What is 'Pending Payment Auth'?
'Pending Payment Auth' is an order status that appears when a customer's payment could not be fully authorized at the time of checkout. This is most commonly caused by 3D Secure (3DS) authentication — a fraud-prevention step that some banks and card issuers require before approving an online transaction.
When 3DS is triggered, the customer is prompted to verify their identity directly with their bank — for example, by entering a one-time code sent via text message or approving the transaction in their banking app. If this step is not completed, the payment authorization remains pending and the order cannot be processed.
What does this look like in my dashboard?
In your Orders tab, the affected order will display a red 'Pending Payment Auth' status badge. You may also see it labeled alongside a 'payment_issue' indicator. The order will not progress to fulfillment until the payment is successfully authorized.
What happens to the customer?
The customer receives an automatic notification immediately after placing their order, prompting them to complete the 3DS verification step. This pop-up that appears right after they hit 'Place Order.' If they complete the verification, the payment authorizes and the order moves forward normally.
If they do not complete the verification, the order will remain in 'Pending Payment Auth' status and may eventually be cancelled automatically.
Do I need to do anything as a merchant?
In most cases, no action is required from your side. The customer is responsible for completing the authentication step. However, if a customer contacts you directly about a stuck order:
Advise the customer to check their SauceyDirect account for a notification for a verification prompt from their bank.
Ask them to check their banking app to see if there is a pending approval request.
If they cannot locate the prompt, they may need to contact their bank directly.
If the order remains stuck and you need to escalate, contact SauceyDirect support with the order number.
Can I manually authorize or release the payment?
No. Merchants do not have the ability to manually authorize or override a 3DS payment hold. This process is controlled entirely by the customer's bank. If the authentication window expires without the customer completing the step, the authorization will fail and the order will need to be placed again.
What if the order was already partially prepared?
If you began preparing an order before noticing it was in 'Pending Payment Auth' status, hold the items and do not release them for delivery. Wait until the Payment Authorization is completed before fulfilling.