The verdict in three sentences
On mobile money, the callback (webhook) can be lost: network drop, timeout, a momentarily unavailable server — and a lost callback becomes a phantom order, paid but never confirmed. The right decision is not "webhook only" but webhook + fallback polling: if no callback arrives, your server actively queries the status API. Add an exponential retry and a dead-letter queue after 5 attempts so no event is ever lost.
Webhook only vs webhook + polling
Webhook-only is optimal when the network is perfect. On African 3G markets it is not: fallback polling queries the provider's query status API for orders left pending.
| Approach | Coverage | Server load | Phantom-order risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webhook only | ~95 % | Low | High on lost callback |
| Polling only | ~99 % | High | Low but costly |
| Webhook + polling | ~99.9 % | Moderate | Near zero |
Retry, dead-letter and M-Pesa codes
When your webhook processing fails, replay with exponential backoff 1 / 5 / 25 minutes, then move to a dead-letter queue after 5 attempts for manual inspection. In parallel, polling queries the status every 30 seconds for 10 minutes after the payment is initiated.
| Parameter | 2026 value | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Retry 1 | +1 min | Fast recovery |
| Retry 2 | +5 min | Short outage |
| Retry 3 | +25 min | Extended outage |
| Dead-letter | after 5 attempts | Manual inspection |
| Polling interval | 30 s | Callback fallback |
| Polling duration | 10 min | Payment window |
| M-Pesa ResultCode 0 | Success | Confirm order |
| M-Pesa ResultCode 1032 | Cancelled by user | Release the basket |
| M-Pesa ResultCode 1037 | Timeout (no response) | Poll + retry |
Key reading: 1032 = deliberate cancellation (don't insist), 1037 = timeout (query the status via the fallback API before concluding failure).
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Mini case study
Fatou, who runs an online grocery in Thiès, receives 800 Orange Money payments/month. About 3 % of callbacks were lost (24 orders/month), half of which were genuinely paid: 12 phantom unshipped sales, average basket 12,500 FCFA, i.e. 150,000 FCFA/month of confusion and unhappy customers. With 30-second fallback polling and exponential retry, she recovers 11 of those 12 sales, i.e. ~137,500 FCFA/month, and support stops handling "I paid but got nothing".
FAQ
Why not rely on the webhook alone? Because a callback may never arrive (network, provider timeout). Fallback polling guarantees every initiated order reaches a final status, even without a callback.
What does ResultCode 1037 mean? It is a timeout: the user did not confirm in time or the response was lost. Do not conclude failure immediately — query the status API, since the payment may have succeeded on the operator side.
How long should I poll? Every 30 seconds for 10 minutes covers almost all mobile money payments. Beyond that, the order enters long-pending and a daily reconciliation takes over.
What is the dead-letter queue for? After 5 failed attempts, the event is placed there for manual inspection rather than lost. It prevents a transient bug from silently erasing a payment.
Should 1032 be treated as a failure? Yes but without retry: 1032 is a deliberate user cancellation. Release the reserved basket/stock and offer to restart the payment.
Let's talk about your project. We make your Orange Money and M-Pesa payments resilient: tested retry, dead-letter and fallback polling. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
