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Fix payment problems

Why clients can't pay for a report or call, why a payment failed or shows as not paid, and how to sort it out.

Updated October 22, 2026 · 3 min read
Open Payments ↗Open Orders ↗

Clients pay for reports and calls through your own Stripe account. When a payment doesn't happen, the cause is almost always your Stripe account's setup or the client's card.

Symptoms

  • A client says they couldn't pay, or saw Online payment isn't switched on for this firm yet.
  • You got an email titled A client couldn't pay … connect Stripe.
  • An order shows Awaiting payment, Payment failed or Not paid on the Orders page.
  • A form's launch checklist says Connect Stripe so clients can pay, Finish setting up Stripe or Stripe needs a few more details.

Likely causes, most common first

  1. Stripe isn't connected yet. No Stripe account means no way to take the payment.
  2. Stripe's sign-up isn't finished. The Stripe account card says Setup not finished.
  3. Stripe paused payments on your account. The card says Needs attention. Stripe usually wants more details, such as an ID check or bank details.
  4. The client's card was declined. The order shows Payment failed with the bank's reason.
  5. The client didn't finish paying. The order stays Awaiting payment, and becomes Not paid after about a month.
  6. For a paid call, the client took too long. Their time is held for a few minutes. When the hold runs out, the time is released and nothing is charged.

What to check

  1. Go to Payments and look at the Stripe account card.
  2. Check that Payments says Enabled. If it says Not yet, read Stripe says and Requirements due below it.
  3. Go to Payments → Orders and open the client's order. Its timeline shows what happened, and a failed payment shows the reason.

How to fix it

  • Not connected: on Payments, click Connect Stripe and complete Stripe's sign-up. Only an owner can.
  • Setup not finished: click Finish onboarding and complete the steps Stripe asks for.
  • Needs attention: click Update details in Stripe and give Stripe what it lists under Requirements due.
  • Card declined: ask the client to try another card, or to call their bank. Then send them the link again: open the order and click Copy payment link, or Send reminder now.
  • Didn't finish paying: open the order and click Send reminder now. OneForm also sends payment reminders by itself unless you turned them off in Payments → Settings.
  • Want to go ahead without payment: open the order and click Waive. The report or booking goes ahead without a charge.

Once your Stripe account is ready, clients who couldn't pay earlier can pay from the same link. You don't need to ask them to fill in the form again.

Why does my Stripe card say "Payments aren't switched on in OneForm yet"?

Online payments aren't available on the server you're using, so there's nothing to connect. Contact support.

How do I refund a client?

Open the order on Payments → Orders and click Refund…. Choose Full refund or Part of it, then confirm. A full refund of a report also closes the client's report page. See Orders, refunds and invoices.

What does "Disputed" mean on an order?

The client asked their bank to reverse the payment. OneForm emails you with the date you need to respond by. Respond in your Stripe dashboard before that date. The order's chip changes to Dispute won, Chargeback lost or Dispute closed when the bank decides.

When to contact support

Use Send feedback in the sidebar, or oneform.si/support, when your Stripe account card shows Taking payments but clients still can't pay, or when a payment shows in Stripe but not in Orders after an hour. For questions about your Stripe account itself, such as verification or payouts, contact Stripe.

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PaymentsConnect StripeConnect your firm's own Stripe account so clients can pay for reports and calls, with the money going straight to you.PaymentsCharge for a reportSell a form's report. Clients pay on the thank-you screen, and the report goes out once it's paid for.PaymentsCharge for a callPut a price on a booking page or on the call offered after a form. Clients pay when they book, and the time is held while they pay.PaymentsOrders, refunds and invoicesFind every sale, refund a client in full or in part, waive a payment, and download invoices and receipts.