Failed-MOQ handling

What this feature does

When a closed group buy does not reach its minimum quantity, eligible hosted orders enter a full product-price refund process while the originally disclosed platform fee is retained where lawful.

This guide describes the behavior implemented by Mallello, the people allowed to use it, and the operational checks that keep it dependable.

Detailed workflow

1. The maintenance process identifies ended listings below MOQ.
2. It marks the group buy failed exactly once and selects eligible paid orders.
3. Each refund is submitted against the original direct charge with connected-account context.
4. Success and failure are recorded per order so a partial batch can be safely resumed.
5. Customers receive a clear outcome and the listing no longer accepts orders.

Rules and permissions

• The process must be idempotent and webhook-aware.
• External MOQ counts can affect threshold outcome but external transactions cannot be refunded by Mallello.
• The vendor connected account funds the refund under the direct-charge model.
• The retained platform fee must match checkout disclosure and current law.

Failure handling and edge cases

• Insufficient vendor balance, disconnected accounts, or disputed charges require manual follow-up.
• A failed batch must not be marked fully processed while any eligible order is unresolved.
• Cron authentication failures should alert operators rather than expose the maintenance endpoint.