is where failures happen
  * That is where optimization has real impact

===== Summary =====

Traditional split testing tools were built for marketing pages.

They were not built for:
  * Payment systems
  * Retry logic
  * Subscription economics
  * True revenue attribution

CBSplit exists to operate precisely where other tools deliberately stop.

At checkout.