Viewing Transaction History

Reading time: 3 minutes | Difficulty: Beginner

Overview

Browse and search all payments processed through WP Payment Pal. This guide covers the transaction history interface.

Prerequisites

• WP Payment Pal installed
• Some payments processed (even test payments)

Accessing Transaction History

1. Go to WP Payment Pal > Transactions in your admin menu
2. View the transactions list

Understanding the List View

Column Information

Column	Description
ID	Internal transaction ID
Customer	Payer name and email
Form	Payment form used
Amount	Payment amount
Status	Transaction status
Date	Payment timestamp

Transaction Statuses

Status	Meaning	Color
Completed	Payment successful	Green
Pending	Awaiting completion	Yellow
Refunded	Fully refunded	Gray
Partially Refunded	Partial refund issued	Orange
Denied	Payment rejected	Red

Filtering Transactions

By Status

Use the status filter tabs:

• All – Every transaction
• Completed – Successful payments only
• Refunded – Refunded transactions
• Pending – Awaiting completion

By Date

Filter by date range:

1. Use the date picker
2. Select start and end dates
3. Click Apply

By Form

Filter by payment form:

1. Select form from dropdown
2. View only that form’s transactions

Searching Transactions

Use the search box to find specific transactions:

• Search by customer name
• Search by email
• Search by transaction ID

Sorting Transactions

Click column headers to sort:

• Date – Newest or oldest first
• Amount – Highest or lowest first
• Status – Group by status

Default: Newest transactions first.

Transaction Information

Each row shows:

#12345 | John Smith ([email protected]) | Donation Form | $50.00 | Completed | Jan 15, 2024

Quick Actions

From the list view:

• Click row – View full details
• Hover – See quick action links

Viewing Details

Click any transaction to see:

• Complete customer information
• All form field values
• Payment details
• PayPal transaction info
• Refund history (if any)

See Understanding Transaction Details.

Pagination

For large transaction volumes:

• Navigate pages at bottom
• Adjust items per page
• Jump to specific page

Exporting Data

Currently, transaction data can be:

• Viewed in admin
• Referenced in PayPal dashboard
• Used for reporting purposes

Transaction Retention

Transactions are stored permanently:

• No automatic deletion
• Historical data preserved
• Audit trail maintained

Common Tasks

Find a Specific Payment

1. Use search with customer email
2. Or filter by date and form
3. Click to view details

Review Daily Transactions

1. Set date filter to today
2. View all payments
3. Check totals

Identify Refunds

1. Filter by “Refunded” status
2. Review refund reasons
3. Check refund amounts

Troubleshoot Missing Payment

1. Search by customer email
2. Check pending status
3. Review PayPal dashboard
4. Check webhook logs

Understanding Payment Flow

Customer pays → PayPal processes → Webhook received → Transaction created

Transaction appears in list after webhook confirmation.

Sandbox vs Live

Transactions are separated by mode:

• Sandbox transactions visible in Sandbox mode
• Live transactions visible in Live mode
• Check your current mode in settings

Best Practices

1. Regular review – Check transactions daily
2. Quick resolution – Address pending items
3. Document issues – Note any problems
4. Reconcile – Compare with PayPal reports
5. Monitor refunds – Track refund patterns

Troubleshooting

No transactions showing

• Verify payments were made
• Check payment mode (Sandbox vs Live)
• Confirm webhooks are working

Missing transaction

• Check date range filter
• Search by email or ID
• Look in PayPal dashboard
• Check webhook delivery

Wrong status

• Transaction may be updating
• Check PayPal for current status
• Webhook might be delayed

What’s Next?

• Understanding Transaction Details – Detailed view
• Processing Full Refunds – Refund payments
• Processing Partial Refunds – Partial refunds