Checkout takes several seconds after clicking “Finish order”

Hi Nicolas,

I would like to ask you about something we are noticing during the checkout process.

When a customer clicks on the button to complete the order, the order processing takes a few seconds. During that time, a kind of loading/spinner icon appears, as if the system is “thinking”.

The problem is that several customers have told us that this step “takes too long”, and we are worried that some users may think the checkout is blocked or may even leave before the order is completed.

Is there any way to improve this delay, or at least to show a clearer message during that loading time, such as “Your order is being processed, please wait”?

Thank you.
Best regards, José Ángel

Hi Nicolas,

Thank you for the explanation.

We will not make core changes, so we will wait for the next HikaShop version with the improved loading message.

Regarding the delay itself, we would like to identify what is causing it on our website. Is there any recommended way to check which process is taking more time during order creation?

For example, is there a debug log, a timing report, or a recommended method to know whether the delay comes from emails, payment plugins, shipping plugins, analytics, or another third-party plugin?

Thank you.

Hi Nicolas,

We have run several tests as you suggested.

All tests were made from a PC, using the same product, the same checkout process and bank transfer as the payment method.

These are the average results:

* Normal checkout, with order emails enabled: 11.29 seconds
* Checkout with these three emails temporarily disabled: 7.46 seconds

* Order notification to administrator
* Order creation notification
* Order status notification

So the emails seem to add around 3.83 seconds to the checkout process.

However, even with those emails disabled, the checkout still takes around 7.46 seconds, which still seems quite high for a bank transfer order.

We also tested by temporarily disabling these plugins one by one, with emails enabled:

* HikaShop Google Dynamic Remarketing: 11.19 seconds
* HikaShop Google Analytics 4: 11.64 seconds
* HikaShop Email History Plugin: 12.36 seconds
* HikaShop trigger for AcyMailing filters: 11.95 seconds
* HikaShop Massaction Order Plugin: 10.95 seconds
* HikaShop Orders Automatic Cancel Plugin: 10.93 seconds

None of these plugins seems to explain the delay.

Based on these results, do you think 7.46 seconds for a bank transfer order with order emails disabled is still abnormal?

If so, what would you recommend checking next?

Thank you.

Hi Nicolas,

We have now tested the first checkout page as well.

The first checkout page loads very quickly, in around 1 second. By default, the selected payment method is credit card. If we change the payment method to bank transfer, the checkout thinks for around 2 seconds, but nothing more.

So the checkout page itself does not seem to take 6–7 seconds to load.

The delay appears when clicking the final button to complete the order:

Bank transfer order with emails enabled: around 11.29 seconds
Bank transfer order with the three order emails disabled: around 7.46 seconds

So emails explain around 3.83 seconds, but even without those emails the final order creation still takes around 7.46 seconds.

Since the first checkout page loads in about 1 second, it does not look like a template/modules/page rendering issue.

Based on this, would you recommend checking another Joomla/HikaShop plugin that is triggered during order creation?

Thank you.

Hi Nicolas,

We continued testing and we finally found a very clear result.

The delay seems to come mainly from AwoCoupon, specifically from the plugin:

* Hikashop - AwoCoupon

These are the average results with bank transfer, emails enabled and GA4 enabled:

* Normal checkout, with both AwoCoupon plugins enabled: 11.29 seconds
* Both AwoCoupon plugins disabled: 5.13 seconds
* Only “System - AwoCoupon” enabled: 5.99 seconds
* Only “Hikashop - AwoCoupon” enabled: 11.93 seconds

So the main delay seems to be caused by the “Hikashop - AwoCoupon” plugin.

If we disable “Hikashop - AwoCoupon”, the checkout becomes much faster, but our coupons are no longer applied, so we cannot simply keep it disabled without replacing that functionality.

I understand that this probably comes from AwoCoupon, not from HikaShop itself. However, I would like to ask you something before contacting AwoCoupon.

Since HikaShop 6.5.0 includes the new bulk import feature for discounts and coupons, would it be possible to stop using AwoCoupon and use only HikaShop’s native coupon/discount system instead?

Would HikaShop be able to cover the same kind of coupon/discount rules, and could we import our existing AwoCoupon coupons into HikaShop, for example via CSV/XML?

In your opinion, would migrating from AwoCoupon to HikaShop native coupons be a good solution to avoid this delay during order creation?

Thank you.