If you've spotted orders in your Dashboard that haven't been paid, you're looking at unpaid orders and abandoned carts. In your Dashboard, these are called "abandoned baskets". They're orders where a customer entered their details at checkout, but Rocketspark didn't receive confirmation of payment. This guide explains why they appear, how to find them, and how to mark an order as paid if the money did come through.
Unpaid orders vs abandoned carts (incomplete orders)
These orders all sit in the same place, but they happen for different reasons:
- Abandoned cart: the customer started checkout, then left before paying. This could be at your checkout or on the payment gateway's page (the secure page where they enter their card details).
- Unpaid order: the customer tried to pay, but the payment failed. Or the payment went through, but the payment gateway didn't tell Rocketspark.
If a customer says they've paid but you can't see the order in your order history, it's worth checking here first.
How to find your unpaid orders and abandoned baskets
1: Log in to your Dashboard and click Orders.
2: Scroll to the bottom of the Orders page and click View unpaid orders & abandoned baskets. You'll see a list of every order that didn't complete payment.
Mark an unpaid order as paid
Sometimes a customer has paid but the order still shows as unpaid. This usually means the payment gateway didn't tell Rocketspark the payment was successful.
1: Log in to your payment gateway account, for example PayPal, Stripe, Windcave or eWay. Confirm the payment shows as completed, not pending or on hold.
2: In your unpaid orders list, find the order and tick the Paid checkbox. The order will now be treated like any other paid order, so you can process and ship it as normal. It will now appear in your Orders list.
Note: Marking an order as paid here won't automatically reduce your stock levels. Adjust your stock manually for the products in that order.
Why am I seeing so many abandoned carts?
A few abandoned carts are normal, as many shoppers browse and compare before they buy. If you're seeing a lot of them, here are the most common reasons.
Lots of orders from "John Smith"
If many abandoned orders are under the name "John Smith", this is Googlebot. Google creates these test orders while it checks your products for Google Shopping. They're harmless, and you can ignore them. Read more in Why am I getting so many abandoned cart orders?
Your checkout might not be working
It's worth testing the whole checkout yourself. Place a real order on your website with your own card, check it arrives in your order history as paid, then refund yourself through your payment gateway.
Your payment gateway isn't telling Rocketspark about payments
Some payment gateways need extra settings so they can let Rocketspark know when a payment succeeds, even if the customer closes the page before returning to your website.
- PayPal: check that your Instant Payment Notification (IPN) and Payment Data Transfer (PDT) settings are set up.
- Windcave: make sure Fail-proof Result Notification (FPRN) is turned on for your account. Windcave may need to turn this on for you.
- eWay: orders confirm straight away when the customer returns to your website after paying. If they don't return, Rocketspark checks with eWay every hour and updates any completed orders.
- Stripe: this usually happens when the customer closes the page before returning to your website. Check your Stripe account and mark the order as paid if the money has come through.
For step-by-step checks for each gateway, see Why have I received payment but the order is not showing as paid?
Your payment page doesn't look like your business
If your payment page looks unfamiliar, customers may not trust it enough to enter their card details. Some payment gateways, such as Windcave, let you change the look of their payment page. Add your logo so customers know they're still paying you.
Win back customers with abandoned cart emails
You can send an automatic email to customers who leave items in their cart, encouraging them to come back and finish their order. To do this, connect your Rocketspark store with Mailchimp Ecommerce, then set up an abandoned cart email in Mailchimp.
Tips and things to watch out for
- Always check the payment has completed in your payment gateway before marking an order as paid.
- Remember to adjust stock after marking an order as paid, especially if you sell limited-quantity items.
- Seeing John Smith orders is normal if your products are on Google Shopping.
Frequently asked questions
Why are there lots of orders from John Smith?
This is Googlebot checking your products for Google Shopping. These orders are harmless, and unfortunately they can't be prevented.
A customer says they've paid, but I can't see their order. Where is it?
Check your unpaid orders and abandoned baskets. If the payment shows as completed in your payment gateway, tick the Paid checkbox to move it into your order history.
Why am I not getting notification of successful payments?
If you're receiving successful payments but aren't being notified by Rocketspark run through our checklists here. Payment received, but order not showing as paid