How to Handle Order Payments

What's the Difference?

Order Status: Where the order is in the fulfillment workflow

• Warehouse, Picked, Packed, Shipped, Cancelled, etc.
• Controls fulfillment and shipping operations

Payment Status: Whether payment has been received

• Paid, Unpaid, Partially Paid, Overpaid, Void, etc.
• Controls financial tracking and payment processing

Common Payment Status Scenarios

Paid:

• Full payment received and processed
• Order ready to ship (if order status is Warehouse)

Unpaid:

• No payment received or payment failed
• Common with custom payment methods (check, wire transfer, terms)
• Requires manual payment processing before shipping

Partially Paid (Balance Due: $X):

• Order total increased after initial payment
• Common when items added or shipping method changed during editing
• Additional payment required before shipping

Overpaid (Credit Due: $X):

• Payment received exceeds current order total
• Common when items removed or discounts applied after payment
• Refund or credit required

Void Overpaid (Credit Due: $X):

• Cancelled order with payment on file
• Full refund required

When to Use Manual Payment Processing

Process manual payments for orders with Unpaid status when:

• Customer paid via check, wire transfer, or cash
• Payment processed through external system
• Custom payment method selected during order placement
• Payment received but not automatically recorded

Process Payment via Payment History Tab

1Navigate to Orders > Search Orders

2Open the order showing Payment Status: Unpaid

3Click Payment History tab

4Select Payment Type from dropdown (Credit Card, Check, Cash, Wire Transfer, etc.)

5Enter Amount (should match order total)

6Optionally check Save Card in Wallet (for credit cards only - saves for future use)

7Click Apply Payment

Important Notes

• For offline payments: Select appropriate offline payment type (Check, Cash, Wire Transfer)
• For credit cards: If processing through system, card will be charged immediately
• Transaction record: All payments recorded in Payment History tab with timestamp

Why Orders Become Partially Paid

Orders show Partially Paid (Balance Due: $X) when:

• Additional items added to order after initial payment
• Shipping method changed to more expensive option
• Tax amount recalculated and increased
• Order total increased for any reason after payment

Collect Additional Payment

1Open order showing Payment Status: Partially Paid (Balance Due: $X)

2Note the balance due amount

3Click Payment History tab

4System automatically shows correct balance amount in Amount field

5Verify Transaction Type is set to Debit

6Select payment method

7Click Apply Payment

Customer Communication

Before collecting additional payment:

• Contact customer to explain the change and additional charge
• Get customer approval for additional amount
• Confirm payment method to use
• Send updated order total via email for customer records

Why Orders Become Overpaid

Orders show Overpaid (Credit Due: $X) when:

• Items removed from order after payment
• Discount applied after initial payment
• Quantity reduced after payment processed
• Shipping method changed to less expensive option
• Order total decreased for any reason after payment

Issue Credit/Refund

1Open order showing Payment Status: Overpaid (Credit Due: $X)

2Note the credit due amount

3Click Payment History tab

4System automatically shows correct credit amount in Balance Due field

5Verify Transaction Type is set to Credit Card

6Click Apply Payment

Refund vs Store Credit

Refund to Original Payment Method:

• Credit issued back to customer's credit card or original payment
• Customer receives money back in 3-5 business days
• Requires processing through payment gateway

Store Credit:

• Amount added to customer account balance
• Available immediately for future purchases
• Encourages repeat business

Understanding Void Overpaid Status

When order is cancelled after payment received:

• Order Status: Cancelled
• Payment Status: Void Overpaid (Credit Due: $X)
• Full refund required to customer

Process Full Refund

1Open cancelled order showing Void Overpaid (Credit Due: $X)

2Click Payment History tab

3System shows full order amount in Amount field

4Verify Transaction Type is set to Credit

5Click Apply Payment

Refund Policy Reminder

• Process refunds promptly (within 24-48 hours of cancellation)
• Notify customer when refund is processed
• Provide expected refund timeline (3-5 business days typical)
• Keep record of refund transaction for accounting

What Are Incomplete Orders?

Incomplete orders result from:

• Customer abandoned checkout before payment
• Payment failed during storefront checkout
• Admin saved order using Save For Later
• Integration issue prevented order completion

Characteristics:

• Order Status: Incomplete
• Payment Status: Unpaid
• Customer not charged
• No confirmation email sent
• Inventory not allocated

Finding Incomplete Orders

Navigate to Orders > Sales Orders > Search Incomplete Orders

What Happens When You Click Finalize?

Finalizing an incomplete order:

1Open incomplete order

2Review order details and make any needed changes

3Click Finalize and Place New Order

Results:

• Payment processes (if configured and payment method valid)
• Order Status changes to Warehouse
• Payment Status changes to Paid (if successful)
• Confirmation email sent to customer
• Inventory allocated to order
• Order appears in fulfillment workflows

Payment Shows as Paid but Customer Says Not Charged

Cause: Payment marked as paid manually without actual charge

Solution:

• Check Payment History tab for transaction details
• Verify transaction ID in payment gateway
• If no transaction ID, payment was marked manually - process actual payment

Cannot Apply Payment - Button Grayed Out

Causes:

• Order already fully paid
• Order is cancelled or void
• Invalid amount entered

Solution: Verify order status and payment status. Check that amount is valid and transaction type is correct.

Payment Status Not Updating After Apply Payment

Cause: Browser cache or payment processing delay

Solution:

• Refresh the page
• Clear browser cache
• Check Payment History tab for transaction record
• If transaction shows but status unchanged, contact support

Balance Due Amount Doesn't Match Expected

Cause: Order total changed multiple times or partial payments already applied

Solution:

• Review Payment History tab for all transactions
• Verify current order total matches expected amount
• Calculate: Order Total - Total Payments = Balance Due

Cannot Process Refund

Causes:

• Original payment method no longer valid
• Payment gateway settings incorrect
• Insufficient time elapsed since original charge

Solution: Check payment gateway settings and transaction age. May need to process manual refund through gateway directly.

• Always check Payment History tab: Before shipping any order, verify payment status is Paid
• Document manual payments: Add notes when processing offline payments for audit trail
• Communicate with customers: Notify customers before collecting additional payments or issuing refunds
• Process refunds promptly: Handle overpayments and cancellations within 24-48 hours
• Review incomplete orders regularly: Follow up on abandoned carts or failed payments
• Reconcile daily: Match payment records with order records for accurate accounting
• Train staff on payment status: Ensure team understands difference between order status and payment status