Polar Best Practices

Polar Best Practices

Production-proven patterns from real SaaS implementations covering SDK initialization, checkout flows, webhooks, discounts, fee calculations, and error handling.

Environment Configuration

Required Environment Variables

# Core API
POLAR_API_KEY=polar_at_xxx           # Access token from Polar Dashboard
POLAR_ORGANIZATION_ID=org_xxx        # Your organization ID
POLAR_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_xxx       # Webhook signature verification

# Product IDs (one per product)
POLAR_PRODUCT_ENGINEER_ID=prod_xxx
POLAR_PRODUCT_MARKETING_ID=prod_xxx
POLAR_PRODUCT_COMBO_ID=prod_xxx

# Environment (optional, defaults to production)
POLAR_ENV=production                  # 'production' or 'sandbox'

Lazy Initialization Pattern

// lib/polar.ts - Defer validation until first access
import { Polar } from '@polar-sh/sdk';
import { z } from 'zod';

const polarEnvSchema = z.object({
  POLAR_API_KEY: z.string().min(1),
  POLAR_ORGANIZATION_ID: z.string().min(1),
  POLAR_WEBHOOK_SECRET: z.string().min(1),
});

let _polar: Polar | null = null;
let _env: z.infer<typeof polarEnvSchema> | null = null;

export function getPolarEnv() {
  if (!_env) {
    _env = polarEnvSchema.parse({
      POLAR_API_KEY: process.env.POLAR_API_KEY,
      POLAR_ORGANIZATION_ID: process.env.POLAR_ORGANIZATION_ID,
      POLAR_WEBHOOK_SECRET: process.env.POLAR_WEBHOOK_SECRET,
    });
  }
  return _env;
}

export function getPolar() {
  if (!_polar) {
    const env = getPolarEnv();
    const polarEnv = process.env.POLAR_ENV || 'production';
    _polar = new Polar({
      accessToken: env.POLAR_API_KEY,
      server: polarEnv as 'production' | 'sandbox',
    });
  }
  return _polar;
}

Key Benefit: Module imports succeed at build time; validation deferred until runtime when env vars are available.

Checkout Flow Implementation

Standard Checkout API

// app/api/checkout/polar/route.ts
import { NextResponse } from 'next/server';
import { z } from 'zod';
import { getPolar, getPolarEnv } from '@/lib/polar';

const checkoutSchema = z.object({
  email: z.string().email(),
  name: z.string().optional(),
  productType: z.enum(['engineer_kit', 'marketing_kit', 'combo']),
  githubUsername: z.string().min(1),
  referralCode: z.string().regex(/^[A-Z0-9]{8}$/).optional(),
  couponCode: z.string().optional(),
});

// Pricing in cents
const PRODUCT_PRICES = {
  engineer_kit: 9900,   // $99
  marketing_kit: 9900,  // $99
  combo: 14900,         // $149
} as const;

export async function POST(request: Request) {
  try {
    const body = await request.json();
    const data = checkoutSchema.parse(body);
    const polar = getPolar();
    const env = getPolarEnv();

    // 1. Normalize email
    const normalizedEmail = data.email.toLowerCase().trim();

    // 2. Validate GitHub username against GitHub API
    const githubValid = await validateGitHubUsername(data.githubUsername);
    if (!githubValid) {
      return NextResponse.json(
        { error: 'Invalid GitHub username' },
        { status: 400 }
      );
    }

    // 3. Get product ID and base price
    const productId = getProductId(data.productType);
    const originalAmount = PRODUCT_PRICES[data.productType];

    // 4. Apply discount hierarchy (order matters!)
    let finalAmount = originalAmount;
    let polarDiscountId: string | undefined;
    let discountMetadata: Record<string, any> = {};

    // Step A: Apply coupon FIRST (if provided)
    if (data.couponCode) {
      const couponResult = await validateAndApplyCoupon(
        data.couponCode,
        productId,
        originalAmount
      );
      if (couponResult.valid) {
        finalAmount = originalAmount - couponResult.discountAmount;
        discountMetadata.couponCode = data.couponCode;
        discountMetadata.couponDiscountAmount = couponResult.discountAmount;
      }
    }

    // Step B: Apply referral discount SECOND (on post-coupon price)
    if (data.referralCode) {
      const referralResult = await calculateReferralDiscount(
        data.referralCode,
        finalAmount, // Applied to post-coupon amount
        normalizedEmail
      );

      if (referralResult.valid && referralResult.discountAmount > 0) {
        // Validate discount calculation
        if (referralResult.discountAmount <= 0) {
          return NextResponse.json(
            { error: 'Invalid discount calculation - contact support' },
            { status: 400 }
          );
        }

        finalAmount -= referralResult.discountAmount;
        discountMetadata.referralCode = data.referralCode;
        discountMetadata.referralDiscountAmount = referralResult.discountAmount;
        discountMetadata.referrerId = referralResult.referrerId;
      }
    }

    // 5. Create order record BEFORE Polar checkout
    const order = await db.insert(orders).values({
      id: crypto.randomUUID(),
      email: normalizedEmail,
      productType: data.productType,
      amount: finalAmount,
      originalAmount,
      currency: 'USD',
      status: 'pending',
      paymentProvider: 'polar',
      referredBy: discountMetadata.referrerId,
      discountAmount: originalAmount - finalAmount,
      metadata: JSON.stringify({
        ...discountMetadata,
        githubUsername: data.githubUsername,
      }),
    }).returning();

    // 6. Create dynamic Polar discount (if referral applied)
    if (discountMetadata.referrerId && discountMetadata.referralDiscountAmount > 0) {
      try {
        const discount = await polar.discounts.create({
          type: 'fixed',
          name: `referral-${order[0].id.slice(0, 8)}`,
          amount: discountMetadata.referralDiscountAmount,
          currency: 'usd',
          duration: 'once',
          maxRedemptions: 1,
          products: [productId],
          metadata: {
            orderId: order[0].id,
            type: 'referral',
            referrerId: discountMetadata.referrerId,
          },
        });
        polarDiscountId = discount.id;
      } catch (error) {
        // FAIL-OPEN: Proceed with full price, flag for manual refund
        console.error('⚠️ Failed to create Polar discount:', error);
      }
    }

    // 7. Create Polar checkout session
    const checkout = await polar.checkouts.create({
      productPriceId: productId,
      customerEmail: normalizedEmail,
      successUrl: `${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_URL}/checkout/success?orderId=${order[0].id}`,
      discountId: polarDiscountId,
      allowDiscountCodes: !polarDiscountId, // Prevent stacking
      metadata: {
        orderId: order[0].id,
        githubUsername: data.githubUsername,
        referredBy: discountMetadata.referrerId,
      },
    });

    return NextResponse.json({
      checkoutUrl: checkout.url,
      orderId: order[0].id,
    });

  } catch (error) {
    if (error instanceof z.ZodError) {
      return NextResponse.json({ error: error.errors }, { status: 400 });
    }
    console.error('Checkout error:', error);
    return NextResponse.json(
      { error: 'Failed to create checkout' },
      { status: 500 }
    );
  }
}

Discount Application Order (Critical)

1. Original price (e.g., $99)
2. Apply coupon discount FIRST → post-coupon price (e.g., $79)
3. Apply referral discount SECOND → final price (e.g., $63.20)

Never apply referral to original price if coupon was used!

Webhook Handling

Signature Verification

// app/api/webhooks/polar/route.ts
import { validateEvent } from '@polar-sh/sdk/webhooks';
import { NextResponse } from 'next/server';

export async function POST(request: Request) {
  const payload = await request.text();
  const headers = Object.fromEntries(request.headers);
  const secret = process.env.POLAR_WEBHOOK_SECRET!;

  let webhookEvent;
  try {
    webhookEvent = validateEvent(payload, headers, secret);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Invalid webhook signature:', error);
    return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Invalid signature' }, { status: 400 });
  }

  // Extract event ID for idempotency
  const parsedPayload = JSON.parse(payload);
  const eventId = parsedPayload.id || `${parsedPayload.type}-${Date.now()}`;

  // Check for duplicate processing
  const existingEvent = await db.select()
    .from(webhookEvents)
    .where(eq(webhookEvents.eventId, eventId))
    .limit(1);

  if (existingEvent.length > 0) {
    console.log(`Duplicate webhook ignored: ${eventId}`);
    return NextResponse.json({ received: true });
  }

  // Record event BEFORE processing (idempotency)
  await db.insert(webhookEvents).values({
    id: crypto.randomUUID(),
    provider: 'polar',
    eventType: webhookEvent.type,
    eventId,
    payload,
    processed: false,
  });

  try {
    await handleWebhookEvent(webhookEvent);

    // Mark as processed
    await db.update(webhookEvents)
      .set({ processed: true, processedAt: new Date() })
      .where(eq(webhookEvents.eventId, eventId));

  } catch (error) {
    // Log error but don't fail the webhook
    await db.update(webhookEvents)
      .set({
        processed: true,
        processedAt: new Date(),
        error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Unknown error',
      })
      .where(eq(webhookEvents.eventId, eventId));
  }

  return NextResponse.json({ received: true });
}

Event Handlers

async function handleWebhookEvent(event: WebhookEvent) {
  switch (event.type) {
    case 'checkout.created':
      // Order already exists from API - just log
      console.log(`Checkout created: ${event.data.id}`);
      break;

    case 'checkout.updated':
      await handleCheckoutUpdated(event.data);
      break;

    case 'order.created':
      await handleOrderCreated(event.data);
      break;

    case 'order.refunded':
      await handleOrderRefunded(event.data);
      break;

    default:
      console.log(`Unhandled event type: ${event.type}`);
  }
}

async function handleOrderCreated(order: PolarOrder) {
  const orderId = order.metadata?.orderId;
  if (!orderId) {
    console.error('Order missing orderId in metadata');
    return;
  }

  const dbOrder = await db.select()
    .from(orders)
    .where(eq(orders.id, orderId))
    .limit(1);

  if (!dbOrder[0]) {
    console.error(`Order not found: ${orderId}`);
    return;
  }

  // 1. Update order status
  await db.update(orders)
    .set({
      status: 'completed',
      paymentId: order.id,
      updatedAt: new Date(),
    })
    .where(eq(orders.id, orderId));

  // 2. Create license (non-blocking)
  try {
    await createLicense(dbOrder[0]);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to create license:', error);
  }

  // 3. Send confirmation email (non-blocking)
  try {
    await sendOrderConfirmation(dbOrder[0], order);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to send confirmation:', error);
  }

  // 4. Create referral commission (non-blocking)
  if (dbOrder[0].referredBy) {
    try {
      await createCommission(dbOrder[0]);
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Failed to create commission:', error);
    }
  }

  // 5. Grant GitHub access (non-blocking)
  try {
    const metadata = JSON.parse(dbOrder[0].metadata || '{}');
    await inviteToGitHub(metadata.githubUsername, dbOrder[0].productType);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to invite to GitHub:', error);
  }

  // 6. Send Discord notification (non-blocking)
  try {
    await sendSalesNotification(dbOrder[0]);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to send Discord notification:', error);
  }
}

Status Mapping

function mapPolarStatusToAppStatus(polarStatus: string): string | null {
  switch (polarStatus) {
    case 'succeeded':
      return 'completed';
    case 'failed':
    case 'expired':
      return 'failed';
    case 'open':
    case 'confirmed':
      return null; // Don't update - still pending
    default:
      return null;
  }
}

Fee Calculation

Platform Fee Structure (Dec 2025)

// lib/polar-fees.ts
interface PolarFeeConfig {
  basePercentage: number;     // 4%
  baseFlatCents: number;      // $0.40 per transaction
  internationalSurcharge: number;  // +1.5% for non-US cards
  subscriptionSurcharge: number;   // +0.5% (not for one-time)
}

const POLAR_FEES: PolarFeeConfig = {
  basePercentage: 0.04,
  baseFlatCents: 40,
  internationalSurcharge: 0.015,
  subscriptionSurcharge: 0.005,
};

export function calculatePolarFees(
  amountCents: number,
  isInternational: boolean = true, // Conservative default
  isSubscription: boolean = false
): {
  baseFee: number;
  internationalFee: number;
  subscriptionFee: number;
  totalFee: number;
  netRevenue: number;
} {
  // Handle zero/negative
  if (amountCents <= 0) {
    return { baseFee: 0, internationalFee: 0, subscriptionFee: 0, totalFee: 0, netRevenue: 0 };
  }

  const baseFee = Math.round(amountCents * POLAR_FEES.basePercentage + POLAR_FEES.baseFlatCents);
  const internationalFee = isInternational
    ? Math.round(amountCents * POLAR_FEES.internationalSurcharge)
    : 0;
  const subscriptionFee = isSubscription
    ? Math.round(amountCents * POLAR_FEES.subscriptionSurcharge)
    : 0;

  const totalFee = baseFee + internationalFee + subscriptionFee;
  const netRevenue = amountCents - totalFee;

  return { baseFee, internationalFee, subscriptionFee, totalFee, netRevenue };
}

// Aggregate fees preserve per-transaction flat fees
export function calculateAggregatePolarFees(transactionAmounts: number[]): {
  totalFees: number;
  totalNetRevenue: number;
} {
  let totalFees = 0;
  let totalNetRevenue = 0;

  for (const amount of transactionAmounts) {
    const { totalFee, netRevenue } = calculatePolarFees(amount);
    totalFees += totalFee;
    totalNetRevenue += netRevenue;
  }

  return { totalFees, totalNetRevenue };
}

Discount Management

Discount Validation with Timeout

// lib/polar-discounts.ts
const VALIDATION_TIMEOUT_MS = 15000;

export async function validateDiscount(
  code: string,
  productId: string
): Promise<{ valid: boolean; discount?: PolarDiscount; reason?: string }> {
  const sanitizedCode = code.trim().toUpperCase();
  if (!sanitizedCode) {
    return { valid: false, reason: 'Code cannot be empty' };
  }

  const polar = getPolar();
  const env = getPolarEnv();

  try {
    // Race against timeout
    const timeoutPromise = new Promise<never>((_, reject) => {
      setTimeout(() => reject(new Error('Validation timeout')), VALIDATION_TIMEOUT_MS);
    });

    const searchPromise = polar.discounts.list({
      organizationId: env.POLAR_ORGANIZATION_ID,
      query: sanitizedCode,
      limit: 100,
    });

    const result = await Promise.race([searchPromise, timeoutPromise]);

    // Find exact match
    const discount = result.items.find(d =>
      d.code?.toUpperCase() === sanitizedCode
    );

    if (!discount) {
      return { valid: false, reason: 'Code not found' };
    }

    // Check eligibility
    const now = new Date();
    if (discount.startsAt && now < new Date(discount.startsAt)) {
      return { valid: false, reason: `Code starts on ${discount.startsAt}` };
    }
    if (discount.endsAt && now > new Date(discount.endsAt)) {
      return { valid: false, reason: 'Code has expired' };
    }
    if (discount.maxRedemptions && discount.redemptionsCount >= discount.maxRedemptions) {
      return { valid: false, reason: 'Code redemption limit reached' };
    }
    if (!discount.products?.some(p => p.id === productId)) {
      return { valid: false, reason: 'Code not valid for this product' };
    }

    return { valid: true, discount };

  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Discount validation error:', error);
    return { valid: false, reason: 'Validation failed - please try again' };
  }
}

VND Conversion for Discounts

const VND_TO_USD_RATE = 25000; // 1 USD = 25,000 VND

export function convertDiscountToVND(discount: PolarDiscount, amountVND: number): number {
  if (discount.type === 'percentage') {
    // Basis points: 1000 = 10%, 10000 = 100%
    const percentage = discount.basisPoints / 10000;
    return Math.round(amountVND * percentage);
  } else {
    // Fixed amount in USD cents → VND
    const amountUSD = discount.amount / 100;
    return Math.round(amountUSD * VND_TO_USD_RATE);
  }
}

Syncing SePay Redemptions to Polar

// lib/polar-discount-sync.ts
// When SePay payment completes, decrement Polar discount redemptions

export async function syncPolarDiscountRedemption(
  orderId: string,
  discountId: string,
  discountCode: string
): Promise<{ success: boolean; action: string }> {
  const order = await db.select().from(orders).where(eq(orders.id, orderId)).limit(1);
  if (!order[0]) {
    return { success: false, action: 'order_not_found' };
  }

  // Idempotency check
  const metadata = order[0].metadata ? JSON.parse(order[0].metadata) : {};
  if (metadata.polarDiscountSynced) {
    return { success: true, action: 'already_synced' };
  }

  const polar = getPolar();

  try {
    const discount = await polar.discounts.get({ id: discountId });

    if (discount.maxRedemptions === null || discount.maxRedemptions === undefined) {
      return { success: true, action: 'skipped_unlimited' };
    }

    const currentMax = discount.maxRedemptions;

    if (currentMax <= 1) {
      await polar.discounts.delete({ id: discountId });
      await markOrderSynced(orderId, 'deleted');
    } else {
      await polar.discounts.update({
        id: discountId,
        discountUpdate: { maxRedemptions: currentMax - 1 },
      });
      await markOrderSynced(orderId, 'decremented');
    }

    return { success: true, action: currentMax <= 1 ? 'deleted' : 'decremented' };

  } catch (error: any) {
    if (error.statusCode === 404) {
      // Already deleted - treat as success
      await markOrderSynced(orderId, 'already_deleted');
      return { success: true, action: 'already_deleted' };
    }
    throw error;
  }
}

async function markOrderSynced(orderId: string, action: string) {
  const order = await db.select().from(orders).where(eq(orders.id, orderId)).limit(1);
  const metadata = order[0].metadata ? JSON.parse(order[0].metadata) : {};

  metadata.polarDiscountSynced = true;
  metadata.polarDiscountSyncAction = action;
  metadata.polarDiscountSyncedAt = new Date().toISOString();

  await db.update(orders)
    .set({ metadata: JSON.stringify(metadata) })
    .where(eq(orders.id, orderId));
}

Revenue Tracking with Caching

// lib/polar.ts
const REVENUE_CACHE_TTL_MS = 5 * 60 * 1000; // 5 minutes

let revenueCache: {
  data: { totalRevenueCents: number; orderCount: number } | null;
  timestamp: number;
} = { data: null, timestamp: 0 };

export async function getPolarApiRevenue(): Promise<{
  totalRevenueCents: number;
  orderCount: number;
  fromCache: boolean;
}> {
  const now = Date.now();

  // Return cache if valid
  if (revenueCache.data && now - revenueCache.timestamp < REVENUE_CACHE_TTL_MS) {
    return { ...revenueCache.data, fromCache: true };
  }

  const polar = getPolar();
  const env = getPolarEnv();

  try {
    let totalRevenueCents = 0;
    let orderCount = 0;
    let page = 1;
    const maxPages = 100; // Safety limit

    while (page <= maxPages) {
      const response = await polar.orders.list({
        organizationId: env.POLAR_ORGANIZATION_ID,
        page,
        limit: 100,
      });

      for (const order of response.items) {
        if (order.status === 'succeeded') {
          totalRevenueCents += order.netAmount; // After discounts, before tax
          orderCount++;
        }
      }

      if (!response.pagination.hasMore) break;
      page++;
    }

    revenueCache = { data: { totalRevenueCents, orderCount }, timestamp: now };
    return { totalRevenueCents, orderCount, fromCache: false };

  } catch (error) {
    // Return stale cache on error
    if (revenueCache.data) {
      console.warn('Using stale revenue cache due to API error');
      return { ...revenueCache.data, fromCache: true };
    }
    throw error;
  }
}

Error Handling Patterns

Fail-Open for Non-Critical Operations

// Discount creation fails → proceed with full price
try {
  const discount = await createReferralDiscount(productId, amount, referralCode);
  polarDiscountId = discount.id;
} catch (error) {
  console.error('⚠️ Discount creation failed - proceeding with full price:', error);
  // Flag for manual refund investigation
  await flagOrderForReview(orderId, 'discount_creation_failed');
}

Graceful Degradation in Webhooks

// Non-critical operations don't block order completion
const operations = [
  { name: 'GitHub invite', fn: () => inviteToGitHub(username, productType) },
  { name: 'Welcome email', fn: () => sendWelcomeEmail(order) },
  { name: 'Discord notification', fn: () => sendSalesNotification(order) },
  { name: 'Tier update', fn: () => updateReferrerTier(referrerId, revenueUsd) },
];

for (const op of operations) {
  try {
    await op.fn();
  } catch (error) {
    console.error(`❌ ${op.name} failed:`, error);
    // Continue processing - don't block order
  }
}

Rate Limit Handling with Exponential Backoff

async function callWithRetry<T>(
  fn: () => Promise<T>,
  maxRetries: number = 3
): Promise<T> {
  let attempt = 0;

  while (attempt < maxRetries) {
    try {
      return await fn();
    } catch (error: any) {
      if (error.statusCode === 429) {
        const retryAfter = parseInt(error.headers?.['retry-after'] || '1', 10);
        const delay = retryAfter * 1000 * Math.pow(2, attempt);
        console.log(`Rate limited, retrying in ${delay}ms...`);
        await sleep(delay);
        attempt++;
      } else {
        throw error;
      }
    }
  }

  throw new Error('Max retries exceeded');
}

Database Schema

Orders Table

// db/schema/orders.ts
export const orders = pgTable('orders', {
  id: uuid('id').primaryKey().defaultRandom(),
  userId: uuid('user_id').references(() => users.id),
  email: text('email').notNull(),
  productType: text('product_type').notNull(),
  amount: integer('amount').notNull(), // Final amount in cents
  originalAmount: integer('original_amount'), // Before discounts
  currency: text('currency').default('USD'),
  status: text('status').default('pending'), // pending, completed, failed, refunded
  paymentProvider: text('payment_provider').notNull(), // 'polar' or 'sepay'
  paymentId: text('payment_id'), // External payment ID
  referredBy: uuid('referred_by').references(() => users.id),
  discountAmount: integer('discount_amount').default(0),
  discountRate: numeric('discount_rate', { precision: 5, scale: 2 }),
  metadata: text('metadata'), // JSON with audit trail
  createdAt: timestamp('created_at').defaultNow(),
  updatedAt: timestamp('updated_at').defaultNow(),
});

Webhook Events Table (Idempotency)

export const webhookEvents = pgTable('webhook_events', {
  id: uuid('id').primaryKey().defaultRandom(),
  provider: text('provider').notNull(), // 'polar' or 'sepay'
  eventType: text('event_type').notNull(),
  eventId: text('event_id').notNull().unique(), // Idempotency key
  payload: text('payload').notNull(),
  processed: boolean('processed').default(false),
  processedAt: timestamp('processed_at'),
  error: text('error'),
  createdAt: timestamp('created_at').defaultNow(),
});

Metadata Best Practices

Comprehensive Audit Trail

// Store everything needed for debugging and reconciliation
metadata: JSON.stringify({
  // Pricing history
  originalAmount: 9900,

  // Coupon tracking
  couponCode: 'LAUNCH20',
  couponDiscountAmount: 1980,

  // Referral tracking
  referralCode: 'ABC12345',
  referralDiscountAmount: 1584,
  referrerId: 'user-uuid',

  // Customer context
  githubUsername: 'customer',

  // Polar integration
  polarDiscountId: 'disc_xxx',
  polarDiscountSynced: true,
  polarDiscountSyncAction: 'decremented',
  polarDiscountSyncedAt: '2025-01-15T10:30:00Z',

  // Team context (if applicable)
  isTeamPurchase: false,
  teamId: null,
  quantity: 1,
})

Testing

Unit Tests for Fee Calculation

// __tests__/lib/polar-fees.test.ts
describe('calculatePolarFees', () => {
  it('handles zero amount', () => {
    const result = calculatePolarFees(0);
    expect(result.totalFee).toBe(0);
    expect(result.netRevenue).toBe(0);
  });

  it('calculates international one-time correctly', () => {
    // $100 transaction
    const result = calculatePolarFees(10000, true, false);
    expect(result.baseFee).toBe(440);        // 4% + $0.40
    expect(result.internationalFee).toBe(150); // 1.5%
    expect(result.totalFee).toBe(590);
    expect(result.netRevenue).toBe(9410);    // $94.10
  });

  it('preserves per-transaction flat fees in aggregate', () => {
    // Two $100 transactions should each have $0.40 flat fee
    const aggregate = calculateAggregatePolarFees([10000, 10000]);
    const single = calculatePolarFees(20000);

    expect(aggregate.totalFees).toBeGreaterThan(single.totalFee);
    // Difference should be one extra flat fee ($0.40)
    expect(aggregate.totalFees - single.totalFee).toBe(40);
  });
});

Production Checklist

• Environment variables configured in all environments
• Sandbox testing completed for all checkout flows
• Production API key obtained and secured
• Webhook endpoint deployed and reachable
• Webhook signature verification implemented
• Idempotency handling tested with duplicate webhooks
• Fee calculations verified against Polar dashboard
• Discount validation timeout configured
• Error monitoring enabled (Sentry, etc.)
• Structured logging in place
• Database indexes on orders.status, orders.paymentProvider
• Revenue caching configured
• Rate limit handling implemented
• Fail-open patterns for non-critical operations
• Customer email notifications working
• Refund flow tested end-to-end
• GitHub access grant/revoke tested
• Discord sales notifications configured

Common Pitfalls

1. Applying discounts in wrong order - Always coupon first, then referral
2. Trusting success redirect without verification - Always verify via API or webhook
3. Not handling duplicate webhooks - Use eventId for idempotency
4. Blocking webhook on non-critical failures - Wrap in try-catch, log, continue
5. Hardcoding Polar customer IDs - Use external_id (your user ID) for lookups
6. Not setting timeout on discount validation - API can be slow
7. Calculating aggregate fees as single transaction - Each transaction has flat fee
8. Exposing API keys client-side - Always server-side
9. Not preserving original amount in metadata - Need for audit/debugging
10. Syncing discount redemptions synchronously - Can fail; use retry with backoff