Investigating Errors with PayPal

When using PayPal Express and Shopify for subscriptions, you may come across some errors with customers and their orders. These are the most common errors we’ve encountered and details on how best to resolve them.

Error: Payment has already been made for this Invoice ID.

  • Why It Happens
    Ordergroove tells Shopify to place an order for the customer and then Shopify tells PayPal to charge the customer. Shopify is unable to communicate with PayPal and then tells Ordergroove that the order failed. Ordergroove tries again three more times but fails each time. 

  • How to Fix It
    • The customer’s original order was rejected at this point. There is nothing to do for that one.
    • Look for the customer’s next order and click the Send Now button for that next order. Make sure to click the Save button.
    • Doing so will send a new order for the customer and then generate a new future order, with future order date.
    • If this error persists, file a support ticket with Shopify stating that the customer’s PayPal account will not let you charge a subscription order.

Error: The customer was charged multiple times via PayPal

  • Why It Happens
    Ordergroove told Shopify to place an order for the customer and then Shopify tells PayPal to charge the customer. PayPal rejects the charge attempt. Shopify informs Ordergroove that it doesn’t know what happened, so Ordergroove attempts the payment three more times, with all three attempts failing. The customer’s card was authorized four times but no order was created.
  • How to Fix It
    • If the customer does not want another order
      • The customer’s original order was rejected at this point. There is nothing to do for that one.
      • The authorizations on the customer’s card should go away within 7 to 10 business days. These were just authorizations and fund capture should not have happened. If it did, please file a support ticket with Shopify stating that the customer was charged by PayPal but no order was created in Shopify.
    • If the customer wants another order
      • Look for the customer’s next order and click the Send Now button for that next order. Make sure to click the Save button.
      • This will send a new order in for the customer and then generate the next future one.
      • If the error persists, file a support ticket with Shopify stating that the customer’s PayPal account will not let you charge a subscription order.