Orders & Unpaid Times
How times are held, released and taken back
When a Time is Taken
When the order is placed, the time is checked and reserved in one locked step. If two customers try to take the last place at the same moment, one gets it and the other is asked to choose another time. Nobody is double-booked.
Order Status and the Time
| Order status | The time is... |
|---|---|
| Pending payment, Failed | Held for the hours set in Release unpaid times after (default 24). Each attempt to pay renews the hold. |
| Processing, Completed, On hold (e.g. bank transfer) and custom statuses | Taken for good. |
| Cancelled, Refunded, Trash, Deleted | Released for other customers. The order keeps a record of the time. |
Partial Refunds and Order Edits
A partial refund does not change the order status, so the order keeps its time. Only a full refund (status Refunded) releases it. If you edit an order and change its shipping method or address, its time is not changed automatically; use Change time in the Delivery / collection time box.
Unpaid Orders
Every hour, places held by unpaid orders past their time limit are released, and the order gets a note. Large backlogs are worked through in batches until none are left.
If payment arrives later, the order takes its time again if it is still free. If the time has filled up or been closed, the order keeps its time anyway, because the customer has paid. It is marked Over capacity in the schedule, a note is added and the site admin is emailed so you can move it.
If the time can't be saved at all - for example a database error, or the slot has been deleted since - the order is not treated as having a place. It shows Not saved - action needed in the orders list and on the order, a notice lists it on the orders and Delivery slots screens, a note is added and the site admin is emailed. It is tried again every hour. To fix it straight away, open the order and tick Save this time again, or choose a new time, and click Update.
Restoring Orders
If a cancelled, refunded or trashed order is made live again, it takes its time back the same way.
Changing an Order's Time
Open the order. In the Delivery / collection time box, open Change time, pick a date and slot and click Update. The usual rules apply; tick Allow even if full, closed or too soon to override them. You can also remove the time, or set one on an order created in the admin. The customer is emailed when you change a time (turn this off in Settings). The email is saved on the order with the change, so if it can't be sent straight away it is retried every hour, up to 3 times, and then noted on the order.
Orders List
The WooCommerce orders list has a Delivery / collection column showing each order's time.