---
title: A buyer paid but can’t access their course
description: "The checklist for paid-but-no-access: order status, product-course link, account emails, subscription status, and the instant manual fix."
url: "https://schoolyland.com/docs/buyer-cant-access-course/"
updated: "2026-09-28"
category: Troubleshooting
---

# A buyer paid but can’t access their course

A customer paid, the money arrived, and they still see "you don't have access to this course". This is the most urgent kind of store problem, because a real buyer is waiting. Below is how the wiring works on your platform, followed by the checks in the order that finds the cause fastest.

## How course sales work on your platform

Course sales run through the **LearnDash WooCommerce integration**, and the wiring has two halves:

- **On the product:** in the product's data box there are **LearnDash Courses / LearnDash Groups** fields. This association is what actually enrolls the buyer. During checkout the integration requires account creation, so the buyer's account is created automatically as part of the purchase.
- **On the course:** in the course Settings, the Access Mode is set to **Closed**, with the **Button URL** pointing to the product (or its checkout link). This is what sends visitors from the course page to the purchase.

Payment completes → order reaches Processing/Completed → the integration enrolls the buyer in every course associated with the product. If a step in that chain is missing, the sale completes normally and delivers nothing.

## 1. Check the product → course association (most common)

Open the **product** the buyer purchased (Products → edit) and look at the **LearnDash Courses** field in the product data box. The course must be selected there, because this field drives enrollment. If it is empty, fix it now. Future buyers are covered from that moment; the buyer who already paid needs the manual fix below, because the automation only runs at purchase time.

## 2. Check the course access settings

Open the course → Settings: Access Mode should be **Closed**, and the **Button URL** should point to the product. A wrong access mode (e.g. Open/Free) can let everyone in, or, combined with a missing association, leave paying customers outside.

## 3. Check the order status

WooCommerce → Orders → open the buyer's order. Enrollment fires when the order reaches **Completed** (or **Processing**). An order stuck in *Pending payment* or *On hold* means the payment didn't fully clear. That's a payment issue, not a course issue.

## 4. Check which email the buyer is logging in with

The account is created at checkout with the email used in the order, and enrollment is attached to it. If the buyer logs in with a different email (or via Google sign-in on another address), they may have two accounts: one enrolled, one not. Check Users for the order's email and for duplicates of the same person.

## 5. For subscriptions: check the status

If access comes through a subscription, an expired, on-hold or cancelled subscription removes course access. WooCommerce → Subscriptions → find the buyer and confirm it's Active.

## The fast manual fix while you investigate

You never have to leave a paying customer waiting. Enroll them manually: LearnDash → Courses → the course → Users → add the user (create the account first from the order's email if it doesn't exist). Sort out the wiring afterwards.

## When to hand it to us

If the association is in place, the access mode is right, the order is Completed and the emails match, but access still doesn't appear, the wiring needs a look on our side. [Open a ticket](https://schoolyland.com/contact/) with the order number and the buyer's email, and say whether it affects one buyer or everyone. "Every buyer since Tuesday" is treated as urgent.