Troubleshooting DonateMate — Common Issues & Fixes

Troubleshooting DonateMate — Common Issues & Fixes

Most DonateMate issues are quick fixes. Here are the most common problems and how to solve them.

Widget Not Appearing on My Store

This is the most common issue for new setups. Work through these checks in order:

  1. Is the app block added to your theme?

    Go to Shopify Admin → Online Store → Themes → Customize. Navigate to the page where you expect the widget. Check that the DonateMate app block is present in the section list. If not, add it.

  2. Did you save the theme after adding the block?

    Easy one to miss — make sure you clicked Save in the Theme Customizer.

  3. Is your DonateMate subscription active?

    Go to Shopify Admin → Apps → DonateMate and check your plan status. A lapsed subscription will deactivate the widget.

  4. Do you have an active donation product?

    In the DonateMate dashboard, check that at least one product is active. If all your products are paused or deleted, the widget has nothing to display.

  5. Are you on a supported theme?

    DonateMate works best with Online Store 2.0 themes. Check for an update to your theme or download a new theme from the Theme Store.

Add to Cart Button Not Working

The widget appears but clicking "Add to Cart" does nothing (or gives an error):

  • Try a page refresh: Sometimes a hard refresh (Cmd+Shift+R  / Ctrl+Shift+R ) clears a cached version.
  • Check for JavaScript errors: Open your browser's developer console (right-click → Inspect → Console). If there are red error messages, note them and send them to Ben.
  • App conflicts: Another app (e.g. a cart customisation app or a currency converter) may be conflicting with DonateMate. Try temporarily disabling other apps to test.
  • Donation amount entered: Make sure an amount has been entered or selected before clicking Add to Cart — the button may not work with a blank/zero amount.

Product Not Appearing in Theme Editor

You can't find DonateMate in the "Add block" section of your theme customizer:

  • Make sure DonateMate is installed (check Shopify Admin → Apps)
  • Try refreshing the Theme Customizer page
  • Check that you're on an OS 2.0 theme — older themes use a different installation method
  • If on a custom or third-party theme, check the custom theme guide
  • Check that the product is published to the Online Store, go to Shopify Admin → Products → Filter by DonateMate → Check that it is published to the Online Store.

Post-Checkout Donation Popup Not Appearing

The post-purchase donation isn't showing after checkout:

  1. Go to Shopify Admin → Settings → Checkout and make sure DonateMate is enabled as a post-purchase extension
  2. Check that your Shopify plan supports post-purchase extensions (requires Shopify plan or higher)
  3. The popup only shows when a customer makes a purchase that doesn't already include a donation — it won't stack on top of an existing donation in the cart
  4. Check the Post-Checkout Donations guide for full setup steps

Shopify POS Not Working

DonateMate isn't showing on your POS or the tile isn't working:

  • DonateMate requires an internet connection to work, make sure you have a good wifi signal.
  • Make sure the DonateMate tile has been added to your POS. In the Shopify POS app, go to Settings → Apps and channels and enable DonateMate
  • For iPad issues: Make sure the Shopify POS app is updated to the latest version
  • Check our detailed Shopify POS guide

Donation Amount Shows as a Variant

Customers or you are seeing variant names like "Amount: 10.00" in the product or order — this is normal! DonateMate uses Shopify variants to process custom donation amounts, so each unique amount creates a variant automatically. This is by design and doesn't affect anything functionally.

If you want to clean up old variants, you can do so from the DonateMate dashboard under Manage Products → Clean Up Variants.

Session Token Fetch Failed Error

If you see a "session token fetch failed" error, this is usually a browser/cookie issue:

  • Try opening DonateMate in a fresh browser tab
  • Clear your browser cache and cookies for shopify.com
  • Try a different browser
  • Disable any browser extensions that might block cookies (ad blockers, privacy tools)

Still Stuck?

If none of the above fixes your issue, get in touch with:

  • Your store URL (e.g. yourstore.myshopify.com )
  • A description of what you're seeing
  • A screenshot if possible

Ben (the Aussie dev who built this) will take a look. Most issues get sorted within a day. 🛠️

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