Payments Declined or Not Going Through at Checkout
Customers reach checkout but their payment fails, errors out, or never completes.
Common signs of this issue
- Customers report cards being declined or an error at the payment step.
- Orders start but never reach 'paid' or confirmed status.
- Test purchases fail with a gateway error message.
- It began after a plugin, theme, or payment-setting change.
Safe checks you can do yourself
None of these require sharing passwords with anyone.
- Place a small real test order yourself (or use the gateway's test mode) and record the exact error shown.
- Check your payment gateway dashboard (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) for declines and the reason codes — they explain many failures.
- Confirm the gateway is in live mode, not test mode, and that API keys are current and correctly entered.
- Make sure your site has a valid SSL certificate — payment steps fail or are blocked without secure HTTPS.
- Review recent changes: an updated checkout plugin or theme can break the payment connection.
What this usually means
Checkout failures usually come from the connection between your site and the payment processor — wrong or expired API keys, test mode left on, a currency or country setting, or an SSL problem — rather than the customer's card.
If only some cards fail, it may be the processor's own fraud rules or card-issuer declines; if all payments fail, the cause is almost certainly a configuration or integration problem on your side.
What not to do
- Don't keep your store live and silently losing sales while you investigate — at least post a notice if it is widespread.
- Don't share your live payment API keys in screenshots or public forums.
- Don't disable security or SSL to 'make checkout work' — that endangers customer data and breaks compliance.
When to get help
Lost checkouts are lost revenue, and payment integrations involve security and PCI considerations. A specialist can fix the gateway connection safely and verify end-to-end that orders complete and funds settle — without you exposing live keys up front.
Not sure what to do next?
Answer a few short questions and we'll point you to the safest next step — DIY, a freelancer, or a direct review. No passwords required.
Is this a business website? If this issue may be costing you leads, sales, or trust, you may want a direct review instead of trial and error.
Frequently asked questions
Is it the customer's card or my site?
If all payments fail, it's almost certainly your configuration (keys, test mode, SSL). If only some fail, it may be issuer declines or the processor's fraud rules.
Why would payments fail right after an update?
An updated checkout plugin or theme can break the link to your payment gateway or reset its settings. Re-check keys, mode, and the connection after any update.