Why you may see "Incomplete" transactions in Stripe
Note: This information applies only to organizers who process payments through their own Stripe gateway. Gateway access is subject to Showpass approval.
When a shopper visits checkout, our system creates a PaymentIntent with Stripe. This is required to securely handle wallet payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay) and, if enabled, manual card entry.
If the shopper does not complete payment — for example, by closing the tab, canceling a wallet sheet, changing payment methods, or abandoning checkout — the PaymentIntent remains in Stripe with the status "Incomplete."
This does not represent a failed charge or lost funds. Your revenue and reporting are based only on PaymentIntents that reach the "Succeeded" state.
Why this happens
- Multiple attempts, one purchase
A single order can generate more than one PaymentIntent. For example, a shopper may try Apple Pay, cancel, and then return hours later to pay by card. The first intent will remain "Incomplete," while the later one will show as "Succeeded." Both appear in Stripe, but only the latter represents captured funds. - Intent reuse per cart
If a shopper retries payment in the same checkout session, we reuse the same PaymentIntent to avoid duplicates. New intents only appear when a shopper comes back in a new session. - Wallets and SCA
Stripe requires a PaymentIntent to exist before we can open Apple Pay/Google Pay sheets or trigger Strong Customer Authentication (SCA). Creating the intent up front ensures those experiences are fast and reliable and minimizes drop-offs.
What this does not mean
- Not failed or declined charges
- Not extra costs or fees
- Not an indicator of increased dispute/chargeback risk
- Not an indicator of drop-off rates
How to interpret your Stripe dashboard
- Focus on "Succeeded" PaymentIntents → these reflect real, captured payments
- Expect some "Incomplete" PaymentIntents → these reflect abandoned or canceled attempts, not lost revenue
- Revenue metrics → your internal KPIs and reporting are driven only by
payment_intent.succeededevents, not raw "Created" counts
Bottom line: "Incomplete" entries are expected and normal in the checkout. They represent started but unfinished payment attempts, not failed charges.