Best way to capture payment for new customers

Question

On a content creation website, we publish articles. I am primarily a backend developer and need help with creating the most optimal checkout process.

What does the current flow look like today?

1. A user enters a title and clicks on a CTA "get started"
2. User is asked to enter an "email address" and a "first name". This creates a user (with temp password) in the database where we can assign the article request to a registered user.
3. Upon successful registration the user is sent to our backend for authentication and to create the article request.
4. After article request is created and submitted, the user is redirected to a dashboard where a payment popup comes up.
5. A notice comes up redirecting them to add their address, change their password, etc (this is needed to ensure all required information is in the system prior to processing the actual payment)
6. When address is entered, the user is redirected back to complete the payment

Just writing this out screams "unusable and overly complex".

Questions:

1. What would be a better and more usable flow?
2. How do you create an account for someone without requesting all that information up front?
3. How would one ask for all necessary information in order to complete the payment (assuming this is a new user)?

Answer 1

Here is what I'd do. Of course, this may require some code changes, or database mods, but that depends on your backend:

1. Create the title, their email address and details of the request (one form)
2. Pay
3. YOU create a username (their email address)
4. YOU create a temp password (as you already do)
5. Send them an email thanking them for their order and ask them to change their password

Done.

I'm not sure what info your payment processor wants, but services such as Stripe require very little info. Unless you need their address for something else, don't ask for it.

Answer 2

I would recommend using a style known as progressive disclosure. At the outset just ask users what you need to know to allow them to log in: probably an email address and a password. Then, as they attempt to complete different tasks, you ask them for the information that they need to have entered in order to complete that task. You can also provide incentives for them to add information outside of the processes they want to complete by adding things like a profile completion level graphic or some sort of points reward as stack exchange does.