Pending Orders and Payment Links

Sometimes a guest closes their browser mid-order, or loses the network before payment is complete. Then the order ends up in "awaiting payment" status and can be resumed via a payment link. This article explains how it works and how you support guests who need to complete payment.

The order's status flow

An online order goes through the following statuses:

1. Draft – guest is building their cart, nothing is saved on the server yet
2. Awaiting payment – order is created, products are locked, awaiting payment
3. Paid – payment completed, order is sent to the kitchen
4. Completed – food has been served
5. Cancelled – order was cancelled (manually or automatically)

Orders typically get stuck in "awaiting payment" when:

• Guest closes the window before payment
• Network breaks mid-transaction
• Guest wants to check something and comes back later
• Card doesn't work on first attempt

Resume a pending order

When an order is created, a unique secure payment link is generated and sent via:

• SMS receipt – if the guest verified their number
• Digital receipt link – available via the receipt
• The browser – if the guest returns in the same browser

By opening the link:

1. Guest lands directly on their pending order
2. Cart is pre-filled with previously selected products
3. Guest can add/remove products
4. Guest can complete the payment

The pending order receipt view

At checkout, the pending order view is shown containing:

• Order summary – products, quantities, prices
• Total – incl VAT and any redeemed discounts
• Loyalty/gift card/stamp card – if the guest wants to redeem
• Payment button – "Pay and complete"

If the order is awaiting payment but already has discounts redeemed (e.g., gift card), these are also shown – the guest doesn't need to redo the redemption.

Automatic cleanup

Pending orders are not automatically cleaned up currently. They stay in the system until:

• Guest completes payment → status → Paid
• Staff manually cancels → status → Cancelled

On the roadmap: automatically cancel pending orders after 24 hours to clean up the system.

How staff see pending orders

In admin → Orders, filter on status Pending to see all orders awaiting payment:

• Customer name (if provided)
• Timestamp when the order was created
• Total
• Actions: "Send reminder" or "Cancel"

You can choose to manually send a reminder via SMS to guests with pending orders that have been sitting for a long time.

Common scenarios

Guest closes mid-payment

1. Order remains as "awaiting payment"
2. Guest receives SMS receipt with payment link
3. Guest clicks the link – lands directly on the payment page
4. Guest completes payment
5. Order goes to the kitchen

Guest wants to change something after aborting

1. Guest opens the payment link
2. Guest adds a drink via the chat
3. Total updates
4. Guest pays the full new total

Guest switches device mid-way

1. Guest creates the order on mobile
2. Closes mobile, opens link on desktop
3. Same order, same secure link – works on both devices
4. Guest completes on desktop

Payment fails on first attempt

1. Guest clicks "Pay"
2. Card is declined by the bank
3. Order stays "awaiting payment"
4. Guest tries again with another card (same order)

The secure link's role

The payment link is a secure signed link. Without a valid link, the order cannot be resumed. This prevents someone from guessing order IDs and paying/manipulating others' orders.

See separate article "Secure Link for Order Flow" for more detail.

Edge cases

Link has expired (> 24h)

• Link no longer works
• Guest must start a new order
• Old pending orders cannot be resumed after 24h

Order is already paid

• If guest clicks the link on an already-paid order, the receipt is shown instead
• No duplicate payment happens

Order is cancelled

• If staff have cancelled the order, "Order is cancelled" is shown
• Guest must start a new order

Product in cart is now sold out

• On resume, a warning is shown
• Guest removes the sold-out product
• Order continues with remaining products

Troubleshooting

"The link doesn't work"

• Check that the link hasn't expired (> 24h old)
• Check that the order isn't cancelled
• Copy the full link you received in SMS

"The order is empty when I open the link"

• Browser cache may have issues – open in incognito
• Browser data may be cleared – products are read from the server if it responds

"I can't find my SMS receipt"

• Check the spam folder in SMS
• Request a new link from the restaurant (support@vendion.com)

Tips for restaurateurs

• Pay attention to pending orders – a guest who hasn't completed may need a little help
• Follow up via SMS if the order has been pending > 30 min
• Have payment issues sorted – if many guests fail card payment, your payment provider may have issues