Recover incomplete payments
Incomplete payments are attempts that did not become approved sales. Recovery helps buyers finish checkout without treating pending, abandoned, or declined attempts as completed purchases.
Use this guide when conversion is lower than expected, when support hears “I almost paid,” or when you are designing webhook or CRM follow-up after checkout drop-off.
Incomplete payment types
| Type | What happened | Recovery angle |
|---|---|---|
| Cart abandoned | Buyer left checkout before paying | Follow-up or automation |
| PIX generated, not paid | QR code created but payment not completed | Remind buyer to finish PIX |
| Card declined | Issuer or validation blocked payment | Offer another card or PIX |
| Pending too long | Buyer believes they paid but sale is not approved | Verify status before granting access |
For deep dives, use PIX payment failures and card payment declines.
What recovery should and should not do
| Safe recovery behavior | Risky recovery behavior |
|---|---|
| Send buyer back to the same checkout link | Grant access on pending or abandoned status |
| Remind buyer to complete PIX | Treat generated PIX as paid |
| Offer another card or payment method | Manually mark a sale approved outside policy |
| Log attempt in Sales | Confuse decline with chargeback |
Recovery workflow
- Confirm the correct business workspace.
[Screenshot: App header — correct business workspace selected.]
- Open Sales and search by buyer email or date.
[Screenshot: Sales search — buyer email entered for incomplete payment lookup.]
- Identify whether the record is abandoned, pending, declined, or approved.
[Screenshot: Sale or attempt detail — status shows pending, declined, or abandoned.]
- Confirm which checkout link, funnel step, or campaign link the buyer used.
[Screenshot: Sale detail — origin, link type, or UTM path visible.]
- Decide whether support should contact the buyer or automation should trigger.
[Screenshot: Recovery decision — manual support vs automation path chosen.]
- Send the buyer back to the correct checkout or payment step.
[Screenshot: Recovery email or message — correct checkout link sent to buyer.]
- Confirm a new approved sale before changing delivery or access.
[Screenshot: Sales detail — new approved sale after buyer completed payment.]
- Review Campaigns or Financial Overview only after the sale is approved.
[Screenshot: Campaigns or Finance — recovered sale counted as approved conversion.]
Automation options
| Event | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Cart abandoned | Recovery email, CRM task, or reminder sequence |
| PIX generated | Payment reminder before expiry |
| Purchase declined | Support alert or alternate payment follow-up |
Configure automations through webhooks or Zapier / Make. Do not grant product access based on abandoned or pending events alone.
What to verify before launch
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Support knows pending PIX vs approved sale | Prevents premature access. |
| Recovery copy uses the correct offer and link | Wrong link creates more incomplete attempts. |
| Automations tested with simulator | Avoids production surprises. |
| Payment methods match checkout promise | Buyers recover faster when options are clear. |
| Reporting excludes incomplete attempts from revenue conclusions | Use Financial Overview on approved sales. |
Best practices
- Build recovery after checkout and payment method setup are stable.
- Train support to search Sales by email first.
- Keep recovery messages short and specific about the next step.
- Review incomplete-payment trends by offer, funnel, and campaign.
- Document when manual exceptions are allowed by product policy.
Common mistakes
- Granting access because the buyer “intended” to pay.
- Sending a campaign link instead of the original checkout path.
- Blaming attribution gaps when the real issue is checkout friction.
- Automating on the wrong webhook event.
- Measuring recovery without checking whether the final sale is approved.
FAQ
Should I manually approve access for a buyer who almost paid?
Only follow your product policy. In most cases, access should follow an approved sale, not an incomplete attempt.