When a Shopify order is only partially paid, Fileflare delivers downloads for the line items that have actually been paid for, and holds back the ones that haven’t. Paid orders are unaffected: everything delivers as usual.
When this happens
An order lands in Shopify’s partially_paid status when part of the total is still owed. The most common cause is a post-purchase upsell whose charge fails (for example, an app that offers a one-click add-on after checkout) — the original items are paid, but the added item never clears. Fileflare treats that unpaid item as unpaid: it fulfills the items the customer paid for and withholds the one they didn’t.
How it works
When an order comes in as partially_paid, Fileflare works out which line items the outstanding balance belongs to, then delivers downloads only for the paid items. This applies everywhere the customer would reach their files:
- The download delivery email
- The order confirmation / thank-you page download links
- The storefront download page
- The View all downloads list and single-order view in the customer account
A partially paid order now shows up in the customer’s downloads list (it used to be hidden entirely), but only its paid items are listed and downloadable.
When Fileflare can’t tell which items are unpaid
If Fileflare can’t confidently match the outstanding balance to specific line items, it holds downloads for the whole order until the balance is paid. This is deliberate: it’s safer to withhold everything briefly than to hand over a file the customer hasn’t paid for. Nothing is lost — as soon as the order is paid, the downloads appear.
When the balance is paid
Capture or collect the outstanding balance in Shopify and the order flips to fully paid. At that point Fileflare stops withholding, and the previously held items become downloadable across every surface above. There’s no migration, re-import, or manual re-send to run — it happens on its own.
Common issues
- A customer says an item is missing from their downloads. Check the order’s payment status in Shopify. If it’s
partially_paid, the missing item is one Fileflare has identified as unpaid. Collect the outstanding balance and the item becomes available automatically. - The whole order shows no downloads. If a partially paid order is withholding everything, Fileflare couldn’t attribute the outstanding balance to specific items and is holding the order until it’s paid. Capture the balance to release all downloads.
- A refund or edit changed the balance. Fulfillment follows the current payment status. Once the order reads as fully paid, downloads deliver for every line item.