You go to test your shop and the checkout says: “Sorry, it seems that there are no available payment methods. Please contact us if you require assistance or wish to make alternate arrangements.” Nobody can pay you, and there’s no obvious reason why.
We fixed exactly this on a client’s shop recently, just as their Christmas orders were due to start. Here’s what caused it, and the other usual suspects to check.
The Cause We Found: A Plugin Updated Without WooCommerce
The shop took card payments through Stripe. The Stripe plugin had updated itself overnight to a new version, and that new version needed a newer version of WooCommerce than the site was running.
Instead of showing a big error, the Stripe plugin just quietly stopped loading. In the WordPress dashboard it still said it was active, and the Stripe settings were still there. But at the checkout, there was no Stripe at all, so WooCommerce had no way to take payment.
The fix was to back up the site and update WooCommerce. As soon as WooCommerce was on a version the Stripe plugin supported, card payments appeared at the checkout again.
How To Check If This Is Your Problem
- Go to Plugins in your WordPress dashboard and look at your payment plugin (Stripe, PayPal, WooPayments, Square and so on). Check its version and whether it mentions needing a newer WooCommerce.
- Check what version of WooCommerce you’re on, and whether there’s an update waiting.
- Look at WooCommerce, then Status. Warnings about outdated templates or versions are worth reading.
- If your payment plugin updates automatically but WooCommerce doesn’t, that’s the mismatch waiting to happen.
Always take a backup before updating WooCommerce on a live shop, and test an order afterwards.
Other Reasons For No Available Payment Methods
- The payment method is switched off. Check WooCommerce, Settings, Payments and make sure the one you use is enabled.
- Your payment account isn’t connected. If Stripe or PayPal has been disconnected, or the connection has expired, it won’t show at checkout.
- Country or currency limits. Some payment methods only show for certain countries or currencies. If your shop currency or the customer’s address doesn’t match, they disappear.
- Shipping method limits. Options like cash on delivery can be set to only show with certain delivery methods.
- Test mode left on, or the wrong keys. Live and test keys mixed up can stop a gateway loading.
- A cached checkout page. The cart and checkout should never be cached. If your caching plugin is caching them, customers can see out-of-date or broken checkouts.
- A plugin conflict. Another plugin, often one that changes the checkout, can stop payment methods showing.
How To Stop It Happening Again
- Don’t let your payment plugin auto-update on its own while WooCommerce stays behind. Update them together, or let someone look after updates for you.
- Place a small test order every now and then, especially before busy periods like Christmas, and refund it.
- Keep regular backups, so if an update does go wrong you can roll back in minutes.
This is a big part of why shops on our website hosting get looked after rather than just left running. An update that breaks the checkout costs real money every hour it goes unnoticed.
Common Questions
(01)Will Updating WooCommerce Break My Shop?
Usually not, but it can, especially if your theme or plugins are old. Take a backup first, update, then put a test order through.
(02)Have I Lost Orders While It Was Broken?
No orders will have been taken while there was no payment method, so check your Stripe or PayPal account rather than WooCommerce. Some customers may have contacted you another way.
(03)Can You Fix It For Me?
Yes. If your checkout has stopped taking payments, get in touch and we’ll find the cause and get it working again.
Checkout Still Not Working?
If you’ve been through the list and customers still can’t pay, get in touch. We work with WooCommerce shops every day and can usually find the problem quickly.
