Which checks should an operator run on its hosted checkout first?

The basics come first: the page works with a screen reader, information does not rely on color alone, nothing requires precise gestures, and error messages, timeouts and confirmation screens are understandable. The harmonised standard EN 301 549, which builds on the WCAG guidelines, gives the reference list to audit against.

Start with the blockers

A checkout that cannot be completed with a screen reader, a keyboard or a magnifier excludes customers entirely. The first audit should find those blockers before refining anything else. EN 301 549, the European harmonised standard built on the WCAG guidelines, is the reference list.

The first checks

• Every field and button has a label a screen reader announces.
• The whole flow works with the keyboard alone, in a logical order.
• Information is never conveyed by color alone, for example a red border on an invalid field.
• No step requires a precise gesture, a drag or a hover.
• Error messages say what is wrong and how to fix it.
• Timeouts warn the customer and allow more time, since 3-D Secure sessions expire.
• Confirmation and failure screens are readable and say what happens next.

Then the details

Contrast ratios, text resizing, focus visibility and captions on any video. Operators that fix these in the shared checkout component fix them for every merchant. A short test with real users of assistive technology finds more in an hour than a checklist does in a week.