---
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

This page describes the behaviour you'll see in two situations: when a webhook fails
authentication, and when the license is inactive. PhonePe records the detail of each in the
**Gateway Log** (**Utilities → Logs → Gateway Log**) rather than showing a customer-facing error
string, so the log is where you confirm the cause.

## 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
Even a correctly authenticated webhook is double-checked: the gateway calls PhonePe to confirm the
payment status before an invoice is marked Paid. If that confirmation can't be made, the invoice
won't flip to Paid — this is deliberate, to prevent recording an unconfirmed payment.
:::

## License-inactive behaviour

The license gates **payment processing**. When the license is active, PhonePe takes payments
normally. When it is **inactive**:

* **PhonePe payment processing is disabled** — the gateway stops completing charges through
  PhonePe until a valid, active license key is saved.
* The check runs **locally in the background**, so a brief licensing-server outage does not disable
  payments; short interruptions are tolerated.
* **Restore it** by renewing your license or re-entering a valid **License Key** in
  **Setup → Payment Gateways → PhonePe**, then **Save Changes**. Payments resume once the license
  is active again.

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