PDF won't download

If your pay stub PDF didn't download, or downloaded but won't open, it's almost always the browser rather than the file itself. Work through the steps below in order — the first two fix the large majority of cases.

1. Confirm the purchase completed

Look for the receipt email sent at checkout. If there's no receipt, the payment may not have gone through, and no PDF would have been generated. You can also sign in and check your order history. If the charge appears on your card but no receipt arrived, skip ahead and contact support with the charge date.

2. Allow pop-ups and downloads

Most browsers block a file that starts downloading without a direct click. Look for a small blocked-pop-up icon in the address bar and allow downloads for OakPaystubs, then start the download again. On mobile, check that your browser is allowed to save files to storage.

3. Disable ad blockers and extensions

Ad blockers, privacy extensions, and some corporate security tools intercept file downloads. Turn them off for this site temporarily, reload the page, and retry. If you're on a managed work laptop, a policy may be blocking downloads outright — try a personal device to confirm.

4. Try a different browser

If it still won't download, try Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge — whichever you weren't already using. A fresh browser bypasses cached state, blocked permissions, and extensions all at once, which is why it resolves so many cases on its own.

5. Check your downloads folder

The file may have saved silently without any visible prompt. Check your browser's Downloads list and your system Downloads folder, and sort by most recent. Search for the file by name if your browser saves to a custom location.

The file opens blank or corrupted

If the PDF downloads but won't open, or opens as an empty page, this is usually an interrupted download rather than a bad file:

• Re-download the stub from your order history — the original stays available.
• Make sure you have a current PDF viewer installed. Older built-in viewers on mobile sometimes fail on print-quality files.
• Try opening it in a desktop browser, which will render a PDF even with no dedicated viewer installed.
• Clear your browser cache, then download once more.

If a re-download also opens blank, it may be a temporary issue on our side, and we'd like to know about it.

Still stuck?

Contact support with your order number, the browser and device you're using, and a note of which steps you've already tried. That's usually enough for us to resend the file directly.

If you were charged but never received your stub and would rather not continue troubleshooting, see Request a refund.

Common questions

I was charged but never got the PDF. What now?

Work through the steps above first — most cases are a blocked download rather than a missing file. If none of them work, contact support with your order number and we'll resend it or refund the purchase.

Can I download the same pay stub more than once?

Yes. Purchased stubs stay available in your order history and can be re-downloaded, so an interrupted download never costs you the stub.

Why does my PDF open as a blank page?

That's the signature of an interrupted download rather than a corrupted file. Re-download it from your order history and open it in a desktop browser to rule out an outdated mobile PDF viewer.

Does the PDF work on a phone?

Yes, though some older built-in mobile viewers struggle with print-resolution files. If the stub looks wrong on a phone, open the same file on a computer before assuming it generated incorrectly.