Your first order has arrived. Here is what happens next, what each status means, and how to mark the order as sent so the customer is kept informed and your payment can be released.
How you find out
You get an email and a notification in your dashboard. If you use the seller app you get a push notification too. Open Orders in the dashboard to see it.
What the statuses mean
- Processing. The customer has paid. The order is waiting for you to make and send it.
- Shipped. You have marked it as dispatched. The customer has been emailed.
- Completed. The order is finished. It is marked delivered automatically 10 days after dispatch if you have not done it yourself, or when you click Mark as Completed.
- Refunded. A refund has been approved and processed.
Dispatch times are a promise to the customer
Each listing has a “Ready to ship in” time, from 1 day to 4 weeks. The customer saw it when they ordered, so try to send within it. If something goes wrong, use Send Note on the order to tell them. A short honest message keeps almost every customer happy.
Marking the order as dispatched
- Open the order and click Mark as Dispatched.
- If you have tracking, choose the courier from the list and enter the tracking number. Use Preview Tracking Link to check it opens the right page.
- If you sent it by ordinary post with no tracking, tick Sent without tracking.
- Confirm. The customer is emailed straight away with the tracking link if there is one.
Tracking is worth the small extra cost on anything valuable. It also releases your payment sooner, as explained below.
Delivered and completed
When you know it has arrived, click Mark as Delivered, then Mark as Completed. If you forget, the order is marked delivered automatically 10 days after dispatch.
When can I withdraw the money?
You can request a withdrawal once the order is Shipped or Completed. It is approved when tracking shows the item as delivered, or, for orders sent without tracking, 5 to 7 working days after you marked it as shipped. The full rules are in Understanding payments, withdrawals and Stripe.
Refunds and cancellations
If a customer asks for a refund, open the order and click Request Refund. Only one refund request can be open on an order at a time, and it needs enough balance in your connected Stripe account to cover it. What you must offer under UK law, and what you can decline, is in Refunds: information for vendors.