diff --git a/lnbits/core/services.py b/lnbits/core/services.py
index 91d53ca13..b5c3d9fa2 100644
--- a/lnbits/core/services.py
+++ b/lnbits/core/services.py
@@ -140,11 +140,12 @@ async def pay_invoice(
     else:
         # actually pay the external invoice
         payment: PaymentResponse = await WALLET.pay_invoice(payment_request)
-        if payment.ok and payment.checking_id:
+        if payment.checking_id:
             await create_payment(
                 checking_id=payment.checking_id,
                 fee=payment.fee_msat,
                 preimage=payment.preimage,
+                pending=payment.ok == None,
                 **payment_kwargs,
             )
             await delete_payment(temp_id)
diff --git a/lnbits/wallets/base.py b/lnbits/wallets/base.py
index 469f7ec07..3f131c1e8 100644
--- a/lnbits/wallets/base.py
+++ b/lnbits/wallets/base.py
@@ -15,9 +15,8 @@ class InvoiceResponse(NamedTuple):
 
 
 class PaymentResponse(NamedTuple):
-    ok: Optional[
-        bool
-    ] = None  # when ok is None it means we don't know if this succeeded
+    # when ok is None it means we don't know if this succeeded
+    ok: Optional[bool] = None
     checking_id: Optional[str] = None  # payment_hash, rcp_id
     fee_msat: int = 0
     preimage: Optional[str] = None
diff --git a/lnbits/wallets/spark.py b/lnbits/wallets/spark.py
index 1586bbb0d..c97dd33f3 100644
--- a/lnbits/wallets/spark.py
+++ b/lnbits/wallets/spark.py
@@ -109,7 +109,34 @@ class SparkWallet(Wallet):
         try:
             r = await self.pay(bolt11)
         except (SparkError, UnknownError) as exc:
-            return PaymentResponse(False, None, 0, None, str(exc))
+            listpays = await self.listpays(bolt11)
+            if listpays:
+                pays = listpays["pays"]
+
+                if len(pays) == 0:
+                    return PaymentResponse(False, None, 0, None, str(exc))
+
+                pay = pays[0]
+                payment_hash = pay["payment_hash"]
+
+                if len(pays) > 1:
+                    raise Exception(
+                        f"listpays({payment_hash}) returned an unexpected response: {listpays}"
+                    )
+
+                if pay["status"] == "failed":
+                    return PaymentResponse(False, None, 0, None, str(exc))
+                elif pay["status"] == "pending":
+                    return PaymentResponse(None, listpays["pays"], 0, None, None)
+                elif pay["status"] == "complete":
+                    r = pay
+                    r["payment_preimage"] = pay["preimage"]
+                    r["msatoshi"] = int(pay["amount_msat"][0:-4])
+                    r["msatoshi_sent"] = int(pay["amount_sent_msat"][0:-4])
+                    # this may result in an error if it was paid previously
+                    # our database won't allow the same payment_hash to be added twice
+                    # this is good
+                    pass
 
         fee_msat = r["msatoshi_sent"] - r["msatoshi"]
         preimage = r["payment_preimage"]