Why is my Shopify checkout not working or customers cannot pay?

The most common causes

• Payment provider setup is incomplete, so there is no working way to pay.
• Test mode is still on. While Shopify Payments is in test mode, real cards are declined and only Shopify’s test card numbers work.
• Shopify Payments needs more information. Shopify may ask for identity or business documents, and can pause payouts or payments until it has them.
• No shipping rate applies. The customer’s country is not in any shipping zone, or the order’s weight or value falls outside the rates you have set.
• The country is not in an active market. Markets control which countries you sell to.
• A discount or app is blocking the order. A discount code with conditions the cart does not meet, or an app that adds rules or extra steps to the checkout, can stop an order going through.

If nothing in your settings has changed, check shopifystatus.com for a Shopify incident before editing anything.

Check your payment settings

1. Go to Settings, then Payments.
2. Read any banner or warning at the top of the page. Shopify shows a message here if your account needs verification or more documents, and also emails the store owner.
3. If you use Shopify Payments, click Manage and scroll to the test mode setting. Make sure test mode is switched off for a live store, then save.
4. If you use PayPal or another provider, open its entry and confirm the account is connected and active.
5. If you have been asked for documents, upload them through the link on the Payments page, not by email.

Payment settings affect real money. Change one thing at a time, note the previous setting, and do not remove a working payment provider while you investigate.

Check shipping zones, rates and markets

1. Ask the affected customer where they were ordering to and what was in the cart.
2. Go to Settings, then Shipping and delivery, and open your general shipping rates.
3. Check that the customer’s country appears in a shipping zone.
4. Open the rates for that zone. If rates are based on weight or order value, check there are no gaps. For example, if your Royal Mail rates stop at 2 kg, an order weighing 3 kg has no rate and cannot be completed.
5. If some products are in a separate shipping profile, check that profile also has a zone and a rate for the customer’s country.
6. Go to Settings, then Markets, and check that the customer’s country is included in a market that is active.

Check discounts, checkout rules and apps

If customers say a code does not work, open Discounts in your admin and check the code’s dates, minimum spend, eligible products, usage limits and whether it can be combined with other discounts.

Apps can add their own rules to the checkout, such as blocking certain addresses or limiting quantities. If problems began after installing or updating an app, look in its settings for a rule that matches the failing orders. Shopify Plus stores that used Shopify Scripts for discounts should check their replacement apps, because Shopify has been retiring Scripts.

How to place a test order

A test order shows you the same error your customer sees.

1. For a test without real money, go to Settings, then Payments, click Manage on Shopify Payments and switch on test mode. Save.
2. Open your storefront in a private browser window, add the same products the customer had, and enter an address in the same country.
3. Pay using one of the test card numbers listed in the Shopify Help Centre page on test orders.
4. Note any error message and the step at which it appears, such as shipping, payment or discount.
5. Switch test mode off again straight away and save. Real customers cannot pay while it is on.
6. As an alternative, place a real order for a low priced item with your own card, then refund it from Orders. The card processing fee may not be returned.

Related questions

Why does my checkout say shipping is not available for the customer’s address?

No shipping rate matches that order. Either the country is not in a shipping zone, the order’s weight or value is outside your rates, or one of the products is in a shipping profile with no rate for that country.

Why are customers’ cards being declined on my Shopify store?

If every card is declined, check that Shopify Payments is not in test mode and that your account has no outstanding verification request. If only some cards fail, the decline usually comes from the customer’s bank or from fraud checks.

Can I edit the Shopify checkout code to fix a problem?

No. The checkout is hosted by Shopify and its code cannot be edited directly. It is changed through settings, the checkout editor and apps, which is why most checkout faults turn out to be settings or app problems.