---
url: /phonepe-whmcs/errors.md
description: >-
  What PhonePe for WHMCS does when the webhook fails authentication and when the
  license is inactive — the behaviour you'll see and where to look.
---

# Errors

PhonePe for WHMCS logs failure details to the WHMCS **Gateway Log** (**Utilities → Logs → Gateway Log**) rather than showing customer-facing error strings. This page covers two primary failure conditions:

* **Webhook authentication failures:** Mismatched credentials or failed API status confirmations.
* **License-inactive states:** Suspended payment processing due to an expired or missing key.

## Webhook authentication failures

Every webhook from PhonePe is **SHA256 hash-authenticated** using the username and password you
configured on both sides. When that check fails, the gateway rejects the request:

| You see | What it means | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **401 (unauthorized)** on the webhook | The incoming request failed the SHA256 authentication check — the webhook username/password don't match between PhonePe and WHMCS. | Re-enter matching **Webhook Username** / **Webhook Password** in both the PhonePe dashboard and **Setup → Payment Gateways → PhonePe**. |
| **500 (processing error)** on the webhook | The request authenticated but the handler couldn't finish — often the secondary status confirmation to PhonePe failed, or credentials were wrong during that check. | Check the Gateway Log entry, verify Client ID/Secret, and confirm outbound HTTPS to PhonePe is allowed. |
| Invoice stays unpaid after a paid attempt | The webhook didn't arrive or was rejected, so the payment was never recorded. | Confirm the Webhook URL over HTTPS and the username/password match; see [Troubleshooting](/phonepe-whmcs/troubleshooting). |

::: info Dual verification
Authenticated webhooks undergo secondary validation:

* **API confirmation:** The gateway queries PhonePe's API to verify payment success before marking invoices Paid.
* **Fail-safe:** If the API check cannot verify status, the invoice remains unpaid to prevent recording unconfirmed payments.
  :::

## License-inactive behaviour

The license directly controls **payment processing**:

* **Processing disabled:** The gateway halts PhonePe charges while the license is inactive.
* **Outage tolerance:** Local background caching tolerates brief licensing-server outages without interrupting checkout.
* **Recovery:** Renew your license or enter a valid **License Key** in **Setup → Payment Gateways → PhonePe**, then click **Save Changes**.

Other gateways and the rest of your WHMCS install are unaffected — only PhonePe payment processing
is gated.

## Related pages

* [Troubleshooting](/phonepe-whmcs/troubleshooting) — step-by-step fixes for these situations
* [Licensing](/phonepe-whmcs/licensing) — the two license types and the license-gated feature
* [Configuration](/phonepe-whmcs/configuration) — the webhook and license fields