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Pending Clearance

Pending Clearance

Introduction

The Pending Clearance page in Order Management serves as the holding area for orders that require payment confirmation but do not settle in real time. Examples include credit cards that take time to clear, e-checks, or certain third-party payment methods.

Merchants can use this page to monitor and manage these orders until payment is confirmed.

Prerequisites

  • Access to your UltraCart merchant account.

  • Permission to view and manage orders in Order Management.

Navigation

To access the Pending Clearance page:

  1. Log in to your UltraCart account.

  2. From the main menu, navigate to:
    Operations → Order Management → Order Life Cycle → Pending Clearance

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Viewing the Pending Clearance page:

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Payment Types in Pending Clearance

The Pending Clearance order location is used for payment methods that require additional time for funds to clear before the order can safely proceed to fulfillment.

The following payment types will place an order into Pending Clearance:

  1. E-checks
    Payments made via electronic check require bank-level settlement before funds are considered cleared.

  2. Legacy Amazon Payments
    Orders paid using the legacy Amazon Payments integration will be placed into Pending Clearance.

    Note: The Stripe-based Amazon Pay implementation does not send orders to Pending Clearance, they are processed in real-time and proceed directly from A/R to Shipping/Completed staged..

  3. PayPal Payments (Checking Account Funding Source)
    When a PayPal customer selects a bank account as their funding source, the payment is processed via ACH and requires additional time to clear.

FAQ

Which orders go to the Pending Clearance order location?

Question:
Which orders go to the Pending Clearance order location? I am referring to Order Management → Pending Clearance. I’ve noticed that all or most of the orders in this list were paid via PayPal.

Answer:
The Pending Clearance order location is a temporary holding area for orders paid using payment methods that require delayed settlement. This includes:

  • E-checks

  • Legacy Amazon Payments

  • PayPal orders where the funding source is a checking account

When a PayPal customer chooses their bank account as the funding source, the ACH clearance process typically takes 4–7 business days. Once PayPal completes the clearance, it sends an additional webhook with the event type:

PAYMENT.CAPTURE.COMPLETED

UltraCart processes this webhook automatically and releases the order from Pending Clearance without requiring merchant intervention.

Tip: Orders in Pending Clearance should not be shipped until they automatically move out of this status, ensuring funds have successfully cleared.

What should I do if an order remains in Pending Clearance for too long?

If an order stays in Pending Clearance beyond the expected settlement time:

  • Verify the payment status directly with the payment provider.

  • Contact the customer to confirm payment details if necessary.

  • Consider canceling the order if payment confirmation cannot be obtained.

Can I manually move an order out of Pending Clearance?

No. Orders only leave Pending Clearance once the payment provider confirms the transaction. This prevents accidental fulfillment before funds are secured.

Why do e-checks take longer to clear than other payment methods?

E-checks rely on traditional banking systems and can take several business days to clear. This is normal and expected.

How will I know when an order clears?

When payment confirmation is received:

  • The order will automatically move to the next stage in the Order Life Cycle (e.g., Approved Orders).

  • You will also see updates reflected in the order’s transaction history.

Can I notify customers while their order is in Pending Clearance?

Yes. You can configure customer communication settings in StoreFront → Communications → Notifications to keep customers informed about the status of their order.

Conclusion

The Pending Clearance queue ensures that merchants have visibility into all orders awaiting payment verification. Monitoring this area helps prevent fulfillment of orders before funds are secured.

Next Steps