WooCommerce: download limit reached without a download?

A customer has paid for an e-book but the link says the download limit has been reached. Your own test purchase works. This does not establish whether the customer received a usable file: the particular permission and the requests made against it need investigation. The original report mentions Google Pay, but does not demonstrate that the payment method caused the problem. Q1

Preserve the purchase and permission evidence

Match the payment, order, product file and customer address. Confirm the actual payment and any subsequent refunds. Then record the downloadable-product permission: file identifier or name, original allowance, downloads remaining, expiry and existing access records. Depending on the WooCommerce version, the permission panel may need to be enabled in the screen options.

Do not immediately regenerate permissions. WooCommerce documents that regeneration can remove previous permissions and download logs. That could erase the information needed to understand this incident. Q2

Follow the branch that matches the evidence

1. The relevant permission is missing: Compare the order status with the store’s digital-access settings. Check whether this file was added as a new downloadable file after the customer purchased. A file being available on today’s product record does not establish that an earlier order already has permission for it.
2. The permission exists but has expired or reached its limit: Align recorded request times with the customer’s account of events. A browser may have opened a PDF without the customer deliberately saving it. Investigate interrupted or partial requests before treating the counter as evidence that a complete copy was received.
3. The permission is valid but delivery fails: Examine the exact stored file and its delivery route. A missing object, a server failure and an access denial require different remedies. Replacing the protected link with a publicly accessible file would leave the original permission problem unresolved.

Once the purchase and entitlement are established, an authorised person can correct the individual order where appropriate. Record the change and agree on one controlled download. Avoid consuming additional allowance through repeated tests. Check both the resulting file and the new access record; a success message alone does not establish that the file opens correctly.

Frequently asked questions

Should the customer buy the product again?

No. A second purchase is not a diagnostic step for access to an existing paid order. It could create another payment that then needs reconciling.

Should I mark the whole order completed?

Only if that status accurately represents the order. Changing status can trigger other workflows and does not replace checking the particular permission. Digital-access settings also affect when downloads become available. Q3

Does a download log prove the customer saved the complete file?

Not necessarily. Compare the count, server response and customer observations instead of treating one record as proof of complete delivery.

Information that helps us investigate

Provide the WooCommerce version, order number, file type, exact message and redacted permission values. Share complete download links containing access keys only through an agreed secure channel.

KAN KAI WORKS can investigate order permissions and file delivery together. Get help with this case.