How to Resolve a Pending PayPal Order in Zibster
Overview
When a customer places an order using PayPal, the order may occasionally display a Pending payment status in Zibster. This means Zibster received the order but did not receive confirmation that PayPal successfully processed the payment.
A Pending status does not necessarily mean the payment failed. It can occur when the customer completes the payment but closes the PayPal window or browser tab before returning to the Zibster order confirmation page.
This guide explains why PayPal orders may remain Pending, how to verify the transaction in PayPal, and how to manually update the order to Paid in Zibster.
Prerequisites
Before reviewing a Pending PayPal order, make sure you have:
- Access to the PayPal account connected to Zibster
- The customer’s order information
- Permission to review PayPal transactions and update Zibster orders
How PayPal Checkout Works
When a customer submits an order and selects PayPal, they are redirected from your Zibster website to PayPal to complete the payment.
Depending on the checkout options available through PayPal, the customer may sign in to a PayPal account or use guest checkout with a credit or debit card.
After PayPal processes the payment, the customer is redirected back to the Zibster order confirmation page. When this process is completed successfully, the order automatically updates to Paid in Zibster.
If the customer closes the PayPal window or browser tab before returning to Zibster, Zibster may not receive the payment confirmation. The order can remain Pending even when PayPal successfully processed the payment.
What a Pending Payment Status Means
A Pending payment status means:
- The order was submitted successfully in Zibster.
- Zibster did not receive confirmation from PayPal that the payment was completed.
- The payment must be verified directly through the connected PayPal account.
Zibster does not have access to your PayPal account and cannot independently confirm whether you received the payment.
A Pending order does not automatically mean the customer did not pay. It means Zibster cannot confirm the outcome of the PayPal transaction.
Why Digital Items Are Not Released While an Order Is Pending
The Pending payment status helps prevent digital products and downloadable files from being delivered before payment has been confirmed.
When an order containing digital items remains Pending, Zibster does not provide the customer with a valid download link. This protects your digital products when Zibster cannot verify that payment was received.
Always confirm the transaction in PayPal before manually changing an order from Pending to Paid.
STEP ONE
Log in to the PayPal account connected to your Zibster account.
Locate the transaction associated with the Pending order. You can use the following information to identify the correct payment:
- Customer name
- Customer email address
- Payment amount
- Transaction date
STEP TWO
Confirm that PayPal shows the payment as successfully completed.
Do not update the Zibster order to Paid if:
- The transaction does not appear in PayPal.
- The payment was declined, canceled, refunded, or reversed.
- PayPal indicates that additional action is required.
- The transaction amount does not match the Zibster order.
Changing the payment status in Zibster does not charge the customer, process a payment, or transfer funds. It only updates the order record in your Zibster account.
STEP THREE
Log in to your Zibster account and click ECOMMERCE in the left-side menu.
This opens the ECommerce Dashboard, where you can review orders and payment statuses.
STEP FOUR
In the ECommerce Dashboard, locate the Payment Status section and click the Pending bar.
This displays orders that currently have a Pending payment status.
STEP FIVE
Click the ORDER NUMBER for the order you verified in PayPal.
Review the customer information, order total, purchased items, and other order details to confirm that you are updating the correct order.
STEP SIX
Click STATUS in the upper-right corner of the order page.
The order status panel will open on the right side of the screen.
STEP SEVEN
Click CHANGE STATUS.
Under Select Payment Status, select Paid.
Only select Paid after confirming that PayPal successfully processed the payment.
FINAL STEP
Choose whether you want to send the customer an email notification containing their receipt and payment confirmation. Then click Save Changes.
The order will now display a Paid payment status in Zibster.
If the order includes digital products, the customer can receive access according to your digital delivery settings.
What to Do If No Payment Appears in PayPal
Do not change the order to Paid if you cannot locate a completed transaction in PayPal.
The customer may have submitted the order in Zibster but left PayPal before completing the payment. Ask the customer to place the order again and complete the entire PayPal checkout process.
The customer should remain on the PayPal screen until the payment is complete and PayPal redirects them back to the Zibster order confirmation page.
Before asking the customer to submit another order, confirm that no payment was received to avoid creating a duplicate payment.
Using Stripe or Square for On-Site Checkout
PayPal redirects customers to a separate PayPal checkout screen. After the payment is processed, the customer must return to the Zibster order confirmation page so Zibster can automatically update the order to Paid.
Stripe and Square use a different checkout process. When either merchant is connected to Zibster, customers enter their credit or debit card information directly on your Zibster website. They do not leave the website to complete payment.
Using Stripe or Square removes the PayPal redirect step that can cause an order to remain Pending when Zibster does not receive payment confirmation.
This does not guarantee that every payment will be successful. Always review orders that display an unexpected payment status before manually changing them.
Helpful Notes
- PayPal orders that complete the return process normally update to Paid automatically in Zibster.
- A Pending order does not always mean the payment failed.
- Zibster cannot view or verify transactions inside your PayPal account.
- Updating an order to Paid in Zibster does not collect payment from the customer.
- Customers should remain in PayPal until they are redirected back to Zibster.
- Pending payment protection prevents digital products from being delivered before payment is confirmed.
- Always verify the completed transaction in PayPal before changing an order to Paid.
- Confirm that the customer, amount, and transaction date match the Zibster order.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
The customer says they paid, but the order is Pending
Log in to PayPal and search for the transaction.
If PayPal confirms that the payment was successfully completed, follow the steps in this guide to manually update the order to Paid in Zibster.
The payment appears in PayPal, but the Zibster order is still Pending
The customer may have closed the PayPal window or browser tab before being redirected to the Zibster order confirmation page.
Confirm that PayPal shows the payment as completed. You can then manually update the order to Paid in Zibster.
No payment appears in PayPal
The customer may have submitted the Zibster order without completing the PayPal checkout process.
Do not update the order to Paid. Ask the customer to place the order again and remain in PayPal until they are redirected back to the Zibster order confirmation page.
PayPal says the payment requires additional action
Complete any required steps directly in PayPal before updating the Zibster order.
Only mark the order as Paid after PayPal confirms that the payment was successfully processed.
The PayPal transaction amount does not match the Zibster order
Do not update the order to Paid until you determine why the amounts are different.
Review the PayPal transaction details and the Zibster order before making any changes. Contact the customer or PayPal when additional information is needed.
The order includes digital products
Do not manually send the files or provide download access until the completed payment has been confirmed in PayPal.
The Pending payment status is designed to prevent digital items from being released before payment is verified.
Will changing the status to Paid charge the customer?
No. Manually changing the payment status only updates the order record in Zibster. It does not process a payment or charge the customer through PayPal.
