Approved Transactions remain in Pending for over a month

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A merchant’s approved transactions have been stuck in PENDING status with Shopify Payments since January 1st, preventing access to funds needed for bills and expenses. This issue began after migrating to Shopify 2.0 and switching from PayPal to Shopify Payments.

Potential causes identified:

  • Verification issues with identity, business information, or bank account details
  • Risk assessment flags on the new account
  • Possible policy violations with certain products
  • Manual account review by Shopify
  • Technical glitches (less likely)

Recommended actions:

  • Escalate support requests to supervisors/managers
  • Document all support interactions with dates and representative names
  • Attempt direct contact with Shopify Payments department
  • Consider alternative payment processors (PayvioniX, Stripe, Adyen, Clara) if issue persists

Current status: The merchant continues to receive generic responses from support promising follow-up without resolution. One commenter notes such holds can extend beyond 6 months when suspicious activity is detected. The issue remains unresolved and ongoing.

Summarized with AI on October 27. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hoping someone can give me an answer, just updated site to shopify 2.0 around the beginning of the year and decided to go with Shopify Payments instead of Paypal for many reasons. Sales started coming in which is good, they were approved and moved into PENDING mode and that is where they have been since Jan 1st. I have reached out to support many times and they tell me they are looking into it and someone will get back to me, but nothing. Is anyone else having this issue? Prior to this I used Paypal for all my transactions and never had an issue. Shopify just seemed like the most logical option but I am getting really nervous. Like I need to pay bills, etc.

2

Hi,

This is Richard at PageFly - Shopify Advanced Page Builder app.

It’s incredibly concerning that your Shopify Payments have been stuck in “PENDING” mode since January 1st. That’s a significant amount of time, and it’s completely understandable that you’re feeling anxious, especially with bills to pay.

Here’s a breakdown of potential issues and actions you can take:

Possible Causes of Prolonged “PENDING” Status:

  • Verification Issues:

    • Shopify Payments has stringent verification processes, especially for new accounts or significant changes (like your Shopify 2.0 update). 1 There might be issues with your identity verification, business information, or bank account details.

      1. Information requirements for Shopify Payments

      help.shopify.com

  • Risk Assessment:

    • Shopify’s risk assessment systems might have flagged your account for review. This can happen due to unusual sales patterns, high-value transactions, or other factors.

  • Technical Glitches:

    • While less likely, there could be technical glitches within Shopify’s payment processing system.

  • Account Review:

    • Shopify may have placed your account under a manual review. This can take time.

  • Policy Violations:

    • Although you state that your sales are coming in good, there is a chance that some of your products are triggering a policy violation with shopify payments.

Immediate Actions to Take:

  • Escalate Support Requests:
    • Don’t just rely on general support. Request to speak with a supervisor or manager. Emphasize the urgency of the situation and the financial hardship it’s causing.
    • Keep a detailed record of all your interactions with Shopify support, including dates, times, and the names of representatives you spoke with.
  • Contact Shopify Payments Directly (If Possible):
    • Try to find direct contact information for Shopify Payments, as opposed to general support.

Hoping my solution helps you solve your problem.

Best regards,

Richard | PageFly

1 Like
3

Hello Richard and thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question, believe it or not I have found some relief with it. I will continue to press them and try to speak with someone directly in Shopify Payments. Thanks again and I will post soon, I hope with what the issue was, thanks again, Jane

4

It generally happen when they identify suspicious payments and it can be hold for more than 6 months. I would advice to go for different payment processing solution providers like - PayvioniX, Stripe, Adyen or Clara.