Understanding Order IDs

When a customer places an order on your BigCommerce store, that order is assigned a unique ID number. It is specific to that order and is never assigned again. This is to prevent confusion when customers do not finish the checkout process, and to ensure that payment gateways do not decline the order as a duplicate transaction.

By default, your first order will be Order ID 100. The starting order number can be set as needed to a higher or lower number. Keep in mind that you cannot assign an ID number below your starting order number, such as creating an order with Order ID 50 after accepting orders with IDs like 101, 105, and so on.

To change your starting order number, go to Settings › General. Click on the Miscellaneous tab, and scroll down to the Order Settings section.

If a customer does not complete the checkout process, the order will still be assigned an ID, but it will have an order status of Pending and will be considered an incomplete order. Incomplete orders will not appear in the control panel unless you change the order view to Incomplete.

Order IDs may be deleted if the customer starts the checkout process over. This can happen if the customer clears their browser cache, closes their browser, or temporarily loses their internet connection. Failed orders from sales channels, such as Facebook or Amazon, can also cause an Order ID to be deleted. Deleted Order IDs can explain gaps or skipped orders in your Order ID sequence.

These instances are documented in your Store Logs.

How can I locate a missing Order ID?

If you are unable to locate an Order ID, try searching for deleted or archived orders.

The Store Logs provide a record of store information for the past 365 days, including orders. Searching for a particular order number will give you more information, such as whether it was deleted or completed.

Can I reuse an archived order's ID number?

No, Order ID numbers cannot be reused, even if an order is archived. All orders must have a unique ID.