Short answer: When a sale looks complete in Payment for Stripe but isn't in your Stripe Dashboard, it's usually one of four things: you're looking at a different Stripe account, an offline payment hasn't been sent yet, the sale was only authorized, or the sale never finished. Check them in this order.
1. You're looking at a different Stripe account
Why: if you have more than one Stripe account (or the app created a second one), the sale landed in the account you were signed into, not the one you have open in the Dashboard.
- In the app, open the menu and go to the Stripe menu. The account ID you're signed into is at the bottom.
- In your Stripe Dashboard, check that you're in the account with that ID. Switch accounts if you need to.
- If the sale isn't there either, see Locate missing payments and payouts. In the app it's also under Help > Locate missing payments.
2. It was an offline payment that hasn't synced
Why: with Allow offline payments turned on, a reader can take a card without internet. The sale shows as taken, but it only goes to Stripe once the device is back online. Until then it won't show in your Dashboard, and it can still be declined when it's sent. Offline payments work with Bluetooth and internet readers. They don't work with Tap to Pay.
- Connect the phone or tablet to Wi-Fi or mobile data and keep the app open.
- Watch for Offline to change to Syncing, then disappear. Your payments show in Stripe once it clears.
- If a payment is declined when it syncs, the app tells you:
An offline payment of [amount] was declined when it synced. Collect it again.
- If you see this message, the app lists why:
A common reason is that the payments were taken on a different Stripe account than the one you're signed into. Sign back into that account to send them.Offline Payments Can't Sync
[number] offline payments ([amount]) can't be sent to Stripe. [reason]
They stay on this device. If you continue, they may never be collected.
On Android, the app won't let you sign out or switch accounts until offline payments have synced.
More on offline payments: offline payments article.
3. The sale was authorized only
Why: if you used Authorize only (pre-authorizations), the card is held for the amount but not charged. In your Stripe Dashboard it shows as Uncaptured, not as a paid sale.
Fix: open the charge in the app and tap Capture, or capture it in your Stripe Dashboard. Do it before the hold runs out. If it expires, Stripe cancels it and the customer is never charged.
4. The sale never finished
Why: a sale that was started but not completed can leave an unfinished entry in Stripe. See Why a payment shows "Incomplete" in Stripe.
Still stuck? Contact us from the app: open the menu, tap Help, then tap the email icon at the top (Contact Support on iPhone, Email support on Android).