How do I reconcile my Payfast payments with orders on Shopify?

How do I reconcile my Payfast payments with orders on Shopify?

Reconciliations between Shopify orders and Payfast payments are usually straightforward. Once a payment is successfully processed through Payfast, the corresponding order in Shopify will automatically update. This eliminates the need for manual matching in most cases.

Important Notes:

  • All payment references sent to Payfast are generated by Shopify, not Payfast.
  • Shopify Order IDs don’t appear in the Payfast Dashboard because Shopify doesn’t share this information. Instead, you’ll use the Custom Str4 field, which contains a unique provider reference number, for reconciliation.
If you need to reconcile payments, there are three methods you can use:
  1. Batch reconciliation using CSV files
  2. Manual reconciliation for individual orders
  3. Searching Shopify orders using the Custom Str4 reference

Option 1: Batch Reconciliation Using CSV Files

This method is ideal for reconciling multiple orders at once:

  1. Export Orders from Shopify:
    • Log into your Shopify admin panel.
    • Use the export function to download orders as a CSV file.
    • Open the file in Excel and locate the ‘Payment ID’ column. This is the unique reference generated by Shopify.
  2. Download Transactions from Payfast :
    • Log into your Payfast by Network Dashboard.
    • Navigate to Transaction History and export your transactions as a CSV file.
    • Open the file in Excel and locate the ‘Custom Str4’ column, which contains references sent by Shopify


    3. Match the Data:
    • Compare the ‘Payment ID’ from your Shopify file with the ‘Custom Str4’ in the PayFast file.
    • Use Excel functions like MATCH or VLOOKUP to quickly reconcile the two datasets.

Option 2: Manual Reconciliation for Individual Orders

Follow these steps to reconcile payments for specific orders:

  1. Find the Payment ID in Shopify:
    • Open the relevant order in Shopify.
    • In the Order Timeline, find the line that says: ‘A R_ ZAR payment was processed on Payfast.
    • Click this line, then select ‘Information from the gateway’ in the dropdown.
  2. Copy the ‘Payment ID’ provided.
    • Locate the Transaction in Payfast:
    • Log into your Payfast Dashboard and navigate to Transaction History.
    • Find the transaction details by clicking the three dots on the right-hand side.
    • Hover over ‘Custom Str4’ to locate the reference, which starts with ‘gid://shopify/PaymentSession/’.
    • Match this reference with the Payment ID from Shopify.

 

Option 3: Search Shopify Orders Using the Custom Str4 Reference

This method works well for finding orders using the Custom Str4 number:

  1. Locate the Custom Str4 in Payfast by Network:
    • After processing a payment, locate the Custom Str4 field in the transaction details on your Payfast Dashboard.



2. Search in Shopify:
    • Copy the Custom Str4 number.
    • In Shopify, paste it into the search bar under Orders.
    • Locate the matching order and confirm the details.

 






FAQs

1. Why don’t Shopify Order IDs appear on Payfast ?

Shopify doesn’t share Order IDs with payment gateways. Instead, it provides unique references like Custom Str4 for tracking and reconciliation.

2. Can reconciliation be automated?
While full automation isn’t available yet, the methods outlined above make reconciliation efficient. Future updates will simplify the process further by improving how Shopify references are displayed in Payfast.  

Need Help?

If you have any questions or need assistance, our support team is here to help. Contact us at support@payfast.io.


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