Yeah, I guess I just feel that when it comes to eCommerce, this isn’t a particular use-case — more how the entire Internet works!
If I have to cobble this together, I can’t imagine what other roadblocks I’ll hit down the line. Maybe Discourse just can’t do what I need out-of-the-box. Better for free communities 
Shame because I love the experience of using Discourse and wanted that for my community members.