PrestaShop allows to choose between two different order creation flows. The Montonio PrestaShop module supports both "Create order before payment" and "Create order after payment" flows. This can be configured under the module's settings for each Montonio payment method separately.
We recommend selecting Create order: Before payment for all payment methods. However, there can be benefits to creating orders after payment. This article explains the difference between the two options, and how it affects the order reference numbers you see in the Montonio Partner System.
Create order: Before payment
Here's what it means to create orders before payment:
Before redirecting the user to the Montonio gateway for payment, we already create an order in PrestaShop
When the customer comes back from Montonio after a successful payment, we change the order's status to reflect a successful payment
The option is safer because order details and total amounts are fixed and cannot be tampered with
You see the PrestaShop Order ID in the Montonio Partner System
The drawbacks of this option:
You will also see unpaid or unfinished orders in your PrestaShop admin panel
It may not be possible to recover the cart of the customer if payment was not successful
Create order: After payment
Here's what it means to create orders after payment:
When redirecting the customer to the Montonio gateway for payment, we do not create an order in PrestaShop yet
Only once the payment is successful and the customer returns from Montonio to your store we create the order in PrestaShop
You will only see paid orders in your PrestaShop admin panel
The customer's cart is more likely to be preserved if payment was unsuccessful
The drawbacks of this option:
It's possible the cart can be tampered with in the middle of a payment, causing the payment amount to be less than the order value. To minimize the risk, we use the "Partially Paid" status to notify you if such a mismatch occurs.
Instead of seeing the Order ID in the Montonio Partner System, you see the Shopping Cart ID
How does it affect the order number in the Montonio Partner System?
In your Montonio Partner System dashboard you see order numbers, often called order ID or merchant reference. This number should match what you see in the PrestaShop admin dashboard.
If you choose the "Create order: Before payment" option, we can use the PrestaShop Order ID as this number.
However, if you choose the "Create order: After payment" option, we must use the PrestaShop Shopping Cart ID instead of the Order ID because the order in PrestaShop has not been created yet. PrestaShop generates the Order ID only after a payment, but by that point, the order must already exist in Montonio.
This is why you see different reference numbers in Montonio, depending on which option you go for. This also affects all exports and reports of orders and payouts. Additionally, the same number is used in the payment description of each transaction.
This is a technical limitation of the PrestaShop integration and cannot be changed. Make your choice between the flows considering the benefits and drawbacks outlined above. Always feel free to experiment and choose based on user feedback!
If you have additional questions and need our help, feel free to contact our support team via the chat in the bottom right corner.