How to Resolve a Pending PayPal Order in Zibster
Overview
A PayPal order displays a Pending payment status when Zibster receives the order but does not receive confirmation from PayPal that the payment was successfully completed.
A Pending status does not automatically mean the customer did not pay. In some cases, a completed transaction may appear in PayPal even though Zibster did not receive the confirmation needed to automatically update the order to Paid.
This guide explains what a Pending PayPal payment means, how to verify the transaction in PayPal, and how to manually update the order to Paid in Zibster when appropriate.
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
PayPal is a third-party merchant provider that processes payments through PayPal's website.
When a customer submits an order and chooses PayPal, they are redirected from the Zibster checkout screen to PayPal to complete the payment.
Depending on the options PayPal makes available for the transaction, the customer may sign in to a PayPal account or use guest checkout with a debit or credit card.
After a successful transaction, PayPal redirects the customer back to the Zibster payment confirmation screen.
When Zibster receives confirmation from PayPal that the payment was successfully processed, the order automatically updates to Paid.
If Zibster does not receive successful payment confirmation, the order may remain Pending. Because a Pending status does not confirm whether PayPal actually processed the transaction, you should verify the payment directly in your PayPal account before fulfilling the order or manually changing its payment status.
What a Pending Payment Status Means
A Pending payment status means:
- The order was successfully submitted in Zibster.
- Zibster did not receive confirmation from PayPal that the payment was successfully completed.
- The transaction should be verified directly through the connected PayPal account.
A Pending order does not automatically mean the payment failed or that the customer did not pay. It means Zibster cannot confirm the outcome of the PayPal transaction.
Zibster cannot access your PayPal account or independently review, verify, refund, or troubleshoot transactions processed through PayPal.
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 active download access because Zibster has not received confirmation that the payment was successfully completed.
Always verify 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 Zibster order.
Use details such as the following to confirm you have found the correct transaction:
- 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 payment status of 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
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 directly in PayPal that the transaction was successfully completed.
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 Zibster order to Paid if you cannot locate a successfully completed transaction in PayPal.
The customer may have submitted the order in Zibster without completing the PayPal payment process.
Before asking the customer to place another order, carefully confirm that no payment was received in PayPal. This helps prevent the customer from being charged twice.
If no completed payment exists, ask the customer to place the order again and complete the PayPal checkout process.
PayPal and Other Merchant Checkout Differences
PayPal uses a different checkout process than Zibster's other supported merchant providers.
With PayPal, customers are redirected away from the Zibster checkout screen to complete their payment through PayPal. After a successful transaction, PayPal redirects them back to the Zibster payment confirmation screen.
With Stripe, Square, and other supported merchant providers, customers remain on the Zibster checkout screen while their payment is processed.
Regardless of the merchant provider used, always review any order that displays an unexpected payment status before manually changing it.
Helpful Notes
- PayPal orders automatically update to Paid when Zibster receives successful payment confirmation from PayPal.
- A Pending order does not automatically mean the customer did not pay.
- A Pending status means Zibster did not receive confirmation that PayPal successfully completed the transaction.
- Always verify the transaction directly in PayPal before manually changing an order to Paid.
- Confirm that the customer information, payment amount, and transaction date match the Zibster order.
- Zibster cannot view or verify transactions inside your PayPal account.
- Manually changing an order to Paid does not charge the customer or process a payment.
- Pending payment protection helps prevent digital products from being released before payment is confirmed.
- Refunds, disputes, reversals, and other PayPal transaction issues must be managed through PayPal.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
The customer says they paid, but the order is Pending. What should I do?
Log in to the PayPal account connected to Zibster and locate the transaction.
If PayPal confirms that the payment was successfully completed and the transaction matches the Zibster order, follow the steps in this guide to manually update the order to Paid.
The payment appears in PayPal, but the Zibster order is still Pending.
If PayPal shows a successfully completed transaction but Zibster still displays the order as Pending, verify that the customer, amount, and transaction date match the Zibster order.
You can then manually update the payment status to Paid using the steps in this guide.
No payment appears in PayPal.
Do not update the order to Paid.
The customer may have submitted the Zibster order without completing the PayPal transaction. Confirm that no payment was received before asking the customer to place the order again.
PayPal says the transaction requires additional action.
Complete or review the required action directly through PayPal.
Do not mark the Zibster order as Paid until PayPal confirms that the payment was successfully completed.
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 carefully. If necessary, contact the customer or PayPal for additional information.
The order includes digital products.
Do not manually send files or provide download access until you have confirmed that the payment was successfully completed in PayPal.
The Pending payment status helps prevent digital products from being released before payment is verified.
Will changing the payment status to Paid charge the customer?
No.
Manually changing the payment status to Paid only updates the Zibster order record. It does not process a PayPal payment, charge the customer, or transfer funds.
Can Zibster verify the PayPal transaction for me?
No.
Zibster does not have access to your PayPal account and cannot independently confirm transactions processed through PayPal. Payment verification must be completed directly through the PayPal account connected to your Zibster account.
Need Help?
Zibster Support Hours: Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm EST
Phone: 844.353.3412
Channels: Phone, Live Chat, Support Ticket
