Every cash payment reference has a deadline. Knowing how long it's valid lets you set expectations with the buyer and know what to do when a reference expires unpaid.
Who this applies to
All cash charges, whether the reference was generated from a Payment Link, Checkout, or your integration.
How validity works
- Visible deadline: the reference shows the buyer how long they have to pay; typically a few calendar days from its creation.
- Configurable validity: when creating the charge you can adjust the expiration — shorter for time-limited promotions, longer to give buyers time to get to the store.
- After the deadline: the reference is no longer accepted at the register and the transaction changes to Expired in your Conekta Panel. Stores automatically reject expired references.
What to do when it expires
An expired reference can't be reactivated: generate a new charge and share the new reference with the buyer. The expired transaction stays in your history only as a record and doesn't produce charges or duplicates.
What happens next
When paid within the validity period, the transaction is confirmed like any cash payment and goes into your payouts. If the buyer lost their reference before paying, follow What to do if the buyer lost their reference.