Manage WooCommerce orders and refunds

Open the order and verify the facts

Under WooCommerce → Orders, open the relevant order. Review customer, products, amount, payment method and notes. Before shipping or refunding, confirm the transaction with the provider whenever status is ambiguous.

• Match the order number and transaction reference.
• Never request a customer's full card details.
• If a customer suspects duplicate payment, inspect transactions before suggesting another payment attempt.

Understand order statuses

Status represents a processing stage, with behaviour depending on the gateway and product type. “Pending payment” does not confirm receipt of funds. “Completed” generally concerns fulfilment; changing it does not itself perform a banking operation.

• Read gateway notes and failure notifications.
• For manual payments, confirm receipt before changing status.
• Orders containing only virtual and downloadable items may follow a different path from physical shipments.

Prepare and document fulfilment

Check the delivery address and items before dispatch. Use a private note for internal tracking or a customer note when you intend to inform the buyer. Notifications depend on enablement and the site's email delivery.

• Verify quantities and selected variations.
• Use your intended tracking tool when needed; do not assume a carrier is connected.
• Check that an appropriate notification was sent before considering the customer informed.

Prepare a partial or full refund

Open the order and choose Refund in its summary. Specify items and amounts, checking taxes and shipping. Decide whether returned or cancelled goods should be restocked. Review the total before confirmation.

• A partial refund does not necessarily change the entire order to “Refunded”.
• Record the reason without exposing sensitive information in a customer-visible note.
• Check the payment provider's rules and fees.

Distinguish automatic and manual refunds

A compatible gateway may offer a refund through the original payment method. A manual refund records the adjustment in WooCommerce but does not return money; complete the financial operation with the provider or another appropriate procedure.

• Simply changing status to “Refunded” or “Cancelled” does not refund the customer.
• Do not issue a second provider-side refund after a successful automatic refund.
• Keep the reference and verify the actual financial operation, not just the store message.

Reconcile after the intervention

Compare the order, notes, merchant account and inventory. Check the customer notification and explain the provider's stated timing without promising immediate receipt. For subscriptions, refunding and stopping future renewals are separate decisions.

• Check subscription status separately when WooCommerce Subscriptions is used.
• Retain information required for operations and applicable retention obligations.
• If amounts or references disagree, contact the provider and support with the verified facts.

Official documentation

Labels and options vary with versions, plugins and your account. Refer to publisher documentation for your configuration.

WooCommerce — Managing orders

WooCommerce — Refunds

WooCommerce — Troubleshooting orders