Order Management
Track, manage, and fulfill orders on your marketplace. Handle the complete order lifecycle from purchase to delivery.
Overview
When a buyer makes a purchase on your marketplace, an order is created. The order management system helps you and your sellers track these orders through their lifecycle.
Order Lifecycle
Order Statuses
Orders move through different statuses as they're fulfilled:
Pending / New
Payment received, waiting for seller to begin processing. Seller should acknowledge within 24-48 hours.
Processing
Seller is preparing the order for shipment or delivery.
Shipped / In Transit
Order has been shipped. Tracking information may be available.
Completed / Delivered
Order successfully delivered to the buyer. Transaction is complete.
Cancelled
Order was cancelled before fulfillment. Refund may be issued.
Refunded
Payment has been refunded to the buyer.
Viewing Orders
Access your order management from the Dashboard. You can:
- Search orders: Find by order ID, customer name, or email
- Filter by status: View only pending, processing, or completed orders
- Filter by date: See orders from specific time periods
- Sort: By date, amount, or status
#ORD-1234
John Doe • 2 hours ago
$85.00
#ORD-1233
Sarah M. • Yesterday
$124.50
#ORD-1232
Mike T. • 3 days ago
$67.00
Order Details
Click on any order to see complete details:
- Order items: Products/services purchased with quantities and prices
- Customer info: Buyer name, email, and shipping address
- Seller info: Which seller(s) are fulfilling the order
- Payment details: Total, commission, and payment status
- Timeline: History of status changes and events
- Messages: Communication between buyer and seller
For Marketplace Owners
As the marketplace owner, you can:
View All Orders
See every order across all sellers in your marketplace.
Track Revenue
Monitor total sales, your commission, and payment statuses.
Mediate Disputes
Step in when buyers and sellers have issues. Review order history and communications.
Process Refunds
Issue full or partial refunds when necessary.
For Sellers
Sellers access their orders through the Seller Dashboard:
- View orders: See only their own orders
- Update status: Mark orders as processing, shipped, or complete
- Add tracking: Enter shipping tracking numbers
- Message buyers: Communicate about order details
- Handle issues: Request cancellations or report problems
Handling Order Issues
Late Shipments
If a seller hasn't shipped within the expected timeframe, reach out to them. Keep the buyer informed about any delays.
Item Not as Described
Review the listing and communication history. Determine if a refund or exchange is appropriate. Consider the buyer and seller's history.
Lost in Transit
Check tracking information. If truly lost, work with the seller to either reship or issue a refund. Insurance may cover the loss.
Chargebacks
If a buyer files a chargeback with their bank, gather evidence (order details, tracking, communications) to dispute if the claim is invalid.
Order Management Best Practices
- Set clear fulfillment expectations in your policies (e.g., ships within 2-3 days)
- Encourage sellers to add tracking numbers for all shipments
- Respond to order issues within 24 hours
- Document all communications in case of disputes
- Create a clear refund policy and apply it consistently
Refunds & Payouts (Stripe Connect)
When shipping is enabled, seller payouts are deferred until the order is marked as shipped (and optionally confirmed by the buyer). This means the payment stays on the platform's Stripe account until payout is triggered. This design makes refunds straightforward:
How Automatic Refunds Work
If a seller does not ship within the configured deadline (e.g. 14 days), the order is automatically cancelled and the full amount is refunded to the buyer via Stripe.
Example: A buyer pays 100 EUR. The platform commission is 15 EUR. Since payout is deferred, no money has been transferred to the seller yet. The entire 100 EUR is refunded from the platform's Stripe balance back to the buyer. Nothing needs to be "clawed back" from the seller.
Both the buyer and seller receive email notifications when an auto-refund occurs.
Manual Refunds via Stripe Dashboard
You can also issue manual refunds (full or partial) directly from the Stripe Dashboard. Navigate to Payments → find the payment → Refund.
The same principle applies: since the seller payout is deferred, the refund comes from the platform's Stripe balance. No money needs to be reversed from the seller.
Who Can Issue Refunds?
Only the marketplace owner (you) can issue refunds. Refunds are processed through Stripe using the platform's Stripe Connect secret key, which only the owner has access to.
Sellers cannot issue refunds themselves. If a seller needs to refund an order, they should contact you (the marketplace owner) to process it.
After Payout Has Been Transferred
If a payout has already been transferred to the seller (i.e., the order was shipped and confirmed), and you then need to issue a refund, Stripe will debit the refund amount from the platform's Stripe balance. You may need to arrange with the seller separately to recover their portion.
This is why the deferred payout model is recommended for marketplaces — it protects you during the return window.
Automation with Webhooks
Use webhooks to automate order-related workflows:
- order.created: Trigger notifications, update inventory systems
- order.completed: Send thank-you emails, request reviews
- order.canceled: Update stock levels, notify accounting
See our Webhooks documentation to set up automated workflows.