Why does my Buy It Now button show a transaction failed error on my e-commerce store?

Store Design

Topic summary

A Shopify store owner encounters a “Transaction Failed” error when clicking the Buy It Now button on a site under development. The regular checkout process works correctly, and the button functions properly on their live site.

Key troubleshooting suggestions:

  • Test from the published live storefront rather than the theme editor or preview link
  • Verify payment processor is not in test mode
  • Clear browser cache before testing
  • Contact Shopify Payments support if issues persist

The original poster confirmed they tested both in the theme editor and when published, experiencing the same error in both cases. They plan to contact Shopify Payments support.

Related issue: Another user reports experiencing the same intermittent problem, occurring more frequently in Safari but also reproducible in Chrome. They’ve contacted Shopify support and are awaiting resolution.

The discussion remains unresolved with no definitive solution identified yet.

Summarized with AI on November 1. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
8

Thanks for the response, Kibby.

Just to clarify, are you still in the store editor despite the theme being published? Or have you tested directly from the website, as if you were a customer? I suggest clearing your browser’s cache and attempting to test your button through the website directly.