In this article, we're going to explain why you're seeing a specific type of error message when you're trying to request a custom invoice for a Leanpub purchase, and what you can do.
TL;DR Answer! Sign in to your Leanpub account and add the purchase to your account on your Guest Purchases page here: https://leanpub.com/user_dashboard/add_purchases. Then you can request a custom invoice as usual.
Why You're Seeing An Error Message
Leanpub has a feature known in the ecommerce industry as a "guest purchase". This feature lets you make a purchase and get download links, even if you're not signed in to your Leanpub account.
In our case, means there's an extra step you need to do to verify you really made the purchase yourself. To verify the purchase, you need to click a magic link in the purchase email, to verify the purchase and add it to your account.
If you try to request a custom receipt when you are in the same web session after completing a guest purchase, you will see an error message like this one:
"We were unable to a deliver a receipt to [guest purchase user ID]"
We are planning to update this message! When we do, it will say something better, like:
"This is a guest purchase which needs to be verified before you can request a custom invoice. To verify the purchase, please sign in to your Leanpub account for [your Leanpub account email address] and go to your Guest Purchases page here: https://leanpub.com/user_dashboard/add_purchases."
Verifying Your Guest Purchase and Adding It To Your Leanpub Account
If the magic link to verify the purchase in your purchase email has expired, you can add the purchase to your Leanpub account on your Guest Purchases page here:
Please just make sure you're signed in to the correct Leanpub account, or else you won't see the guest purchase on that page!
You can check which account you're signed in to by clicking the menu at the top right, and then looking at the email address at the bottom of the box that will pop up:
OK, that's it!
If you have any feedback or questions about this article, please email the Leanpub team about it at hello@leanpub.com!
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