Payment successful. What happens next?
A payment is one event in a longer process: granting access, handling retries, and keeping subscriptions in sync.
What you might notice
The payment success page looks right, but access depends on the customer returning to that page. A delayed event or closed browser leaves the order in an inconsistent state.
An example
In a fictional subscription product, a checkout redirect activates the plan. The payment webhook is unfinished. A customer who closes the tab has paid but receives no access.
Why it matters
Paid customers need manual support. Duplicate events may create duplicate entitlements, and cancellations may leave access or billing status out of sync.
How we check
We inspect how verified provider events change state, how repeated events are handled, and what happens when events arrive late. Testing uses sandbox accounts and explicitly agreed scenarios.
What a fix should achieve
Use verified server-side events, make processing safe to repeat, and define a reconciliation path. Acceptance criteria should include retries, cancellation, and payment without a successful browser redirect.