Checkout fails
WooCommerce checkout not working?
When checkout breaks, every visitor who wants to buy leaves empty-handed. We find exactly what’s breaking it and fix it properly.
Does this look familiar?
Checkout
Email address
Signs you’ve got this bug
- The Place order button spins forever and nothing happens.
- “There was an error processing your order” appears at checkout.
- The checkout page is blank, or fields and payment options are missing.
- Customers are sent back to the cart, or their cart empties itself.
- Checkout works for you when logged in, but not for customers.
Why it happens
Checkout is the busiest part of your store, with your theme, WooCommerce, the payment gateway, shipping and several plugins all running at once. One conflict breaks the lot.
Common causes are caching plugins that cache the checkout page, a JavaScript error from a plugin or theme, an outdated theme template, a payment gateway misconfiguration, a security plugin or firewall blocking checkout requests, or a PHP error after an update.
How we fix it
- Reproduce the problemWe place test orders on different devices and browsers to see exactly where it breaks.
- Read the logsWooCommerce, PHP and browser console logs usually point straight at the culprit.
- Fix the cause, not the symptomUpdate, reconfigure or replace the plugin, theme template or setting that’s failing.
- Test the full journeyCart, checkout, payment, confirmation email and stock, all tested end to end.
Questions
Why does my WooCommerce checkout keep spinning?
Usually a JavaScript error or a blocked request. A plugin conflict, caching or a security rule stops the order from completing, so the button never finishes loading.
Could I be losing orders without knowing?
Yes. Many customers just leave instead of reporting the error. Pending or failed orders in WooCommerce, or a drop in sales, are common signs.
Will you need my admin login?
We’ll need access to diagnose it. We’ll talk you through setting up a separate account you can remove afterwards.
Let’s get it sorted
Tell us what’s happening. A screenshot of the error helps. We’ll tell you what’s wrong and how we’ll fix it.