# Handle website orders from checkout to sale

> How online orders from your store, widgets, links and the Shopper app become sales, and how to handle payments, proofs, prescriptions and refunds.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/online/website-orders/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

This page shows you how to handle online orders in SmartPOS Hub, from the moment a customer checks out until the money is in and the goods are collected or delivered. It applies to orders from your online store, widgets, direct links, table QR codes and the SmartPOS Shopper app.

## How an online order flows

1. The customer checks out. SmartPOS Hub works out prices, tax, delivery and stock itself - the website cannot change them.
2. The order appears in **Website › Orders** and as a sale in **Sell › All sales** at the chosen location. Stock goes down there.
3. Staff are notified (and the kitchen display shows restaurant orders).
4. You collect the payment (online, transfer proof, cash on delivery or at pickup), prepare the order, and hand it over or ship it.

**Note:** 
An order waits as a **sales order** instead of a sale when the items are made to order, when a prescription must be checked first, or when your **Settings & API › Checkout** setting **An online order becomes** says so. It turns into a sale when you confirm it.

## Order statuses

| Status | What it means | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| **Placed** | The order is in and recorded. Payment may still be **Due** (pickup, cash on delivery) | Prepare it; take the payment on collection or delivery |
| **Awaiting payment** | The customer chose an online gateway or bank transfer and has not paid yet | Wait, or check **Payment proofs** |
| **Paid** | The money is recorded on the sale | Prepare and hand over |
| **Cancelled** | Cancelled by you, by the customer within the cancel window, or automatically (no proof in time) | Nothing - stock is back |

The list tabs help you work: **Orders** (everything), **Needs attention** (for example a payment proof received or a prescription to check), **Awaiting payment**, and **Failed / cancelled**.

## Work through today's orders

1. Open **Website › Orders**. Use the search box (**Order, name or e-mail**), the **Date range** and **Filter** to narrow the list.
2. Check the **Delivery / pickup** column (pickup, delivery with its time slot, or dine-in with the table) and the **Payment** column (method and whether it is **Due**).
3. Press **Details** to open the order page: items with options, totals, customer, delivery or pickup, payment, gift note and **Attribution** (where the customer came from, including campaign links).
4. Press **View sale** to open the sale. Print the invoice, add a payment, or create a shipment from there.
5. When the order is handed over and paid, it needs nothing more. Orders in **Needs attention** show a **Mark as done** button once you have dealt with them.

![Online orders list with order numbers, delivery or pickup, payment Pay at pickup marked Due, total, status Placed and Details and View sale buttons](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/on-website-orders.B8euBu9D.png) (web app page: `/website/orders`)
*Website › Orders. Customer details are blurred in this screenshot.*

![Order detail page with status Placed, total, payment Pay at pickup, pickup location, item list and totals, customer, gift note and attribution cards](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/on-website-order-detail.Bm4qKOPz.png) (web app page: `/website/orders/…`)
*The order page: everything about one online order, with a link to the sale.*

## Approve bank-transfer receipts (payment proofs)

When a customer pays by bank transfer or mobile wallet, they upload a receipt and the transaction ID.

1. Open **Website › Payment proofs** (or the **Payment proofs** button on the orders page). Proofs to check are under **To check**.
2. Open the receipt and compare the amount and reference with your bank or wallet.
3. Press **Approve**. The payment is recorded on the sale and the order shows **Paid**.
4. If the money did not arrive, press **Reject**. The customer can upload again.

:::tip
Proofs from invoice links, bookings and the apps are in **Settings › Payment proofs**, which also lists website proofs. Either page works. See [Payments for online orders](https://docs.smartposhub.com/online/payments-for-online-orders/).
:::

## Pharmacies: check prescriptions first

When **Prescriptions** is on in **Website › Store features**, items that need a prescription ask the customer to upload one at checkout.

1. Open **Website › Prescriptions**. New uploads are under **Waiting for review**.
2. Press **Open** to view the file. Files are private to your team.
3. Optional: type a **Note to the customer**.
4. Press **Approve** to release the order, or **Reject** to cancel it and tell the customer why.

![Prescriptions page with Waiting for review tab, uploaded files, Note to the customer box and Approve and Reject buttons](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/on-website-prescriptions.CsnwlQEj.png) (web app page: `/website/prescriptions`)
*Orders with prescription items are held, with no stock moved, until a pharmacist approves.*

## Returns and refunds

Customers can ask for a return from their account on your store (reasons such as **Damaged or faulty**, **Wrong item sent**, **Not as described**, **Changed my mind**).

1. Open **Website › Returns & refunds**. New requests show **Requested**.
2. **Approve** or **Reject** the request.
3. When the goods come back, mark them **Items received**.
4. Refund. A card payment is refunded through the gateway when it supports refunds; otherwise record the refund. The status becomes **Refunded**, and stock, the credit note and the books are updated.

Set the window and the rules under **Website › Returns & refunds › return policy**.

## On a phone

The orders list turns into cards on a phone, so you can check orders anywhere. Staff can also follow new web orders in the SmartPOS Business app's notifications.

![Online orders on a phone with each order shown as a card with delivery, payment, total, status and Details and View sale buttons](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/on-website-orders-phone.KEHWlPd0.png) (web app page: `/website/orders`)

## Tips and mistakes to avoid

- **Don't create a second sale** for an online order. It is already a sale - open it with **View sale** and add the payment.
- **Cash on delivery with riders?** Create a shipment from the sale; see [Shipping & delivery](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/shipping/).
- **Customer says they paid but the order shows Awaiting payment?** Check **Payment proofs** first, then the gateway's dashboard. Never mark it paid without seeing the money.
- **Stock looks wrong for online orders?** Check **Stock and orders from** in **Website › Settings & API › Checkout** - online orders use that location unless the customer chose a store.

## Related pages

  - [Your online store](https://docs.smartposhub.com/online/online-store/)
  - [Payments for online orders](https://docs.smartposhub.com/online/payments-for-online-orders/)
  - [Widgets](https://docs.smartposhub.com/online/widgets/)
  - [Returns and refunds at the counter](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/returns-and-refunds/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is an online order also a sale?

Yes. Every online order is recorded as a normal sale in Sell › Sales, with stock, tax, payments, reward points and accounting, exactly like a POS sale. Website › Orders shows the online side of the same order.

### Where do Shopper app and widget orders go?

To the same Website › Orders list. Widget orders carry a Widget badge, and app orders arrive like website orders. Restaurant orders also appear on the kitchen display.

### How do I mark a cash on delivery order as paid?

Open the sale (View sale) and add the payment as you would for any sale. The online order then shows Paid automatically.

### What does "Due" mean in the Payment column?

The customer has not paid yet - for example pay at pickup or cash on delivery. Collect the money when they collect the order and add the payment to the sale.

### A customer paid by bank transfer. What do I do?

Open Website › Payment proofs, check the receipt and the transaction ID against your bank, then approve it. The payment is recorded on the sale. Reject it if the money did not arrive.

### What happens if a customer never uploads a transfer receipt?

You can set an automatic cancel time for transfer payments. When no proof arrives in time, the order is cancelled and you are notified. 0 means never cancel automatically.

### How do I cancel an online order?

Delete or cancel the sale in Sell › Sales as usual. The online order follows and shows Cancelled, and stock goes back.

### How do refunds work for online orders?

Customers send a return request from the store. In Website › Returns & refunds you approve it, mark the items received and refund. Stock, a credit note and the books are updated.