GoKwik, Shopflo or Magic Checkout: Choosing in India
One-click checkouts promise more prepaid orders and less RTO. What they change on your Shopify store, what to test, and how to pick one.
"GoKwik vs Razorpay Magic Checkout" might be the most-asked question in Indian e-commerce subreddits this year. The comparisons that rank on Google are mostly written by one of the vendors, so they all reach the same conclusion: buy ours.
We've installed one of these for a client, Vanalaya, where we added GoKwik checkout and payment integrations as part of finishing their Shopify store. Sales rose 92% and purchases 80% after the work, which covered more than the checkout. This post doesn't pick a winner. It explains what changes when you install one and how to test it fairly.
What a one-click checkout replaces
These tools replace Shopify's checkout pages with their own. The cart and product pages stay on Shopify. The checkout recognises returning shoppers by phone number across every store using the same provider, fills in their saved address, and offers payment and COD options. Most also include COD controls, like turning off COD for risky orders or asking for part of the payment upfront.
That's why they can raise conversion and cut RTO at the same time. It's also why the switch touches more than it seems.
What changes on your store
Using Razorpay's documentation for Magic Checkout on Shopify as an example:
- setup runs through an app and a copy of your theme, which you then publish
- it needs live API keys after KYC, and one store connects to one Razorpay account
- the checkout won't start until shipping is configured in its own settings
- products have to be added to its sales channel
- orders placed on a preview theme don't count in its analytics
Other providers differ in detail but not in kind. Before you switch, check:
- Tracking. Do purchase events still reach GA4 and Meta, once, with the right value? Our post on COD and Meta purchase events explains why this matters more than usual.
- Discounts. Do Shopify discount codes work, and do the provider's offers show up correctly in Shopify reports?
- Inventory and order data. Do orders arrive in Shopify with the right tax lines, payment method and tags for your courier mapping?
- Exit. If you switch back, what do you lose?
Test it fairly
Conversion rate alone is the wrong measure. A checkout that pushes more COD will lift conversion and may lift RTO with it. Run the test for at least two to three weeks and compare:
| Measure | Why |
|---|---|
| Checkout completion | The headline number |
| Prepaid share | The main way these tools pay for themselves |
| Delivered orders per 100 sessions | Catches COD orders that never get delivered |
| RTO rate on COD | The cost side |
| Net revenue after fees | Fees vary by payment mode and provider |
If you can, split traffic, or at least compare the same weeks with similar ad spend. A launch week with a sale will tell you nothing.
Questions to ask every vendor
- What do you charge, per order or per payment, and does it change with COD?
- Which COD controls are included, and can we set our own rules?
- Who owns the customer data collected at checkout, and can we export it?
- What happens to our checkout if your service has an outage?
- How long does removal take, and what's left behind in the theme?
Get the answers in writing. Pricing varies a lot and changes often, so we don't quote it here.
When to stay on Shopify's checkout
If most of your orders are already prepaid, your RTO is low, or you're on Plus with checkout customisations you rely on, the gain may be small. Fix the basics first: shipping costs shown early, a clean mobile cart, and payment options that match your buyers. Our payment gateway comparison covers the gateway side, and a commerce audit will tell you whether checkout is really where you're losing orders.
