Managing Your Orders
When customers buy from your store, their purchases appear as orders on your dashboard. This guide covers everything you need to know about receiving, fulfilling, and managing orders.
To get started, click Orders in your sidebar menu.
Orders Dashboard
Your Orders page gives you a quick overview of your business:
Stats at a Glance
At the top of the page, you'll see four key metrics:
- Total Orders — The total number of orders you've received
- Total Revenue — How much you've earned from paid orders
- Unfulfilled Orders — Orders that still need to be shipped
- Fulfilled Orders — Orders that have been delivered
You'll also see a 30-day chart showing your revenue and order trends over time.
Order List
Below the stats, all your orders are listed with:
- Order number (e.g., ORD-XXXXX or POD-XXXXX for pay-on-delivery)
- Customer name and email
- Order total
- Payment status (Paid, Pending, Failed, or Refunded)
- Fulfillment status (Pending, Unfulfilled, Dispatched, Delivered, or Cancelled)
- Payment method (Paystack, POD, or Manual)
- Number of items
- Order date
Filtering and Search
Use the filters at the top to find specific orders:
- Search by customer name, email, or order number
- Filter by status — Show only pending, dispatched, delivered, or cancelled orders
- Filter by payment method — Paystack, Pay-on-Delivery, or Manual
- Filter by date range — Find orders from a specific time period
Understanding Order Statuses
Every order has two statuses: a payment status and a fulfillment status.
Payment Statuses
| Status | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Paid | Payment has been confirmed (automatic for card payments) |
| Pending | Waiting for payment (common for Pay-on-Delivery orders) |
| Failed | Payment attempt failed |
| Refunded | Payment was refunded to the customer |
Fulfillment Statuses
| Status | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Pending | New order, not yet processed |
| Unfulfilled | Order acknowledged but not yet shipped |
| Dispatched | Order has been shipped to the customer |
| Delivered | Order successfully delivered |
| Cancelled | Order was cancelled |
Typical Order Flow
Here's how a normal order moves through the system:
- Customer places an order → Pending
- Payment confirmed → Payment status becomes Paid
- You ship the order → Dispatched
- Customer receives it → Delivered
Payment Methods
Strawlo supports several payment methods to suit your customers.
Paystack (Card Payments)
The most common payment method. Customers pay with their debit or credit card through Paystack's secure checkout.
- Payment is verified automatically — you don't need to do anything
- Stock is deducted immediately after payment
- Works across Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa
- Order number starts with ORD-
Pay-on-Delivery (POD)
Customers order now and pay cash when they receive the product.
- Order is created with payment status Pending
- Stock is not deducted until you mark the order as paid
- After collecting cash, mark the payment as Paid from the order detail page
- Order number starts with POD-
To enable Pay-on-Delivery: Go to your store settings and turn on the POD option.
Payment Links
Generate a payment link for any unpaid order. Useful when:
- A customer's initial payment failed
- You want to send a direct payment link via WhatsApp or SMS
- Following up on an unpaid Pay-on-Delivery order
To create a payment link:
- Open the order detail page
- Click Send Payment Link
- Share the generated link with your customer
Manual Orders
Record orders that happen outside your online store — like in-person sales, phone orders, or sales from other platforms.
- These orders are marked as Paid immediately
- Useful for keeping all your sales in one place
- Excluded from wallet/payout calculations (since payment was received outside Strawlo)
Viewing Order Details
Click on any order to see its full details. The order detail page is organized into sections:
Order Items
A list of everything the customer ordered:
- Product name and image
- Variant (if applicable, e.g., "Size: Large")
- Quantity
- Price per item
Customer Details
The customer's contact information:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
Delivery Information
- Full delivery address
- Delivery notes (if the customer added any special instructions)
- Tracking number (if you've added one)
Order History
A timeline showing every event in the order's life:
- When the order was created
- When payment was confirmed
- When it was dispatched
- When it was delivered (or cancelled)
Each event is timestamped so you can see exactly when things happened.
Order Summary (Sidebar)
Quick actions and summary info:
- Total amount
- Payment and fulfillment status badges
- Transaction ID
- Payment method
- Action buttons (see below)
Fulfilling Orders
Fulfillment is the process of shipping an order to your customer.
Marking an Order as Dispatched
When you ship an order:
- Open the order detail page
- Click Mark as Dispatched
- Optionally add a tracking number (from DHL, FedEx, or your courier)
- Confirm
What happens:
- Fulfillment status changes to Dispatched
- The ship date is recorded
- An email is automatically sent to the customer letting them know their order is on the way
- If you added a tracking number, it's included in the email
Marking an Order as Delivered
When the customer receives their order:
- Open the order detail page
- Click Mark as Delivered
- Confirm
What happens:
- Fulfillment status changes to Delivered
- The delivery date is recorded
- A confirmation email is sent to the customer
Cancelling an Order
If you need to cancel an order:
- Open the order detail page
- Click Cancel Order
- Optionally provide a reason
- Confirm
Note: Cancellation cannot be undone. If payment was already received, you may need to arrange a refund separately.
WhatsApp Integration
Send order updates directly to your customers on WhatsApp — the quickest way to keep them informed.
Sending Dispatch Updates
- Open the order detail page
- Click the WhatsApp button for dispatch
- A pre-formatted message opens in WhatsApp with the customer's phone number
- Review the message and send
Sending Delivery Confirmation
- Open the order detail page
- Click the WhatsApp button for delivery
- A confirmation message opens in WhatsApp
- Send to let your customer know their order has arrived
Tip: WhatsApp messages are a great personal touch. Customers appreciate direct communication, especially for high-value orders.
Customer Notifications
Strawlo automatically sends email notifications to your customers at key moments:
| Event | Email Sent |
|---|---|
| Order placed | Order confirmation with items, total, and delivery address |
| Order dispatched | Shipping notification with tracking number (if provided) |
| Order delivered | Delivery confirmation |
These emails include your store name and a link to the order tracking page.
Merchant Notifications
You also receive notifications when:
- A new order is placed (in-app notification + email if enabled)
- A product's stock is running low (10 or fewer units)
- A product goes out of stock
You'll also receive milestone celebration emails for your 1st sale, 10th, 50th, 100th, and 500th orders!
To manage email notifications: Go to your account settings and toggle sale notifications on or off.
Receipts and Invoices
Sending a Receipt
Send (or resend) an order confirmation email to your customer:
- Open the order detail page
- Click Send Receipt
- The receipt is emailed to the customer's email address
Printing an Invoice
Generate a printable invoice for packing or record-keeping:
- Open the order detail page
- Click Print Invoice
- A print-optimized invoice opens with:
- Your store name and logo
- Order number and date
- Customer billing information
- Delivery address
- Itemized product list with quantities and prices
- Payment status and method
Use your browser's print function (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P) to print or save as PDF.
Order Tracking for Customers
Your customers can track their own orders without contacting you!
How It Works
- Customers visit your store's tracking page
- They enter their email address and order number
- They can see:
- Current order status
- Payment status
- Items ordered
- Delivery address
- Tracking number (if provided)
- Delivery/cancellation dates
The tracking link is included in every order confirmation email, so customers can easily check their order status anytime.
Exporting Orders
Export your orders to a CSV file for record-keeping, accounting, or analysis.
- Go to your Orders page
- Click the Export button
- A CSV file downloads with all your order data
The export includes order numbers, customer details, items, amounts, statuses, dates, and more.
Recording Manual Orders
Keep track of sales that happen outside your online store.
When to Use Manual Orders
- In-person sales at a market or pop-up shop
- Orders taken over the phone or WhatsApp
- Sales from other platforms you want to track
How to Record a Manual Order
- Go to your Orders page
- Click Record Order (or the manual order option)
- Fill in the customer details and items
- The order is saved as Paid with a Manual payment method
Manual orders appear in your order list and count toward your stats, helping you see your complete sales picture.
Quick Tips
1. Process Orders Quickly
Customers love fast shipping. Try to dispatch orders within 24-48 hours.
2. Always Add Tracking Numbers
If your courier provides a tracking number, add it when marking orders as dispatched. It builds trust and reduces "where's my order?" messages.
3. Use WhatsApp for Personal Touch
A quick WhatsApp message when you dispatch an order goes a long way. Customers appreciate the direct communication.
4. Check Your Orders Daily
Make it a habit to check your orders dashboard at least once a day so nothing falls through the cracks.
5. Export Regularly
Export your orders monthly for your records. It's helpful for tax season and tracking business growth.
6. Follow Up on Pending Payments
If a Pay-on-Delivery order has been pending for a while, reach out to the customer. You can also send a payment link for easy online payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know when I receive a new order?
You'll receive an in-app notification on your dashboard. If you have email notifications enabled, you'll also get an email. The Strawlo mobile app sends push notifications too.
Can I edit an order after it's placed?
Orders cannot be edited once placed. If changes are needed, you can cancel the order and ask the customer to place a new one.
What happens to stock when an order is cancelled?
Stock is not automatically restored when an order is cancelled. You'll need to manually update your product stock if needed.
How do Pay-on-Delivery orders affect my stock?
Stock is only deducted when you mark a POD order as Paid (after collecting cash). Until then, the stock remains available.
Can customers track their orders?
Yes! Every order confirmation email includes a tracking link. Customers can also visit your store and use the order tracking page with their email and order number.
How do I handle refunds?
Currently, refunds are handled manually outside of Strawlo. Contact your payment provider (Paystack) to process refunds for card payments.
Need Help?
If you're having trouble with your orders:
- Email us — support@strawlo.com
- Join our community — Connect with other sellers in our WhatsApp group
- Watch tutorials — Check out our YouTube channel for video guides